After about two weeks of winter break, we welcomed the opening ceremony of the third term. Although the break was short, it seems that everyone spent it in their own relaxing way － going out with family, playing with friends, and making many wonderful memories. There are now 44 days left for the 9th grade student to attend school.
GM’s story
「“The third term has begun. At the closing ceremony of the second term, we talked about setting goals for the year at the beginning of the new year. Have you set your goals yet? Whether it is exercise, learning, or relationships with friends, it is important to think for yourself and decide for yourself. Let today be the starting point for setting your goals.
Including the children at the kindergarten, the total number of children is now 101. There are 101 different personalities. You often hear the phrase ‘take care of yourself,’ but it is also important to value each person around you as an irreplaceable individual. Let us respect one another and build relationships in which we recognize each other’s strengths and help one another grow.
Let us value dialogue—listening carefully to others and speaking calmly about our own thoughts. Through this, let us build relationships of trust.”」
Representative students shared reflections on their winter vacation and their goals for the third term. Excerpts are introduced below.
“One thing I enjoyed during this winter vacation was riding the Uchibō Line, the Kururi Line, and the City Liner. I was very happy to ride so many trains. In particular, I was glad that I could ride a very rare special train with ‘Naritasan Kaiun-go’ written on the front of the City Liner. My goals for the third term are, first, to stop forgetting things. Second, my bedtime had become late, so I want to work on going to bed early and getting up early.”
“In my studies, I want to focus on mathematics and foreign languages. I especially like geometry problems because I find thinking about them interesting. In the third term, I want to further develop what I am good at and keep trying challenging problems without giving up. In foreign languages, I can read words and sentences, but I am not good at writing, so I want to challenge myself to write without being afraid of making mistakes. I want to become an older student who is kind to younger children but can also clearly communicate important things. If we truly care about others, I think we need not only ‘kindness by staying silent,’ but also the ‘courage to speak up.’ I want to think about whether my words will truly benefit the other person when I speak to them.”
An awards ceremony for the Human Rights Essay Contest was held. Congratulations to all the recipients.
The teacher in charge of student guidance spoke about how the third term is a time to wrap up the school year and encouraged students to stay healthy and energetic. The talk included reminders about going to bed early, getting up early, eating breakfast, greeting others properly, and spending time together with kindness and consideration.
After the opening ceremony, each class held homeroom activities where students shared memories from the winter vacation, talked about their goals for the third term, and submitted their winter vacation assignments. After cleaning activities, students went home, and the short first day came to an end. We hope everyone will get ready and build momentum for the return to regular school life starting tomorrow.
