MONTHLY
NEWSLETTERNOVEMBER
2023

MISSION
We educate students in a nurturing community where relationships
and meaningful connections are valued and celebrated. Our students
gain knowledge, communicate effectively, develop exceptional
character, and become responsible citizens of a global society.
We inquire into the world around us through rigorous academic
programs that aim to prepare students for life’s opportunities.

VISIONWe are a school where exceptional personal character and strong
relationships provide opportunities to excel in our areas of interest
and affect change in our local and global communities. We are a

OUR MOTTO
MOTIVATE

school where personal, social, and emotional support help build
global perspectives. We are a school that embraces diversity,
encourages leadership, and respects the values and unifying
traditions of the Marist Brothers.

Learning is a life-long journey

VALUESBELIEVE

EXCELLENCE: Make excellence and quality a part of each day andTogether we can change the world

seek continuous improvement in all that we do.
PARTNERSHIPS: Build sustainable and meaningful partnerships,

INSPIRE
Follow our lead as we pursue our dreams

embrace diversity, and connect with the community.
INNOVATION: Seek innovative and creative approaches toproblem-solving.

SUCCEED
From Japan to the rest of the world

CARE: Be a person of good character who is responsible,
respectful, reflective, and acts to make the world a better place.

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Shawn Hutchinson

As we head into the winter months, we are encouraged to reflect on a busy and productive month of November and prepare forthe upcoming festive season.
This month, we have had several university visits, both on campus and online, and it has been pleasing to see student and parent
engagement through these sessions. Special thanks to Mrs Hulya Park and Mr. Derek Lipp for coordinating these important
opportunities. University visits and sessions give students the opportunity to learn more about future study pathways so that they
can make informed decisions about the next steps in their education and life.
Our Parents as Learners Workshops continue to provide parents with opportunities to engage with the school and we hope thatthese experiences bring about positive outcomes for all. Our most recent workshop was held by our Guidance Counselor, Mrs.
Hulya Park, where the focus was on how parents can support their child's university journey. Parents were able to learn about
effective information gathering, financial planning, and open communication. After the session, parents and students attended themini–Japanese University Fair to learn more.
Our Teacher Parent Conferences were held on 16 and 17 November. It was great to see parents on campus to learn more about
their child’s progress and areas for further development.
On 22 and 23 November, we held 2 days of professional development for our faculty by offering two in-school workshops: PYP Making It Happen and MYP - Developing the MYP. We are very excited and pleased that most of our faculty have now completed
the introductory category 1 training. We now move forward with our collaborative work and continued engagement with the IB
network.
We recently held our first Earthquake and Emergency Evacuation Drill for this academic year. Our procedures are in place, andwe are encouraging staff and faculty to talk to students about earthquake, fire, and evacuation drills alongside the importance ofremaining quiet, staying calm, and following instructions. We also held our annual Seasonal Influenza and Covid-19 information
sessions, and our collaboration with Meiho Hospital was coordinated smoothly.
Our World Culture Day at Marist was successful, and we ended the day with the taiko drumming performance for the whole
school. Special thanks to the Japanese Department and Nobuko Inada for coordinating the day.
We would also like to thank the Marist Alumni Association – Class of 1971 for their recent visit to the campus to meet students andfaculty and share their life experiences. The school received a kind donation of 150,000JPY from the Class of 1971 to contributetowards the Marist Alumni Association Activities.

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Newsletter | Marist Brothers International SchoolWe have welcomed families from other schools in the area to our Open House events and our Student Ambassadors haveexpertly and proudly toured the families around the campus. Special thanks to Miki Kobayashi for coordinating the events. Without
the support and contributions from all staff and faculty, the events would not be possible. We look forward to welcoming newstudents and families in August 2024. We continue to receive interest from families for enrolment in 2024-2025. With limited
spaces available, we encourage prospective families to begin the admissions process as soon as possible.
We look forward to seeing you all on campus over the next few weeks to support our music and Christmas events prior to thewinter holiday break.

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MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD
Board Chair - Jun Yamaguchi
West Building Progress
We are now working through the detailed design process of the West Building with the intention to commence construction in
March 2024 and open in August 2024 ready for the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year. Please see the current floor
plans and design images of the West Building HERE (Please note that Day 1 refers to the completion of the West Building and Day
2 refers to the completion of the North and Central buildings).
North and Central Buildings Progress
We have now completed the schematic design process and will move into the detailed design process. While the North building
is a completely new building, the Central building (our existing main building) requires refurbishment and upgrades to ensure that
we meet building codes reflected in the new buildings. Please see the current floor plans and design images of the North andCentral Buildings HERE (Please note that Day 1 refers to the completion of the West Building and Day 2 refers to the completion of
the North and Central buildings).
Building Compliance Challenges
The Strategic Planning Sub-Committee has worked closely with JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) and PCKK (Pacific Construction) throughthe schematic design process for the West, North and Central buildings and we aim to submit building permit applications to the
Kobe City government at the end of December 2023. Through this process, our campus was independently inspected by ERI to
check if we meet building regulations. We are required to meet all building regulations prior to the submission of the building
permit application. The inspection identified several modifications to the central building since its original design in 1996/97.
In order to address the building compliance challenges prior to the submission of the West Building permit application, we
need to make some program and room/office adjustments over the winter holiday break. These adjustments will also result insome classes and grade levels experiencing room changes after the winter break. We expect these changes to be temporary
while we complete the West Building. Once the West Building has been completed, further adjustments and changes will be
communicated.

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MESSAGE FROM THE DEPUTY
HEAD OF SCHOOL / HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL
Derek Lipp

The month of November has flown by with many events mixed in with the regular days of learning in the classroom. Our students
continue to work hard and do great things both in and outside the classroom.
I would like to recognize the achievements of two students, in particular, Michelle Ranni in Grade 10 and Momo Kihara in Grade
11.
Michelle received the Kansai Regional Certificate ofCommendation for her ongoing service work from thePrudential Emerging Visionaries Volunteer organization.
Michelle has been working tirelessly over many months
with her Potato Project in which she grows potatoes tohelp feed those in need. Congratulations, Michelle, foryour dedication and commitment to helping others.
Momo was awarded the Prefectural Governor’s Awardfor the best overall project at the 67th Japan Student
Science Awards at Bando Kobe Youth Science Museumin Chuo Ward, Kobe. You can read more about Momo’s
winning project “The World of Competitive Karuta Playerswith Synesthesia”, later in this edition of the newsletter.

Momo’s Award

We thank parents who could manage to attend the recent Parent-Teacher
conferences. Parents play an important role in their children’s education and
we appreciate your efforts in attending these meetings. We encourage allparents to keep open lines of communication with your child’s teachers andplay an active role in supporting their academic journey. Two simple things
parents can do to support their children are:••balance expectations - strike a balance between expecting academic
achievement and recognizing the importance of personal growth,character development and well-being
provide encouragement - foster a positive attitude toward learning byrecognizing effort, persistence and achievement. Encourage curiosityand a love of learning.

Grade 9 and 10 students will take Semester 1 examinations from 12-14
December. Semester examinations will be new for Grade 9 students. Somesuggestions that would help best prepare both Grade 9 and 10 students for
examinations include:••••

being organized - don’t wait until the last minute to prepare, set a
study schedule and stick to it.
doing some physical exercise - even if it is just a short walk, exercise
is a great stress reliever
getting adequate sleep - lack of sleep can negatively impact cognitive
functionseeking help - ask your teachers for direction and support if required

Michelle’s Award

We wish all the Grade 9 and 10 students the best of luck with their examinations.

Marist Brothers International School | Newsletter

5MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL
Stephanie Hanamura

As we look back on the weeks of November, the dynamic progress in growth,learning, and team building within our school and community stands out. Students,
teachers, and parents alike have actively participated in a variety of activities, enriching
their educational experiences and fostering camaraderie, global understanding,character development, and partnership.
Students have exhibited growth, development, curiosity, and wonder through theiractive involvement in enriching field trips, which have provided them with a diverse
range of learning experiences. From Grade Three's visit to Oji Zoo and sketching fora constructed soft sculpture, to exploring anatomy through sketching, our students
have engaged in transdisciplinary learning opportunities. The Early Years ventured to
Sumadera Park, combining a visit to the local temple with collecting leaves and acorns
in the nearby park. And, our Grade 1 students visited Ikawadani Nagao Farm & Park,
delving into the life cycle of sweet potatoes from planting seeds to harvesting mature
ones.

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Newsletter | Marist Brothers International SchoolIn addition to these experiential learning activities, our school has organized tournaments for Grades 4-5, fostering teamwork
and sportsmanship. The spirited in-house dodgeball competitions merged fun with fitness, encouraging both physical activity andfriendly competition. The Student Council has also been instrumental in empowering students to assume leadership roles, instillinga sense of responsibility and community engagement that we will see brought to fruition in the next few months. Moreover, parentteacher conferences were a valuable opportunity to welcome parents on campus and share mutual learning experiences.

As we anticipate the upcoming Christmas Concert, themed "Carolling around the World," our students are eagerly preparing fora heart-warming celebration of diverse cultures coming together through the joy of music.
All of our teachers model learning and growth as well; our school recently hosted the "PYP: Making it Happen Workshop" on
11/22-11/23. This experience featured workshop presenters from other PYP schools in Japan, sharing their insights and expertise.
Our Lower School teachers collaborated passionately, setting an example of lifelong learning for our students.
As we enter the festive season, let's be mindful of the various ways people around the world celebrate. Our focus on "Carollingaround the World" emphasizes the richness of diverse cultures. While our traditions may differ, the essence of coming together
to recognize and celebrate what unites us remains the same.
Let's continue to nurture an environment where growth, learning, and unity flourish. Thank you for being an integral part of ourMarist Brothers family.

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MESSAGE FROM THE IBDP COORDINATOR
Gunseli Yuksel

Diploma Programme (DP)
Juggling their university applications and the requirements of the DP, the agenda for our Grade 12 students has been remarkably
full. Alongside the fast-approaching deadlines for their Internal Assessment components, they are to meet an important deadline
for one of the core requirements in the programme, the Extended Essay. Extended Essay is a research paper of approximately
4,000 words. It promotes high-level research and writing skills, intellectual discovery, and creativity.
Meanwhile, grade 11 students have embarked on their Extended Essay journey; many of them have already decided on their topic.
At this stage, the most important thing for them is to design their approach carefully and do diligent preliminary research. Our
dedicated teacher supervisors are happy to guide them through their journey, ensuring they acquire crucial skills for their futurestudies while enjoying the experience.
As for our Grade 10 cohort, they have been introduced to the expectations and requirements of the Diploma Programme andwill make their subject preferences within a month. Before finalizing their preference forms, they need to go through a detailed
research process to align their choices with the requirements of their target university or program.
Middle Years Programme (MYP)On November 22-23, the MBIS faculty completed the two-day workshop, ‘Developing the MYP’, an important milestone in theprocess of MYP candidacy. The workshop started with the question of “Why MYP?” to which we had various answers, but thecommon thread was our collective goal to nurture good people who will contribute to creating a better world.
The implementation of the MYP at MBIS has some other important benefits such as:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Facilitating a smooth transition to the Diploma Programme,
Establishing the foundation for 'Approaches to Learning'(ATL)* at an earlier age,
Providing an opportunity to add another language,
Ensuring consistency in the k-12 curriculum,
Improving opportunities for independent learning,
Fostering teaching and learning in context,
Cultivating an understanding of both local and global contexts.

Approaches to Learning* (ibo.org):
ATL provide the foundation for independent learning and encourage the application of their knowledge and skills in unfamiliar
contexts. Developing and applying these social, thinking, research, communication and self-management skills helps students learn
how to learn.

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MESSAGE FROM THE WHOLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR
Taeko Sakurai

The Secret to a Happy Day! The Importance of Sleep and How to Sleep Well
It's been about two months since we started the KOMODO
surveys at MBIS. While our students are generally quite happy,
there's something important we need to talk about—sleep!
Today, let's explore why sleep is so crucial and learn some
simple tricks to have a good night's rest.
First things first, are you getting enough sleep at night? Sleep
is like a magical superpower because it makes our bodies
and minds feel fantastic. Quality sleep helps build a healthy
body and mind. While we're sleeping, our bodies work
hard, producing growth hormones, repairing cells, and evengiving our brains a workout—organizing memories, improving
thinking, and sorting out emotions.
Japan's Ministry of Health recommends 9-12 hours of sleep forelementary school students and 8-10 hours for middle and highschool students. Surprisingly, more than half of MBIS students
seem to be missing out on these recommended sleep hours.
These hours are crucial for healthy growth and learning, so let's
try our best to get as much sleep as possible.
Tips for a Good Night's Sleep
1. Make a Routine: Going to bed at the same time every day helps our internal clock, making it easier to fall into a deep
sleep.
2. Avoid Caffeine: Caffeine can make it hard to fall asleep. Drinks with lots of caffeine, like energy drinks and coffee, are wellknown. But be careful, because caffeine is also in soft drinks like Coke, tea, and green tea. So, it's important to be cautious
about what you drink, especially before bedtime."
3. No Screens Before Bed: Using phones or tablets before sleep can disrupt our sleep. Try to avoid screens at least an hour
before bedtime.
4. Relax Before Bed: Take a warm bath, listen to calming music, or do some gentle stretches to create a cozy environment forsleep.
5. Create a Comfortable Bedroom: Your bedroom should be a safe and comfortable place. Adjust things like temperature,light, and sound to make it cozy. You can even use an eye mask or earplugs to make it more comfortable.
6. Time Management: If you feel there's too much to do, especially with your studies, reviewing your daily schedule andmanaging your time wisely might be helpful.
Not getting enough sleep can make us feel irritable, affect our concentration, and increase stress. Good sleep has a positive
impact on our overall lives. It improves performance, boosts creativity, and makes our relationships better. Let's all aim for a goodnight's sleep and wake up ready for a day full of energy!
If you ever find sleeping a bit tricky, please drop by and chat with me.

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MESSAGE FROM THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
Hulya Park

We have made it to the end of another month! And what a month it was! Our students have been busy with their university
applications alongside their regular coursework. It was a time for everyone to realize, once again, how important it is to manage
our times effectively.
Our guidance events this month garnered positive feedback. We are committed to offering more exciting experiences for ourcommunity in the second semester.
British University Fair: Our inaugural fair was a huge success. All our upper school students engaged with representatives
from 15 UK universities. The universities praised our students for their warm reception and meaningful interactions, expressing aninterest in returning next year!

Parents as Learners Session: We discussed practical ways
parents can support their children on their journey to university.
Once again, open communication is the key! We will be
sharing session slides with our community soon.
Japanese University Fair: With 10 Japanese universities
present, both parents and students had a chance to interact
with representatives directly, asking questions and evenreceiving some souvenirs. The positive response fromuniversity representatives indicated their desire to return for
future events.

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We have three events scheduled for the remainder of the semester:International Christian University (ICU) Online Session: On December 4th, students will have the opportunity to engage
with representatives from ICU, one of Japan's premier liberal arts universities. This session will provide valuable insights into theinternational programs offered.
The University of Sydney Online Session: On December 6th, we are excited to digitally host the University of Sydney, aworld-renowned institution, for an information session on education in Australia, their criteria for prospective students, and theapplication process.
Alumni Mentorship Program: Our fourth session will feature Mr. Bungo Shiotani, Ph.D., a distinguished alumnus from the Class
of 2003, currently serving as a Systems Engineer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The session will be conducted online.

Detailed information about these upcoming sessions will be communicated through ManageBac.
Let's continue fostering a supportive and engaged community as we navigate these educational journeys together.

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MESSAGE FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Jason Mejia

This month has seen the Bulldogs enter Season 2 with eagerness to build upon their success of Season 1. The High School teams
began their basketball seasons against Canadian Academy (CA) and Senri-Osaka (SOIS), which provided a good barometer for
their current rosters. Both Coach Hutchinson and Coach Hoshiyama have focused on team leadership and instilling a strong
sense of fundamentals, which has led to constant improvement from week to week. The Bulldogs continue to display grit anddetermination in their games, which has led to praise from both coaches and players.

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At the Middle School level, Coach Timola and Coach Hill have led the MS Boys’ basketball teams through some dominant
stretches in November, a streak they hope to capitalize on in the WJAA Final Tournament (Schedule). Led by a tenacious Grade 8class, the teams have united well around each other with the intention to bring home a trophy. Feel free to come out and support
the MSB A-team on the 1st and 2nd of December at the Marist Gym.

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The Middle School Girls’ soccer team has had some unique opportunities this month. First, they had a few matches against local
club teams - Familia and Ascot Soccer School.
They also attended a training session at Coerver Football Park in Shin-Nagata. Helped by the tremendous staff - Coach Imagawa,Coach Suzuki, and Coach Fukumura - the girls enjoyed intense fundamental training and small-sided games.

For the season, the girls are showing some great individual skill and teamwork as they continue to adjust to new team dynamics.
With strong showings against SOIS and CA, the Bulldogs are poised for a deep run in their WJAA Final Tournament (Schedule).
The games will be held on the 1st and 2nd of December at CA.

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MESSAGE FROM THE MHS / NHS
Mio Ranni

National Honor Society (NHS)This November, NHS members are diligently working on the "4 Pillars Project" to promote the four core values of the NHS:
scholarship, leadership, character, and service. As outlined in the previous month's newsletter, each team within the NHS has
devised unique initiatives to embody these principles.
The Scholarship team plans to provide etiquette lessons to younger students. Simultaneously, the Leadership team is conducting aworkshop aimed at nurturing the leadership potential of aspiring younger students. The Character team is organizing a mentorshipprogram, inviting students from grades 6 to 8 to seek guidance from NHS students on navigating high school life and achieving
academic success. Finally, the Service team is hosting a craft workshop for grade 7 and 8 students, during which they will create
small frog stuffed animals to support the Child Chemo House and children battling cancer.
Two teams have already transitioned their projects into the action stage this month. The Service team visited the MHS Junior activity
session on Friday, November 4, during lunchtime. They explained the purpose and schedule of their project and invited Grade 7& 8 MHS Junior students to actively participate in sewing frog ornaments to support the Child Chemo House and children battlingcancer. The MHS Junior members were informed that the frog ornaments would be crafted during the first and second weeks ofDecember.
Simultaneously, the Leadership team conducted a workshop on Tuesday, November 28. Current leaders from NHS/MHS, MAA,
StuCon, and MUN were invited to present to younger students about the advantages and challenges of being good leaders.
A total of 20 students from Grades 9-11 attended the workshop, listened to the presentations, and engaged in a Q&A session
afterward. Many participants stayed after the session to ask questions and seek tips from the individual leaders.
The dedication of NHS members to embody the values of scholarship, leadership, character, and service is truly commendable.
We look forward to the continued success of the "4 Pillars Project" and the positive impact it will have on our school community.

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Marist Brothers Honor Society (MHS)On November 7, MHS students embraced the role of Student Ambassadors, extending warm greetings to families from theGerman School during our Open House. Grade 12 student Rina, along with Grade 10 students Michelle, Haruhi, Karen, Ibuki,
and Cocona, conducted school tours, providing insights into academic subjects and school life. Their representation not only
showcased our school effectively but also created a welcoming atmosphere for prospective families.
The following day, November 8, marked our annual beach clean-up service day after school. A commendable 70 MHS students
participated, dedicating their time to combat plastic pollution by collecting various waste items at the beach. The collection
included items such as cigarettes, cans, pet bottles, and food wrappers. In just an hour, the students demonstrated theircommitment to the environment. Special thanks to Brother Allen for his presence and support during this impactful event.

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On November 19, the Education committee undertook a farming initiative, planting onions on our farm. Due to an unusuallylong hot summer and fall, approximately 65% of the potatoes planted in September succumbed to the weather. Undeterred,
the committee decided to plant onions in the vacant area, aiming for a harvest in April. The dedicated committee members
meticulously planted around 300 onion seedlings in two hours. They harvested another 40 kg of sweet potatoes as well. We
express our gratitude to the steadfast support from farmers Mr. Yoshi Tsuruda and Nanami Ozaki.

November 26 brought excitement as MHS participated in the community walkathon, "Child Chemo Walk," hosted by Child
Chemo House in Kobe. A total of 41 MHS students, parents, and teachers, in collaboration with students from Canadian Academy,joined the 800 participants in a 5 km walk from Shimin Hiroba in Port Island to Kobe Airport. Despite the cold weather, MHS
students, donning matching sports towels and frog masks, showcased their unity for a significant cause. Thanks to every participant
for their heartfelt contribution to this event supporting children and families battling cancer.

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Another noteworthy charity event in November was the candylei craft on the 29th. Traditionally, MHS donates candy leis
to children in orphanages as Christmas gifts. This year, 20
MHS students gathered after school in room 33 to craft
approximately 50 candy leis. These delightful creations will not
only bring joy to children in orphanages but also to those atChild Chemo House.
The commitment and compassion demonstrated by MHS
students in these various initiatives truly embody the spiritof service and community involvement. We look forward to
the continued positive impact MHS will make in the coming
months.
Marist Brothers Honor Society Junior (MHS Junior)
Our Grade 7 and 8 MHS Junior students have demonstrated remarkable success in their commitment to service by advocating fora clean ocean. They achieved this by creating microplastic accessories and selling them at the Food Fair in October. Recognizing
their enthusiasm for service initiatives and desiring to broaden their horizons through collaboration with students from various
schools, we are thrilled to announce the establishment of a new organization: Kobe Kiwanis Builders Club.
The Kiwanis Builders Club is a student-led service organization designed to empower middle school students. Its mission is toengage these students in meaningful community service projects, develop leadership skills, and instill a spirit of compassion andaltruism. We are excited to share that several international schools have expressed interest in joining forces with us, and plans areunderway for a preparatory meeting in Kobe this December.
To select representatives for this crucial meeting, MHS Junior held elections on Wednesday, November 29. The outcome saw
the selection of two male and two female student leaders:Grade 8 Shion Hayashi, Yuta Ueki, Anna Ishii, and Shione Inui. Moving
forward, these four students will assume leadership roles, spearheading various service projects. The initiatives on the horizon
include planting trees, beach clean-ups, and collaborative projects like creating microplastic accessories with students from otherinternational schools.
We are immensely proud of our MHS Junior students for their dedication to service, and we eagerly anticipate the positive impactthat Kobe Kiwanis Builders Club will have on our community and beyond.

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Business Marketing Development Project (written by SangMo An and Yi Xuan Cui)
With the aim of understanding the mechanisms and challenges of real-life business, Sunny and I have decided to run a personal
project named “Business Marketing Development Project.” This project aims to operate a “real business” at our school, which
was, in the end, carried out as running a photo booth during the Food Fair 2023. Through this experience, we were able toutilize the concepts from the IB Business Management course to analyze certain situations at work. The total profit we ended up
with was ¥14,100, where the average profit was ¥44,236 per booth. We believe this result was majorly due to the incapability ofovercoming the geographical disadvantage. Initially, the photo booth was assigned to the inside of the building, which we instantly
knew would be a huge disadvantage in terms of customer visiting rate and brand awareness. Indeed, the customer visiting rate
was significantly low in the first 3 hours of the food fair, which is when we started to think of promotional strategies to bring thecustomers to our booth. For example, we began putting the sample products with the posters and opening the curtains in orderto physically show the photo booth to more customers out on the field. Then, slowly but significantly, the number of customers
was increasing, and in fact, during the last 3 hours, the customers were lining up in order to take the photos. We believe thatthe word-of-mouth marketing strategy led to the increase in our brand and product awareness. With more time given, we believe
we could have made more than the average profit. From this project, we were able to learn the challenges of increasing brand/
product awareness. However, at the same time, we realized that the most important aspect of the business is understanding thedemands of the customers and developing products based on that.

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67th Japan Student Science Awards
As mentioned by Mr. Lipp earlier in the newsletter, Momo
Kihara of Grade 11 attended the regional competition of the67th Japan Student Science Awards at Bando Kobe YouthScience Museum in Chuo Ward, Kobe on 12 October,2023. At the award ceremony Momo received the Prefectural
Governor’s Award for the best overall project. Momo’s winning
project investigated “The World of Competitive Karuta Playerswith Synesthesia.” Synesthesia is a phenomenon that causes
sensory crossovers, such as tasting colors or feeling sounds.
Some people describe it as having “wires crossed” in theirbrain, because it activates two or more senses when there’s
only a reason for one sense to activate.
Momo’s project happened to be born from her personal
experiences as a competitive Karuta player. Momo collaborated
with fellow Karuta enthusiasts, delving deeply into “grapheme
synesthesia,” where letters evoke the sense of colors, and“color-hearing synesthesia,” where sounds are perceived withhues.
Previous studies claim that synesthesia is an innate trait.
However, there might be potential links between acquired andinnate synesthesia. As part of the project, Momo conducted
a questionnaire survey among 119 Karuta players so that she
could determine the possibility that Karuta players were able
to acquire synesthesia by playing Karuta games. 23 of the
respondents said that they had acquired the sense of sightof different colors on the cards in use for the Karuta match
when they heard the poems printed on them. 12 respondents(innate 6; acquired 6) agreed to have official screening tests,
and all of them were certified as grapheme synesthesia (11respondents) and colored-hearing synesthesia (6 respondents).
For the 12 participants, Momo carried out a comprehensive assessment of the consistency in their color choice when they were
exposed to hiragana visuals and sounds. Remarkably, all of them actualized synesthesia in both scenarios. This groundbreaking
research explores synesthesia from a cultural aspect creatively and aims for scientific analysis with exciting possibilities for further
research into the facets of synesthesia on the horizon.
(The Japan Student Science Awards is the oldest science competition in Japan, established in 1957 to recognize and nurture thenext generation of science leaders and provide selected award-winners with the opportunity to participate in the ISEF (International
Science and Engineering Fair) as representatives of the Japanese community of distinguished young scientists.)

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MESSAGE FROM THE MARIST STUDENT COUNCIL
Last month's food fair was a resounding success, drawing friends and family from across the city, who had a great time at theevent. Numerous booths were hosted by different school organizations, parents, the PTA, and the class homerooms. The Student
Council’s Food Fair Committee also worked behind the scenes, maintaining constant communication with the class representatives
about booth locations and planned activities. Each homeroom in the Upper School ran a highly successful booth, generating
significant funds for their class. The student booths generated a total of 486,000 yen. These funds will be used for future classactivities, such as the senior trip, etc. A heartfelt thank you goes to everyone involved in the planning and preparation of the Food
Fair. We hope that next year's event will be even more successful.

In other news, this month the Student Council held an Upper School Dance where the students were able to unwind and enjoy
themselves. There was a variety of delicious food, refreshing beverages, excellent entertainment, and a range of music from
Bollywood to Western to K-pop all contributing to the production of a delightful and memorable evening for the students. We
would like to sincerely thank everyone who was involved in the planning and organizing of the event including the Student Council
Dance Committee for their unwavering dedication to the student body. We hope that the event helped boost school spirit andfostered stronger connections among different grades as we eagerly anticipate holding several more dances in the future!

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MESSAGE FROM ENGLISH DEPARTMENTDavid Neill

DP English A - Language and Literature Grade 11 and 12 Field Trip (David Neill)

Our grade 11 and 12 students recently embarked on a captivating exploration as they visited the Museum of Urban andContemporary Art (MUCA) in Kyoto. MUCA, renowned for its focus on Urban and Contemporary Art, hosted a groundbreaking
exhibition featuring internationally acclaimed artists such as Banksy, Kaws, and Barry McGee. This exhibit served as a uniquelens through which students can analyze the different methods artists use to communicate within the context of pressing global
concerns. This experience aligned with the IB DP Language and Literature Individual Oral assignment, providing an enriching
opportunity to delve into global issues and authorial choices from a diverse array of visual artists.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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