MONTHLY
NEWSLETTER

AUGUST
2022

Our Motto

Mission

MOTIVATE

We educate students in a nurturing environment based on Catholic

Learning is a life-long journeyvalues and the traditions of the Marist Brothers. We provide arigorous program of study that prepares our students for higher
education, internationally and in Japan. Our students will gain

BELIEVE
Together we can change the world

INSPIRE
Follow our lead as we pursue our dreams

knowledge, communicate effectively, develop good character andVisionbecome responsible citizens of a global society.

Marist Brothers International School will make students our utmost
priority and encourage them to achieve their full potential by
fostering spiritual growth, appreciating cultural diversity and

SUCCEED
From Japan to the rest of the world

developing a life-long love of learning. We will provide theopportunity for all stakeholders to develop a sense of community,
spirit and pride in our school.

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Shawn HutchinsonAs we begin the 2022-2023 academic year, it is important for us toacknowledge that the school will experience significant changes anddevelopments over the course of the year.
It will be important for the Marist Community to support each other andoperate collectively - as ONE SCHOOL. To do this, we will focus on
COMMUNICATION as a priority for the 2022-2023 academic year. This means that at every level across the whole schoolcommunity, we will work hard to refine or develop communication that supports the school in delivering its Mission and realizing
its Vision.
At a practical level, this may mean:• improving how we communicate internally and externally with each other• developing a consistent approach to whole school systems• defining communication channels, platforms and tools• developing communication protocols• understanding how communication relates to professional boundaries and safeguarding• understanding lines of communication and their relationship with the organization• understanding that all communication should reflect our core values
Effective communication can help us to build and foster a learning environment where students can thrive and learn. Effective
communication leads to the sharing of innovative and creative ideas, builds teamwork, establishes a safe environment, promotes
active listening, and connects people to work towards a positive culture of collective responsibility.
We ask everyone to sustain a high level of interest and involvement in the school. We need you to be part of the team as we focus
on school-wide improvements. Please join us in feeling very proud to be a part of Marist.

Shawn Hutchinson
Head of School

NEWSLETTER

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Demolition work on the old administrationbuilding has revealed a time capsule of notes
and devotional medals and pendants.

UPDATE FROM THE BOARD
The demolition of the old Administration building is progressing well with thecompletion date of early October still on target. At the same time, the school
is working with stakeholders to develop a strategic plan that aims to provide aclear blueprint for the next 5 years. This strategic planning process involves thedevelopment of the following:
Strategic Plan: a 5-year plan that helps us realize our vision (including a
Financial Plan, Human Resources Plan, Technology Strategy, and Marketing andCommunications Strategy)Campus Master Plan: a focus on future facility requirements
The process of thorough strategic planning should place the school in a position tocommence the first stages of construction towards the end of this year. If you haveany questions or wish to meet with me to discuss the future, please email me athutchinsons@marist.ac.jp.

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www.marist.ac.jp

MESSAGE FROM THE

DEPUTY HEAD OF SCHOOL / HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL
Derek Lipp
Understanding the importance of strong communication for any organization to run smoothly, Marist puts a high value on keeping students,
teachers and parents connected. Strong communication ensures common understanding which in turn will allow Marist to move forwardsmoothly, providing the best education possible for your child.
Trilateral communication between parents, teachers and students keeps parents involved in their child's education, creates clarity for students
regarding their criteria for success and helps teachers understand the needs of the students that they serve.
Throughout the school year, feel free to reach out to your child’s homeroom
teachers, classroom teachers or myself. If you are unsure of anything, we will
be happy to support you and keep you informed and included in all aspectsof your child’s education.
I look forward to seeing you on campus soon.

NEWSLETTER

4MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL
Stephanie Hanamura
All of our approaches to teaching and learning are centeredaround ensuring we meet the needs of all learners whiledeveloping a collaborative and supportive learning environment
for each member of our community.
In order to support greater inclusion and positive school change,
Marist transitioned to a co-teaching model of teaching in Augustof the 2021-2022 academic school year. Co-teaching involves
collaborative planning, teaching, assessment and reflection
between two teachers to ensure that all students are able
to access and authentically engage with the core curriculum.
Best practice and current literature prove the effectiveness ofcollaborative teaching practices to support language learners(Pardini 2006; Zehr 2006).		

In our second year of our co-teaching initiative, all of our co-teachers alongside the classroom teachers have started off the year
collaborating together to ensure an inclusive, student centered, approach to teaching and learning. Each co-teacher and classroom
actively engage in planning together to review curriculum, set language and learning intentions, and develop a bank of resources for all
learners in our school.
Students with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds contribute to the vibrancy of our school. Through co-teaching our teachers
work together to understand the scope of literacy and language skills of students, and draw on each students' unique skills, to develop
the growth of the class as a whole.

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www.marist.ac.jp

MESSAGE FROM THE IBDP COORDINATOR
Gunseli Yuksel

The IB Organization asks schools to engage in activities that

The program, in which all upper-school teachers participate, aims

would contribute to the development of the culture of learning. As

to provide the utmost support to our grade 11 and 12 students.

Marist Brothers International School was creating the programme

Throughout the year, the mentor teachers will hold individual

development plan for the 2022-2023 academic year, the students’meetings with their mentees to review the requirements andneeds were at the top of the agenda - our priority at Marist Brothers

expectations of the IB Diploma Programme. We believe that theInternational School is the well-being of our students. Taking into

students will be able to develop the skills of goal setting and time

consideration the fact that the students will best learn when they

management, build up rapport and trust with a teacher they canfeel positive about the learning environment, and after a series of

speak to, and learn to reflect on their strengths and areas of self-conversations with the students and teachers, we designed the MBIS

improvement as well.

mentorship program.

IBDP 2022 RESULTS
The IBDP Class of 2022 received their results over the summer
and we are all proud of their achievements with a 100% passrate and an average point score exceeding the global average.
75% of the students received a bilingual diploma, which isawarded when a student studies two Group 1 language courses(English A and Japanese A language and literature).
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is arigorous course of study that is widely recognized by universities
and colleges across the globe. Despite the challenges of theCovid-19 epidemic, all our May 2022 graduates successfullycompleted the Diploma Program requirements and received
their diplomas. The graduating class of May 2022 received
scores above the global average not only in total scores but
also at the subject level. The average subject grade obtained byour students was 5.35 (out of 7), while the worldwide average
subject grade was 5.12.
We congratulate our graduating class on their academic achievements and thank their parents and teachers for supporting andguiding them all the way. We wish our graduates all the best in their future journeys. We believe that the values they have acquired
at MBIS will guide them in all areas of life.

NEWSLETTER

6MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF GUIDANCE
Mahitab el Ramlawy

Hello! My name is Moni and I’m your new Director of Guidance. I’m excited to be part of Marist
Brothers International School. I’m very passionate about Counseling and working with students,
parents, and faculty to best support their needs.
The primary goal of college guidance and counseling is to assist students in their university choices which helps them choose
and prepare for a career that is compatible with their interests and aptitudes, and social and emotional counseling which supports
students to become healthier members of the society.
I will be working with Axivision (Japanese University Guidance) to support students who are applying to Japanese universities
and with Mrs. Andi O’Hearn (Founding Principal of Enrollment Edge International) on college guidance for students who areplanning to apply for universities outside of Japan. Together, we can work as a team to provide guidance for academic and career
opportunities to all students.
The guidance office is a space for the school community to feel heard and supported. Students, parents, and faculty can reach out
to me for support via email or by booking an appointment here. Otherwise, if you would like to have a quick chat, I’m located inroom 21 on the second floor.
My role is to listen, teach, advocate, care, and support students to reach their potential.
You can visit me for many reasons or no reason at all – just if you need someone to talk to – I’m here for you! Counseling forstudents and parents/guardians can be sought for support with issues that include, but are not limited to, career exploration,college applications, study skills, goal setting, conflict resolution, academic concerns, relationship/friendship concerns, andmanaging stress.

KEN O’CONNOR’SPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTOn the 18th-19th August our faculty participated in two days ofprofessional development with Mr. Ken O’Connor. Ken has been
an independent consultant from 1996 to the present. He has been astaff development presenter and facilitator on assessment, grading
and reporting in 47 states and 10 Canadian provinces and two
territories and 35 countries outside North America.
The sessions with Ken provided opportunities for continued
discussion and reflection and also affirmed, fine-tuned, or
challenged our teachers’ understanding, knowledge, and practicesof assessment, grading and reporting. We were extremely privileged
to have Ken work with us face-to-face and are grateful that he also
gifted us several of his books. These resources will be added to ourlibrary catalog, and we will begin to compile professional readingmaterials for all MBIS staff and faculty – building a professional
development collection for teachers is critical for a learning
community.

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www.marist.ac.jp

MESSAGE FROM THE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR / MAA
Junya Kobo

Greetings from the Athletic Department! I am truly excited about the opportunities thatlie ahead for both our student athletes and coaches with the re-opening of league playin the WJAA this school year. Extra-curricular activities were in full swing from the firstday of school, with a tremendous turnout for all teams this season.
I am pleased to introduce our new coaches for this first season. Mr. Taylor Hill will becoaching our high school boys, and Mrs. Mio Ranni has taken on the daunting task of
training a fierce group of middle school girls as their volleyball coach. I am also very
excited about my new role as equipment manager for Mrs. Ranni this year.
We kicked off the first athletic season this past Saturday with our home opener for thehigh school boys at Marist against the Canadian Academy Falcons. Both teams werequite evenly matched with our boys having lost a very respectable 1-3 defeat, while theJV boys rose to the occasion, defeating the Falcons 2-1.

The high school girls played a marathon of 12 sets at Canadian Academy with both teams rising from the battle victorious, with the varsity
team winning both games 2-1, 2-1 and the JV team with a clean sweep of 3-0, 3-0.
The middle school girls were not to be out done, also having played 12 sets in total, with the A team sweeping the Falcons in two games 3-0,
3-0, followed by the B team with a similar result of 3-0, and a valiant effort by the C team having lost two very close sets for a final score of
1-3.

NEWSLETTER

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Our middle school boys baseball teams have compensated well under
the guidance of Coach Stang and Coach Pilgrim, having lost somefield space due to the current demolition of the old school building.
Training continues as usual however all home games have been
rescheduled to other venues. They will travel to CA next week for theirfirst games of the season.
Behind the scenes, our athletic council, better known as the Marist
Athletic Association, held their first introductory meeting for new
members interested in raising school spirit by contributing to the athletic
program through their work in organizing and hosting athletic events,
building personal, social and leadership skills. The club values astrong sense of mentorship where our older members are given many
opportunities to teach and nurture the younger students. They lookforward to mentoring our new recruits!
A fantastic start to an athletic season that we have waited too long for!
We thank all staff, administrators and parents for their support of ourathletic program.
Junya Kobo, Athletic Director

MESSAGE FROM THE STUDENT COUNCIL
The Upper School Student Council is very excited about the new school year
and has already begun our weekly meetings. Homeroom elections were also
held in Grade 7 in order to choose class representatives. The members are
eager to be able to bring back traditions that were unable to be held in thepast two school years due to COVID protocols. As COVID restrictions are
beginning to lift, we hope to be able to host even more events this year suchas hopefully bringing back the annual Ski Trip. In our first meeting held on
Monday, August 29th, the class representatives and executives met to discuss
the roles and responsibilities of members and to begin planning upcoming
events. Thank you to the dedicated students who volunteer their time to be partof the Upper School Student Council.

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www.marist.ac.jp

MESSAGE FROM THE MHS / NHS
Yusei NoguchiWith the demolition work and campus redevelopment in progress,
the MHS leadership team has committed to supporting otherstudents with the temporary campus arrival along the new route.
Every morning, MHS leaders and moderator Mrs. Ranni, standalong the new route to ensure safety among students and greet
them with a warm welcome. We intend to share this responsibility
with other members of the MHS in order to ensure that all members
are engaged in supporting our school community. Starting with thebeach clean up on September 7th, the MHS will be involved in anarray of service work including forest conservation, farming, CPR
training, school cleaning, and much more. With more events andprojects to be organized by our 8 committees, MHS will continue tofoster service learning and commitment throughout this year.
This year, the NHS puts an emphasis on one theme: to truly become
an NHS student. “What is the purpose of the NHS?”. “What makes
it different from the MHS?”. We strive to answer these fundamental
questions by reconsidering the 4 pillars of the NHS; namely,
Scholarship, Leadership, Character, and Service. The NHS plans toorganize events and projects that embrace, develop, and enhance
our understanding of these pillars. We believe that cultivating thesepillars will advance personal growth and shape us to be better NHS
students. We also hope that we can bring change to the school, by
being involved with administrators and faculty to represent student
voices.
Yusei Noguchi, MHS/NHS President

NEWSLETTER

10NOTICE FROM THE CAFETERIALunch orders should be placed through the online MBIS Lunch Order Form daily.
Submit your lunch order by selecting one of the options by 9:30am each day. The order form may be accessed through the‘My Portal’ page on the MBIS website. Please remember to collect and pay for your lunch near the reception area each day.

The form will reopen at 2:00pm every day for the following day's lunch orders. If you have any questions about our cafeteria
lunches, please email funatanik@marist.ac.jp.
Please note that Montessori and Kindergarten students should continue to use the paper-based lunch order forms and lunchmoney pouch.

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www.marist.ac.jp

NEW STAFF AND FACULTY RE-INTRODUCTIONS
It has been a busy few weeks for our new faculty and staff members who have settled in nicely to life in Kobe. The new staff
and faculty induction program over three days provided opportunities to learn more about the history, culture and traditions ofMarist.

MAHITAB EL RAMLAWY
Director of Guidance

GUNSELI YUKSELIB Coordinator / English

TAYLOR HILL
Business Management
Social Studies

BRIAN PETERSEN
Elementary Art

CHIEKO IMAMURA
Health Office & Safeguarding

MASASHI MORIO
Property

JAYME JO SMITH
Music / BandUPCOMING EVENTS - SEPTEMBER
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NEWSLETTER

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5Upper School Presentation

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PTA Coffee Afternoon and Meeting

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Respect for the Aged Day (Public Holiday)

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Elementary Mini Sports Day

MARIST SUPPORTERS
The MBIS community has a long tradition of giving. Every year, through events such as Marist Cafe, students, parents, faculty,
and friends, come together to raise funds for those in need in Japan and around the world. Our school has also greatly
benefitted from the generous support of others. It was that support that enabled us to grow and, after the 1995 earthquake,rebuild. We are forever grateful for these generous contributions of funds, resources, and time. As a non-profit educational
institution, every donation is reinvested into the growth of our students.
The gift of your time can be even more valuable than financial support. MBIS celebrates extensive volunteer involvement of
its parents in the school community. Their time, talent, energy, and enthusiasm bring vibrancy to every event, whether for aclass outing, a holiday festivity, a library task, coaching, or fundraising on behalf of the school. We also encourage parents
to become actively involved in our Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), or perhaps consider applying for a role on the Board ofTrustees.
Please contact the Head of School, Mr. Shawn Hutchinson (hutchinsons@marist.ac.jp) if you are interested in volunteering at
MBIS.
When you make an outright cash donation to MBIS, your contribution can be put to work immediately – either providing
funding for current programs or creating a reliable source of future income by expanding the school’s endowment. You arewelcome to give a restricted donation (towards a specific resource or fundraising campaign) or an unrestricted donation(allowing the school to use the funds where they are most needed at the time).
Cash gifts are the simplest and easiest gifts you can make. Vist our website for more information.

MARIST PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

ACCREDITATION AND AUTHORISATION

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www.marist.ac.jp

ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2022-2023
SEMESTER ONE
August 2022
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9 - 10

New Teacher Orientation

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Mountain Day

13 - 16

Obon Holiday

15 - 19

Faculty In-Service

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First Day of School

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September 2022
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Intro to IB Day(Grade 11s)
Elementary Meet the
Teachers

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(Grades 10 & 11

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Fall Break

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Spirit Week

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Montessori XMAS Party
Christmas Concert

Jan 9

School Holiday

NEWSLETTER

Early Dismissal:- Lower School: 12:00PM- Upper School: 1:30PM

19 -

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Upper School Course
Change Deadline
PTA Meeting - 2:30PM
Intro to Upper School
Respect for the Aged Day(School Closed)
Elementary Mini-Sports Day

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Conferences

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Thanksgiving Holiday(School Closed)
Professional Development(No Classes)
Labor Thanksgiving Day(School in Session)

January 2023

12 - 16

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PSAT Exam

Food Fair

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Pumpkin Festival

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November 2022

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December 2022
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Winter BreakNew Years Day

9Coming of Age Day

710School Resumes

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End of Semester 1

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Marking Day (No Classes

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Start of Semester Two

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Japanese Public Holiday

ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2022-2023
SEMESTER TWO
Febuary 2023
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March 2023

National Foundation Day

SFounders Day Holiday

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Professional Development(No Classes)
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MUN Conference

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Good Friday Holiday

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IB Exams Begin(IB Exams are from April
27–May19)
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Shower Day

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Constitution Memorial Day

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Grennery Day

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NHS Induction Ceremony

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Founder’s Day(School in Session

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Senior Graduation

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Athletic Awards Ceremony
MHS Induction &25

June 2023

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Golden Week Holiday

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Spring Equinox

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Conferences

27(School Closed)

May 2023

Montessori to Grade 12

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July 2023

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12 - 14Upper School Final Exams

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End of Second Semester(Dismissal at 12pm)

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Marine Day

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Elementary Awards and143

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Term Starts and Ends

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Japanese Public Holiday

www.marist.ac.jp

NEWSLETTER

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