MONTHLY
NEWSLETTER

DEC 2022 JAN 2023

OUR MOTTOMISSION

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 andbecome responsible citizens of a global society.

VISION
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.

The revised and proposed Mission states:
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 programmes that aim to prepare students for life’sopportunities.

The revised and proposed Vision states:
We 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 school where personal, social, and emotional support help build
global perspectives. We are a school that embraces diversity, encourages leadership, and celebrates expressions of difference, andrespects the values alongside and unifying traditions of the Marist Brothers.

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

ValuesShawn Hutchinson

EXCELLENCE: Make excellence and quality a part of each day and seek continuous improvement in all that we do.
The December / January Newsletter provides wonderful examples of our ‘values driven’ learning environment, our strong sense of community,
and a commitment to the traditions of the Marist Brothers.

PEOPLE FIRST: Build sustainable and meaningful partnerships, embrace diversity, and connect with the community.
INNOVATION: Seek innovative and creative approaches to problem-solving.

Congratulations to Ms. Jayme Jo Smith, the student musicians and everyone involved in the Middle School Concert Band, High School
Symphonic Band, and the Jazz Band performances prior to the winter break. The performances were polished and the students represented

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

the school with pride and excellence. There is no question that the Arts is another strong pillar of Marist Brothers International School. Equally,
our Elementary School students and faculty presented the Jingle Bell Jukebox Concert, which was a wonderful celebration of the festive season.
The MAA, StuCon and MHS/NHS student organizations continued the festive cheer by hosting the annual Christmas Matsuri.

The MBIS Board is in the final stages of the five-year strategicplanning process and hopes to release our Strategic Plan to the

As we move forward as ONE SCHOOL, we will continue to celebrate and acknowledge our strong pillars of Athletics, the Arts, Service andwider community next month. The Strategic Plan will provide a

Character Development. At the same time, we will continue to strengthen the pillar of Academic Excellence and continuously work towards

blueprint for the next five years and beyond and clearly articulate ourschool-wide improvements.

GOALS, OBJECTIVES and STRATEGIES that focus on school-wide
continuous improvement.

The MBIS Board has focused their time and energy on a number of key initiatives this academic year. Most notably, the Campus
Redevelopment Project, which has involved all members of the Board. However, it has been the work of the Strategic Planning Committee

The Board recently held their beginning of the new year socialand Subcommittee members who have worked collaboratively over a number of months to address important issues related to the Campus

gathering at Rajah Indian Restaurant in Motomachi. Special thanks to

Master Plan. In November 2022, the MBIS Board agreed to engage with Jones Lang LaSalle Project and Development Services to develop the

Marist 1998 graduate Arun Rai for providing an amazing lunch!

Campus Master Plan and work with MBIS through the following redevelopment stages:

Shawn Hutchinson

Programming

Head of School

Campus Master Plan
Design and Build Tender Process
Schematic Design
Detailed Design
Procurement
Construction (Phase 1 – Est. Completion - June 2024)

In parallel with the Campus Redevelopment work, the MBIS Board has continued to develop the five--year Strategic Plan and revision of
our guiding statements. Whilst there is still work to be done in this space, we are pleased to release the revised guiding statements to ourcommunity, which we hope will provide further clarity around our identity and purpose.

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

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL
Stephanie Hanamura

Over the past two months, our school has been emphasizing the development of principled and open-minded
I hope that you had an enjoyable Winter Break and enjoyed the time with family and friends. The next few
months promises to be extremely busy with a number of important events coming up.

students as part of our school-wide learner expectations. These expectations are in place to help students
become responsible and respectful members of our school community, and we have seen how these attributes
are closely tied to this goal.

Beginning 20 February, 2023, Grade 12 students will commence mock examinations in preparation for the IB World Examinations, which
begin 28 April 2023. Detailed information related to the mock examinations, and important updates for the Senior class over their last few
months of school, will be sent out in early February. Before we know it, the Seniors will be standing on the stage at the Graduation Ceremony!

We have observed evidence of these attributes in recent events such as the Christmas concert, where students demonstrated integrity byrehearsing with dedication and presenting their performance with confidence. Here is a link to the performance.
Additionally, when students returned to school after the winter break,
we noticed a positive attitude towards learning and a willingness toconsider new ideas and perspectives.
As Albert Einstein said, "Education is not the learning of facts, but
the training of the mind to think." By fostering principled and openminded thinking, we are equipping our students with the necessary
skills to excel in school and in life.
These attributes are essential for academic success, as well as forbuilding strong character and align with our goal to help students
become responsible and respectful members of our schoolcommunity.
As parents, you play a crucial role in supporting your child's development in these areas. Here are some suggestions for questions that you
can ask:"Can you tell me about a time when you stood up for what you believed in at school?""How have you been showing respect and fairness to your classmates?""Can you share with me an example of a new idea or perspective you learned about recently?""How have you been taking responsibility for your own learning?"

Celebrating the success of our students is something that brings us all great joy. In September, 2022, a number of Upper School students"How do you handle disagreements and conflicting ideas with your peers?"

submitted Haiku to the Hyogo Prefectural Haiku Association Haiku competition. In total, around 800 Haiku were submitted to the juniorsection of the contest office, and four of our students received awards. Julian Lang (G12) won the International Communication Award. Kirti

It's also important for parents to listen actively to their child's responses, and to ask follow-up questions to encourage further discussion andVaswani (G12), Rushi Shah (G9), and JooAhn Moon (G7) received Awards of Excellence. The certificates and the plaques were presented toreflection. By fostering open communication, you can help your child continue to develop as a principled and open-minded individual.

the students at the Upper School morning assembly on 9 December, 2022. Congratulations to all students who participated in the contest.

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5MESSAGE FROM THE IBDP COORDINATORGRADE 8 RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONThe speed of developments in technology keeps leaving us in awe. Things that were unthinkable to us just a

In early December Grade 8 students visited Tsukimiyma Church as part of their study of religious worship. Students spent nearly an hourdecade ago have become old-fashioned. In today’s world, there is easy access to information, but how will welearning about how various objects in the church facilitate worship. The resident pastor, Reverend Takahashi also explained the basic tenets

teach the future leaders how to use, apply, and transfer that information into real life situations? Now that newof Christianity to students and took a number of questions. Marist Brothers International School would like to extend their appreciation to Rev.

AIs have been developed to create more solutions, what is the next stage of teaching and learning? One thing

Takahashi for opening his church to us and being such a gracious host.

Gunseli Yukselwith Mr. Deyss

that our students will continue to need is higher-level thinking skills, which require creativity. Creativity is theability to think, react, and work in original and imaginative ways.
Many of our meetings lately have been centered around AIs, namely Chat GPT. We keep asking ourselves how we need to equip our students
in a way that they still flourish, solve problems, and make ethical decisions in a world of AIs. We all know that resisting or ignoring the useof AIs in education is meaningless; on the contrary, we need to enable our students to benefit from all the sources that are available to them
if we want them to become successful individuals who will make a difference, not only in their lives but also for humanity in the future. In aworld where digital citizenships are introduced, where remote surgeries are performed, and where digital solutions are fast and often morereliable than those humans produce, we need commitment to raising individuals who can cope with the speedy changes of life and who areknowledgeable of information literacy and information management.
As we continue to discuss, here is a comment by Olli-Pekka Heinonen, the Director General of the International Baccalaureate (IB), about
the future of the IB education, “A deep understanding of the interaction between human-machine relationships is needed in order to sustain
human value and meaning. The legacy of the organization – that it is not in the control of any one government, that it is truly independent, that
it is truly international – means that the IB is ideally placed to be at the head of this revolution, helping to shape it as a force for good(ibo.org).”

MESSAGE FROM EARLY YEARS
Tina Mathers & Teighyn Austin

LEARNING IN THE UPPER SCHOOL

Our annual Christmas Party took place in the Montessori classrooms on 15 December.
This year’s event was organized by the Room Parents who were in attendance
throughout the morning in order to assist the teachers with special games and crafts.
The children performed two Christmas songs which was immediately followed by aIn the Grade 12 IB Chemistry course, students have been learning

visit from Santa who gave presents to all the Montessori children. What a heart-warming, magical moment to see the children’s faces light up

about acid-base reactions and using titration as a method to analyze

when Santa entered the room! Ho! Ho! Ho! We would like to thank the Room Parents for all their hard work in organizing the activities - a

the concentration of solutions. Using these skills, they are thenchallenged to identify unknown solution concentrations. These

highlight of our school year - thank you!

experiences are translatable beyond the classroom as students can

Before the Winter Break, Kindergarten children took

analyze soil and water samples to help identify source pollutants ora tour around the local community, visiting shops andtoxin levels.

Suma train station before enjoying a hot dog lunch which
they helped to prepare by themselves!

Our Grade 9 students are learning about different types of energy

In the new year, children also visited Kobe Animaltransfer, from sound, to light, to heat. Students were tasked with

Kingdom on Port Island - our first visit in three years! We

designing their own insulators to gauge the effectiveness of different

had a great time discovering extraordinary animals frommaterials to prevent heat loss. The students needed to develop

all over the world!

hypotheses, collect material data, and write investigation reports aspart of this process. These are essential skills that benefit the students
once they transition to IB and need to design their own IAs.

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Grade Two - Our Penpal Project

LEARNING IN THE LOWER SCHOOL

Penpals from abroad are a wonderful chance for our students to read and write with purpose, to make cross-cultural connections, to practiceGrade 1: Flying High Hot Air Balloon Resolutions for 2023

their opinion writing, to neaten their handwriting, to challenge themselves, and to learn about how children live in other countries.

The Grade One students were very excited to start off the newThat’s why I’m excited to introduce Grade Two to our new penpal project! Students will have their very own penpals from North America. I’ve
collaborated with a second-grade teacher from Vancouver, Canada and we will begin regular correspondence at the end of January, 2023. I’msemester with a 2023 New Year's resolution. Each child wrote theirhoping that this new penpal project will be a memorable and wonderful experience for my students.

resolution on a paper shaped like a hot air balloon, and glued aphoto of themselves riding in the balloon. The hot air balloons are
now hanging above the tables in the classroom, and the children
enjoy seeing themselves flying high above their heads as they work
towards their goal for 2023.
Each student decided to write a resolution that would help them makegood decisions in their personal lives and spread kindness to thepeople around them.
Since the beginning of the year, the Grade 1 students have beenlearning to show acts of “kindness and care” to each other. In 2023,
the students would like to expand their vision to spread kindness
throughout Marist and the Suma community.
Here are some of the “goals” that the children wrote for 2023:

Students in Ms Sugiuchi’s Grade Two class all received letters from their penpals in Canada“I will treat people the way I want to be treated.” - Yuka
“I will be kind.” - Benjamin

Grade 5 - Exciting learning“I will do my best to follow the Golden Rule, and respect myself andGrade 5 has been exploring the topic of matter and discovering the secrets ofothers” -Asa

landfill systems through hands-on experiments. One of our favorite experiments wascomparing open and closed landfill systems and observing how different materials
break down and impact the environment. We learned about the conservation ofGrade Two - Making Math Culturally Responsive

matter and how the properties of materials change. We also learnt that rotting foodIn Grade Two math, we are learning about money, place value and word problems. Our Eureka textbook uses American money, which issoda and white vinegar. We created a ‘mini explosion’ in this experiment andperfect for learning tens and ones. However, since most of my students have never been to the USA, I wanted to create an activity that would

observed a new substance being formed.

produces a pretty foul smell! Our favorite experiment involved the mixing of baking

allow them to practice real-world skills and solve word problems with money familiar to them. Since not much in Japan can be purchased forunder 100 yen, I created a “Dagashi” activity featuring old-fashioned Japanese candy that is well known for being affordable even to children.

We also had a very special guest speaker, Mr. Reid, a MBIS parent, who shared
his personal experience of the Crown Heights riots in 1991. We are currently learning about the Civil Rights Movement in our integrated

The students had a lot of fun solving the math problems, and every single student chose to complete the “bonus” questions about whether theySocial Studies and Language Arts class, so Mr. Reid’s speech was highly relevant to our studies. It was an eye-opening experience for us ascould afford to buy the candy in the shop! Helping to make math meaningful, exciting, culturally relevant, and stress-free for the students is

we learned about the racial tensions and violence that happened in Brooklyn and how it impacted the community. It also reminded us of theone of my absolute favourite parts about teaching.

importance of working towards racial equality.

Students in Ms Sugiuchi’s
Grade Two class learn additionand subtraction using money

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MARIST ALUMNI ASSOCIATION UPDATEMESSAGE FROM THE PTA
Mr. David Polen

We formally invite all alumni members to join us for our upcoming events:
The PTA has been ramping up preparations for our first Food Fair in quite some time. 1 April is quickly approaching and we are happy to see
so many people from the community come together to offer their time and resources. We will have booths representing countries from aroundthe world, and are still looking for more volunteers. If you are interested in running or just helping with a booth, please reach out to us!

Saturday, 1 April - Food Fair (if you wish to set up a BOOTH, please contact mbis.pta@gmail.com)
Friday, 19 May - Founders Day
Saturday, 20 May Senior Graduation

The PTA is also preparing to set up the hot dog sale for the futsal tournament on 17 February.

We look forward to seeing our past students at our special events in our academic
calendar.

Our next PTA meeting is Friday, 3 February at 15:15 pm in the Annex Building. Please feel free to join to learn more about how you can be apart of the upcoming events. If you are unable to join in-person, please join via our Zoom link:

We were delighted to catch up with Vincent de Couto over the winter holiday break
and took the opportunity to find out a little more about his experiences at Marsit and[Zoom Meeting] PTA Food Fair Meeting (15:15 - 15:55)

what he has been up to since graduating from Marist in 2002.

To join the Zoom meeting, click this link:
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/87094968458?pwd=cGhBOEVMakRvcU1pTjVzWmsvYkZQdz09

Full Name: Vincent de Couto

Meeting ID: 870 9496 8458

Number of years at Marist: 14

Passcode: foodfair

Graduation Year: 2002

We would like to say a special thanks to all those who contributed to our Bulldogs Bingo and Movie Night Fundraiser. The support we got in

What have you done since graduating from Marist?

the form of donations really helped make the night a success, and allowed for everyone to go home a winner!!

I've mostly done a lot of traveling. I studied civil engineering at the University ofToronto in Canada, after which I completed internships in Russia and the Philippines.

Donations were received from:I then started working as a freelance academic editor, which allows me to work

Okada Family

Sato Family

Kakuta Family

Ishikawa Family

Grummer Family

Bao Family

Mejia Family

Moriishi Family

Park Family

Shima Family

Tanaka Family

Yamamoto Family

Nishimura Family

Gondoh Family

Inagaki Family

Ranni Family

Hirase Family

Kim Family

Laclef Family

Sakoda Family

Osawa Family

Bhojwani Family

Asai Family

Inui Family

anywhere I want as long as I have a valid visa and an Internet connection. I took
advantage of this to live in Australia for a year and a half, and then I moved to theUnited Kingdom and lived there for about 8 years. I moved back to Japan in 20192002 Marist Graduate Vincent de Couto

after becoming disillusioned with the UK over Brexit, and I have been here sincethen.

What did you learn most during your time at Marist?
That's difficult to answer. I was at Marist from kindergarten to grade 12, and both my parents were teachers here, so all of my formative
experiences occurred at school. Who I am as a person, as well as my ethics and values, come directly from Marist.

To those of you who made anonymous donations, we truly
What was your most memorable experience at Marist?

appreciate your contribution!! Thank you!

Winning the volleyball championship in my junior year. As you know, Marist is smaller than many of the other international schools in
As we ramp up our preparations for the upcoming events, weJapan, so we have historically struggled in sports competitions. It was extremely satisfying to defeat Canadian Academy in straight sets in thehope that you will consider volunteering some of your time tochampionship game and make them cry.

help us make these events a success!
How did your experience at Marist prepare you for life after graduation?
Don’t forget, everyone is welcome to join our PTA meetings! As

I would say that Marist helped prepare me for dealing with people. Not only do the students and teachers come from many different cultures,

communication is provided in both English and Japanese, please

but the nature of international schools means that many people are here for only a short time before moving on. In addition, the various clubs

do not let differences in language prevent your participationand extracurricular activities give ample opportunities for leadership and responsibilities. I learned not only to respect and communicate within your child’s school life—we are happy to break through any

people of different ages, cultures, and backgrounds but also to get used to meeting new people and saying goodbye. This helped me a lot in

potential language barriers and welcome you with open arms.

navigating university as well as the people I encountered during my travels in various countries.

We are all in this together!
What advice would you give current Marist students?
If you are interested in taking part in our journey, please reach

Cherish your friendships. Try to stay in contact with your classmates and favorite teachers, even if that's the only thing you use social media for.

out to David Polen at mbis.pta@gmail.com for more information

Marist is a unique environment, and everyone who's passed through it, even if it's just a year or two, shares a special bond. I have gone years

on how you can join the PTA TEAM!

or even decades without seeing old friends and classmates, yet when we do meet up it's like we're right back in school.

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MARIST ALUMNI ASSOCIATION UPDATE
On 30 November the unveiling ceremony of Br. Ramon took place at the Kobe Municipal Foreign Cemetery and was attended by Brothersfrom the Provincial Council and the Kobe community.

A big shout out to the high school boys who did an awesome job
self coaching and managing themselves, having improved theirskills and teamwork while demonstrating discipline and committment
throughout the season. They were proud ambassadors of Marist withexcellent on and off court demeanor, and finished in 4th place at theBr. Joseph & Br. Bernard, unveiling the name

Brother Provincial and his Councilof Br. Ramon inscribed.

WJAA tournament in Nagoya.
The high school girls once again added another year to ourchampionship banner with the help of Coach Lipp who performed

MESSAGE FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR & MAA
Junya Kobo

his usual magic in the 4th quarter of the championship game to bring
the girls up from a 14 point deficit to defeat the KIUA Pheonix by 2
points in the final minutes of the game!
This month the MAA continued to serve the school and community

They say that “Time flies when you’re having fun,” which must explain why we have already completed our 2nd
season of sport and have jumped straight into season 3!

of international schools through their hard work to prepare for andhost both the MS Boys Basketball Tournament in December and the
HS Girls Basketball Tournament in January. We thank them for their

Coach Mejia, Coach Tempesta and the middle school girls soccer team ended their season with a 3rd place trophy for the A team and witha 2nd place finish for the B team, while the middle school boys basketball team coached by Brother Timola and Ms Hill finished their season
with a 3rd place trophy at their respective season ending tournaments in December.

commitment to continue providing our warm small school hospitality
for the visiting teams!
Our athletic spirit goes beyond the court, thanks to two seniors, Mei Hutchinson and Tomo Masutani who spent much of their time
researching, designing and organizing the return of the Marist Varsit Jacket with a new look through their IB CAS project!
We wish the following teams good luck in their upcoming season of sport!

MS Boys Soccer
Coach A.Geddes / Coach M.Pilgrim

HS Boys Soccer
Coach T.Hill

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Marist Brothers International School | Newsletter

HS Girls Soccer
Coach J.Mejia
Coach M.Tempesta

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MESSAGE FROM THE MHS / NHS
Mio Ranni, MHS/NHS

December was hectic, but was also the most exciting month for both the MHS and NHS as it was the time toshow real teamwork ability in order to prepare and succeed in a variety of projects and events.
The NHS had continuously worked hard on the “4 Pillars Project.” On December 14th, the Leadership Pillar
Team hosted a leadership workshop afterschool which was targeted to all students from Grade 9 to 12. A total of 32 students participatedin the workshop. Executive officers from the NHS/MHS, MUN, MAA, and STUCON presented about the roles and responsibilities of theirjobs and gave advice on how to be a good leader not only in their organization but for the whole community. In the coming month, theScholarship Pillar Team will hold an “Exam Preparation Night” on January 11th, in which Grade 11 & 12 students will tutor younger students inorder to prepare them for the upcoming Semester Exams.

During the winter break on December 20th, MHS students undertook
forest conservation work in the Shioya area of Rokko mountain. After
resting during the winter holiday, the MHS students will start standing
The MHS had a very busy month preparing to host a charity event, “Christmas Matsuri 2022,” with MAA and STUCON. They preparedon the street in the morning again in order to guide students safely

a variety of activity booths, collected snack and raffle prizes, and communicated with people in and out of the Marist community. On theinto the school building. The MHS students are looking forward tomorning of December 16th, the students and teachers enjoyed various forms of entertainment, activities, and food, as well as the school raffle

meeting you on the morning of January 10th, 2023!

on the school field. The MHS would like to sincerely thank the people below who donated snacks and raffle prizes in order to make thisevent a great success. By selling food, drinks, and raffle tickets, they were able to collect 167,372 JPY, which far exceeded their original goalRainy and Snowy days in January did not dampen the spirits of MHS

of 100,000 JPY. Half of the donations will be used to support a shelter for human trafficking victims in Nepal through the NPO Family andstudents, who continued to make fantastic achievements throughout

Friends project, and the other half to support Ukrainian refugees.

the month.
The NHS Scholarship Pillar Team held an “Exam Preparation Night”
on January 11th, where grade 11 and 12 students tutored their
younger peers in preparation for semester exams. The grade 9 and
10 students not only improved their academic skills, but also reported
feeling more confident and building positive connections with older
students.

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Despite the weather, MHS students consistently showed a strong sense of responsibility by standing outside every morning to safely guidestudents into the school building.

MESSAGE FROM THE LIBRARY
Elbert Shitamoto

In addition, the president of the MAA, STUCON, and MHS presented the Christmas Matsuri profit to MBIS and NPO Family and Friends
Project. On January 13th, a donation of 83,686 JPY was presented to Mr. Shawn Hutchinson at the morning assembly. MHS President, Yusei
Noguchi, requested that the money be used to support the education of Ukrainian students. On January 26th, the same amount was presented
to Mr. Randy Bollig from NPO Family and Friends Project. Mr. Bollig discussed with the student organization presidents about the issue ofhuman trafficking in Nepal and how the donation will help protect, feed, and educate at least 20 children.

All About the Sakura Medal Program and the All-Japan Sakura Medal Book Bowl 2023
The Sakura Medal Program brings together students from international schools across Japan each year to vote for their favorite books. The
mission of the Sakura Medal Program is to create a community of lifelong readers in international schools in Japan. The program aims for adiverse selection of fantastic and engaging books.
Major Goals:
Develop a lifelong love of reading
Encourage reading, particularly outside the classroom setting
Create a community of readers, both in our individual schools and in the wider international school community
Highlight Japanese authors, setting, themes and culture
Highlight new and lesser known authors
Introduce books that represent a diversity of genres, authors, countries, experiences, worldviews, and underrepresented populations
Expose students to fantastic books in multiple formats, including graphic novels and nonfiction books
The winners of the Sakura Medal are voted upon by students in participating international schools in Japan. The Sakura Medal is one of the few
major literary awards in the world where the winners are determined by students.
The winning authors/illustrators of the Sakura Medal are awarded a certificate, a medal, and an original piece of art. The awards have beenmodeled after the Nobel Prize.
There are eight categories in the Sakura Medal Program:
English Picture Books, English Chapter Books, English Graphic Novels, English Middle School Books, English High School Books, Japanese
Picture Books, Japanese Chapter Books, and Japanese Middle/High School Books.
Previous Sakura Medal Winners from 2006 to 2022: https://sites.google.com/view/sakuramedal/previous-winners
The All-Japan Sakura Medal Book Bowl is in its 15th year. Teams of students in grades 4 and 5 from ten international schools in Japan willcompete for the Book Bowl trophy on Friday, April 21, 2023.
The competition is based upon books nominated for the 2023 Sakura Medal Chapter Book selection.

Another highlight for the month was a visit to the Monastery. On January 26th, four Grade 11 and 12 MHS students met with four brothers
to learn more about the school. The brothers shared their experiences of surviving the 1995 earthquake and how they have supported ourstudents and the community. The students were grateful for the tradition of brothers always looking after the school and its students.

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2023 All-Japan Sakura Medal Book Bowl Participating Schools:•

Aoba Japan International School•

The International School of the Sacred Heart•

Makuhari International School•

Marist Brothers International School•

The Montessori School of Tokyo•

Nishimachi International School•

Seisen International School•

St. Mary's International School•

Tokyo YMCA International School•

Yokohama International School

Marist Brothers International School | Newsletter

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Question Categories

STAFFING UPDATES•In Which Book•

Keywords•

Excerpts

We welcome Ms. Yo Ikinishi back to Marist in her new role as Administrative•

Book Covers and Authors

Assistant – Lower School where she will be taking over many of Ms. Mika•

ExpertInada’s responsibilities at the reception office. Ms. Yo Ikenishi is a 2004
graduate of Marist Brothers International School and also worked as anelementary school assistant teacher and Japanese teacher for 6 years. She is

There were a total of 124 Questions in Book Bowl 2022!

delighted to return to Marist in the Administrative Assistant role where she
is very excited to work with everybody and give her full support to the MBISBook Bowl Team Information:family.

Teams are made up of 4th and 5th grade students.
Teams may have a maximum of 10 team members plus two alternate members.
Alternates may take the place of a team member, but only 10 may compete at a time.
We use the Kahoot! app. There is one iPad controller; this person controls the iPad for all sections of the competition, except the “Expert”

Fujiko Kobayashi – We are delighted to announce that Fujiko Kobayashi has been appointed as thesection. Each Expert book has only one individual student assigned to answer the questions.

new HR and Finance Manager and will commence her duties with Marist from April 2023. Originallyfrom Akashi, Hyogo prefecture, Fujiko comes to Marist with experience studying in Canada and

The selection process for this year’s MBIS Book Bowl Team is almost complete. We started with a total of 42 interested students and we areworking in HR and Finance in the Kobe area with Caterpillar, Imagineering Inc, and Kobe Chuo

now down to twenty enthusiastic students who regularly attend Book Bowl meetings every Monday. The final 12 members (10 team members

Labor and Social Security Company. Through her work experience, she has realized the importanceand 2 alternate members) of the Book Bowl Team will be announced during the week of Jan. 30 - Feb. 3.

and value of highly effective communication and is driven by core values of respect, integrity, andtrust. Fujiko is married to Hideo (a Kobe local), and they have twins (Yukino and Yoshino) and aThis year, there is a possibility that the Book Bowl will be held live at St. Mary’s International School in Tokyo. If not, the Book Bowl will be

younger son (Ukyo), all future MBIS students. Fujiko and her family are looking forward to meeting

recorded and viewable live using YouTube.

and working with the Marist community.

UPCOMING EVENTS - FEBRUARY
S

M

T

W

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F

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10

Open House for Prospective Parents

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13

School Closed - Founders Day Holiday

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5

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Development Day for Staff and Faculty
IB DP Mock Exams Start
MUN Conference
Hyogo Foreign Schools Association
Music Festival

Drop off and Pick Up (North East side of the campus along Chimorigawa dori)This is a gentle reminder to parents who have been dropping off and picking up their children from school by car. The police have informed
us that the area in front of the Mission Building is a ‘No Parking’ area and drivers should not be parked for more than a couple of minutes.
This is particularly difficult during afternoon pick up, but we ask parents to cooperate with authorities and use this area as a brief drop off andpick up point.

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MARIST SUPPORTERS

ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2022-2023
Semester One

The MBIS community has a long tradition of giving. Every year, through events such as Marist Cafe, students, parents, faculty, and friends, cometogether 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.

August 2022

It was that support that enabled us to grow and, after the 1995 earthquake, rebuild. We are forever grateful for these generous contributions of

September 2022

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

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community. Their time, talent, energy, and enthusiasm bring vibrancy to every event, whether for a class 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 of Trustees.
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 are welcome to give a restricted donation

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Obon Holiday

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Faculty In-Service

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PTA Meeting - 2:30PM
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Respect for the Aged Day(School Closed)
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Autumnal Equinox(School in Session)(towards a specific resource or fundraising campaign) or an unrestricted donation (allowing the school to use the funds where they are most neededat the time).

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November 2022

Cash gifts are the simplest and easiest gifts you can make. Vist our website for more information.
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Sports Day
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Montessori XMAS Party
Christmas Concert
Early Dismissal:
12:00PMBus leaves: 12:15PM

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Winter BreakSchool Holiday

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Culture Day

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American Math Competition

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Parent Teacher Conferences

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School Closed
Professional Development

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Japanese Public Holiday

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ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2022-2023
Semester Two

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