Heisei 31 (2019) Happy New Year!

Heisei 31 (2019) has begun. How have you spent your holidays? The new year’s day was a warm and calm day. I only wish that the new year will be like the new year’s day, a peaceful and bright future without natural disasters and war. The Japanese saying, “bonji tettei” means to apply thorough and careful attention to mundane tasks. Instead of doing special projects, by consistently and diligently working on ordinary duties, we may reach our goals and produce results. Doing “what is in front of us” may seem easy but working on it with utmost care and persistence is difficult to do. But this is why such method of working yields results. Realizing that there is no same day as today, doing your best within the daily tasks is important. Further, faced with today’s disasters and accidents, we must realize that the “ordinary” is actually not so mundane, and be thankful, without taking it for granted. I pray that everyone’s 2019 will be a bright year filled with smiles.
Please continue to support the JLSP activities this year.

Shamisen is an instrument that tells “tales (culture)”

On December 15th using the second and third periods of middle school and Keisho Japanese course, we gathered for “time to experience Japanese traditional culture,” and welcomed shamisen players. Jeff Ashbrook, who is from Philadelphia and studied shamisen and its culture from locals in Tokushima and Iwate prefectures came to perform shamisen and storytelling. Using the quote “people who loses song of their native language loses their soul,” Ashbrook talked about why he “went to Japan to experience traditional music and study its culture,” and his wish for the shamisen—which music has passed on the tales that describes the culture rooted in the Japanese land and people’s thoughts and lives—to long continue. The performance included Tokushima folk song “mugiuchi-uta,” music accompaniment for Awaodori dance, and Tsugaru shamisen. Students’ comments included “this was my first time to hear live shamisen,” and “it sounded unexpectedly loud.” There was also an opportunity to touch the shamisen and its bachi (plectrum), as well as the shinobue flute, and to dance the Awaodori.

Reading Award “Yokozuna”

Congratulations on Achieving “Yokozuna”!
Pre-School
Nenchu1: Kai Moeller
Nencho2: Sho Miyagi *300 books
Elementary
1st grade 2: Kasumi Takamatsu
3rd grade: Ryoto Maruyama
4th grade: Yu Fujiki *120 books
Middle School
1st: Ana Brotherston *60 books
*We await many more reports of the awardees this year.

Elementary 1st grade & Preschool Nencho Joint Class “Irasshaimase!”

On December 15th (Sat.) Elementary 1st graders and Preschool Nencho classes joined as part of the “name of things” in their Japanese curriculum. With the goal of understanding hypernym and hyponym, the class played “Parfait Store” and enjoyed the play of buying and selling. Pretending to be the customer and store clerk and by asking and answering questions, students broke into smiles and the class had a friendly atmosphere. When asked the difference between “strawberry” and “fruit,” many opinions were raised, deepening their understanding of the words. The first graders furthered their understanding by taking on the teaching role, and the preschoolers were able to warm up to the study that is coming next year.

Announcements

1/12 (Sat.): Preschool Birthday Ceremony (December/January)
1/19 (Sat.): High school future directions introduction
1/26 (Sat.): All school class observation day; Preschool mame maki festival
*Registration open for introductory class for 2019 entering Preschool students
Registration is now open for the February 2nd (Sat.) introductory class. The students’ target birthdays are as below:
Nenchu: April 2nd, 2014 – April 1st, 2015
Nencho: April 2nd 2013 – April 1st, 2014
Those who wish to register, please contact the administration at: staff@jlsp.us.

*Attention
The door near the upper class in the upper school building (elementary school building) is an emergency door. Please do not use.