This article originally appeared in the winter 2013 Harker Quarterly.
Lower school English teacher Heather Russell had the great opportunity to travel to Japan as this year’s exchange teacher with Tamagawa Academy K-12 School & University, Harker’s sister school in Tokyo. While at Tamagawa, she observed several classes and taught English to students in grades 1-3. She also used her English lessons to teach the Tamagawa students about the American “Wild West,” including lessons about desert plants, wildlife, cowboys and how farm animals make sounds in English. Students from each class also contributed to a mural that followed the “Wild West” theme.
Russell was impressed at the sense of community among Tamagawa students. “From the start of the day when the whole school would gather on the field for morning exercises, singing the school song and marching to class together, there was a sense of community,” she said. “Teachers would gather in a circle to sing, share announcements and then gather by grade level to connect before the day began.” Russell also was inspired by the community effort to keep the school campus clean. “This act of service also showed great care for their school, teamwork and independence as students cleaned their school grounds together.”
In addition to her time at Tamagawa, Russell also visited a shrine in Tokyo and saw a traditional Japanese wedding procession, stood atop Tokyo Tower to take in the wonder of the city’s skyline, attended a kabuki play and enjoyed a wide variety of Japanese cuisine.
One of the highlights for Russell was a tour around the Tamagawa campus with a teacher nearing retirement after 45 years at the school. “We hiked through the gardens where the students would harvest vegetables. We saw giant spiders, a variety of trees and sculptures, as well as the original and new buildings on the sprawling campus,” she recalled. “Seeing the school through his experienced eyes gave me a new perspective of the history and culture of an amazing school.”
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
China has taken on a new relevance for 20 middle school students, who in early April spent an action-packed week touring and meeting with their buddies at the World Foreign Language Middle School (WFLMS), Harker’s sister school in Shanghai.
Upon their arrival in China, the students were warmly welcomed at the Pudong International Airport by their pals from WFLMS, upper school dean and chaperone Kevin Williamson recalled. From there, they hopped on a bus for the short drive into the city to meet their host families. Then, they experienced a full day of school, “WFLMS style,” he said.
The students’ time at WFLMS ended with a touching farewell party and dinner.
The tour of Beijing included a moving visit to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace.
Another highlight of the trip was a visit to the Great Wall of China. After taking a ski lift to the top of the mountain, the group entered the wall. Students took many photos of the renowned structure and were thrilled to enjoy a fun toboggan ride back down the mountain.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
In May 23 Harker middle school students headed to Japan to meet their Tamagawa buddies, view the country’s many signature sights and more. The students’ first stop was Harker’s sister school, Tamagawa Academy (K-12) & University in Tokyo, where they were greeted warmly by Tamagawa families and treated to performances by students.
Over the next few days, Harker students – who stayed with Tamagawa families – spent time with their buddies and enjoyed various on-campus activities, such as visiting classes, touring the facilities and even seeing a beehive up close.
After saying goodbye to their buddies, the Harker group boarded a bullet train to Kyoto, where they visited many of the city’s most famous landmarks. They also traveled to Miyajima Island and Peach Memorial Park.
On their final day in Japan, the students visited the Monkey Park in Gion, where they enclosed themselves in small huts to feed the monkeys.