September 18, 2015
Fairhills HIgh School students visit Seiritsu
Once again we have had the chance to host students and faculty from Fairhills High School. This year we had five students and one teacher spend two days with us. It was a short but very fruitful visit.
The students were spread out among three home rooms but mixed into a number of different classes so there was a lot of possible interaction between the Japanese and Australian students.
In the morning the five students sat in various lessons with their Japanese peers.
At lunchtime they spent their time just hanging out and chatting with our students.
In the afternoon, the visitors participated in two more regular classes. It isn't easy to sit through that many classes in another language. They did an amazing job!
After school, we had special sessions arranged for the visitors. On Monday, the guests were treated to an introductory tea ceremony session. Members of the tea ceremony club got to try serving the guests and explaining things in English. This is not something many people are able to experience. The explanations in English by the teacher, Nakamura Sensei, and the students, were very enlightening.
After the tea ceremony, we had a little time left to try out a little Budo. The students were taken to the karate dojo and they tried their hands (and feet) at this soon to be Olympic sport. With only 20 minutes to spare, the lesson was very fast paced and brief.
On the second day, after the regular classes, a special session was held up in the student hall. The band played some musical pieces and then the dance club performed an exciting show.
At the end, gifts and hugs were exchanged and some tears were shed.
The beginnings of some life-long friendships have certainly been formed during this wonderful experience.