Japanese High School Students Visit The Grauer School

From Yumi Miyamoto and Jessi Brown, World Languages Teachers, and Alicia Tembi, U.S. History Teacher:

A group of Japanese students from Kansai-Soka High School in Japan visited The Grauer School on January 29. They were greeted in Meyer Hall by 11th Grade students who were ready to participate in group discussions. Following a welcome speech by Jessi Brown, World Language Department Chair, three students from Kansai-Soka gave a presentation to introduce their school. The students then began their group discussions, advised by Alicia Tembi. Grauer students shared presentations on many different aspects of life in the United States, including American high schools, human rights, and access to health care. The Japanese students shared similar presentations, along with ones on nuclear disarmament. After the discussion activity, the Japanese students were given a tour of the campus by the students who are studying Japanese at The Grauer School, and both groups of students enjoyed a Scavenger Hunt where they learned greetings in each language that Grauer offers. The Japanese students were all fascinated with Grauer’s educational culture, and they expressed a desire to return someday. The Grauer students loved the experience as well, and many said they wished they could spend more time with the Japanese students. Principal Alicia Tembi noted, "The week started with a lot of excitement in anticipation of this cross-cultural exchange. Grauer students embraced the visitors with openness and respect. I strongly believe these interactions lead to a more compassionate, accepting world." Head of School Dana Abplanalp-Diggs added, "This is the third time that students from Kansai-Soka have visited The Grauer School, and it is always an impressive international collaboration. The students listened empathically to one another, working to better understand and to discuss similarities in their teenage experiences."