E x p a n ding fut ure pos s ibilit ies

P.10

Letʼ s make a 4-panel cartoon
Examples of quotes
1 . Yo u ʼ r e v e r y s h i n y !
Itʼ s so cool!

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2. Do you really think so?
3. Now weʼre both shiny!

We look forward to
your ideas!
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Hiraku Editorial Department
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Mail： hiraku@kinderkids.ed.jp

Published in
January 2021 Vol.13
Next issue isplanned to comeat the end of March

Kinder Kids Inc.
TEL：06-6135-0150
Pulala Tenma 2F, 3-1 Ikeda-cho,
Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka. 530-0033

www.kinderkids.com

Charity Project
Staﬀ Spotlight

Kinder Kids × SDGs

Kids living around the world

Grad Club Message

Let s make a 4-panel cartoon
Japanese Spirit with an International Future. Kinder Kids inc.

Feature
Story

Charity ProjectCharity Event

Many Kinder Kids students, graduates, and their families haveparticipated in charity events. All funds raised are used to operate
Chanserey Elementary School in Cambodia.

Grad Clubʼs Volunteer Activities in Cambodia
An enriching week long program for our graduates tovolunteer overseas. Interacting with local children
who live in challenging circumstances, helping to
inspire and nurture their hopes and dreams.

Understand life
in developing countries
to broaden our perspective
and to review our values.
A journey of discovery!

Parent s voices of children
who participated in volunteer
activities in Cambodia

Charity activities at Kinder Kids

Life in areas with educational challenges:
what Kinder Kids can do for children living in poorer communities.

Kinder Kids charity activities began in 2010.
About a year later, with the donations and support fromparents and staﬀ gathered through charity events, "Chanserey Elementary School" was built in a village in Pursat Province in the western part of Cambodia.
When the school ﬁrst opened, there were less than 20
students. More than 10 years have passed since then, theschool building has been renovated and now more than 600
students have joined the school.
At the beginning of this project, while we were evaluating
the environment surrounding the children, we found a number of areas that needed to be
improved. The school was a hut-like space without doors or walls and children had to study inunsanitary classrooms. Furthermore, it was hard for children to focus on learning when they were
hungry. In that sort of environment, providing a high quality education is almost impossible.
We started building wells, purchasing farmland, raising cows and chickens, and supporting
villagers to raise livestock on their own so that they would be able to have more nutritious foodresources. In 2012, the second year of the project, we began providing children with school
lunches. People began to say "if children go to Chanserey Elementary School, they can have adelicious school lunch!" and children were motivated to go to school. School lunch was also
provided to the younger siblings of children. To build a system for the village to become self-reliant, food that wasn t used for school lunches was sold at the market, and the sales were used tocover the school's operating costs. Currently, the construction of an eat-in space is underway inthe school yard.
We are looking forward to the day when we can see children eating their school lunches underthe beautiful blue sky and in the shade under a big tree!
1★ This trip made my daughter

become more talkative andcheerful. I sense a change inher feelings.

Kobe Seaside Clubʼs Charity Night
Kobe Seaside Club is a recreational center for Kinder
Kids families. We hold charity events every year where
people can enjoy poolside performances and ﬁreworks.
Families can also relax with tasty food and drinks in thegarden or by the pool overlooking the beach.

★ She has become aware of her

blessed environment and she is
now much more positive andgrateful. I feel that she hasgrown a lot.

★ Every day I looked forward toseeing what she was doing overthere on Grad Club's Facebook
page.

★ I worried about local safety,

hygiene, and medical services
if needed. But after hearing the
explanation, I sent my child oﬀ
without any worries.

Halloween Party at Kanto and Nagoya schools
This is a Halloween charity event held at Tokyo and Nagoya schools. A variety of booths
are set up for Halloween-themed activities, including a costume contest and face painting It s a very exciting day! Staﬀ members don extravagant costumes and transform into
engaging characters! Interacting with staﬀ dressed up as cool characters is somethingchildren look forward to all year.

Original charity T-shirts for sale2

Now open for next year s project!

Cambodia

You may have heard a lot about SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) recently.
Adopted by the United Nations Summit with the aim of creating a world where all
people are treated equally and each person is economically self-reliant, while being
aware of the global environment. 17 goals were set to be achieved by 2030. Many ofthese goals are common to Kinder Kids' activities.

Volunteert

Pr o j e c
2021.7.24 Sat. 〜 7. 30 Fr i .
The 2021 volunteering project in Cambodia
has been scheduled! To join us or ﬁnd out more
about this project, please contact Grad Club.
Any questions and inquiries about project
details, or daily life during the stay, etc.
are welcome!
For the latest information,
check "Grad+"!

Kinder Kids × SDGs

1

ty
Chari
l
Schoo

nte
u
l
o
V

2

J a p a n e seLanguage
Schooler● Interacting with local children,
playing ball games together,jumping rope, folding origami,
and giving them popular
Japanese sweets etc.
● Visiting villages and homes
where local children and theirfamilies live to learn about
and experience a living
environment that is completely
diﬀerent to Japan

Volu nte er● Presenting aspects of Japanese culture andcustoms to the local students.
● Group work: Understanding Diﬀerent Cultures● Interacting through games and word play
Walking around Central Market ●one of the biggest markets in Pnom Penh
Visiting the ●Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
Tuol Sleng Massacre Museum

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C ap it al
Sightseeing

Act ivity

EligibilityChildren enrolled in
Grad Club or children inelementary school grade 5 orabove who graduated from Kinder Kids
＊ Must be able to follow rules in group
activities＊ Those who are in good health＊ Those who have no food allergies＊ Must be able to sign the volunteer agreementform＊ 5th and 6th graders will have interviews
after submitting their applications

How will future generations address these goals?
We hope that our children will be engaged with society and considerate of theenvironment so that they feel comfortable working and living as adults. In addition
to our volunteer activities in Cambodia, we cover a number of topics such as
plants, animals, and the food chain in Kinder Kids lessons. We also teach ourchildren about environmental issues such as global warming, the eﬀects on theecosystem and conduct eco-friendly activities with them. There are many things
that children can do even at a young age to show environmental awareness.
Taking care of their toys, valuing water, and caring for their family and friends.
Kinder Kids will continue to focus on what we can do for children to create abetter society and a happier life for everyone.

Capacity

30students（at least 8 students）

Fees￥179,000 ＋ overseas travel insurance

Grad Club Division
3

TEL: 06-6135-0140（Mon.-Fri. 9:00-18:00）
E-mail: info@grad-club.com

Information as of December, 2020

（including all travel expenses, fuel surcharges
and other taxes）＊ For children who are not enrolled in
Grad Club, an additional fee of¥20,000 (including tax) is required

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Staff

Interview

Yao

Spotlight

SchoolYao School Manager
Hiroko Miyoshi

K3 class’s
beetlesTpull-up bars, athletic equipment, as well as avegetable garden. Teachers take full advantage ofthis environment to enjoy a school environmentthat is full of new discoveries, surprises and ofcourse English!
Children are just like adventurers, expanding their
imaginations through their experiences at school
and the encouragement of their teachers. It
makes me happy to see every interaction between
children and their teachers, and I really feel that
my work is worthwhile.
The children touch the soil with their bare hands
to grow fruit and vegetables, touch the creaturesthat live in the soil, and even help butterﬂy larva
that are having trouble hatching. Taking care ofliving things gives children a chance to become
familiar with the beautiful world that surrounds
them, and nurture a rich appreciation for all living
things.
HP

TotoroToyonaka
SchoolToyonaka School Manager
Shinobu Mochizuki

Yao School, the second school established byKinder Kids, opened in March, 2000. As oftoday, many of our current students are younger
siblings of graduates from Yao School. Parents tell
us how graduates are doing now and what sort ofactivities Yao school's managers have done over
the years, which really encourages the current staﬀ
members. Some staﬀ members live close enough tocycle to the school, and have close relationships
with parents, which makes everyone feel at home.
Around the school, there are several parks where
we can take our children for safe walks, and Kinderclasses often go there during the long stay hours.
Children can learn English in the classroom, but
walking outside, being exposed to nature, andtalking about how they feel and what they thinkwith native teachers in English is an invaluable
learning experience.
The school has a rooftop balcony with artiﬁcial
grass, a large yard
with slides,

Interview

oyonaka School is located in the Hokusetsu
area of Osaka. This major commuter town isboth convenient and abundant with nature, and an
ideal environment to raise children. It is a quiet
town with historical shrines, elegant cafes, andfamous stores. We are lucky to sometimes havefreshly baked delicious bread for snacks delivered
to us from a bakery nearby. The shrine nearby has
become a familiar walking course. In the shrine's
spacious grounds and the park next to it, we cansee insects and other living things, and learn about
the changing seasons, which is a valuable place toencourage children's emotional development.
Thanks to the nurturing environment, we have beenable to oﬀer a better educational program as aninternational school for more than ten years in thiscity. Over the years, we have had graduates who
are now elementary and junior high school
students, and sometimes they come to pick up their
younger siblings after school. This relationshipbetween current students, graduates, their families,
and the community grows to create a goodenvironment for children. Our staﬀ is made up of
many diﬀerent nationalities from all over the world
and children love all of them. The other day, whena child was leaving school, they noticed that they
had not said goodbye to some of the teachers, andThis large
sandbox reallycomes in handy inthe summer!
We know thatchildren love toplay and getcoveredin mud here☆
they looked around the school to say "See you" tothem.
It is my hope that from an early age, children willlearn to live among diﬀerent people, to appreciate
diversity, and to create and support a harmonious
society.
We continue to grow as a nursery school wherechildren can enjoy themselves and develop theirliving English skills. In the future, children will
also need to be self-reliant and have the ability tocreate their own future. We do not teach children
answers to their questions, but rather we watch
them carefully and give them clues and tips tonavigate them to develop their motivation andinterest. To achieve the goals of each class, we
exchange opinions among the staﬀ and strive toachieve good results.
HP

Facebook

Facebook

Panda
Canao
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Mandarinorange trees

1-4-36 Kasuga-cho, Yao-shi,Osaka

8-5-27 Honmachi,
Toyonaka-shi, Osaka
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At the school where we enrolled, he waspraised for his English skills, manners,
and his attitude of asking if he canhelp when the teachers are busy
with working. We believe that all ofthem come from what he learned
naturally at Kinder Kids.

Interview

Kids living
around the world

2

T.I., a previous student of Kinder Kids International School
Nishinomiya K3 class, and his family left Japan for France last year.
A few months after his departure, we received very happy news thathe started attending an international school in France,
and what he d learned at Kinder Kids helped him a lot toenjoy his time there.
We interviewed T-kun's mother to ﬁnd out more.

ー How do you handle classes in French?
All of the teachers speak both French and English, so if he doesn't
understand some words in French, they will translate them into
English to support him. I believe that his English background has
encouraged him to take on the challenge of learning French because
he feels conﬁdent that he can communicate in English.

ー Is there anything he learned at Kinder Kids that is
helping him at his current school?
At his school, they have weekly spelling tests in English and French,
as well as tests for all subjects before their school holiday. The spelling
test seems to be done in the exact same way as Kinder Kids so he
isn t nervous about the tests and he performs well.
Skipping grades and failing grades frequently o ccur, so thestudents ages vary even in the same class. My son is in the ﬁrst gradeclass for French and in the second grade class for all other subjects.

Halloween Day
Volunteer Activities
View from Trez

ー What do you ﬁnd attractive about school activities
in France?
Leaving School
Extracurricular Activities

After school, they have optional classes for students to ask teachers
to help with their homework, or to play sports. They can choose fromvarious sports available such as horseback riding, golf, and soccer.
Every Wednesday, they only have classes in the morning, and they
enjoy art, drama, and cooking in turn in the afternoon. He loved thecooking class at Kinder Kids, so he looks forward to this cooking classevery time. They also do a lot of volunteer activities, such as making
handmade dolls in class, asking parents to buy these to raise money
for UNICEF, and preparing food and Christmas gifts for those who are
suﬀering from poverty.

ー Does your family have a favorite place to visit ？
I would recommend the central area of Aix-en-Provence, which is very
stylish.
There are traditional pastries (calisson), lavender, and cute souvenir
shops, as well as cafes with open terraces, which give a true
atmosphere of southern France. Trez, a place where you can see thebeauty of Mount Sainte-Victoire, is also attractive.

ー How did you take care of your children
when you moved abroad?
Before moving to France, he was sad that he would have to leave his
beloved Kinder Kids and be separated from his friends, so I kept
telling him that there would be many exciting things to do in France,
I d say "Let's go camping" and "Let's go to the beach every day! Until
we left Japan, friends of Kinder Kids spent their time playing with him
a lot, and in class, they wrote and gave letters to my son. Thanks toall of you, we had a lot of beautiful memories that we will neverforget, and we are grateful for the kind teachers and friends we had
at Kinder Kids. Even now, we keep in touch with his friends by writing
letters.
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I-san s family moved to the Provence region in the south of France.
The school they enrolled is one of the best international schools in
France, oﬀering a wide variety of learning experiences based on the
British National Curriculum, with small classes in elementary, middle andhigh school. The school has a large ﬁeld with a golf course, and he reallyenjoys playing around in the great outdoors with his friends every day.
Provence is a scenic area that has been loved by painters such as
Cézanne and Van Gogh and has attracted many people. He likes to go tocafes with his parents and his favorite drink is lemonade. We can't wait to
see what kind of young man he will grow up to be in this city ﬁlled withart and history.

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Letʼ s make a four-panel comic

Grad Club
Message

By PHONICS GARDEN

Grad Club Manager
Andy Asher
Frozen Frog

Last year around this time, I gave all of you a message of joy
and wishes for the new year. However, our lives havecompletely changed, and what we think of normal is no longer

normal.

I sincerely hope that you will be able to turn this experience
into a positive one and wish you a successful and rewarding
year in 2021.

This year, we are preparing our programs, giving top priority
to the health and safety of children so that we can hold all

Grad Club events. During the summer holiday children lookforward to, we will oﬀer them even more events that will give1

Choose from the three quotes below to complete your four-frame
cartoon! The Phonics Garden is full of heartwarming cuteness andlaughter. This time, we have Frozen Frog, who has been frozen forsome reason, and Kissing Kiwi, who is honest and pure.

Shiny︓ピカピカ

2

1

Kissing Kiwi

them a wide variety of exciting experiences. It will be a
precious time full of wonderful memories and learning.

We also continue to improve our curriculum by creating new
courses to meet the ever-improving English levels of ourstudents. I look forward to introducing our new curriculum to

ONLINEyou.

2

May 2021 be a great and special year for Grad members. I'mlooking forward to seeing Grad Club members all over Japan!

erAndy Ush
Welcome Back Campaign for Graduates!
Curriculum Presentation

Please check "Grad+"for the latest information!
If you want to knowwhat to start from, pleasefeel free to contact us ★

Until Feb. 26th!

Movie coming soon!

Learning in Australia〈For elementary school students〉

No more seats available

Learning in Australia〈For Junior high and high school students〉
English Camp in Okinawa

Currently planning

Cambodia Volunteer Program

For further information,please refer to Page 3

Time slots for Grad Chat lessons
have been increased to make it more convenient!
9

Now open for applications!

3

・
・
・

“Do you really think so?”Grad Club Division
TEL: 06-6135-0140（Mon.-Fri. 9:00-18:00）
E-mail: info@grad-club.com“Youʼ re very shiny!
Itʼ s so cool!”“Now weʼre both shiny!”

3
Reference the back coverfor dialogue examples

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