Today we had our first visit to Igusa High School, which serves roughly 700 students in grades 10 through 12 and is located near Ogibuku Station, about an hour away from my host family's house.
After taking a bus to Mitaka and getting on the train to Ogibuku, I met the rest of the group, and we took the bus to Igusa, stopping to have lunch before we got to the school.
After lunch, we were greeted by the principal and the school's board members. We also met Caleb, an English teacher from Los Angeles who is teaching in Japan as part of the Japan Exchange Teaching program (JET). Caleb helped show us around the school and introduced us to some students.
We had been asked to prepare a skit or song to present in front of the whole school, so at the afternoon assembly, we performed a spirited version of the song "Bonnie," and then asked the students to join us in another rendition. The song went over much better than I thought it would - the students were enthusiastic and appreciative.
We each visited a different classroom to give short presentations about school life in the United States. I showed a PowerPoint presentation that covered basic information about Sidwell, including the courses offered, sports, Quakerism, and our excellent food service. The class had over 40 students, and they were attentive and asked good questions. The students' English skills were better than I expected, and they asked about a wide range of topics - from my favorite color to my relationship status to my thoughts on Donald Trump. It was a lot of fun talking with them, and I had the chance to meet several of them after the class period ended.
After the final bell, we participated in some of the school's club activities. First up was the judo club. We entered the dojo and changed into keikogi, the official judo uniform. The advanced students showed us some basic techniques, including somersaults, strikes, and - perhaps the most intimidating - throwing other people. It was much harder than I expected, and I had worked up a sweat by the end of the session.
We moved on to club dedicated to Kyudo, a form of Japanese archery. The students showed us how to string a bow, and we got a few (very inaccurate) shots in. I hadn't realized that archery requires a tremendous amount of upper body strength. It is very hard to pull back the bow and hold it taut while remaining steady to aim the shot.
After archery practice we all headed home, happy to have made a new friends and tried some exciting activities.
My apologies if this post wasn't very detailed - I am a bit tired and will try to go more in-depth tomorrow!
After taking a bus to Mitaka and getting on the train to Ogibuku, I met the rest of the group, and we took the bus to Igusa, stopping to have lunch before we got to the school.
Waiting for the bus to Mitaka
At lunch
Matcha (green tea flavored) soba noodles with tuna and wasabi sushi rolls
After lunch, we were greeted by the principal and the school's board members. We also met Caleb, an English teacher from Los Angeles who is teaching in Japan as part of the Japan Exchange Teaching program (JET). Caleb helped show us around the school and introduced us to some students.
Walking into Igusa
Meeting with the school's principal
Caleb shows us the library
An art class
This choral class put on an impromptu performance for us
In the college counseling office
We had been asked to prepare a skit or song to present in front of the whole school, so at the afternoon assembly, we performed a spirited version of the song "Bonnie," and then asked the students to join us in another rendition. The song went over much better than I thought it would - the students were enthusiastic and appreciative.
We had a big audience!
On stage preparing for our moment in the spotlight
We each visited a different classroom to give short presentations about school life in the United States. I showed a PowerPoint presentation that covered basic information about Sidwell, including the courses offered, sports, Quakerism, and our excellent food service. The class had over 40 students, and they were attentive and asked good questions. The students' English skills were better than I expected, and they asked about a wide range of topics - from my favorite color to my relationship status to my thoughts on Donald Trump. It was a lot of fun talking with them, and I had the chance to meet several of them after the class period ended.
All of the kids were really friendly!
After the final bell, we participated in some of the school's club activities. First up was the judo club. We entered the dojo and changed into keikogi, the official judo uniform. The advanced students showed us some basic techniques, including somersaults, strikes, and - perhaps the most intimidating - throwing other people. It was much harder than I expected, and I had worked up a sweat by the end of the session.
We moved on to club dedicated to Kyudo, a form of Japanese archery. The students showed us how to string a bow, and we got a few (very inaccurate) shots in. I hadn't realized that archery requires a tremendous amount of upper body strength. It is very hard to pull back the bow and hold it taut while remaining steady to aim the shot.
Some students demonstrate good form
Practicing with a rubber band (later on we got to try the real thing)
After archery practice we all headed home, happy to have made a new friends and tried some exciting activities.
My apologies if this post wasn't very detailed - I am a bit tired and will try to go more in-depth tomorrow!
love it buddy! indoor archery looks a little scary!!
ReplyDeleteYou would think, but those kids knew what they were doing. I, on the other hand, did not, but that's another question.
DeleteSounds like another great day was had by all! You have become very proficient at public transportation.
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you, Pa! I thought you would appreciate that.
DeleteSounds like you had fun.
ReplyDeleteThere was one thing that I noticed that was different from when I lived in Japan -- back then *all* students (kindergarten thru high school) wore uniforms. Seems like that's no longer the case....