Hello everyone,

Tests start this week, and on Sunday the Eiken interview test will take place. Most of you are probably taking the test at Wakayama University, but check your mail carefully for the place.

No matter if you are taking grade 3 eiken for the first time, or challenging the pre-1 level, some of the skills are the same.

• Be confident. When you make your greeting, have good eye contact and a clear voice. The first image you make is the most important, and will help you with your attitude score.
• Read loudly and clearly, with your back straight. You don’t have to read too quickly. Where there is a period or a comma, take a breath.
• Look at the interviewer when they ask a question. It is easier to understand when you look at someone’s face, rather than looking at the card.
• If you miss a question, don’t panic. Many people miss a question and still pass the test.

Don’t forget to practice before you go. The test questions have a pattern, so learn the pattern and you can focus on your ideas. If you need any help or advice, come talk to me!

Allen.

Hello everyone. Today was my turn to do the morning bible reading. This was my message today:

Good morning. Today’s bible reading is Isaiah 5:20

 

²⁰ Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

 

In today’s society, with today’s technology, every person has a chance to spread his or her message around the world. This has never happened before in human history. The technology of the internet has given great opportunities for people like Malala Yousafzai or Bana Alabed to share their stories and spread their message. Using these media platforms can truly help make a better world.

 

However, this amazing power can also be used by people who want to spread false information, or information written to change our perception of people, issues, or events. Nowadays it is more difficult than ever to know if what we see on our screens is true or not.

 

How can we know the difference? The ability to think about the information we receive from different sources is called “media literacy” in both English and Japanese. When you read someone’s opinion in the newspaper, hear someone talk on television, or read someone’s message on social media, you need to ask yourself if there are any other motivations behind the message itself.

 

This year our school goal is “kashikoi”. Last month Itani-sensei told us the different ways to be “kashikoi”: smart, clever, wise, intelligent, bright, and sensible. I want to add one more word to that list: “perceptive”. Be perceptive to the messages you receive, and decide for yourself if something is really good, or evil; light or dark; sweet, or bitter.

Hello everyone,

Yesterday Sr. Morita talked to us about a new Tōrō, or lantern, that has been placed outside of the principal’s office. In fact, while it is new to our school, it is very old. It dates back to the Edo-era in Japan. At that time, Christianity was illegal in Japan, so Christians had to pray privately. They could not be seen with christian symbols, so they had to make other ones. It is said that the image of Mary can be seen in this lantern, and that Christians in Wakayama prayed to it. The person who kept this lantern is a Shin-ai graduate, and she is moving to a new place. She asked that it be kept at Shin-ai as a memory of that history. I think it is wonderful to be the keeper of that kind of history.

We are lucky today to live in a society that embraces many different religions. Religious freedom is an important right, but unfortunately not everyone in the world has it. Let’s be thankful for our freedoms, and help others achieve theirs.

The countdown to tests has begun, I hope you are all preparing well. Good luck!

Hello everyone,

The past two days were different from our normal schedule. On Tuesday we had many different day trips. M1 went to the Osaka Science Museum, M2 went to Kidzania, M3 went to Osaka, etc. Yesterday was a day off from school, and this morning it was time to get back to studying.

I wanted to be early this morning to set up my day, but to my surprise I was not the earliest! There were already some students ready to start the day, have a small study party outside the back gate. Soon after, Sister T. came and opened the school so we could start our day.

“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” – John Clarke

Hello everyone,

This week, student teachers came to our school. They will stay here for two or three weeks as part of their teacher training. Most of them were Shin-ai students, so it makes me happy to see them again. They have all grown up!

Today I talked to Ms. Nakamae about her university life, Shin-ai memories, and her dreams for the future.

Q. Long time no see Ms. Nakamae! Tell us where you go to school and what you are studying.

A. I’m a student at Kindai University, and I study life science and education.

Q. When you were a student here, who were your homeroom teachers?

A. Ms. Kawamoto, Ms. Okamoto, Ms. Tateno, and Mr. Yamano.

Q. What is a memory you can share with us about your school life?

A. The old building had a small pond by the entrance. One day in junior high school, I saw an owl by the water. I was very happy to see it.

 

Q. Anything else?

A. I am happy to see the students go to Italy for the school trip. I was in the last group to go to France, and I think going to Europe is a good thing. Students can be exposed to lots of history and beautiful buildings.

Q. Is there anything new about students today?

A. The students are the same, but I was surprised to see the PE uniform changed. It is so cool!

Q. What kind of teacher do you want to be in the future?

A. I want to be a teacher that is easy to understand so students can quickly learn my lessons.

Q. Any message for H3 students?

A. It is important to study, but you should not sacrifice your sleep. You cannot learn if you are too tired.

Ok, thank you very much! If you have any math questions, Ms. Nakamae is happy to help you anytime.