Hello from Tokyo

☆ This weblog is mainly written for all my host familes and friends.

Hello, my families and friends!
I hope all of you have been doing well and have happy lives there!

Finally, I have decided to start writing a weblog for keeping up
my English writing skills (too late?).

Since some of my host families and fiends have no facebook account,
I thought that weblog might be the better way to let them know how I'm doing.
I hope my English isn't too hard to read for you...please let me know
if I write something strange or you don't understand what I'm writing about.

I'd be very happy if you read this blog when you have time.  Thank you!

Today, for my first day of this blog, I am going to start writing about
'April in Japan - entering schools'.

In April, most schools start new grades in Japan (The school year ends in March). 
My younger sister's daughter became a first grader (6 years old and she was in
a nursery school until March).  Now she goes to an elementary school
from Monday to Friday. 
Once or twice in a month, she goes to school on Saturday.

Here is my niece, Yuina.  She is wearing a 'Randoseru', which is a typical
and traditional backpack for elementary school kids.
When I was at her age, boys must wear black backpack and girls wear
read (some private schools are different).  Now kids can choose the colors.
Yuina chose 'rose pink'... very nice color I think!

Only first graders must wear this yellow cover for the backpack in order
to show that children are crossing the roads.  Usually most children walk to school
(I used to walk about 25 min to school!  No school bus in a public schools
in Tokyo), so they should be stand out from drivers.

This is her elementary school.

Her class is '1-1', which means 'first grade-the first class'.
There are 34 students in one class, and there are only two classes in one grade.
When I was in the first grade, there used to be about 45 students in one class,
and there were 3 classes at least in one grade. 
This means that the number of children has been decresing in Japan.

This is her classroom and this is her first day.
The teacher is introducing herself. 
Yuina said that the teacher is very kind.

Usually there is a big black board in front and students sit fact to it.
When I was teaching Japanese in elementary schools in the U.S.,
I was very surprised when students sometimes sit on a carpet making a circle.
I liked the teaching style very much.

I will stop for today.  Thank you for reading!

P.S.  All pictures today are taken by my sister and her husband!