This past week was Principal Appreciation Week culminating with Principal Appreciation Day yesterday, Friday October 23rd. Although, it is always nice to be recognized, this day always brings with it for me a reflection on how thankful I am to work with all of the staff, students, and families at Kipling school.

Yesterday, both Mrs. Sutic and myself were moved by all the well wishes that flowed in through videos, emails, and cards from students, staff, and parents alike. However, with every “thank you” that came in I kept thinking to myself that it should be me who is thanking you.

I love what I do. I know that I am lucky to be able to say that. I also loved being a teacher, and although I am not in the classroom any longer, do not consider that a role that I have abandoned. As a principal I still consider myself a teacher every day. I still think like a teacher and I approach situations like a teacher – always wondering what can we learn from any given situation or moment.

Being an elementary school principal is the greatest job in the world though. My friend and colleague, Kathleen Miller, who retired last year as principal of Mechanics Grove Elementary in Mundelein, IL wrote this to me in an email late last spring.

Kathleen is right. There is nothing like being an elementary school principal. Let me share one small example of how this is true.

The Wiggly Tooth
I think I have seen more loose teeth than most dentists. My morning walk down the kindergarten and first grade hallway usually ends up with me approached by no less than 5 kids wanting to show me their new loose tooth. Now a loose tooth may not seem like a big deal to an adult, after all every kid will lose all 20 of them at some time, but to a 5 or 6 year old it is monumental. Just think about all that it represents for them. First, it is a proud sign that they are growing and getting older. They love for you to know this. Secondly, it is a badge of courage that they wear. Kids also want to show you how brave they can be. They aren’t scared at all. Just ask a 5 year old if their loose tooth hurts and before you can finish your sentence you will be cut off with a “nope” that leaves no question. They also love to demonstrate the looseness and bravery for you by wiggling the tooth and saying “see”.

I always try to have a good response to this. Something along the lines of “oh wow”, “that’s great”, or “I am so proud of you.” I act like it is the coolest thing that I have ever seen, ask them a few questions, and make them feel like they are the only people that have ever shown me a loose tooth. After the announcement, the demonstration, and my excited response, the child turns around with a big smile and continues unpacking their backpack and getting ready for the day. Their job is done. They have demonstrated their growth and learning, shown how brave they are, and been validated by someone listening and taking interest. I never take for granted how special it is and what a privilege it is that I am one of the people they want to share this with.

As an elementary school principal I get to be part of a hundred “wiggly tooth moments” a day. Whether it is a student showing me something new they learned, a new problem they solved, or helping students to settle disputes and differences, every day is filled with watching the amazing power of learning and growth.

My friend Kathleen said it best – There is nothing like being the principal of an elementary school! We have the opportunity to see children grow and change before our eyes. I know I speak for Mrs. Sutic as well when I say thank you Kipling staff, parents, and most importantly students for allowing us to do that every day.

Today has been a very long day of traveling. I left Tokyo at 10:45AM Sunday morning and arrived at 8:25AM also Sunday morning in Chicago. It’s been a long Sunday.

I was sad to say goodbye to Japan this morning. All of the people I have met and the Fulbright program have been amazing.

“Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.” – John F. Kennedy

I have been thinking about the above quote throughout my time in Japan. Spending two weeks there with other educators reminds me how much larger the world is than what we work in day to day. However, more importantly I was moved by how true it is that we all value our children’s future. There are certainly numerous differences in our education systems in the U.S. and Japan. There are many things we can learn from them and they can learn from us. I will expand on some of those ideas for Kipling in future posts as we move closer to the school year. However, more than anything I am reminded on this trip of how much we have in common. Mainly a care about our children’s future and making this world a better place for future generations.

John Whitehead said “Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see” Programs like this Fulbright exchange help to ensure that the messages we send are ones of cooperation and understanding.

While I was sad to be saying goodbye to my new friends in Japan I was also extremely excited about getting back home to see my family.

This has been an amazing journey and I am excited to continue sharing my learnings in future posts and conversations with our school community in the future.

Today was our final day of the joint conference. This morning we all presented our work from the past few days and the ideas we have for joint projects between the United States and Japan. It was very sad saying goodbye today as this was the conclusion of our journey as a whole group. The educators from the U.S. have gotten to know the Japanese teachers very well from our time with them in San Francisco and Tokyo. They are an amazing group of educators that are passionate about students and learning. It is also sad to be saying goodbye to my colleagues from the United States. When I met them in San Francisco I knew they would be great partners for the experience in Japan. We have been together day in day out for two weeks. Not only are all of the people in this program (from the U.S. as well as Japan) some of the smartest and interesting people I have met, they have also become good friends. I will miss everyone very much.

Pictures from the final meeting today.

June Ubukata (above) is the Director, General Affairs for the Japan U.S. Educational Commission (Fulbright Japan). She has traveled with us through this entire program and has been our liaison every step of the way. She has been incredible in making this experience memorable for all of us and I know I can speak for everyone when I say we cannot thank her enough. All of us have made many new friends in Japan but June has been especially wonderful to us.

Here are two other amazing gentlemen that have been with us from day 1. Kenji Matsui on the left and Masaaki Hatagami on the right have been our translators for our entire journey. They have never left our side. The success of this trip would not have been possible without them.

Pictured above from left to right are Saeko Fujimoto, Yuriko Yoneshima, Hiromi Fumoto, and Seigo Saito our new friends from ACCU the Asian Pacific Cultural Center. Their organization has been great. They have done many of the behind the scenes arrangements for us and have been right there for everything we needed.

After the joint conference today a couple of the Japanese teachers had offered to take a group of us to Kyoto. Kyoto is the former capital of Japan and visiting the city was a great way to spend our last day in Japan.

To get to Kyoto we took the Shinkansen. This was an experience in itself as these trains reach speeds of 200 miles per hour. It is about 300 miles from Tokyo to Kyoto but it can be done in just over an hour on the Shinkansen.

Our trains to and from Kyoto.

The route from Tokyo to Kyoto.

Kyoto did not disappoint. We only have the day there but it was incredibly easy to get around (thanks to our Japanese friends) and there were many sights to see.

In Kyoto we visited Fushimi Inari Shrine.

We also visited Arashiyama bamboo grove.

A major treat of the trip was going to make traditional beads. One of the Japanese teachers had organized this experience for us with a friend of his that is a master of this kind of bead making. He makes the beads for several of the temples around Kyoto.

Finally we had a great yakitoti dinner in Gion. Gion is an older district of Kyoto and was the setting for Arthur Golden’s novel Memoirs of a Geisha. We did not get to spend much time there because we had to catch the train home but what we saw of the area was very neat.

After dinner we headed back to the station to catch the Shinkansen back to Tokyo and said goodbye to our friends from Japan.

My plane back to Chicago leaves at 10:30am. With any luck I’ll be back in Chicago by 9AM on Sunday. I can’t wait to see my family and get back to Deerfield. There will be one more post coming in this adventure. Stay tuned.

Today was a work day session for the Japanese and American educators. Our purpose today was to plan joint projects that schools in the United States and Japan could coordinate on together. We grouped by projects that would be of like interest. Some groups are doing projects on water quality, some are mapping cultural heritage, and my group is focusing on recycling.

My Group.

Next year, Kipling Elementary will participate in a joint recycling project with a school in Missouri, a school in Colorado, and a school in Omuta, Japan. This project will have our students looking at ways to reduce waste through recycling.

Some Pictures from the joint conference today.

Tonight we had a wonderful reception with the Japanese and American educators celebrating the journey that all of us have been on over the past several months.

With Mr. Yoshio Yamawaki, the Director-General for International Affairs at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology here in Japan.

With Matthew Sussman, Executive Director of Fullbright Japan and my friend Toshiaki Nakamura.

With Professor Katsuhide Kusahara. He has been with us throughout this program.

Tomorrow morning we are going to present our projects to each other. This will be the final task of the joint conference. After our presentations in the morning we are free for independent research. Some of the Japanese teachers are taking a group of us to Kyoto by the Shinkansen tomorrow. I can’t wait to see Kyoto and ride the bullet train. Stay tuned.

Today we met back up with our Japanese counterparts to begin the joint conference here in Tokyo. This is the same group of educators from Japan that we met with in San Francisco for three days at the beginning of May when their visit to the United States was concluding. It was great to see them again. Especially now that we have been able to experience their country and culture for the last week and a half. The main outcome for these two days is for us to discuss our two systems and plan some joint projects that can be done cooperatively between our schools in the United States and Japan.

Our day started with a welcome from Matthew Sussman, the Executive Director of Fulbright Japan. Matthew has lived in Japan for the past 20 years and this is his first year as the director of Fulbright Japan. Matthew reiterated to us that although we may have noticed many differences there are also many similarities between our two countries which is why our bond is strong.

Matthew Sussman, Executive Director of Fulbright Japan welcomes everyone to the joint conference.

Next up we were welcomed by Jeff Adler, the Deputy Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy here in Japan. Mr. Adler emphasized the importance of this type of study in keeping the bond between Japan and the United States strong. He told us that it is a priority of Ambassador Kennedy to emphasize and support exchanges for study and research between the United States and Japan.

Jeff Adler welcoming us to the joint conference.

Finally we were welcomed by Mr. Kojiro Kakimoto, Senior Specialist for Personnel Exchange – International Affairs Division at MEXT the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. He told us of Japan’s active involvement in promoting Education for Sustainable Development. He told us that the bilateral relationship between our two countries is important as no one can solve all of the problems alone.

We then had a lecture from Professor Osamu Abe from Rikkyo University. He founded the first ever Japanese research center for ESD and is the president of the Japanese Society of Environmental Education. He said many interesting things but one of the main takeaways I had was that in the past environmental education has focused mainly on the relationship between nature and humans. For instance, what impact do our activities have on the environment? However, he said that it is also necessary to change human to human relations as well.

Professor Abe speaking to us about ESD.

All of the US teachers did a joint presentation on our journey so far in Japan. We focused primarily on our experience in Omuta where we have spent the past 6 days.

This afternoon we heard from some program alumni from Japan that presented about their joint projects with their US counterparts.

Tonight was an great time as some of us traveled out to experience professional baseball in Japan. The Tokyo Dome is an amazing place.

The Tokyo Dome as we were walking from the train station.

A nearly sold out game.

Check the Tokyo Dome off of the list.

Tomorrow is a work session for the US and Japanese teachers to plan some exciting activities for all of our students. Stay tuned.

We just got back to Tokyo tonight after spending almost a week in Khyshu and Omuta City. I cannot thank the teachers, administrators, and board of education enough for the hospitality they have shown to us over the last several days. Our final day on Khyshu was another great one doing what is my favorite thing here in Japan – visiting schools. Today we visited two schools. The first was Ariake Shinsei High School in Omuta and the second was Fukuoka University Kurume Junior High School.

First we started at Ariake Shinsei High School. High schools in Japan are much like selective high schools in Chicago. However, in Japan all high schools are like that. High school is not mandatory in Japan and to gain entrance students must take a test to qualify to attend the school. Ariake Shinsei high school has approximately 700 students and offers over 160 courses to their students. We were warmly received at the school.

We were welcomed by several teachers and staff that introduced their school.

Classes at Ariake Shinsei High School

At every school we have visited we have seen a caligraphy class. I have realized that more than this being artwork for the students it is also powerful vocabulary instruction. Each character represents a word or idea. In class not only are students writing the characters they are discussing the characters meaning.

In the computer lab writing code.

Next we visited Kurume Junior High School. This visit was a lot of fun as the students had been preparing for our visit for some time. We entered the gym to students clapping for us and each of us was escorted to a group of students that did a multimedia presentation about their city and school. We also met with small groups of students and of course we participated in the cleaning.

A selfie with my new friends.

Students made their favorite calligraphy character for me and we dicuss their meaning. We also asked each other questions about our schools and countries.

Here is the work they made for me. It was a real priviledge to talk with these students.

Afterwards I was invited back to their homeroom for the end of the day meeting and of course clean up. Everyone in Japan jumps in to keep the school clean – even me.

At the end of the day students have a homeroom meeting completely run by them where they discuss class business. They also sing a song to close out the day. Everyone sings enthusiastically as you can see. I double checked to make sure this wasn’t just for the visit. The teacher assured me that they sing every day.

And a special treat to end the day we got to fly back to Tokyo on ANA and the Boeing Dreamliner. What a cool airplane.

I am beginning to form what I consider some perspectives on the education system here and applications for us in the United States. I will summarize my thoughts in a final post in this series on my way home. For now, I am excited to get back together with the Japanese teachers in Tokyo for the next three days to discuss our education systems and coordinate some joint projects. Stay tuned.

Today was another great day experiencing the culture of Japan. It is great to be traveling with Fulbright Japan because we get to have so many experiences that would not be possibile without their organization. Everyday, I am amazed at the amount of staff and volunteers organized for our visits. From bus drivers, to professors, to school personnel, to community leaders – there are so many people working to make our visit special.

We are still in Omuta City and we started the day at Omuta City hall to meet with the mayor of Omuta and the local Board of Education.

Then we spent the afternoon at a community center in Omuta where we cooked a Japanese meal, practiced Origami, and participated in a traditional tea ceremony. I want to express deep gratitude for the dozens of volunteers that helped make this afternoon special and were extremely patient with us as we learned.

The iron chef whipping up lunch.

All fresh ingredients for our lunch.

My lunch Japanese style lunch.

After lunch we took a quick class on the Japanese art of origami.

My origami creations (with a lot of help)

Our amazing origami teacher.

After origami we learned the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Our teachers were a group of veteran tea masters that go to schools and around the community teaching the ceremony in order to preserve this important Japanese tradition.

Our group with our tea masters.

After leaving the community center in Omuta we traveled to the Omuta City Ecosanc. I was floored by the massive fields of solar panels that generate energy for more than 1/3 of this city. In total there are 70,000 solar panels in the array. It is incredible to see a town that was dependant on coal and devastated when the mines closed show new life with renewable energy.

A panoramic view of the 70,000 solar panels in Omuta City.

Aerial view of the solar array.

This evening we took a train to Fukuoka, Japan’s sixth largest city on the northern shore of Kyushu Island. This city is famous for it’s Ramen and although we were only there a couple of hours it was impressive. Fukuoka is a very vibrant city.

On the train headed to Fukuoka.

Delicious ramen spots right along the city street in Fukuoka.

Today was a very special day as we visited two different schools here in Omuta City. The first school we went to was Yoshino Elementary School where my the host for my home stay Mr. Nakamura teaches. Then we visited Takuma Junior High School. This area has seen and will continue to see significant growth and development due to the opening of a Shinkansen station (Shinkansen is the Japanese bullet train) in the local community.

When we arrived at Yoshino Elementary we were greeted warmly but the principal and staff.

We began the day at Yoshino learning about Education for Sustainable Development initiatives in Japan and specifically at the school.

Here we are meeting the staff of Yoshino elementary in the teacher’s office.

I have been very impressed since we have been in Japan that the teachers desks and offices are all located together. Teacher’s work side by side on their plan time in this large open office. This is common throughout the country,

The students gave us tour through the school and showed us some of the amazing things they are doing with education for sustainable development such as the Biotope you see above.

Also, the students have a garden they tend. The students are working with the local community to plant Sakura (cherry) trees around the school. At one time there were more than 80 cherry trees and the students have a goal to replenish them.

The staff of Yoshino was extremely generous as we were able to visit classrooms in every grade level throughout the day. The above pictures are my friend and host Mr. Nakamura giving a lesson to his 5th graders.

It is very impressive that nearly all schools, including elementary schools in Japan have a swimming pool. Students do swimming 3 days a week as part of the PE curriculum during the summer months.

Students in the school also take English. Below you can see their book for English that they use. The students asked us their interview question for the day and had an opportunity to practice with us.

Here are the rules when speaking English.

I continue to be impressed with the writing. Writing in the symbols of Kanji and Katakana is most definitely an art. Students practice the symbols daily. Today they were learning the Kanji symbol for growth. There is a very specific path to creating each of the more than 2000 characters that these students are exposed to in school.

We also had a special treat today as we got to eat lunch with the students. In Japan students eat in the classroom with the teacher. The lunch is prepared in the school kitchen and then brought to the classroom by students. I was most impressed by the efficiency of the students.

Here they are consolidating their milk cartons down for recycling.

In the kitchen, after lunch, this is apparently what was not eaten by the more than 500 students at the school. As you can see students ate nearly everything that was served to them.

Later in the afternoon the entire school takes 15 minutes and cleans the hallways and their learning spaces. Students sweep and mop the floors of the classrooms, hallways, and stairs. I was impressed by this as the students did this enthusiastically. The classroom is their learning space and they seemed to have a genuine desire to care for it.

Later in the afternoon we went to Takuma Junior High School. In Japan elementary school is 1st grade – 6th grade and junior high is 7th through 9th.

After being greeted by the principal and his staff we were invited to see one of the grade levels presenting speeches to their classmates. Notice that all of the students are wearing uniforms. All junior high students wear uniforms in Japan. One of the things that stood out to me was the straight and neat rows as all students listened to their classmates.

After touring this school we were invited to stay around for their extra-curricular activities. Approximately 70% of the students stay after school for these club activities which include music, art, soccer, baseball and as you see above Kendo or Japanese fencing.

It is great to visit various sites in the country but I definitely have the most fun being in the schools. The kids are so excited to meet you and talk to you. It is very interesting and engaging to be in the schools here. In one instance they are so familiar and in the next instance they are completely different from everything you know about school practices. There is so much to learn. Stay tuned.

Today was yet another amazing day here in Japan. There is so much so explore in this area of Kyushu, the southern island of Japan. I had a wonderful breakfast with my host and his family this morning before we headed out to spend the day in Yanagawa, the city of water.

About to head out for a day of adventure.

We began by taking a boat ride “Donko-Bune” through the city. The boat ride was 70 minutes and wound through waterways and past the historic site of Yanagawa castle.

Next we made a visit to “Ohana” The western style villa built by Sadayoshi Tachibana.

The “Shoto-en” is the garden at Ohana. The pond symbolizes the sea and the rocks depict islands. This was a truly beautiful Japanese garden.

We also visited the home and museum of Hakushu Kitahara. A famous and beloved Japanese poet and children’s songwriter.

One of my favorite parts of the day was visiting the Tachibanake Museum and viewing the incredible displays of Samurai armour and weapons.

We had an amazing lunch at a very famous place in Yanagawa that features fresh seafood direct from the Ariake Sea.

This afternoon we climbed into the mountains above Miyama to visit a 1300 year old shrine and look out over the city below.

I cannot thank my host family enough. They welcomed me into their home and family and gave me an experience of Japanese culture that I will not forget. I am excited to visit Mr. Nakamura’s school while we are here in Omuta and to work with him at our joint conference in Tokyo later this week.

Today was another incredible day on my journey in Japan. This was our first full day in Omuta and it was full of excitement. We explored Omuta’s historic sites and this afternoon we were all picked up at our hotel by our host families.

Miyanohara Pit, Miike Coal Mine
Today began with a trip to the Miyanohara Pit of the Miike Coal Mine. The mine was instrumental in fueling industry and growth in Japan. Our visit here even made the local news in Japan.

Miike Harbor
Next we visited Miike harbor. For centuries Japan had a policy of isolation toward the rest of the world. Miike harbor was instrumental in changing that. Our tour guide told us today that when Miike harbor was opened in 1901 it was instrumental in opening Japan up to the world.

Host Family Stay
Today we also began our host family stay and I am honored and humbled by the generosity shown by my hosts. My hosts are Mr. Toshiaki Nakamura and his family. Mr. Nakamura and his wife are both elementary school teachers in Omuta and they have three daughters.

Mr. Nakamura is one of the Japanese teachers participating in Japan US Teacher Exchange this year. We met in May in San Francisco when he was on his journey in the Untied States. We will also be participating the final joint conference together back in Tokyo later next week. Mr. Nakamura picked me up from the hotel this afternoon and we went to his home in Miyama. After meeting Mrs. Nakamura and his daughter they took me to Chikugo to make Washii – Japanese paper. This evening I was invited to his parents home for special dinner featuring fresh seafood direct from the Ariake Sea. It was incredible. Once again pictures speak louder than words but I can say this was one of the more amazing afternoons and evenings that I have in a long time.

Miyama and Chikugo in relation to Omuta City

I was so honored to be welcomed into the home of Mr. Nakamura and his family.

They took me to make Washii – Japanese paper – this is such a neat process and I am thrilled to have experienced it.

Mr. Nakamura and me making paper.

Picking the flowers for our paper.

My nearly finished product

After papermaking we were invited to his father’s home for dinner. The home was amazing as it was a traditional Japanese home – Tatami floors and all.

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They prepared an amazing meal of seafood from the nearby Ariake sea.

It was a great honor for me to be invited into the home of my hosts father. I very much appreciate his warmth and hospitality.

There was even a little time for a game of badminton after dinner.

I am not sure what all is ahead for tomorrow but I have come to expect it to be amazing. Stay tuned.