Friday

The days and weeks just keep flying by. Can’t believe it’s the end of another school week! I had an extremely laid back day today with only one class with 1st grade. Spent the rest of the spare time making sure my lesson plans/schedules were up to date, and also made any materials (worksheets) and stuff that needed making.

My only class for the day was with 1st grade (class 2) in period 3. They and the 2nd graders had been outside doing dance practice and other prep for the sports day all morning. It was very cute hearing their cheers from the staff room. This class remembered the animal vocab!!! They did very well today – remembered all the animal names from last week, they sang loudly along with Old MacDonald Had a Farm (even if just the E I E I O part) and even mumbled along a little bit with the animal sounds parts (a moomoo here, a moomoo there, etc.). They loved the gathering game too, with a lot of loud YAAAAY when they found their matching animal members. I love how affectionate they are here. Brings back to mind in NZ primary schools girls and boys wouldn't like to hold hands to each other (good ol’ cooties) but here, when they found matching animal members they would jump and shout yay and hug each other. Too darn cute. They also did great in drawing their own zoos. Even the kids who said they couldn't draw during Bingo last time, drew very well today and worked hard. One kid even asked if he was allowed to draw a white tiger into his zoo! This class seriously has the cutest kids – one girl from this class put a letter in my shoe cubby hole this morning. The school nurse saw this and told me about it! Her letter was very cute – it basically said it’s been one week since we’ve had school lunch together (since I was with 1-3 this week) and that their class missed me and was lonely. Too adorable.

My JTE was on leave today for the afternoon so I had to do the English broadcast by myself. I had checked over the script with her yesterday though, so it wasn’t bad at all. For today’s broadcast I also introduced a little bit about Maori culture (the traditional greeting Hongi, and also the traditional BBQ Hangi). I’m really not sure if students actually listen to the broadcast or not though, cause sometimes when I’m eating lunch in the classroom, the broadcast volume is very very quiet. Oh well. Lunch today was udon, really sweet and juicy grapes, and this really delicious red bean dessert thing! The teachers told me that it was called おはぎ, and it’s basically red bean wrapped around sticky rice that’s like mocha. It was really nice! I would love to buy some to eat at home. The tea-lady was also giving out snacks today that were also really delicious – they were kind of like long cracker things, but tasted just like a fresh doughnut! I want to get some of those to eat at home too. At lunch break today I went around returning completed emoji worksheets and giving out the stickers. There’s a few puzzle pieces missing and I have no idea where in the school they are! I’m sure they’ll turn up sooner or later though. Whenever they’ve fallen down, or if someone comes across it during school cleaning, they always return it to me so it should be all goods. For the cleaning time today, the tea-lady invited me to help her out in the corridor outside the teachers’ office, so I now have a little area to be in charge of with some 2nd graders! This was because yesterday the tea-lady had gone home early, and I was fixing my English corner board and just watched over the 2nd graders at the same time. I’m glad I can have something to do during cleaning time now and not just awkwardly sit at my desk. The 2nd graders were a bit more hyper today than yesterday though. The majority of them still cleaned well, it was just one girl who was super loud and rowdy.

The working atmosphere really is so nice and chill at my school – I got into a pretty good conversation with the school librarian, vice principal, and principal! It started with the VP telling me about another good place to see cosmos (cause I mentioned I’d be going to see some this Sunday) and then he suddenly got out these maps of Takasaki/Gunma and introducing other places, so the librarian joined, and then the principal got curious and joined too! They’re all so nice. I got off work at 16:30 and today the principal stamped my attendance sheet. He was like “I gotta sign it too sometimes!” haha since it’s usually the VP who stamps it for me. Did some cleaning when I got home, had a group chat with some NZ friends (one is currently also on JET in Oita!) and made plans for the weekend.