New School Year

The new school year in Japan sure has a different feel to it than the new school year in America. Maybe that is because they lack the 3 month break from studying that we get in the summer. But, regardless of how it feels, a new school year is here. That's right, I am a senior.

The only things that have changed are these: My classroom moved over 2 classrooms. My grade, which is split into classes A and B, was all shuffled up. I now have some new classmates mixed in with old friends that are still in class A with me. I got a new and improved schedule. And I love my school for it.

Third graders at my school are expected to study so hard for their pass-or-fail-life college entrance exams that they get tuesday and friday afternoons off! And that includes me! My schedule for the rest of my stay in Japan is the following:

Monday: English 2, Japanese Expression, Japanese Lessons, Study Hall, Lunch, Cooking for 2 periods.
Tuesday: Japanese Lessons, Social Studies, Calligraphy for 2 periods, Lunch, Go home.
Wednesday: Japanese Lessons, Counseling, Social Studies, Religion, Lunch, P.E. for 2 periods.
Thursday: Japanese Expression, Japanese Lessons, Calligraphy for 2 periods, Lunch, Study Hall, Long Home Room.
Friday: Japanese Lessons, Study Hall, P.E., Japanese Lessons, Lunch, Go home.

Japanese Lessons are just me and one or two other teachers, which change each day. Study Halls are just by myself to study or do homework that may be assigned in my lessons. Seriously, my school is awesome for doing this for me. These teachers definitely have other things they could be doing besides tutoring me in Japanese. All the other classes I have are with my classmates.

Calligraphy, for example, is just me and two other girls from my class. It was actually really good. I think that the 3rd year class is the teacher's favorite class to teach because it is so small and girls aren't in it just because there is no final exam. I am really excited about this class. Starting tomorrow I get carve the stamp of my name that goes on my final works. Out of granite.

Today, P.E. was preparation for the sports festival coming up at the end of May. We practiced marching (lucky I have had all that marching band practice!), then we practiced the "Radio Stretching" routine to music. After that we decided who is going to do what events in the festival. I was chosen/ volunteered to be in 4 events. Which is the maximum you can do. I will be in the 400m dash (my goodness, I hate that race), a massive game of tug-of-war, some crazy one where 6 people link their arms through the person-in-front-of-them's shoulders and then run together (I have a feeling I am too tall to be helpful in this one), and I am also in the big relay. It is the last and most important event of the day. A relay with 8 girls, each running 100m. I have had girls asking me all week what my 100m dash time is. Unfortunately I am too slow to run it in high school track so I have no idea. We did do a practice run and they all started cheering like crazy when I started running. Then everyone told me I am so fast! haha. I guess they have never seen a real track meet, but I don't mind. :)