March, 2012 - Marist Brothers International School

Marist Mail
March, 2012
Marist Brothers
International School
Marist Mail
W
elcome to the March
edition of the Marist
Mail. Inside this issue you
will be able to read about all
of the great activities that have
been happening at school
throughout March.
The biggest event for the
school this month was our
re-accreditation visit from
the Western Association of
Schools and Colleges. Mr.
Mike Booton (Thailand) and
Mr. Dan Bender (American
School in Japan) visited our
school for 3 days. After
meeting with Administration,
Board members, Teachers,
Parents and Students, they
presented us with our school
report.
They were both
extremely
complimentary
of the vast improvements
that are noticeable at MBIS
since their last visit calling it
a “remarkable turnaround”.
They were also extremely
impressed with our students
and the atmosphere and school
culture that we all contribute
to. They highlighted two
paragraphs in the report
which are a “compliment and
an affirmation” of all the work
that has been undertaken over
the past two years.
”It became clear that since
the 2010 Visit a considerable
amount of collaborative effort
has been applied to addressing
the critical areas for followup. The visiting committee
acknowledges the dedicated
and painstaking work of the
board, the head of school and
the faculty.
The areas of strength noted by
the 2010 visiting committee
have not been diminished in
any way. In its sixtieth year,
the MBIS community is still
characterized by academic
rigor and a nurturing,
inclusive school culture. But
in a relatively short period of
time the school has undergone
a
transformation
in
organizational effectiveness,
and coherence in governance,
administration, and school
improvement capability has
been substantially improved.”
I would like to thank everyone
for their support and tireless
efforts in making MBIS the
best school it can be.
Lastly, I would like to
thank a group of unnamed
mothers who surprised the
faculty and staff this week
by preparing yummy treats.
This was unexpected but truly
appreciated. Thank you for
thinking of us.
Have a safe and relaxing Spring
Break. Happy Hanami!!!
Marijana Munro
Head of School
OUR TEA CEREMONY
New, green, fragrant tatami mats in
the Elementary lobby can only mean
one thing – Tea Ceremony. In the
first week of March, all students
from Montessori to Grade 12 were
given the opportunity to participate
in a traditional Tea Ceremony.
Many students enjoyed the new
taste, while others found the tea
to be bitter and instead preferred
the traditional sweets. A special
thank you to Mrs. Yamashita for
conducting the ceremonies, the
Japanese department for teaching the
students the correct way to receive
and drink tea, and a big thank you to
the parent volunteers. Without all of
you, this event would not have been
such a success.
OUR TEA CEREMONY
MARIST STUDENTS ON THE STAGE
In recent years, Marist students have frequently represented
our school in a wide variety of speech contests and events
(and they have an enviable record of success). In this issue
we are proud to present two compositions which were recently
delivered on local stages. The first is by Luke Esterly (Grade
7). This speech, in Japanese, was originally presented at the
16th International Kobe Fair. The topic for this event was
“Strengthening Ties from Kobe” (Luke, pictured above, also
gave the speech at a school assembly, in Japanese and English).
「きずな」の大切さ
「きずな」という言葉は、去年の東日本大震災以
降、とても重みのある言葉だと実感するようになり
ました。「きずな」を国語辞典で調べてみると、「
人と人との結びつき」と書いてありました。僕たち
人間は、人と人との結びつきが、どのくらい大切だ
と真剣に考えているのでしょうか。
皆さんは、ブータンという国をご存知でしょう
か。中国とインドにはさまれている国で、九州とほ
ぼ同じ面積であり、人口は、約７０万人の小さな国
です。去年は、ブータン国王と王妃が来日され、と
ても話題になりました。僕が、ブータンの国にとて
も興味を持ったのは、ブータン国民の約９７パーセ
ントが幸せだと感じていることです。すごいなと思
いました。きっと人と人との結びつきである「きず
な」が、とても深い国だろうと感じました。決し
て、そんなに豊かな国ではないのにもかかわらず、
幸せだと感じることができるところにともて好感を
持ちました。日本は、どうでしょうか。何パーセン
トの日本人が、自分は幸せだと感じているでしょう
か。確かに、日本は、物質的には、とても豊かな国
です。次から次へと新しいものが発明されて、とて
も興味をそそります。新しい物を手に入れた時は、
幸せだと感じます。しかし、すぐに飽きてしまい、
また次の新しいものを求めてしまいます。その繰り
返しです。物質だけでは、絆を感じることは出来な
いのです。愛情を感じることも出来ないのです。以
前、マザーテレサが来日された時、彼女は、「日本
の国民は愛されることに飢えています。」と言われ
ました。彼女は、多くの人々との絆を大切にされて
きた人であり、計り知れないほどの愛情を人々に注
いでこられた人です。彼女の日本へのメッセージを
深く受け止めなければいけません。
僕が一番絆を強く感じる時は、スポーツをしてい
る時です。僕は学校で春は、バレーボール、夏は野
球、秋は、バスケットボール、冬は、サッカーをし
ています。いろいろなスポーツが出来て、とても楽
しいです。スポーツをしている時は、みんなの心が
一つになり、勝ちたいという気持ちが強く沸いてき
ます。自然とみんなの心が一つになるのです。あま
り知らなかった人ともスポーツを通して、心がつな
がります。とても不思議です。一生懸命に目標に向
かって、共に同じ気持ちになって、進んでいくこと
が出来ます。絆は、目では見えませんが、心では、
とても感じることが出来ます。
何事でも、新しいことを始めるには、勇気が必要
です。また、人とのつながりを持つことも、勇気が
必要です。スポーツを通してのコーチとのつながり
や、友人達とのつながりには、本当に強い信頼関係
が生まれました。スポーツをしていなかったら、こ
のような強いつながりを感じ取ることは出来なかっ
たかも知れません。スポーツだけではなく、他のこ
とでも、何か新しいことを勇気を出して、始めまし
ょう。人との素晴らしいつながりと出会えるかもし
れません。
去年に起こった東日本大震災や１９９５年の阪神
大震災で、多くの人達が、底なしで、辛い思いをさ
れたことと思います。僕もなぜ日本がこんな目にあ
うのかと悲しくなりました。しかし、映像で人と人
がお互い助け合って、辛さを乗り越えていくのを見
て、人間は、弱い時こそ、強くなれるのだなと感
じ、絆の意味を知ることが出来ました。阪神淡路大
震災が起こった時は、僕はまだ生まれていませんで
した。今の美しい神戸しか知らない僕は、とても信
じることが出来ず、胸が痛くなります。しかし、地
震を通して、お互いに助け合う心、自分より他人を
優先にする心、また人の苦しみを自分の苦しみのよ
うに受け止めることが出来る心を私達は、持つこと
が出来るようになれたと思います。神戸に住む僕の
外国人の友達は、みんな神戸が好きです。自分の生
まれ育った国よりも、神戸が好きと言う友達もいま
す。何故そんなに好きなのかと理由を聞くと、一番
に返ってくる言葉は、住みやすい町だから、人が優
しいからという答えでした。僕もまったくその答え
に同感です。外国人の人達が住みやすい神戸に作り
上げてくださった方々に本当に感謝します。神戸市
民一人一人が、神戸を愛する心、そして強い絆を持
っているからこそ、今の素敵な神戸があると思いま
す。これからも、重みのある「きずな」という言葉
を、しっかりと心に受け止めて、歩んでいきましょ
う。
The second speech is by Sara Shibata (Grade 8). Sara
presented her bilingual speech at a prefectural (government)
contest, placing first in Kobe and second in Hyogo Prefecture.
The topic for this contest was “The Rights of Human Beings”.
When I was born I was dead. This was because the umbilical
cord was wrapped around my neck three times; however, I
miraculously survived. My mother was very worried until
she was able to hear me crying. When most mothers give
birth to their children, babies immediately start crying.
However, not all babies are born this way. Some babies have
problems since born, like me. Just like this, each person is
different. Each person has their own destiny.
After this, except for dislocating my elbows several times,
and falling down from the second floor while crawling, I
spent my toddler years quite peacefully. Since I originally
had many allergies, I often caught colds, and especially after
I entered school, if someone caught a cold, I soon caught
it. In my case, the cold became worse in an instant, and
caused pneumonia. Because of my weak body, until half
way through first grade I couldn’t go to school. I couldn’t
make many friends at all, and even at recess I had to stay
in the classroom either reading or doing puzzles by myself.
I thought, “Why is it me, the one who loves to play sports
have to be the one to stay inside?” and I was always in a
gloomy mood. However, the only relief to me was that I
was not alone- I always had a friend nearby. He had a severe
physical disability, and he was unable to walk or stand by
himself, supporting his neck with a cushion, and always
on a wheelchair. There was a person who took care of him
next to him all the time, but one day he offered me to read
this friend a book. From that day, reading a book to him
became a part of my daily chore.
Before that, recess was always when I was lonely. However,
we him waiting for him, I felt very happy. He loved books,
but he also liked songs at the same time. As I walked
towards him singing a song, he always raised his voice and
laughed; as if he had been longing to see me. His favorite
song was a traditional Japanese song, and I sung many
songs to him every day. As we spent more and more time
together, we gradually became best friends.
In my family, I have parents, and an older sister who used
to do everything for me in the family when I was small.
However, as I became friends with him, I became the
one to help others. Despite this, I wasn’t always the only
one who helped him. He was also helping me. Even if
my classmates bullied me, he always waited for me with
a welcoming smile. I don’t know how many times I was
able to grow happy with his smile. Since I was small, I have
always been smiling, even in the times in hospitals when
they gave me great big injections or had to go through
painful examinations. However, even myself, who smiles
all the time, I can never beat my friend’s angelic smile.
People live by others. They have to meet different people,
trust them, and develop as human beings. If I hadn’t had
him as a friend, I would have always been alone in the
classroom. Each person has things they can do and not do;
they have weaknesses and strengths. However, we have to
live positively in the environment you are given and both
help and support each other.
If I hadn’t had this friend, if I see a person with a disability, I
might act overly surprised, or feel sorry for them. However,
since I had this friend, I learned from him that people with
disabilities are no different from us. Just because they have
handi-caps, it doesn’t mean that you can discriminate
against them; they have the same hearts as us, and it means
that it will give them a deep cut in their hearts. Each person
has different opinions. Just because their opinions are
different from yours, it doesn’t mean you can abuse them;
you have to respect them, and accept them. The times I
spent with him weren’t just delightful times they were
times when I learnt “the importance of life”.
A special thank you must go to Tanaka-sensei for her
tireless work in preparing our speech contest students.
VISIT FROM
SENBOKU HIGH
SCHOOL
On March 22, 2012 a group of eight students and four
teachers from Senboku High School in Sakai visited our
school and attended a number of classes. Senboku High
School is a school which specializes in Science and English.
The Senboku students were amazed at the high level of
English used in all of our classes and the complex concepts
being taught in Science. Although they found these lessons
a little difficult, they had a great time meeting our students
and interacting with them, especially in Japanese and
Physical Education classes. The teachers from Senboku
commented on how welcoming all our students were
and they were really impressed with the friendliness of
everyone at our school.
I would like to thank all the teachers for welcoming the
Senboku students into their classes and, in particular, the
Grade 8 class who spent a large part of the day with the
Senboku students. We look forward to continuing this
exchange in the future.
St. patrick's day dance
The Elementary Student Council hosted a St. Patrick’s
Day Dance on Friday, March 16, 2012, in the school
cafeteria. It was a hip and hopping scene with lots
of dancing, eating and game playing! There was
even a dance contest between the fourth, fifth and
six graders at the dance. It was a tough competition
between the three grades as they were dancing
with great rhythm and showing off their authentic
moves; even their homeroom teachers joined in the
fun. Overall, the first St. Patrick’s Day Dance for
the Elementary Student Council was a great success
- it left many students satisfied and ready for the
weekend. According to Shotaro Hamada, a Grade
4 Student Council representative, “This day is the
BEST day of my life!”
SENIOR TRIP 2012: BEIJING
SENIOR TRIP 2012: BEIJING
As our plane descended onto the runway
at Beijing Airport, students suddenly
realized that they hadn’t come through the
clouds – the clouds seemed to be drifting
around even at ground level… it was the
first of many new experiences for this
group of twelve students and two teachers.
Luckily, many of the experiences were
brighter than this initiation to the soupythick haze that regularly smothers China’s
capital. As their tour bus headed towards
the center of the city, the bleak grey
landscape and skeletal trees, shrouded
in murky haze, further heightened their
anticipation. Although they were still in
Asia, it started to feel as if they had landed
on another planet. And this was an
important factor in this trip – most of the
students had very definite preconceptions
about China (often very negative), and
they would now have a chance to see how
their ideas matched with reality.
It had been almost a decade since I had
last seen Beijing. Back then it was very
obviously communist, and rather uptight,
despite the rowdy nature of the Chinese
populace, who are in many aspects,
distinct opposites to the Japanese. As
we left the confines of our very nice
hotel and headed downtown, it was clear
that things have changed. The decrepit,
village-like Hutong districts have been
pushed further out of sight and closer
to extinction, replaced by towering
neon and a cavalcade of brands – from
Aston Martin to Zara. The ubiquitous,
beaten-up Volkswagens have largely been
replaced by other, up-market Germans,
with a more impressive array of Mercedes
and BMW than one might see in Tokyo.
Even more obvious is the conspicuous
increase in foreign business workers. The
move of commerce from Japan to China is
often in the news these days; the evidence
is clear on the streets of Beijing. Yet this
increased affluence has also underscored
the massive gap between rich and poor.
Under those neon lights and titanic
billboards the students came across a
small army of beggars – including mothers
clutching small infants, amputees, and
even a hideously burnt man lying in the
gutter (singing quite capably into his
small karaoke system). For most of the
students, this was something they had
never encountered face to face.
On our first night we ventured out
to the night market, where the more
adventurous sampled various delights ‘on
a stick’ – including snake, scorpion (of
small and giant varieties), and spider (bats
and lizards were a little out of our price
range). The following day we walked
the short distance to Tiananmen Square,
where students had the opportunity to
join the masses of Chinese (and tourists)
who line up every day for a glimpse of
Chairman Mao, residing in his crystal
coffin. Following this slightly macabre
stop, we spent the rest of the day winding
our way through the Forbidden City,
before heading out for a delicious dinner
at the city’s most famous Peking Duck
restaurant, Quanjude.
The highlight of our trip was almost
certainly our day trip to the Great Wall.
Despite the chilly weather, including
some fierce winds and a few snowflakes,
the students relished the opportunity
to explore this world wonder, and most
made it to the highest points after a very
tiring trek up the mountain. A core focus
of this trip is education, and not all the
lessons learned were happy ones, but the
Great Wall remains impressive, and it will
be a memory they will cherish. This year’s
Senior Trip was a fantastic experience,
and it was a pleasure to spend quality time
abroad with the charming characters that
make up the Class of 2012.
MARIST CAFE
2012
This year’s Marist Café will feature great food representing the many nationalities and cultures of the
Marist family, including: American, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Indonesian, Filipino, and more. In addition, there will be performances by elementary students, faculty, parents, the cheerleading squad,
and many individual students from all grades. All the money raised will go into the schools caring
and sharing fund and then distributed to those in need in Japan, India, Thailand, and the Philippines. The groups to which we regularly donate are always extremely thankful for, and have come to
depend on, your good will. This year we have more food than ever; bring a big appetite. Come on
out and enjoy a great evening with the Marist community!
2012 JAPAN TIMES SPELLING BEE
On March 10th, I participated in the annual Japan
Times Spelling Bee, held in Tokyo. The winner of the
Spelling Bee can get a position in the annual Scripps
National Spelling Bee, held in Washington D.C. in
the United States. The rules are simple: each person
comes up to the mike when it’s their turn and spells
their word. If they misspell the word, they are out
(until there are two spellers left).
Last year, 2011, was the second year the Japan
Times have held their Spelling Bee. It was supposed
to be held on March 12th, 2011, but because of the
earthquake a day before, it was postponed to the 14th
of May. Luckily, I managed to win, even though I had
a moment when I very nearly lost. I became speller
number 89 out of the 275 spellers in the Nationals. We
got to ride a plane and stay in a great hotel for seven
days and six nights for free! Unfortunately, I lost,
placing 42nd, but it was a great experience to socialize
with everyone.
This year, I came for revenge, and this time I
studied the whole dictionary. It wasn’t that easy. After
studying some additional materials, March 10th, 2012
almost came without me noticing. My parents and I
took the Shinkansen to Tokyo. Right before the bee, I
thought my heart was about to explode, but I managed
to calm myself down. The bee started at 12:30. Some
spellers were out in the early rounds, but there were
some tough ones left. I was asked very difficult words
like gauche, fahrenheit, and hitherto. Later on, I started
to get quite scared because there were eight spellers
left and the words were getting very tough. Then, I
thought I was in a nightmare when I misspelled the
word penitent, which means to feel sorrow or pain
for sins or offenses. I spelled it as P-E-N-A-T-E-N-T
because I heard the “I” as an “A”. It was difficult, but I
had to accept my loss. [Yuichi eventually placed 4th
in this year’s event].
Even though I didn’t win, I think it is a great experience.
So if anyone is interested in winning a spelling bee,
going to D.C., staying in a hotel for free and getting a
chance to be on TV, I’d be more than happy to help!
- Yuichi Yoshioka
April 13th
@ MBIS Cafeteria
Lots of food, drink, and
entertainment!
SEASON THREE
VARSITY BOYS SOCCER
The Varsity team had plenty of ups and downs this
season, beginning with a nice opening win, but
ending up with some very hard games in their final
tournament. “The only way is up!” says coach Ranni.
SPORTS UPDATE
SEASON FOUR SCHEDULE
High School Boys
Baseball
Saturday, April 7th
Wednesday, April
11th
Saturday, April 14th @ Nagoya
Saturday, April 21st @ Iwakuni
vs. MC Perry
Saturday, April 28th
Friday, May 11th
Saturday, May 11th
Friday, May 18th
Saturday, May 19th
@ Nagoya
WJAA Final
High School Girls
Softball
@ Canadian
Academy
Tournament
@ MBIS
vs. CA
@ Nagoya
@ Iwakuni
vs. MC Perry
@ MBIS
vs. OIS/CA
@ MBIS
WJAA Final
Middle School Boys
Volleyball
Middle School Girls
Softball
@ Nagoya
@ Nagoya
@ Canadian
Academy
WJAA Final
@ Osaka
International
School
WJAA Final
Note: schedule is subject to change. Please contact the school for more details. Schedule updates are available at the Bulldogs website: www.maristbulldogs.com
COME AND SUPPORT YOUR TEAM!
MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS
SOCCER
According to their coach, Mr. Jones, this year saw
a record sign up of Grade 4 players. Unfortunately,
overall they only had enough players for a single
team. Their best result was a great home win against
KIU, where the managed to rack up 9 goals (despite
having to do it in the snow!).
SEASON THREE
VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER
This season’s team consisted of predominantly
younger members and many first time soccer players
with several in their first ever Marist sports team. I
was particularly proud of the leadership of our older
and more experienced players and the infectious
enthusiasm the new girls brought to our team. They
were all a pleasure to be around and as displayed by
the crowd support at the tournament, inspiring to
watch compete. I hope the girls enjoyed themselves as
much as I did and we can all come back to pick up
next year where we left off.
MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS
BASKETBALL
“This season was great. Even though we had a young
and inexperienced side, we were able to constantly
improve throughout the season.” – Karen Lipp.
The girls finished up in second place in the final
tournament, narrowly defeated by Canadian Academy
(a team that they had beaten on the first day of games).
ELEMENTARY STUDENT LEARNING
EXPECTATIONS AWARDS
In February and March, Marist celebrated more
SLE Award Winners. In February students were
recognized for taking responsibility for their own
actions and behaviors. During the month, the
elementary teachers were pleased to observe so
many Marist students taking responsibility for their
own actions and behaviors, an important skill to use
as a student and throughout one’s life. In March, we
helped students make connections to March’s SLE,
building bridges in a multicultural world, with stories
and discussions at morning assembly and reflecting
on how Marist is a bridge in our multicultural world.
This school year, Marist students have really started
to understand and reflect on the importance of the
Student Learning Expectations and each month we
continue to witness our amazing students improve,
with respect to our school’s SLEs.
SLE Award winners:
Rika Matsui, Riccardo Ryu Akisada Nocent, Do Yeon
Kim, Karen Ishii, Kurumi Oshima, Shion Kawamura,
Minori Mizutani, Michael Ranni, Taiga Sasaki, Sanako
Kitahara, Yuki Oji, Jaascha Alapatte, Keila Stang, Shion
Seto, Ahyun Chang, Teruhide Ameyama, Tio Rockwood,
Aina Maria Akisada Nocent, Kasumi Kobo, Mirei
Kawahara, Rei Oguni, Kai Shitamoto, Joey Shitamoto,
Misaki Inoue.
Student Learning Expectations
The MBIS student will demonstrate:
Knowledge by:
Developing intellectually, physically, and artistically
Thinking independently, critically and creatively
Taking responsibility as self-directed, life-long learners
Being prepared for a technologically changing world
Setting priorities and attainable goals in order to maximize potential
Communication by:
Demonstrating competency in reading and writing in English
Being poised, articulate, and effective public speakers
Listening to others with focus and courtesy
Character by:
Developing spiritually and emotionally
Acting respectfully and compassionately
Taking responsibility for their own actions and behaviors
Demonstrating honesty and integrity in all relationships
Citizenship by:
Respecting world cultures and their languages
Building bridges in a multicultural world
Responding compassionately and empathetically to the needs of others
Performing service to improve the lives of others
Valuing and developing teamwork
MBIS
ELEMENTARY SCIENCE FAIR
2012
Body performers
During February and March the Kindergarten students enjoyed learning about the body. They engaged in lessons about
internal and external body parts, how different body parts work, why they are important, how to stay healthy and the five
senses. On March 14, 2012, Mrs. Paron’s Kindergarten class completed their unit with an exciting Body Performance at
morning assembly. They sang four songs: Healthy Bodies, So Many Bones, The Bones Song and a special body version
of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way. Smiles and cheers filled the lobby as these spectacular kindergarteners sang and danced.
What a fun way to start the morning!
GRADE ONE NEWS
We have been spending a lot of time remembering
Dr. Seuss’ poems for March 2. March 2 was
Naoya’s birthday and Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Girls’
Day came after that. We made origami paper
dolls. Everybody enjoyed the Tea Ceremony.
Most of us wore kimono or yukata for the
ceremony. On St. Patrick’s Day, the leprechaun
came to our school.
We went to Nadahama Science Square. It was
super duper fun!! We’d love to go to Nadahama
Science Square again! We will be going to Kobe
Winery on March 29!
Minori will be leaving Marist at the end of March.
We will all miss her very much!
- An Yonezawa
The MBIS Elementary Science Fair is set to showcase the inquisitive science minds of all our students from
Grade 1 through to Grade 6. With three category choices this year there is sure to be something to meet
all the students’ learning needs. All students have received their science fair booklets and have now chosen
which category they’ll enter. The Science Fair Committee will be available to help students every week leading
up to Science Fair on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:20-4:20. Please encourage your child to make use of
this time!
Remember that while the MBIS Science Fair is a competition the emphasis is on encouraging students to
enjoy the challenge and fun of science. We want all students to have a positive learning experience.
Judging will take place on Tuesday, 22nd May, 2012. We look forward to viewing the exciting results of all the
students’ hard work and we hope you can come in to see the displays too!
Marist Brothers
International School
The MBIS
Alumni Association
60th ANNIVERSARY
WINE GLASSES
AVAILABLE FROM THE
OFFICE - FREE!
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