One exciting new development in our work here in Japan is the advent of a new English Immersion Camp for 6th grade students from Tamura City this October 22nd - 31st.
The Board of Education has decided that it is a real priority for the students of Tamura to get a head-start on English even before they begin studying it everyday as a part of their junior high curriculum. Consequently, the B.O.E. has contracted with the Wakakusa English program to plan and lead 10 days of "camp" at a nearby camp facility. The time is split up into three two-and-a-half-day camp sessions. During this time we'll be doing dialogues, skits, activities, crafts, games, and songs about American culture and the English language.
We've already spent a few days planning the various sessions. We still have more to do. We have pumpkins to buy, craft supplies to assemble, and all sorts of final touches to make it a really great cross-cultural experience for students. Our goals are pretty simple: We hope to build upon the student's prior understanding of English, teach them more, and help show them that the study of English can be fun, exciting, and interesting.
Whereas the program is billed as an immersion camp, we know that this is pretty unrealistic for most of the kids. We'll certainly be using some Japanese when things don't communicate, but hopefully we'll be able to stretch them a little. Thankfully, there will be some of their Elementary school teachers there to help us when we get really stuck. Also, we have the option of staying at the camp overnight ourselves. It promises to be a really great time, and despite all the work-involved, another great opportunity to stretch ourselves and see what we're made of. These times are always very formative for our team of teachers. When we all work together to make something happen, often something seemingly impossible at first, we are inevitably drawn to a deeper love of and appreciation of each other. I'm looking forward to that aspect of this project especially (Adam).
Other News:
-The Gospel Choir is going well, and students have asked to change our meetings to twice a month!
-We will soon have a new member to our team, named Ashley. We ask for your prayers of blessing for her as she prepares to come and for us as we prepare to receive her.
-The Heart-2-Heart program, a sort of cultural-exchange group, has invited us to join them for a Christmas party in December.
