Back to School After the Holidays

Little Brother went back to school today after the winter break. His high school is far from our house so he has to get up early. When he left the house at 6:00, the moon was still high in the sky in the west. I took this photo later when the sun was rising.

Emergency Number for Children

Children are on their own a lot here. They walk to and from school and after-school activities. If they run into trouble they should call 110. This was posted at a family restaurant entrance in our area. It could be seen from the inside and outside of the restaurant.

Catalog for the Graduate in the House

This year we have a high school graduate in the house! Big Sister is graduating from high school in March! So that means she's getting a lot of catalogs.
This one has furniture for college students' first apartment or for those who want to remodel their rooms at home. I think it's safe to say that most college students in Japan live at home with their parents. That is, if their university of choice is in the same town. Papa and aunt lived at home and went to university. Actually, they never left home!

This bed system is a real space saver. That's a television underneath.

School Water Pump

The last picture taken at Little Brother's elementary school. I had never noticed this. it was near the gym.

Guest Toilet Slippers

These plastic toilet slippers were at the entrance of one of the rest rooms at Little Brother's elementary school. They are for guests to use. When parents visit the school, they bring their own slippers to use inside the school. They leave their street shoes at the entrance. If they need to go to the rest room, they would take off their slippers and put on a pair of these plastic toilet slippers.

6th Grade Graduation

Little Brother graduated from 6th grade today. There was a ceremony in the gym at his school. He had to wear a suit. Before the ceremony this morning, a fifth grader pinned this silk boutonniere on his lapel. All sixth graders wore them.

Fifth graders were there in their usual clothes. They played music as the sixth graders came into the gym. Each sixth grader went on stage to receive a big diploma from the principal. Each student took it from him with two hands and bowed. Then each graduate went down the steps and bowed to the distinguished guests from other schools. They were sitting on the left.

Then the graduates walked past them and went to this table. Two fifth grade teachers were standing there. The teachers and the graduates bowed to one another. The graduates presented the diploma to them with two hands. The teachers rolled the diploma and then slid it into one of these cardboard rolls. They put a top (the short pieces) on the roll. The graduates bowed again and went back to their seats.

The principal made a speech. There were speeches by some guests and the head of the PTA (they say PTA, too!) The graduates went to the stage and stood as a group. They sang songs and recited some rehearsed memories and wishes for the future. They practiced a lot beforehand. Afterwards, all the parents and students gathered for a group picture by a professional photographer.

Outside, the sixth grade teachers gave each student a rose. Parents lined both sides of the walkway. The graduates walked through the line. Parents clapped or took pictures.

Lunch Server's Hat

This is probably the last time Little Brother (now 12) will bring this lunch server's uniform home. The school year ends the 25th of March, and he will start junior high in April. This is the hat that students wear when they serve lunch at his elementary school. Check out the other posts and pictures of Japanese school lunch by clicking on the labels below.

The hat is white, but unfortunately, I was experimenting with light settings and didn't get it right! I'm taking a photography course and thought I would practice. I still have a lot to learn.

School Music Concert

Today was little Brother's music concert at elementary school. For security reasons I can't post any pictures of any of the children. So, here are the drums! no one played that huge drum today.

Each grade sang one song and then played one song on recorders, xylophones, accordions, drums, pianica (do a blog search.) One student played the piano.

The sixth graders (Little Brother's grade) sang a song called "Smile Again". The chorus was "smile again" in English. Their pronunciation was perfect! They played the theme song for the movie "Rocky". The 4th graders played "Edelweiss". The fifth graders sang "Country Roads" in Japanese. The only English in that song was "country roads." They all did a great job. I always enjoy school music concerts!

High School English

Big Sister is in high school. This is one of several books that she has to read this summer. Japanese students at every level have summer homework!

You may have seen this at your school. It's an elementary school book. Remember, English is taught here as a foreign language from junior high school. This book is easy for Big Sister because she is bilingual and bi-literate, but it's hard for the other Japanese students.

School Pool

This is the swimming pool at Little Brother's elementary school. There is no shade. Students are not allowed to wear sunscreen in the pool.

It looks rather murky, doesn't it? Little Brother told me once that dragonflies sometimes zoom around them as they swim.

School Pool Time

Little Brother had pool today at school. He carries his swimsuit, cap, sandals and towel robe in this bag. Boys change clothes in one classroom. Girls change in another classroom. They change their clothes under a towel that buttons down the front. They put it on up around their shoulders.

This is a chart of the things they will practice.

They have to take their temperature after they get up in the morning of pool day. They record it on this chart. A parent must sign it. The teacher signs next to the parent's signature.

School Project: Potato Plant

There were teacher and parent meetings at Little Brother's school this week. I took this picture of their potato plants. They are measuring them and writing a report about them. do a blog search to find more posts about school. I have posted other pictures of a Japanese classroom.

Water Bottle for School

Little Brother has been taking a water bottle to school since Monday. He prefers one that has a cup. He also prefers to take mugicha or barley water instead of water.

At his elementary school, teachers announce when they can start bringing water bottles and then later in the early fall when to stop bringing them. The students are free to drink whenever they are thristy.

All students walk to and from school. The school is not air conditioned, and they spend a lot of time outdoors, too. Having water bottles at school cuts down on time spent at the water fountain.

Going for a Walk

When the toddlers at this daycare center go for a walk, they stand in these. They all wear hats.

Here's another one.

High School Project

Big Sister brought home this apple juice carton. In it is her tenth grade science project.

There are two silk worms among some leaves in the carton. Do you know what kind of leaves they are?

After the silk worms eat these leaves she will get more from the school. She will take care of the silk worms and watch them through their stages.

In elementary school, students raise morning glories, rice, and other vegetables.

Note the brand of juice it is. You've probably seen that brand.

On the School Playground

This is a sprinkler that is used when the school playground is too dry and dusty. There is a gutter behind it. See the metal grate over it? The gutter is probably for water to run off during the rainy season.

The label on the sprinkler says "spray gun" in katakana, the script for foreign words. I've never seen a sprinkler anywhere else in Japan. Lawns of grass are rare. Parks have lawns but I've never seen a sprinkler. Of course, we're usually gone in the hottest summer month (August).

I took these pictures yesterday on Sports Day. The night before the event there was water standing in the field. It was incredibly dried up and dusty during the event. It was also windy. They didn't spray the area, though.

Sports Day

Today was Sports Day at Little Brother's school. The official Sports Day is in October, but some schools have it in May.

This is the first time I have seen the national flag flown at the school, so I wanted to take a picture of it. Actually, it's a better picture of this old lady's hat. There was no way around her hat! She wouldn't move and I couldn't! Any way I moved I would've been blocking grandmothers on camp chairs.

They all could have been sitting here. Older guests could sit in padded chairs in the shade under a canopy.

All of the students had to sit in the sun. Little Brother was on the white team this year. Their hats are reversible. The other side is red. He was on the red team last year.

Here are the students' chairs. They carried them from their classrooms and carried them back afterwards.

By the way, the white team won this year.

Check the posts for May of last year to see more about Sports Day events.

Sports Day Events: The Rope and The Dance

Any idea what this was for?

These students are waiting to start their dance. Every year, each grade performs a dance. Except sixth grade. Sixth graders do a gymnastic routine. The students in the picture had to wear black clothes for their dance. One grade just had pompoms. Another wore gloves.

Check the posts for May of last year to see more about Sports Day events.

School Urine Test

Little Brother had to take a urine sample to school today. There are directions on the envelop. The little bottle is put in the envelop and taken to school. There is a name label on the envelop and on the bottle. The test is for diabetes.

Big Sister started public high school in April. She had a urine test a few weeks ago, too. Hers came with a little plastic zip lock bag.

Handkerchiefs

Handkerchiefs are needed at school because there are no paper towels in the restrooms. (Some public rest rooms now have paper towels.) The Thomas and the Shinkansen, Japanese bullet train, handkerchiefs were Little Brother's in kindergarten. The one laying flat has characters from a cartoon about Anpanman (bean paste bread man). Little Brother carried that one in kindergarten, too. It's a terrycloth towel. He carries the plaid one and others like it now in elementary school. The white one is for funerals.