This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Kita Junior High School, in Kasumigaura, in Ibaraki.
The schooling system here splits high school into Junior and Senior high schools, with Junior being the equivalent of years 7 to 9, and Senior being 10 to 12. But unlike the split-campus system common in Australia, they are independent schools. Junior High is compulsory; students attend the closest one to their house. (Towns are divided into school districts and you dont get a choice of which school to go to.) High School is not compulsory and entrance is competitive- students may travel up to an hour each way to get to school.
Anyway, at Kita.
The primary purpose of visit was to meet the Big Green Samurai and any other teachers who happened to be there. Being a Saturday, students in sports clubs were there, though not every sport. Walking towards the baseball pitch, we were noticed from afar, and the entire team stopped what they were doing, faced us, and called out in unison "HELLO!" in English!
While it wasnt our intention to disrupt their practise at all, it was thoughtful of them to tailor their interruption to us and use English for practical stuff.
(Unlike my little rodent of a 'supervisor' at Seaside School, who informed me a few minutes ago: "I made an instant coffee by myself this morning". I congratulated him.)
But back to Kita, where we chatted about the prowess of the Australian baseball team with the baseball coach, known as Silent Bob (though he is learning to communicate better), then into the staffroom for a coffee with the aforementioned Big Green Samurai - who, strangely, isnt big at all, nor is she green. I dont know either way on the samurai part, but its possible.
