Last day at school and with Mathew

So today is it, the last day at school and with Mathew, so today I am going to use 212o of effort to do what everyone else is doing and to understand it. I will miss Tamagawa academy and the friends I made there as well. Well what is  exciting is tomorrow I am meeting the president of a japanese university, his job is to make the world an enviroment a better place. I will tell you how it goes as soon as I get back to the hotel I am staying in. I had a great time at Tamagawa academy, it is an amazing place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mathew is a great kid to stay with and is also really active. So now I am back with Ms.Powell to have even more of an adventure. Sayoonara.

CKSAP Photo Album is updated!

Please find the link to the “2008 Mission Day 2″ at right side navigation bar.

Enjoy!!

Pinch Me, I Must Be Dreaming!

I just ended my second day at Tamagawa Academy.  Although I will try, words just can’t begin to express this wonderful school.  Teachers and students alike are so fortuntate to be able to make the long trek up the hill to be a part of this Japanese tradition.  Founded almost 80 years ago, the Tamagawa Academy sits high atop a hill overlooking the city with the same name.  The school serves children from 3 years old up through college and as one of Tokyo’s most prestigious schools, students are held to the highest of standards.  The buildings and grounds are immaculate thanks to the thorough cleaning provided each day by the students.  These kids even do windows!  Teachers are enthusiastic and organized and create a very orderly environment for students to study and learn.  In addition to the basics, Tamagawa students also attend specials such as Music, Art, Technology and PE.  During my first day I spent most of my time touring and observing around the school.  Today I jumped right in and even helped with an English class!  Later in the day it was my turn to teach PE!  The Tamagawa PE teacher was gracious enough to allow me some time with one of her 3rd grade classes.  Thanks to the assistance of Taku, one of the students who speaks perfect English, I was able to teach the class two of our favorite warm-up games.  Starting with the game of Dragon’s Treasure and then finishing with Alligator Island, the students quickly mastered both games and were soon having fun and getting a good workout.  I hope that the students will be able to remember and play these games during their playgound time in the mornings before school even begins.  I greatly appreciate the opportunity to leave a legacy of sorts to the students that have been so warm and kind to us.  I have also enjoyed lunch each day–not only the tasty food but the many conversations with staff members about education in Japan.  The CKSAP program has truly met it’s goal to foster friendships and partnership between schools internationally.

Mrs. Powell