Following the theme of “planting seeds for the future,” the children of Hitokoe Yokohama International School (HYIS) have been harvesting potatoes, eggplants, potatoes, and taro from their vegetable garden. As the culmination of their autumn learning and for their Thanksgiving celebrations, the children prepared miso soup and a vegetable salad to go with their roast turkey.
The next collaborative project is the “Wow! It’s Winter!” show that will be held on December 8. Students are busy rehearsing a line-up of entertaining songs, poems, skits, and dances with titles such as “Snowy Day,” “The Joy of Giving,” and “The Snow Angel.” Children are encouraged to develop confidence and stage presence from an early age at HYIS, and values education is woven into every celebratory performance. Their vocabulary and ability to express themselves greatly flourishes through developing their performance skills.
The spirit of Christmas is definitely around the corner at HYIS, with a pre-Christmas bazaar where children were able to go shopping for goods. They then hung ornaments on the school Christmas tree, while singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” They also collected donations for the African children supported by World Vision, the school’s chosen charity.
HYIS will be holding special winter classes from 9am–3pm from December 16–20, then again on Dec. 24, 26, and 27. For information, call 045-363-3356 during office hours. — PATRICIA ALDANA
