Plating up the 2015 Rugby World Cup - #CarryThemHome

Unless you have been hiding under a rock over the last few days, you will be aware that the 2015 Rugby World Cup is in full swing, with World Cup history being made in the South Africa vs Japan game. A game that will be talked about for years to come, and deservedly so with such a magnificent performance from the Brave Blossoms! There may be a few late nights with eyes glued to screens over the coming month for Damian and Jim.

Who's going to win this group?

Rugby is still a growing sport here in Japan, and in an attempt to raise awareness of the sport (especially as Japan will be hosting the next tournament in 2019!), we got some of our students involved in a workshop on the theme of "Countries and Flags". Most of our students were unaware that the World Cup is going on, let alone the 20 countries involved. I hoped to change all that recruiting some help from a few keen students. I even wore my full rugby kit for the entire day in honour of the occasion!

With 20 national flags and home jerseys to colour and sort, it was quite the task for Kahina, Hinata and Hikari. Since there were 4 of us, me included, we assigned a knock-out group for each person to focus on and got to work! We ran into a bit of trouble when Kahina chopped one of the kits in half, but thankfully, after having a closer look, it turned out to be the French one.

A proud smile!

The real challenge came however when we came to matching the kits to their national flags. Some of the colour schemes are not too dissimilar to each other and even Damian sensei got in a muddle at times. We got there eventually through some good guess work and trial and error. In hindsight writing the countries on the reverse may have been a good idea...

How many more upsets will there be? Who's going to come out on top on the 31st of October? What are your predictions for the Rugby World Cup?

The final product

Satoka describes her house

Always a nice little follow up to a nice little reader - when Kipper & family move into a new house and have new adventures waiting for them.

Nice drawing Satoka - nice house! And very nice voice :)

Anne of Green Gables - after reading

Dear Marilla,

How are you Marilla?  I feel strange to ask you this question since I was with you yesterday.

It is my first date in Charlottetown.  The dormitory is close to the Queens Academy.  The scenery from my room is totally different from Green Gables.  From my room, I can see the street to Academy.  After I arrived in the town, I went to see the building of Academy.  I am excited to start new college life here.

The people in dormitory are very nice and kind to me.  I am sure I can get along with them and will not get in a trouble like I did in Avonlea.  I will become friends with other students and a good girl in the class room.  Of course, I will study hard to be a teacher like Miss Stacy .  Oh, I cannot wait for tomorrow morning.

I just miss you and Matthew.  I will go to my dearest home at weekends.  I will be able to talk to you about the new friends, new teacher, what I study and Charlottetown.  Please take care of yourself, Marilla.  And, please give my best wishes to Matthew.  I love two of you very much.

With my best regards,

Anne

Love among the Haystacks - After reading

Write about a night when you slept outdoors

When I was an elementary school student, I was a member of Girl Scout.  I experienced a lot of activities in Girl Scout.  The camping in Togakushi was one of the big events on summer holiday.  I enjoyed some outdoor recreations like campfire and sleeping in a tent with the other members.

We had to build the tent by ourselves.  It took time to build the tent as it was the traditional type that was supported by poles and ropes and difficult to build.  We cooperated with each other to build it.

In the night, we slept in our own sleeping bag in the tent.  It was very exciting as it was unusual experience for us even though it was narrow.  We were too excited to sleep and talked a lot through the night.  Our voice

and laugh were sometimes loud and one of the leaders came to the tent and alerted us to sleep immediately.

In the meantime, some accidents happened in the night.  A part of tent suddenly collapsed as someone attacked the pole accidentally during sleeping and someone tripped over the stake and the rope loosed outside of the tent.

I have not gone camping and slept outdoors recently, but I would like to go somewhere if there are any good places.  Do you have any recommendations?

Unusual Suspects - after reading The Mystery at Lion Rock

I think a master criminal who lives in neighbour will have 2 types.
One is strange person who is constantly stayed in house and/or is doing strange behavior, and the neighborhood don't know what the person is doing or how the person is.
So, the neighborhood is always on alert against movements of ther person.

Other is a person who is accommodating and takes the lead in activities in the community.
The person is always kind and the neighborhood is lower ther person's defenses.
But a part of persons who are accommodating and kind seem to feel stress and have a possibility to pwepetrate a crime.
So, the person is easy to perpetrate a crime in neighbour and is hard to being suspected of the crime.

In my neighbour, there was a person who is 1st type.
He worked in daytime, but he went to anywhere everynight.
I admired him for having the stamina to work and enjoy everyday.
But, one day his family (his parents and his younger sister) moved home suddenly because he did something bad.
I and the neighborhood doesn't know in detail what he did.

Posted for Ritsuko

Postcard from...Stonehenge, England

Dear Jim,

How's doing?

I hope your everything alright. I spent a couple of day in London, and I think London is one of the best city where I've ever been. People in there are very kind like you.

See you next class.

Hirofumi

After reading - Gulliver's Travels

The Houyhnhnms (taken from Wikipedia)

Which people or creatures in the story would you most like to meet? Which would you least like to meet? Explain why.

I would like to meet most is the Houyhnhnms and I would like to meet least is Yahoos. I thin the reason why.

Because every word that the Houyhnhnm's master speaks is right and perfect, and he tells always in a very intelligent, gentle way. He seems to me a quite reasonable. I like such a type of people. Also Houyhnhnms can live their lives without lying, stole, disease, crime and wars which human beings have experienced and died.

They use language in order to understand each other and to give and receive information. Houyhnhnms's master says, "If you don't tell the truth, how can people understand each other".

The country of the Houyhnhnms horses (not people) are in control, and their servants are Yahoos. Yahoos are the horrible-looking animals which has human faces looked like Gulliver. But Gulliver hates the Yahoos for their dirty habits and unpleasant character. He thinks how different Houyhnhnms life is from what he was used to. He says to the master of, "In my country all the important people look like Yahoos".

I hate to meet Yahoos which Gulliver tells. But I can't live without such a character like Yahoos. So I always try to be like Houyhnhnms and I would like all the important people in our country the most intelligent in the world for peace than truth making war making money.

Posted for Mine