My daughter has just started walking,

but she still enjoyed the event very

much. I had expected it to be very

busy as I had heard there would be

100 sets of parents and children,

but the campus is so big that it did

not feel crowded. The children at the

kindergarten greeted us nicely, which

was wonderful. My daughter also

liked the balloon she got.

Comment from a participant:

On May 19, under a very warm blue sky, MeySen held an event

with its animals for children age 3 and under who are not enrolled

in Kangaroo Club or the kindergarten. The event was originally

planned for 50 sets of parents and children, but in the end 89 groups

of parents and children participated through a raffle of the 140 ap-

plications the school received from those hoping to join. Everyone

enjoyed riding on the horse-drawn wagon and the ponies, and play-

ing with the goats, rabbits, and other animals, collecting stamps as

they went around to where each animal was located. The day was

full of little smiling faces everywhere.

All smiles—even when having to wait for their turn to ride the horse-drawn wagon.

At the welcome party at a school in Dornod province, the easternmost part of Mongolia. This school has students from elementary to high school.

Let's Play at MeySen!"Fun with Animals!"A visit from lots of little friends

First Event

ENGLISH EDITION

No.179SUMMER

2017

Bibleverse

聖せ い し ょ書

Save the Children, an international NGO

specializing in helping children, was found-

ed in 1919 in England, and works to protect

and reinforce the rights of children in 120

countries and regions around the world. It

has also been tackling the issues of child

poverty and child abuse in Japan. I have

been working as the office director at Save

the Children Mongolia since 2007.

Last fall, I was glancing through the 2015

annual report of Save the Children, and

I came across a familiar name: MeySen

Academy. The report said that MeySen has

supported our work through donating air

miles. I searched for “MeySen Academy”

on the internet, and sure enough, it was the

same MeySen Kindergarten I went to over

40 years ago.

As I looked at the Academy’s website, my

days at the kindergarten started to flood

through my memory. I remembered being

the first to answer the questions in English

that the foreign teacher asked us by show-

ing us picture cards, and how they praised

me. I also remembered running through the

big campus screaming, as teachers

dressed in Halloween costumes

chased us. They were all fun and

heartwarming memories.

I also learned moral lessons. One

day, I was playing with the jump

rope with three or four friends on

the playground. I was the one hold-

ing the rope, and for some reason,

I started to wrap one of the girls

with the rope. The girl immediately

reported it to the homeroom teacher. When

the teacher found out the truth, they took

me to the staff room and told me with a

stern face, to “sit on my knees in the prin-

cipal’s office until the teachers decide what

to do about me.” I waited several minutes

sitting on my knees on the ivory colored

carpet in the principal’s office until a female

teacher, seemingly the principal, came into

the room and sat down without a word. I

waited in silence, and no one accused me

of anything. But while I waited I realized that

the reason I was there was that I had done

something wrong.

Through my work, I have seen firsthand the

impact of early childhood education on both

the individual and the society. I am truly grate-

ful to have the opportunity to communicate

and interact with MeySen Academy, as it con-

tinues to develop with the desire to provide the

best education to all children, as well as all the

alumni and parents through this newsletter.

In order for us to have a happy life, it is important to be of service

to others. People who only think of themselves are never happy. On

the other hand, people who are considerate of those around them

experience happiness and joy in doing things for others. The Bible talks

much about giving and caring for others.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the

interests of others. (Philippians 2:4)

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such

sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Hebrews 13:16)

We all have a tendency towards self-centeredness. At times we may feel

like we do not have the mental or emotional leeway to give consideration

to the people around us, and there are people who perhaps have never

given much thought to giving or helping others. But let’s remember the

importance of caring and helping others, until that becomes our habit.

Those who enrich others will be enriched themselves

The Bible says that those who help others will be blessed and also be

rewarded by God.

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,

and he will repay him for his deed. (Proverbs 19:17)

Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,

and one who waters will himself be watered. (Proverbs 11:25)

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down,

shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the

measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38)

The Bible also teaches us that in whatever we give—a donation, our

time, or service to others—it is important we do so from our heart.

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or

under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

(II Corinthians 9:7)

The verse below shows us that when giving time for charity or making

donations, what is important is the heart behind the gift, not the amount.

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people put-

ting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums.

And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which

make a penny.* And he called his disciples to him and said to them,

“Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those

who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out

of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything

she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44)*about 200 yen

Let’s endeavor to be of service to others, even if it is in a small way.

Let’s extend a helping hand to those around us, whether we know them

or not. Let’s notice those who are troubled or grieving, and communicate

words of comfort and encouragement. God is pleased even with our

small acts, and it will also bring happiness and joy into our lives.

What we do at MeySen MeySen Academy encourages volunteer work through “Heart &

Hands” and the contributions made through donations by MeySen

Academy’s “Legacy League”. I am very happy to announce that both of

these programs have been flourishing since their formation. I hope that

many more people will take part, and that this work will continue to

expand by valuing the desire of each heart as expressed through every

gift of time and money, whether small or large. I also pray for joy and

blessings in return to all those who participate.

As of last year, 284 MeySen Friends Club graduates have been sent on the one-year study abroad in America via the school’s own scholarship program. This year, MeySen proposed the idea of a new project called “A Way We Learn - raising local children who will contribute glob-ally,” which has been supported by many of our contracting companies. Through this donation project, MeySen has been able to cover 80% of the scholarship fund for seven students that passed the scholarship selection exam.

We hope that many more companies, alumni and individuals will support this endeavor, which will lead to expanding the number of students who can participate in the program and the amount of funding, as well as utilizing it for the Australia short-term study abroad program.

Students Spread Their Wings and Soar to AmericaThrough Support of Local Companies

Regionally Integrated Support Project for Studying Abroad

Ayashi Tourist Bus Corp.Akasaka Kensetsu Corp.Ando Hazama Corp. Tohoku BranchIzumi Toso Ltd.Estate Terashima Ltd.Kisei Ltd.Good Tree Corp.

25 companies contributed to supporting students this year:Grape City Corp.Kenpoku Jidosha Seibi Kougyo Corp.Kosei Kogyo Corp.Kondo Gyunyu Ltd.Jyakuetsu Corp. SendaiShokuiku Food System Tohoku Corp.Strawberry Cones Corp.

Seigetsuki Corp.Sendai Hoiku Center Corp.Senjimon Ltd.Taihei Denki Corp.Taiyo Jimuki Corp.Chiba Bungu Corp.Child Corp. Sendai office

Noubi Bousai Corp. Tohoku BranchEast Japan Kyuko Corp.Maruyama Unso Corp.Youchien Kyushoku Corp.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every

morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24 (ESV)

It is more blessed to give than to receive

Part 12 Moral LessonsBiblefrom the

Daniel Fanger, Principal

Friends is the MeySen Academy newsletter and publishes the latest news and event announcements for all members of our community, including students, alumni, teachers, and interested friends of MeySen.

Cover: The Kansai Trip (pictured) and camps on campus (pictured) are just some of the fun students can look forward to this summer. Other grades will visit Inawashiro, Bandai, Australia, America and more! MeySen hopes each student will have a fun and unique experience—something you can only have on those days in those places—and see everyone back on campus full of energy at the start of the term. Publication Date: July 10, 2017

Published by

MESSAGE FROM AN

ALUMNUS

Mitsuaki Toyoda (Clifford) Maruyama Friends Club9th Graduating Class (1982)

—Bible

No.179

Fukushima Ura-bandai is a plain that was created by the eruption of Mount Bandai. Canoeing in Onogawa Lake in the refreshing outdoor breeze is a truly memorable experience.

In Japan fathers spend most of their time at work, but this camp is a chance for students to spend the whole day playing together with dad.

Last year, Kindergarten students had a 10 minute physical

activity program inside of their class rooms, but for this year,

MeySen has implemented a new program for K4 and K5

students using a Challenge Course. The Challenge Course

is a new physical training activity that utilizes the varied

terrain of the campus grounds. Children will spend playtimes

scheduled twice a day* walking and running, acquiring

physical strength. The children enjoy running around the

two different courses each day. Through this program,

which is in addition to the 10 minute physical activity time

in the rooms, the school endeavors to raise students who

love to exercise and are physically strong.

1. To develop good physical reflexes in the brain by exercising daily.2. That as students learn basic body movements: running, jumping, throwing etc., they would gain confidence in physical activity and learn to love exercise.

3. To become fit both mentally and physically through daily exercise.

4. To learn to interact with others through exercise.

This year, the FC 5th graders took a trip to the

Iwate Yakult Factory in Kitakami City for their special

day.

Yakult, a popular yogurt drink in Japan, is manu-

factured and processed by a completely automated

assembly-line system. Yakult bottles are first made

from plastic pieces, then filled with Yakult, packaged,

inspected, and finally packed for shipping in one

smooth operation. At the end of the process, the

bottles are given their final inspection by professionals

who can check about 40 bottles at a time in a glance.

After the visit, the children were happy to enjoy

some chilled Yakult. They then viewed a display of the

Yakult Swallows (a Nippon Professional Baseball team

which the company sponsors), and an array of Yakult

labels from other countries. With curiosity, the students

also watched a short animated film about L. casei strain

Shirota, the probiotic used to make Yakult. MeySen’s summer is full of different events for every program: Kindergarten, Friends Club, and Premier School. Students, don’t just rely on juice and ice cream to survive the summer heat. Listen to your parents and take good care of yourselves, so you can make it to all the events.

FC 5th Grade Trip to Yakult Factory

Students watch with interest as the contain-ers are packed on the assembly line

A display of Yakult packaging from countries around the world

“The English education provided by Japanese junior high and high schools mainly focuses on reading and writing, and does little to cultivate communicative ability.” This has been the common impression for many years. With the approach of the Tokyo Olympics being one of the main triggers, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has shifted gears towards an English education that encourages the balance of the four skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has publicly announced their new curriculum guidance. From 2020, the Ministry is im-plementing “Foreign Language Activity” in elementary schools for the purpose of familiarizing students with English from grade 3, rather than from grades 5 and 6, as it is currently. For grades 5 and 6, English will become an official graded subject.

In addition to this, from 2020, the Ministry is con-sidering implementing exams by private businesses

as part of the new university entrance exam format, so that students can be appropriately tested on all four skills. (This development is relevant to students currently in their final year of junior high school).

In Friends Club and Premier School, MeySen plans to develop its classes so the learning experience students receive at MeySen becomes a source of confidence, allowing them to assertively participate in the communication activities at their elementary schools. Being able to enjoy experiences with people from other countries and respecting their culture is a mindset that MeySen endeavors to cultivate in its students through its classes, events, and trips, and is a foundation for raising the type of globally-minded people that Japan is aiming for.

Upper grades in elementary schools will focus on developing writing skills, and assignments will be given for reading and writing on daily-life topics for junior high students, and on current affairs for high

English Education in Public Schools Set to Shift Focus to Communicative Ability in 2020MeySen classes combined with study at school and home build a solid foundation for strong communication skills

school students. At MeySen, we view the use of the curriculum

home study tools such as REP and Writers as a key component in our students gaining a firm foundation in reading and writing ability.

We look forward to the synergy of the public school English education and MeySen, so that students will be able to gain information and knowledge from all over the world and communicate with all kinds of people, regardless of nationality.

Until recently, we did all the preparation for events ourselves, whether it was cutting paper for the children to use or preparing other materials. Now that the mothers help us, we are able to focus on the teaching for the day, following up with students, com-municating with the parents, and preparing for the next day. We are so thankful.

Shizu Takeishi, Maruyama Tsubaki Class

Bandai CampFC 4th Grade and Premier G3-G4

2nd Grade Father and Child Camp

The Japan vs America Softball 2017 event was held at Shellcom

Sendai on June 23 and 24. The American team visited Shogen Higashi

Junior High School on Wednesday, June 21, two days prior to the

match, where they met with students. Sendai City Sports Promoting

Corporation contacted MeySen for help in providing interpreters for

the school visit, and Peter Harrison, Emily Kawahata, and Don Usui

volunteered to bridge the language gap between the athletes and

students, making the lunch time full of laughter and fun.

The first and second game of the Japan vs America Softball 2017

event was held in Sendai, as a relief effort after the Great East Japan

Earthquake. The final game was held at Yokohama Stadium, which

will be the softball venue for the Tokyo Olympics. Several of the

American athletes who visited Sendai this time are members of the

Olympic team, and will potentially play in the Tokyo Olympics in

three years.

Weeding and Groundskeeping Volunteers Bus Ride Volunteers

TeacherVolunteers

The campus greenery is constantly growing every day in the sunshine,

and many parents have come to help with the weeding, keeping the

grounds healthy and looking beautiful.

It was great to have the help of fathers who had experience with shrub

cutting equipment and chopping wood.

In addition to helping at events for Friends Club and

Premier Elementary, MeySen is looking for volunteers

to ride the buses so students can safely travel to and

from the campus. Would you like to volunteer to ride

the buses and develop leadership skills?

Parent Volunteers

Since the formation of the MeySen Volunteer System, more and more mothers are taking part in the activities. The school has had many comments of appreciation from the teachers, who say they are able to focus more on their teaching due to the support they have received in event and curriculum preparation. In June, the school added volunteer opportunities such as preparation of the swimming pools, weeding, and other grounds maintenance activities, and fathers have actively participated in these more physically demanding jobs.

Teachers have also been busy volunteering in the local commu-nity and other places, with the intention of reach-ing the goal of 2000 hours of volunteer activity for the year by MeySen Academy as a whole.

Please join us in this ever expanding Heart & Hands project. We look forward to having you!

Junior High & High School

Student Volunteers

*One playtime during the day for all the students, plus one playtime after arriving to the campus for children on the first bus run, and one playtime before going home for children on the second bus run.

Teachers Volunteer in Support of Local Community by Interpreting for American Softball Team

Summer Events!

EnjoySunshine

Makes Me Happy !

Run As Fast As You Can Through the Outdoors! Kindergarten PE Program Creates “Challenge Course” for Students

MeySen Kindergarten PE Curriculum Goals:

A word from the teaching staff to the parent volunteers