The autumn term has been a busy one at Treehouse Montessori in Yokohama. There have been new classes in both English and Japanese added to the curriculum to further develop bilingualism in the school — this benefits the increasing number of children with multicultural families, and also Japanese families exploring English education. The new PE teacher has been a great success, with classes in both English and Japanese and more bilingual classes to be added in the future.
November saw the children go on their annual potato-digging field trip. Visiting “Oji-chan” and “Oba-chan” at their farm is always a highlight for the children. Treehouse students have been visiting Oji-chan and Oba-chan for the past seven years, and are always welcomed with heart-warming smiles and sincere efforts to make the trip fun and exciting.
The school’s Thanksgiving celebration is always a big hit, with children bringing in all kinds of food from home to share with their classmates at lunchtime. The students prepare the entire Thanksgiving party, including decorating the room, arranging the table so that everyone can sit together, and even helping to serve the meal, too.
The classroom window is decorated with a different theme every month. The children discuss the theme, and make their own decorations. For November, the children decided to make acorns out of origami, and the acorns had the children’s faces on them. — JENNY VYVIAL
