Last term, some of our Year 8 Japanese students were given an opportunity to connect with students from our newly established sister school in Muroto, by sharing an Australian event that was important to them via Zoom and Flipgrid. Students shared information about events such as Anzac Day, Tunarama, Easter and the AFL Grand Final. In return, the Japanese students explained the customs and traditions related to some of their festivals such as Children’s Day and Peace Day.
Two of our Year 8’s wrote a short reflection on the experience:
“I shared the Salt Festival event with the Japanese students because I’ve always loved how open and full of activities the festival is. I found that it was a very interesting experience because we were talking to each other via a screen instead of face-to-face. It was nice seeing how different life is in Japan, seeing as they have to wear their masks as well, and how they have to try and social distance in their classes.” ~ Sophie Lang
“I shared information about ANZAC Day with the Japanese students as I have many family members who served in the military. I found it interesting to hear back from students from an entirely different nation, especially one such as Japan. They are very friendly, well-spoken and respectful people. Hearing stories first-hand from Japanese students really gave me an idea of what Japanese people and Japanese students are like.” ~ Mathew Aldington
The Japanese student who responded to Mathew’s video about ANZAC Day was very interested to learn about an event he knew little about previously. He shared Mathew’s feelings of respect for those lost in the war, as he originally came from the city of Hiroshima and had attended memorial services there, as a part of Peace Day celebrations in August.
We look forward to many more interactions with our sister school in Japan and sharing our cultures with each other from afar.
~ Mrs Tanya Booker (Japanese Teacher)
