Handa Elementary School Visit

Instead of having class on Wednesday, we went as a program to visit a local Beppu elementary school. We were split up into four groups where each group got their own fourth grade class. We got to the school and walked into the gym where the bleachers were filled with smiling faces. They clapped every time someone entered the door which was very cute. They waited for everyone to sit down, the principal and other people talked before all of the kids stood up at the same time. The piano started to play and they all started singing- it was adorable. I was in awe at how cute they all were. After singing two little girls came up to the front for a recorder solo before everyone chimed in together. They were so cute because when ever the teacher would take a big breath, they would all do it at the same time to copy her. After they finished playing, two of our students got up to make a small speech and then we were split up into our groups.
I assumed that we were going to work with the classes as a whole but I soon found out that that wasn't the case. The kids were sitting in rows of four or five which each of us APU students were placed in front of each of the rows. I thought we could pick our rows so I was standing in front of a row that was filled with adorable kids- both boys and girls. After me reading all of their name tags and getting excited, I was pulled in front of a different, all girls line. I must admit that at first I was a little devistated because I really wanted a mix of boys and girls. The girls looked so scared also which made me nervous that they wouldn't be fun. After our teachers finished explaining everything to us, we walked through the school and to their classroom.

I sat with them at a vacant desk and they showed me how to make origami swans and boxes. They all started to open up and were very enthusiastic which made the day fun. After that, we took a break for lunch which was very interesting to watch. The students do everything in Japanese schools. They do not have janitors or other staff that serve food, just cooks. The prinicipal brings the food to each classroom and the children take turns monthly to serve the food. They get dressed up in aprons and hair nets to scoop, plate, and serve the food. We had a beef stew, corn, milk, and some other veggies.

After lunch, we cleaned up and had some extra time to play some games. They showed me how to play a traditional ball and cup game (which they were extemely good at) and a semi- hackey sack game. It was fun and interesting since we did not really speak to eachother but used our actions and facial expressions to communite. We finished up playing with teaching them how to play duck, duck, goose which they have never heard about. After that, it was time to clean. We sweeped the floors, put the desks back, washed the tables, and cleaned the bathrooms. The kids then took us on a tour of the school and then it was time to leave. We went into the auditorium to sit with the kids and have an ending ceremony with music and games. We left after a very entertaining day and went back to campus.