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1  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture Download : 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture
2  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture 3
4 The course of study defines five types of school events.
1.Ceremonial events 2.Events concerned with arts 3.Events concerned with health/safety/physical education
4.Events such as a school trip/collective lodging
5.Events concerned with labor service or volunteer (Special activities →4-49)
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture 1.The start of an opening ceremony for the new term
2.Singing the school song
3.4.A speech from the principal
In the beginning of ceremonies students usually sing a school song and the national anthem, and the principal or vice makes a speech.
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1.Primary school entrance ceremony (admission of new 1st grade students), April 2004
2.Primary school entrance ceremony (principal’s speech) , April 2004
3.Primary school entrance ceremony (the introduction of homeroom teachers) , April 2004
4.Lower secondary school entrance ceremony, April 2005
The school draws a line between the beginning and the ending of events, activities, and classes, etc.
The morning assembly and vice-principal’s speech
6 1.2. Departure from the school
3. Aquarium, 4. Prefectural office, 5. Eating lunch, 6. Returning to school, 7.8.9. Aquarium (Students in a group are moving and watching during the school excursion), 10. Prefectural office, 11. Prefectural office (an explanation with video), 12. Prefectural office (prefectural parliament)
The students are asked to be punctual during assemblies and departures. Though school excursions students deepen their understanding of community characteristics and modern society.
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture 1.Footrace (1st grade)
2.Lunch with students and their family in the school yard
3.Playing a tug of war joined by students’ parents (5-6th grade students and their parents)
4.Closing ceremony
Not only students but also parents and members of the community (including kindergarten infants) and senior citizens participate in the sports activities.
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1.School gate
2.Opening ceremony for Sports Day(1st grade)
3.Cheering performance
4.Team sports
All the students join in Sports Day activities (Undokai).
1.Students are divided into male/female groups in each grade. Students race in this groups.
2.The race course extends to areas outside of the school premises.
3.Parents are cheering on and supporting their children.
4.Teachers are recording the time and place at the finish line.
5.Students are practicing in recess before the marathon race.
8 1.Departure from the school
2.Climbing a mountain
3.Arrival at a Youth House (a Youth House →3-25,26,27,28,29)
4.Meeting to introduce the rules for the use of the Youth House
5.Candle fire ceremony
Youth houses (for teenagers) and juvenile houses (for children) set up as social educational facilities are often used for school activities.
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture A medical check-up is carried out every year for all students. These pictures show the medical check-up for children who are entering this primary school next Spring.
1.Explanation at gymnasium
2.Ophthalmology checkup
3.Dental checkup
Daily health consultations and care for the injured and ill are carried out in health care rooms.
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1.Departure from the school, 2.Visitation at the Diet building, 3.Visitation at the Ship Museum
4.Arrival at an inn, 5.Eating dinner at the inn
6.Preparation for sleep
Students are taught group discipline while they inspect social facilities and equipment.
1.At the end of an evening meeting, there is an announcement that a big earthquake has occurred. Students place themselves under desks, and begin to flee after the earthquake subsides. 6th grade
2.3.homeroom teachers lead students to the schoolyard. 4. A homeroom teacher is doing a roll call.
5.Swimming with cloths on
Teachers pay close attention to student safety in their school life.
10 A primary and lower secondary concert is held by the Municipal Board of Education.  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture 1.2.Graduation ceremony at a primary school
3.4.Graduation ceremony at a lower secondary school
The graduation ceremony is the biggest all school events. It illustrates the characteristics of school life by encouraging students’ parents to participate in the event.
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1.A speech by the principal
2.A farewell speech to a teacher who is taking maternity leave
Teachers are responsible not only for instruction of subjects, but also for various types of student guidance.
12 1.The time schedule for a morning meeting, 2.Morning song sung by the students, 4th grade
3.A hygiene check up, 4th grade, 4.A hygiene check note
5.A one minute speech by the students, 4th grade
6.A hygiene check up, 6th grade
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture Teachers devise their teaching approach. Teachers teach students in a friendly manner. A teacher prepares a lesson plan.
1.Arithmetic, 5th grade, January 2005
2.Arithmetic, 1st grade, December 2003
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1.A science class at the science room
2.Preparation for a science class
Before teaching a class teachers prepare well with teaching aids and experimental equipment.
It is necessary for teachers to utilize various teaching aids and a computer. Teachers prepare various devices for use as teaching aids.
1.Blackboard, science, 6th grade, December 2003
2.Scissors, drawing & handcraft, 3rd grade, December 2003
3.Computer, the period of integrated study, 6th grade, December 2003
4.Musical instrument, Music, 6th grade, December 2003
14 A long recess (between 2nd and 3rd periods) and a recess after lunch is usually 20 minutes long, so students can play in the school-yard. Teachers will participate with the playing groups and are vigilant about safety.
1.The teacher is playing with students.
2.The teacher is watching students’ play.
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture 1.2.Having lunch with students
3.Brushing teeth with students
At lunch time the teachers take their meals together with the students of their classes. School lunch periods are regarded as an educational activity.
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In the course of study it is explained that desirable habits should be developed among students through and during the school lunch programs.
1.The teacher is helping students serve meals.
2.The teacher is checking clearing.
1.2.Teachers are helping students with cleaning.
16 1.Time schedule for an evening meeting
2.Information from a student responsible for tasks
3.Greeting
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture 1.2. July 2004 3.Teachers’ desks in classrooms, 4th grade February 2005
4.Checking students’ notebooks at at a teacher’s desk in her classroom, Arithmetic 2nd grade, December 2003
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1.Student guidance meeting, February 2004
2.Class hour, December 2003
3.A teacher at her own desk in the teacher’s room, February 2005
4.Teachers still at school. December 2003
In each Japanese school there are teacher’s rooms where teachers’ desks are arranged. At their desks teachers prepare for teaching subjects and other educational programs. Educational counseling is also conducted in these rooms. Teachers’ meetings are also held in the teachers rooms.
1.A homeroom teacher is cautioning a student who is talking with his friend in class.. 2nd grade, November 2004
2.Teachers are examining the cause of trouble between students from different grades. 1st and 4th grade, January 2005
3.Teachers are directing students in the teachers’ room. 6th grade, February 2005
(Guidance meeting →5-38)
A home room teacher takes charge of educational counseling. For students guidance teachers provide academic and life guidance.
18 Teachers and students share the same time table in a class room. Students not only study and perform tasks given by teachers, but also derive their own pleasure and meaning from the activities.  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture 1.A pair of students are chairing a morning meeting, 4th grade, January 2005
2.Information from a student responsible for tasks, 4th grade, February 2005
3.One minute speech by students, 4th grade, February 2005
4.Collecting money for ‘the Children Bank’, December 2003
5.6th grade students handing a birthday card to their homeroom teacher, 4th grade, February 2005
(Class activities, Group activities, Day duty →5-7~9)
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1.Going to school in a group, November 2004, 2. Going to school in a group, December 2003, 3. Going to school in a group, February 2005,
4.Storing their own bags in a fixed place, 5th grade, November 2004
5.A list of students who will go to school together made by ‘Kodomokai’
Students learn about group discipline and safety by going to school in a group.
A student is responsible for checking the hygiene of classmates
1.A student who is responsible for hygiene takes a hygiene check note from a nurse’s office before the morning meeting.
2.Hygiene check in the morning meeting
3.Returning the health check note to nurse’s office
( Class activities, Group activities, Day duty →5-7~9)
20 1.Preparation for a Physical Education class, 5th grade, Physical education, December 2003
2.Moving from a homeroom to aScience room, 6th grade, December 2003
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture 1.Dodge ball, December 2003
2.Jungle gym, December 2003
In addition to a scheduled lengthy recess, students also have five minute intervals between classes.
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Students sometimes show a relaxed attitude during class hour.
1.Going up to the shelf (in the cleaning time), 3rd grade, December 2003
2.A thread is tangled in a sewing machine (in the home Economics class), 5th grade, November 2004
3.What is he thinking about ? (in a meeting before going home) , 6th grade, September 2004
4. Writing graffiti (in handcraft class), 3rd grade, December 2003
1.Making use of recycled tires and a horizontal bar, December 2003
2.Recycle cans, December 2003
22 1.Hula-Hoop, December 2003
2.Horizontal bar with an assisting tool (left side) & Unicycle, December 2003
3.Unicycles are equipped at school
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture 1.Laying tablemats, 1st grade, December 2003
2.Wearing a mask and washing hands, 1st grade, December 2003
3.Brushing teeth after lunch, 1st grade, December 2003
4.Sticking a lunch seal for lunch participation after lunch, 1st grade, December 2003
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1.On a school outing involving a mixed age group activity, November 2004 ( →5-15~19)
2. During the school lunch hour, 6th grade, December 2003
3. During the morning, February 2005
4. During an outdoor study hour, November 2004
5. After a discussion to decide what mixed age group activity will be planned for a school trip.
1.Taking an Assistant English Teacher to a class, 1st grade, November 2004
2.Removing a speck of dust from the eye, November 2004
3.Returning to teaching facilities after a class, January 2005
24 1. Preparation for going home, 1st grade, December 2003
2. Putting on a jacket, 6th grade, December 2003
3. The class leader for the day is announcing some information, 6th grade, December 2003
4. Homeroom teacher’s speech, 1st grade, December 2003
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture 1.2.3.Juku (supplementary private school/cram school)
2. Play dodge ball games organized by the dodge ball club.
After school many students commute to a cram school (Juku) and learn such skills as playing the piano and the violin, dancing and writing calligraphy. Some students learn such sports as soccer, baseball, kendo and judo in a youth sports club on weekends. (The five-day week system was fully implemented from2002.)
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1.Wearing a yellow hat for safety, December 2003
2.Taking craft work back home, December 2003
3.Going home in a group, December 2003
In school life, students are trained to develop social behavioral skills, particularly group discipline and a sense of solidarity to the community and the state. On the other hand, they also taught to recognize their own individuality through assuming individual roles and responsibilities.
26 1.Physical education class, 4th grade, November 2003
2.Drawing & handcraft class, 3rd grade, December 2003
3.Science class, 4th grade, December 2003
4.Performance after school lunch, 6th grade, December 2003
5.Entrance ceremony, April 2004
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture 1.Desk, chair and school bag, 4th grade, January 2005
2.Private bag, 4th grade, January 2005
3.School lunch bag, 4th grade, January 2005
4.Submission of homework, 4th grade, January 2005
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1.Line up before the opening ceremony, 3rd grade, September 2004
2.School excursion at an inn where the students stayed, 6th grade, November 2004
3.Outdoor study (the period of integrated study), 4th grade, October 2004
4.After closing ceremony, 3rd grade, July 2004
1.Preparation for Physical Education, 5th grade, December 2003
2.Preparation for school lunch, 6th grade, December 2003
3.Clearing in Physical Education, 4th grade, November 2003
4.Clearing at Entrance Ceremony, April 2004
All the students help with preparations and clearing-up during and after class and school events.
28 School lunch bags with an apron and coif are hung on the wall. Students wear an apron and a coif when it’s their turn to serve lunch. When they finish their task for the week, they wash their apron and coif, and hand them to the next students who will be responsible for the task.
1.Going to school with a school lunch bag on Monday morning
2.3.School lunch bags on the wall, 4. Going home with a school lunch bag on Friday
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture Students usually change their shoes inside and outside of school.
1.In school students wear indoor shoes.
2.4.Computer room
3.5.Music room
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1.Checking reading homework, 2.Students are recording their assigned jobs anytime after they finish them, 4th grade, January 2005, 3.Students responsible for hygiene check ups for a class record student attendance every morning, 4th grade, February 2005,
4.Students responsible for hygiene check ups for a class record attendance of students for every morning, 3rd grade, November 2004
Students record in turn student names for reading books, job assignments and attendance. They are accustomed to such responsibilities for record keeping. Students are responsible for attendance and general hygiene checks.
1.Eating lunch sitting in a chair, 1st grade, December 2003
2.Using chopsticks, 6th grade, December 2003
3.Drinking a bowl of soup, 6th grade, December 2003
30 The division of tasks between students at school lunch time makes it possible for students to have lunch regularly: a group of students are responsible for serving lunch, while another group arranges desks and chairs for lunch. They take turns for these tasks.
1.Putting on a apron and a coif. 2.Carrying school lunch container to the homeroom. 3.Distributing the school lunch. 4.Returning the school lunch containers to the school lunch room.
Students who are not involved in the tasks.
5.Arranging desks. 6.Washing hands. 7.Lining up to receive school lunch. 8.Returning the dishes.
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture 1.Moving desks and chairs.
2.Students are sweeping the homeroom with a broom and students are wiping the floor with a damp cloth.
Cleaning the school is done by all the students. It is considered to be one of the educational activities.
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1.School lunch menus for a month, 2.School lunch with bread, 3.School lunch with rice
4.School lunch is delivered from the school lunch center by truck everyday.
5. Students who by exception are permitted to bring a box lunch from home. (left side), 1st grade
The nutritional balance and calories are considered in the lunch contents.
(the school lunch law →2-43)
1.A homeroom teacher is helping with homeroom cleaning. 1st grade, 2.Corridor, 3.Gymnasium, 4.School yard, 5.Lavatory, 6.Entrance, 7.8.Turn table of cleaning areas.
32 1.Planting flower seedlings in a planter, 1-6th grade, November 2004
2.Roof gardens on top of the school building, June 2005
3.Small salmon will be later released at the mouth of the river, May 2005
4.Snails, July 2004 5.Chickens
All the programs are related to life and the natural environment.
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture The side walls and back walls in the homeroom: A rotary figure with the name of the students and pictures shows who is in charge of particular class tasks. Students take turns in cleaning different areas in their classrooms and schools(4). The school lunch newsletter, the grade newsletter, and the school newsletter are made by non homeroom teachers.
In addition to these, there are special student creations in the classes (Japanese calligraphy (1), drawing (2.3), handcraft (2.3), and compositions), and the contents relate to the students individually.
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Around the blackboard: These are pictures of the blackboard in front of class and around the blackboard. The date and the names of students who have duties on that day are written at the bottom right corner of the blackboard and are updated daily (2). Posters of monthly goals, the slogan of the class (1), time schedule (1), the names of students in charge of retrieving and serving lunch from the kitchen, and the lunch menu are posted on the right side of the blackboard (4), these are ways to communicate with the students. Cards for a morning meeting (1-3), the meeting at the end of the day, and the names of the students who have duties on that day enable students to know what their roles are for the day. The posters around the blackboard are mainly about what students need to do in their daily school life, and what the teachers want to let the students know, and therefore the space is used more as a bulletin boardas compared with other spaces in the classroom.
It is also one of students cooperative responsibilities to make notice, to make notices, posters and attach these to the blackboard.
Hallway: There are signs at the entrance of each classroom. The grade, classroom number and name of home room teacher are written on the sign(3). Signs for emergency exits and emergency goods are also visible(4). Social topics are written on posters, lunch news and children’s newspapers on the wall. In addition to grade news and health news, notices and introduction of activities at grade units, such as the period of integrated study and (international understanding, welfare activities) school trip are visible.
1.5th grade June 2004 2.6th grade November 2004
3.,4.December 2003
34 1.A nurse treats a student’s injury, December 2003
2.A nurse counsels a student, December 2003
3.A bed with curtains, February 2005
4.Health check records, February 2005
5.Bulletin board on the side of the nurse’s office door
Every school has a nurse’s office.
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture >1.Team teaching by a homeroom teacher and nurse teacher, 4th grade, November 2004, 2.Study with students work, 4th grade, November 2004, 3.Watching a video program, 4th grade, November 2004, 4.Remarks, 4th grade, November 2004, 5.A notice from the principal to the students’ parents.
1st grade 「Clean body」(1st semester), 2nd grade 「The secret of the navel」(3rd semester), 3rd grade 「My birth」(3rd semester), 4th grade 「Changes into an adult body」(2nd semester), 5th grade 「Birth of new life」(1st semester), 6th grade 「LetCs learn about AIDS」(2nd semester), (based on ‘a guide book for sex education’(Prefectural Board of Education))
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At school events, both boys and girls serve as student representatives. In classrooms boys and girls sit side by side. In a group study activity boys and girls do the same work.
1.Entrance ceremony for new 1st grade students, April 2004, 2.Athletic Meeting, 1st grade, September 2004
3.Home Economics, 5th grade, November 2004, 4.Moral Education, 4th grade November 2004
5.School Lunch, 1st grade, July 2004
1.Posters: A survey of students’ favorite game and color
2.Posters: A survey of students’ favorite subject and lesson
3.Posters: ‘What will you do in the summer vacation?’
4.Posters: ‘Do you have a meal three times a day?’ and ‘Do you play outside?’
5.Posters: A survey of students’ favorite sports and animals
36 1.Gym suits (in primary school, September 2004)
2.Students wear school uniforms (in an elementary school attached to a national university, March 2005)
3.Students wear school uniforms (in a lower secondary school, April 2005)
4.Students wear school uniforms (in a six-year secondary school, October 2004)
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture 37
1.School emblem (primary school)
2.School emblem and school song (school pamphlet, primary school)
3.4.School song (primary school)
5.Prefectural flag, National flag and School emblem (six-year secondary school)
Every school has its own emblem and song. By using the school emblem and song, students nurture their love for and attachment to their school.
1.2.The national flag and the school emblem flag
2.School clock
38 Graduates donate memorials to their school.
1.The lyrics of the school song are carved on a stone monument
2.Tiles made by the graduates
 9. Japanese School Life and Cluture  9. Japanese School Life and Cluture Posters and newspapers which are sent by various external organizations are posted in school areas. 39
An English lesson by an AET (Assistant English Teacher): AETs are employed by the Board of Education in each city.
1.2.An AET reviews the last lesson
3.An AET employs an English card game.
4.With an AET after class
1.In-service training within own school:class visit by teachers and reflection meeting (Physical education, 4th grade, November 2003)
2.In-service training within own school:class visit by teachers and reflection meeting (Moral education, 1st grade, March 2005)
3.In-service training within own school:Teachers from several schools gather with lesson plans and discuss them. A guidance director from prefectural training center joins in at the request of teachers. (Japanese language teachers of several elementary schools and lower secondary schools November 2004)
In-service training and study meetings for teachers are conducted quite often.
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