This week was the final one for the school-year (school runs April to March, I arrived mid school-year). So a bit of an entry to cover the final events of the year. The week was a bit mixed around from usual to accommodate the various graduations and stuff.

Monday was a holiday, I spent it returning from Kyuushuu like I mentioned in the last blog entry.

Tuesday I had kindergarden in the morning and the last 2A class at the JHS. The kindergarden was a mix of sad and relief. Unfortunately I will only be seeing each class once every three weeks now. On the other hand, I don’t be eating lunch with them anymore (on the surface it sound like it should be fun, but in reality its a little stressful when someone gets upset they can’t sit by me and I dread the germs I’m sure they’re spreading all over my food). In the JHS class we did a couple activities and played a quiz show game. That as usual was pretty fun, the students really get into it.

Wednesday was the elementary school graduation in the morning. It was pretty much like the JHS graduation. The woman who is one of the 6th grade homeroom teachers wore a full graduation kimono, with hakama (the skirt that may have seen worn in aikido or kendo or by shrine maidens). It looked really nice. The homeroom teachers were definitely sad to see their students go, but it wasn’t bad for me since I know I’ll see the bunch again in a few weeks at JHS. One cool (but lengthy) bit was each graduating student gave a brief statement to the younger students. Only one had problems getting thru it due to the emotions of the moment.

One sad thought I had, though, was this is probably the last time there will be two classes of a grade at the elementary school for the foreseeable future. All of the remaining grades there and at the kindergarden are below the 40 student max class size. In fact, some of the classes are significantly below it. Brought home how much the population of rural Japan is contracting.

Thursday was pretty empty, I was at the JHS but didn’t have any classes. I mostly tried catching up on some email. I should have done some Japanese studying, but I didn’t feel like it. This was partly due to some emotional conversation in the staff room that I didn’t initially understand. Turns out everyone was sad over news that one of the recently graduated third year students hadn’t passed her final chance high school entrance exams. This is definitely one of the rough downsides of the Japanese school system. If you can’t pass the tests (even if it is due to learning disabilities), apparently you don’t go on to high school (since its not compulsory). I not sure which student it was, but apparently her job prospects are kinda dim. Definitely put a damper on the day.

Friday was a pretty busy day, though. After I’d left on Thursday the announcements regarding teacher transfers were made. The Japanese education system typically rotates teachers between schools something like every 4-6 years. Supposedly this is to make sure no school keeps the best teachers. Perhaps a good theory, but its hell on the teachers themselves since they get only about 2 weeks notice of where they’ll be working (and perhaps moving). Looks like we’re losing three teachers to transfers, one is moving to get married (who was in one of my adult English classes and lots of fun to talk to — I’ll miss her being around) and the vice principal. I was worried that the 2nd/3rd year English teacher would be transfered since she’s been here awhile, but fortunately she wasn’t. Have to see how the vice principal’s transfer affects things, the VP really runs the show at Japanese schools and sets the school’s tone. The departing one at my JHS was a really cool guy, he helped me set up my computer to use the internet at school when I first got there. Hopefully we’ll get a good replacement. I haven’t found out about transfers at my other schools yet.

After finding out all this news, I had the final 2B class. Same basic stuff as with 2A earlier in the week. Then the vice principal & I went over to the kindergarden for their graduation ceremony. They were all really cute and energetic as usual. It was kinda of a miniature, simpler version of the elementary graduation. After that was over we returned to the JHS for closing ceremonies and I sat thru the teachers’ year review meeting, trying to be unobtrusive about using the computer (since I couldn’t understand any of it). Midway thru, the fire alarm went off, waking everyone up. Turns out one of the students in the gym had accidently hit one of the alarm sensors with a ball or something.

Anyways, after school was the school-year end/farewell party (enkai). We drove quite a ways to the northwest side of the city to an Italian restaurant on a hill overlooking Hiroshima. The name of the place was Zona Italia and the view was impressive. The food wasn’t bad either, perhaps more authentic than most Italian places I usually ate at in the US, since they usually have more beef, pork & chicken dishes — this one was more focused on seafood which I guess is a little more Italian. It was one course after another of small dishes. Considering the food, view and atmosphere, I guess 6000 yen wasn’t too bad.

When we’d finally finished the dessert course, we headed to a bar in the city that is run by a relative of one of the teachers. For 2500 yen, I think we had a 2-3 hour all you can drink party (although I don’t think anyone hit it that heavily — I hear stories of other schools’ enkais…). Cool part was there was a pool table. I hadn’t gotten a chance to talk too much at dinner, and just sitting around a bar drinking isn’t too much fun if I can’t talk too much (or end up monopolizing the time of one of the English teachers). With everyone playing a bit of pool, I could cheer people on, talk a little here and there, play a bit of sheer luck (or lucklessness) pool and just have fun. It was probably the best outing of that sort I’ve been to so far. And, remarkably, after the beers and tequila cocktails, I don’t have a hangover today.

In the coming week, my city’s ALTs are going to start work on a unified curriculum for the elementary schools (there isn’t a national one like in JHS & SHS). Should be interesting and give me something useful to do during the spring break (which I don’t get off without taking vacation).

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