sayonara shogakko !

This was my last month teaching elementary kids !  The school year goes April-March, and since we're leaving in July, I can't continue teaching next month (my boss doesn't want me to start the new term since I can't finish-  a huge shame in my opinion.)  I cannot believe I'm done.  I already miss it.

Can you find me in the first one?  It even took me a while . . .  and how awesome is the shot with me holding the giant sakurajima daikon?  It was a present from the teacher who has a farm on the volcano!

snow shorts?

we were shocked this monday when we opened our door to the outside and saw MORE snow.  ben dropped me off at the station so I could get the train out to my school which is on the other side of the mountains (colder temps out there! uh~oh!)

a glorious 9-minute train ride later I was out (close to) where I wanted to be, just needed to catch a taxi to school.  unfortunately the taxis weren't running as usual because of all the snow!  after some stressful phonecalls over and over to the taxi company and my boss, they finally sent out a car to get me (though I had to take a reallllly roundabout route to school, costing me a whopping 25US$ :( I finally got there.)  My first period was canceled, so my lucky lucky students were allowed to play in the snow instead ~  can you believe their shorts? brrrrr rr rrrrr!

春山小

a 4th grader drew my picture today at school.  

and another gave me a cute little note I thought I'd share.

*Marisa Sensei,

thank you (sankyu)

come again please.
Hamada Senryori*

                                                                      

"Ben Sensei" - from an 8th grade English class.

can you spot him?

at school a couple of weekends back, "Ben Sensei" participated in a few of the 2010 sports day events... how funny is it mixed in with relay races, and other athletic events, they perform this "folk dance?" ... well at least Ben was able to help with the shortage in male student for this.

jr high graduation - a formal affair