October 9, 2009
School Culture Fair 2009!
Taiko drums on the main stage at Seiritsu's annual culture fair.
On Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, the school held its 36th Annual Culture Fair (bunkai-sai). The purpose of the fair was to open the school to family and friends, letting them enjoy games, try fun food and see the many school clubs in action.
Classrooms were changed into a variety of interesting themes, with some that became mazes with temporary walls, some had floor-to-wall displays of art or calligraphy and some classrooms had all sorts of games and activities for guests. Several homerooms set up food stands selling things like choco-banana and yakitori, while on the main stage there were demonstrations by the karate club, dance club, taiko drumming group and cheerleaders. In the gym several exciting sport's games were played and in the school auditorium there was a live play, plus a string of student rock bands.
A classroom reorganized to show off displays of the school trip to Paris a few months back in June.
The pounding of rice to make sticky, white rice cakes (mochi), actually from rice grown and harvested by the students from the school's rice fields by the Washimiya soccer/baseball training ground. 110kg were produced starting from this year as part of the school's 'Earth Project' Awareness in conjunction with the school's National Geographic educational initiative.
One of the many food stands run by students!
The 9 foreign students also participated in the bunkasai by assisting with their homeroom's activities, while also getting a special shirt or jumper just for the occasion.
The International Department & English Conversation Club joined up in one room to run a fun fortune telling booth manned by Nick Sensei dressed as a fortune teller. This allowed visitors to practice their English, plus receive a unique fortune to discuss as well. The room also included a short video of the English Club interviewing foreign tourists in Tokyo, a gallery display of self-introduction posters made by the international students and a series of short films made by students as well. By the end of the two days, we had a large number of visitors so for sure we'll repeat this type of set-up next year, perhaps next time with the department's students taking turns being fortune tellers!