MONTHLY
NEWSLETTERNOVEMBER
2022

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.

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Shawn Hutchinson

As we approach the end of the year, we take time to give thanks and affirm the good aspects of our world.
Being a part of the Marist community is a gift, and showing gratitude can help us to shift our focus towards
positivity.
Earlier this month, the board of directors, trustees, faculty, and staff gathered at the Shioya Country Club to acknowledge our ONE school
approach and strengthen relationships. It was an excellent opportunity for people to meet as we collaborate to improve all aspects of theschool.
Parent Teacher Conferences took place this month and it was wonderful to see parents return to campus for these important discussions. A
number of parents also participated in the conferences virtually. We are grateful that the conferences provided opportunities for teachers toshare academic progress and growth based on classroom observations, assessment data and assignments. Similarly, the conferences allowed
teachers to learn from parents to be informed about students' strengths, needs, behaviors, and learning styles.
Our Professional Development Day gave our teachers opportunities to explore a range of topics including iReady diagnostic assessment
data and skills development, Medical Emergency Response in a School Setting, Strategies for students from diverse language backgrounds,
Accessing Library Resources, Using Seesaw to develop learning Portfolios, identifying students in need of social/emotional or psychologicalsupport, curriculum mapping, use of technology, and an overview of accreditation and authorization.
MBIS Seniors have been very busy in November, finishing important IAs (Internal Assessments) and finalizing their CAS (Creativity, Activity
and Service) requirements and EEs (Extended Essays). It has also been great to see our teachers and students engaging in learning outsideof the classroom with field trips to the Iwakuni Farm, Hyogo Prefectural Museum, and culturally significant locations in the Suma area such as
Sumadera Temple.
Finally, we want to thank everyone in the Marist community who came out
for the Upper School Dance and PTA Bingo and Movie Night. The Student
Council and PTA created a buzz on campus and it was great to see thecommunity enjoying these events.

Shawn Hutchinson
Head of School2

Newsletter | Marist Brothers International School

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

For students to thrive within a school it is important that they feel a senseof belonging. Throughout the school year, we aim to build connections
between students across grade levels. These connections help the
younger students, in particular, feel noticed and important and add to a sense of belonging.
Early in November, two of our Grade 12 students, Maahi and Kirti, attended the Grade 2 classroom to
speak about Diwali, the festival of light. The Senior students discussed with the Grade 2 students how
the various regions in India celebrate Diwali differently and created rangoli to decorate the room.

Later in November our Grade 7 students started working with theGrade 1 and 2 students allowing the younger students to practicetheir reading skills with the older partners. This was a great
opportunity for the different age groups to interact and the Grade
1 and 2 students to show how well they can read. The Grade 7
students will continue to meet with the Grade 1 and 2 readers on
Thursdays over the next few months.
Finally our National Honor Society (NHS) students have been
holding mentor sessions for students from Grade 6-8 . In thesesessions the NHS students shared their experiences and offeredthoughtful advice as to how the younger students could make theirschool-life even more meaningful and enjoyable.
I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Winter Break and a Happy
New Year!

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MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL
Stephanie Hanamura

This month, our Marist Expectations have had the students focused on being effective communicators.
Communication is the catalyst that facilitates exchanges of information and knowledge. It is an essential attributein developing all types of relationships. Communication is what connects us with people all over the world.
Being an effective communicator is a lifelong skill that needs to be continually developed. At school, students have multiple opportunities todevelop their communication skills through speaking, writing, drawing, music, dance and art. Being a good listener is another crucial aspectof communication. Listening to diverse perspectives helps students learn to better relate to others and develop empathy.
To help develop communication skills at home, here are some things parents can do:•

Talk about about the day's activities with your child•

Model active listening when your child speaks.

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Ask questions when your child is speaking, so that they have a chance to think deeply and explain their thoughts thoroughly.

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Keep a variety of reading material around the house and make sure your child knows where it can be found.

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Explore various types of communication together. Acting out stories or singing together, for example, are two ways we communicate
and bond with one another.

November was Grade Two’s chance to make an assembly presentation in front of the entire elementary school on the topic of Being a
Communicator. They brainstormed ideas and practiced speaking confidently until they felt prepared enough to communicate their ideas. We
were all very proud to see how they displayed this attribute and modeled this Marist Expectation!

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Newsletter | Marist Brothers International School

MESSAGE FROM THE IBDP COORDINATOR
Gunseli Yuksel

On November 22, the faculty of MBIS were at the school for a Professional Development Day.
One of the challenges of the fast-changing globalization is the diverse needs of the learners; due to increasing
mobility, teachers today are in classrooms with students who are constructing knowledge in their second, even third or fourth language. We
are aware of the responsibility of responding to the needs of these learners, and we know that one of the requirements of raising internationalminded global citizens is to help them develop their literacy and thinking skills in a language that is not their mother tongue.
On November 22, the IB teachers reviewed some of the research results and the IB documentation in this area and shared some goodpractices in learning language and learning through language.

LEARNING IN THE UPPER SCHOOL

10th Grade English - Cultural Identity Unit
Our 10th-grade English students have been exploring how to define culture and how it has an
impact on our identities through the following guiding question: “How do cultural experiences
shape, impact, or influence our identity and perceptions?” As many of our students are “third
culture kids”, the aspect of identifying their own culture can be quite challenging; however,through introspection and analyzing a diverse array of texts during the unit, many students often
conclude there is more to culture than just national identity. Our students expressed these ideas
and showed their understanding through a personal essay and a three-dimensional object as anextended metaphor to represent their own cultural identity.

Marist Brothers International School | Newsletter

5THE MBIS MUSIC DEPARTMENT PROUDLY PRESENTS THE

HOLIDAY BAND CONCERTFEATURING MUSIC PERFORMANCES BY THE MBIS MIDDLE SCHOOLCONCERT BAND, HIGH SCHOOL SYMPHONIC BAND, AND JAZZ BAND.

DECEMBER 14TH AT 2:15PM
MBIS GYMNASIUM

A LINK TO A RECORDING OF THE SHOW WILL BE PROVIDED FOR
ANY LOVED ONES WHO CAN NOT PHYSICALLY ATTEND.

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Newsletter | Marist Brothers International School

OUR DIRECTOR OF GUIDANCE
Mahitab el Ramlawy
Happy Fall!
What a great time of the year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our school community, students,
parents, staff, and faculty, for their contributions with support. Thank you to all parents and students who attended University Guidance
sessions, and for faculty and staff who supported to make it happen.
We have two more weeks before we meet again in January. January is an important month for seniors with college application deadlines. It is
important to submit requests for letters of recommendation this week. Students must provide counselors and teachers with at least ten working
days to submit letters of recommendation. It is truly in the student’s best interest to give counselors and teachers writing their letters as muchtime as possible, so that they can craft a strong letter.
Grade 10 students are currently working on choosing their subjects for the IBDP. Unifrog is a website that employs intuitive tools that
personalize and simplify the college and career planning process. We will continue to meet on an individual basis and in a group setting towork on college and career choices.
Grades 7-9, it is not too early to start thinking about college. Parents, now is a great time to start talking with your child about college andcareer. Here are a few topics to get you started:•

Careers: Talk to your child about the careers people have in your family, that you see in your community, and see on TV. The more
exposure your child has, the more opportunities they have to be inspired and develop skills as they learn more about careers.

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College: Talk about college life and what’s important to your child. Here are some aspects to consider while looking into colleges:
size of university, location, distance from home, available majors and classes, housing options, diversity of the student body, available
extracurricular activities, and campus atmosphere.

•

Self-Awareness: Get your child involved in a variety of after school activities. Participating in these activities gives children a chance tofigure out what really interests them, and what they have a talent for, which can help them figure out what types of careers, colleges, or
majors would match with their interests and personality.

MESSAGE FROM EARLY YEARS
Tina Mathers & Teighyn Austin

In November, CH1 and CH2 Kindergarten went on their very first Field Trip of theschool year to Sumadera Temple. What an exciting day we had! Children carried their
backpacks (filled with lunch and water bottles) as they observed turtles, koi fish, statues
and sculptures. The children marveled at the changing of the seasons as they collected
fallen leaves and acorns in the park. We were blessed with clear
skies and sunny weather and so enjoyed a picnic lunch outdoors by
the pond. The children took responsibility for their own garbage,leaving the area in good, clean condition. Well done, children!

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MESSAGE FROM GRADE ONE
Sherrie Ito & Venus Yoon

Science Investigation: Engineering Challenge: Mimicking Animal Parts
In Science, the Grade One children are studying about how penguins, polar bears,
and seals stay warm in cold places. Each student was given an engineering challenge,
to design a glove to fit over their hand that would keep it warm even when placed in
ice water!
Several days before the experiment the children discussed with each other whichmaterials they think would be best to use in the design of their own glove. Somechildren talked about using bubble wrap, yarn, fur, cotton balls, sponges etc. They
also talked about how they could build their own glove. The children were excellent
COMMUNICATORS, as they discussed the many different materials and ways they
could build their gloves.
Then came the FUN part!!! The testing of their designs!!!
Each child put on their specially designed glove on one hand and placed it in ice
water!!! It was super exciting placing their hand in the ice water. Some students werea bit afraid and worried that their glove design would not work. They all agreed that
their own design worked to keep their hand warm. It was a fun and exciting learning
experience for all!!!
The Grade One students were not only demonstrating the Marist expectation of being agreat communicator, they were also critical and creative thinkers as well.
Well done Grade One, your engineering skills are awesome!!!

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Newsletter | Marist Brothers International School

MESSAGE FROM THE PTADavid Polen

Marist PTA had our Bulldog Bingo Night Fundraiser and Movie Night on November 25, and we couldn't be more excited by the outcome!
There were 117 students, family members, teachers and staff in attendance. We had so many prizes that everyone was able to walk away a
WINNER! It was wonderful seeing so many members from the MBIS community coming together and having such a good time! We can't wait
to plan our next event!!
With some of the proceeds from the Bulldog Bingo Night Fundraiser and Movie Night, the PTA has offered to donate the pizza for the
Christmas Matsuri. We are happy to be able to support such a wonderful event with a great mission!
We are excited to announce that the total amount raised was¥234,000.
We would like to announce and thank the families who generously
donated money and prizes for the Bulldog Bingo Fundraiser, and will
be doing so in the next newsletter.
Don’t forget; everyone is welcome to join our PTA meetings! As
communication is provided in both English and Japanese, please
do not let differences in language prevent your participation in yourchild’s school life—we are happy to break through any potential
language barriers and welcome you with open arms. We are all inthis together!
If you are interested in taking part in our journey, please reach out toDavid Polen at mbis.pta@gmail.com for more information on how you
can join the PTA TEAM!

Marist Brothers International School | Newsletter910Newsletter | Marist Brothers International School

MESSAGE FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR & MAA
Junya Kobo

October marked the end of the first season of sport and the beginning of another. Unlike in Japanese schools
where students play the same sport all year, students at Marist and other international schools have theopportunity to round out their extracurricular experiences through playing multiple sports over the year andthroughout their middle and high school career.
The middle school girls, still riding the wave of success from the first season started off strong with a 2nd place finish in an early season
tournament at Osaka International School last month, defeating a strong Osaka team to secure a spot in the final championship match.
Congratulations to Coach Mejia, Coach Tempesta and of course the middle school girls for this fantastic achievement.
We welcome the new head coach of the middle school boys basketball team,
Br. Allen Timola and his assistant Ms. Hill, wife of Mr. Hill who coached our HSboys volleyball team last season. The team has been making rapid progressover the season through their disciplined and regimented training and haveplayed quite competitively against the traditionally stronger teams in the league.
We wish them the best of luck in their upcoming tournament at Marist in early
December.
Both high school boys and girls basketball teams have been making a markduring league play as usual. Coach Lipp is in his 15th year coaching the highschool girls, and with a number of championship wins under his belt, he plansto put another number up on our HS girls basketball banner this year, with thehelp of a strong group of determined seniors who had lost their opportunity torepresent Marist at the last few tournaments that were cancelled due to COVID.
On the boys side, Coach Kobo has stepped in to manage the boys team,
however most of the coaching has come from the senior players who havebeen assigned to teach the skills and strategies of the game. Our captain
Kosei, has brought to the team a tremendous amount of knowledge through his
experiences with his club team outside of Marist, and has exhibited tremendous
leadership in guiding the boys throughout the season. The hard work of theteam and captain has proved quite fruitful, having provided us with very exciting
matches against the bigger and stronger teams in the league. The boys continue
to push hard in preparation for their final tournament in Nagoya in January.
The MAA has shifted from their training in volleyball game management tobasketball over the past month, reviewing and putting their knowledge topractical use during the weekend games, to prepare for hosting the middle
school boys basketball tournament in early December and the varsity girls
basketball tournament in January. These students put in many hours of theirtime behind the scenes to study the game and to set-up the many games andtournaments that we host. Often times our tournaments are the first and only
point of contact that other international schools have with us, so it is importantthat we provide the best game experiences possible when hosting our guest
schools, athletes and coaches.
A big thank you to the athletes, coaches and the members of the MAA who go
above and beyond to serve as ambassadors of our school!

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MS Girls Soccer
The middle school girls started off November with an A/B mixed-tournament in Osaka. Both teams played admirably, with a lot of heart andhustle, managing to reach the semi-finals, where they played each other. The A-team prevailed, barely, and went on to face CA for the midseason trophy, while the B-team faced Osaka’s A-team for 3rd. Though both teams fell short of their goals, both opposing teams and coaches
were impressed with their composure, attitude, and teamwork. Well done to the Lady Bulldogs!

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Newsletter | Marist Brothers International School

Marist Brothers International School | Newsletter

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

As introduced in the previous (October) newsletter, the NHS has been working hard on the new project, the “4pillars project”. As in November, several groups have successfully completed their planned projects.
The Character team worked hard and recently completed their mentorship sessions for the students in grades 6
to 8 over a course of several days to help them prepare for upper school.
The service team finished their project, which was to bring the 8th gradestudents to the beach clean up on November 9th with the not only goalof promoting charity, but also creating an opportunity for the 8th gradestudents to get a glimpse of what the MHS looks like and does when theyjoin next year. As for the Leadership and Scholarship team, they are still
continuing on their planning for their projects, which is the leadershipworkshop and the exam preparation workshop.
The MHS has been continuously working hard; at this point inNovember, the MHS is still working on the safe guiding project every
day, with each committee being in charge of each consecutive week.
On November 9th, the MHS had the monthly beach clean up, withthe 8th graders joining in for the NHS Service project. This beachclean up was again successful, and the monthly beach clean up will
always continue to make sure we contribute to the well being of theenvironment.
On November 13th, the MHS leadership members participated in
the Hyogo Red Cross Youth Conference, which was a multi-schoolconference, where we learnt about disaster management. The
conference consisted of fun activities such as making snack pouches
and creating videos of scenarios showing how to communicate withforeigners during disasters
On November 27th, the MHS Fundraising and SEED committee
members participated in the forest conservation activities in the Rokko
mountain. They have picked up trash on the hiking trails and cut down
about 20 trees to let sunlight into the dark part of the forest.
Lastly, the NHS, MAA, and STUCON leadership team has been working with the Admins on the preparation for the Christmas Matsuri
happening on the field on December 16, starting right after the annual house trivia organized by the Student Council. The NHS has decided
that they wanted to add a charity aspect to this event, so we will be donating to the Ukrainian Refugees, as well as the Human Trafficking
Victims in Nepal.

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UPPER SCHOOL STUDENT COUNCIL
Last month, the Upper School Student Council members worked extremely hard in order
to organize new events for both the upper and elementary schools to be able to participate
in. We started with a bang during Cultural Week, asking the upper school students to learn
the dances from different cultures in their homeroom then coming together as a whole andperforming for the MBIS community during the Open house. Upper School students danced
to 11 different dances representing different countries while dressed in their cultural clothing.
In addition to that, Upper School students were able to celebrate Halloween for the first timewith the elementary students. Both elementary and upper school students were asked to dress
up in costumes and were then paired up with a student from another grade. The 12th graders
were walking around the school Trick-or-Treating with young Montessori students, allowing thewhole school to bond with one another.
We ended the month by asking upper school students to color in different Rangoli patterns,
and displayed them around school to celebrate the Indian new year, Diwali, which is also
known as the Festival of Lights. Thank you to all the students who participated in these events,
and we can’t wait to host more events for you!
Maahi ShahStudent Council President
In November, the Upper School Student Council members worked extremely hard to organize events for the upper school students to raiseschool spirit. Celebrating the month of Thanksgiving, the Upper School Student Council organized a Giving Thanks Campaign for the students
to spread gratitude towards other students, parents, teachers, staff members, and their supporters. In this campaign, students were given aleaf-shaped paper to express their gratitude to others, which was then posted on a paper tree as shown in the image. This was tremendously
successful as students were given the chance to think about the people, their environment, and opportunities that they are thankful for.
In addition to that, Upper School students were able to engage in a “Post-Covid” Dance
Party, which has been an essential part of student life for most of the students in thepast. The return of the dance party was a blast with students enjoying the event with theirfriends after the parties’ absence for nearly three years.
The Upper School Student Council would like to thank all the students who participatedand enjoyed these events as well as the teachers and staff members who have madethese events possible! We are more than eager to host many more upcoming events foryou!
Junwon Alex HurStudent Council Vice President

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Newsletter | Marist Brothers International SchoolSpirit Week 2022
December 12th-16th

Pajama Day

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Dress up to chill out! Wear your favorite pajamas to school.

Character Day

Dress as your favorite character from a book, movie, anime, or show.

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Class Theme

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Each class will have its own theme, so check with yourhomeroom teacher about what your class will be doing.

Decades Day

Dress up in your favorite fashions of the past.
60s, 70s, 80s, 90s... Which decade will you choose?!

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Christmas Dress

Dress in Christmas colors/clothes to bring Christmas cheer
for the Jingle Bell Jukebox and Christmas Matsuri!

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MESSAGE FROM THE LIBRARY
Elbert Shitamoto

My connection with libraries began at a very young age. My mother moved from Awajishima to L.A. in the
1960s to marry my father. Whenever my mother went shopping, she would often drop me and my brothers off
at a park located next to a library. Whenever we tired of playing on the playground equipment, my brothers andI would inevitably end up in the library searching the shelves for great books. The interesting thing is that, though I loved public libraries, forsome reason, I rarely visited school libraries. In fact, I don’t even remember what my elementary, junior high, and high school libraries lookedlike.
My first part-time college job was working in Powell Library at UCLA. It was housed in a grand building modeled after the Basilica ofSant'Ambrogio in Milan. However, my main job was shelving books in areas of the library that looked more like a castle dungeon. When theopportunity arose to work in the Biomedical Library, I jumped at the chance. I worked for three years in their bindery preparation department
preparing research journals to be bound. Right before I graduated, the head of the Biomedical Library asked me to work there full-time andsaid they would pay for me to attend graduate school to get a degree in library science. My regrettable reply was along the lines of “No way!
¡Hasta la vista!”
More than a decade later, while working as a second-grade teacher at
Woodcrest Elementary School, I began to reminisce about my days working
in libraries, and I began to wonder what types of jobs were available in
Los Angeles Unified School District’s libraries. That’s when I discovered thewonderful job of teacher librarian. Though I began working in school libraries,
my love for public libraries never ceased, and I continued making weekly
visits with my three children to our local libraries. After working for six years in
middle and high school libraries, I moved with my family to Kobe, my wife’s
hometown, and began working at Marist.

UPCOMING EVENTS - DECEMBER
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Kindergarten Field Trip

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Spirit Week Begins

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Holiday Band Concert

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Montessori Christmas Party

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Jingle Bell Jukebox & Christmas Matsuri

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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Newsletter | Marist Brothers International School

STAFFING UPDATESAs we head towards the Winter holiday season, we would like to update our Marsit community on some staffing changes that will be taking
place in January 2023.

Mayumi Yoshikawa
We regret to inform the Marist community that Mayumi Yoshikawa will be relocating toAustralia with her family in December. Mayumi has served the Marist community since Oct2005 (17th year) in various roles under the position title of Administrative Assistant. For many
years, Mayumi has been the school's Admissions Officer. Over the years, Mayumi has built
strong relationships with every parent, child, staff and faculty member at Marist. She is verymuch a member of the Marsit family and along with her husband (Scott), daughter (Rina) andson (Hyuga) she will be dearly missed. Mayumi will finish her duties at Marist on Friday, 16
December and we wish her every success and happiness as she settles into country life in thehighlands of New South Wales.
We will be taking initial steps towards establishing a Development Office at Marist Brothers International School in 2023. The purpose of theDevelopment Office is to engage in funding initiatives that sees institutional donors, public and private grants, and restricted and unrestrictedfunding contribute to specific capital works projects for the school. The Development Office will also actively strengthen the school's
relationships with the PTA, alumni and corporate companies as we work to improve campus facilities for current and future students.

Mark Pilgrim
We are delighted to announce that Mr. Mark Pilgrim has been appointed as the newDevelopment Officer (part time) from January 2023. Many of you will know Mark, who has
worked at the school for over 17 years. Mark will continue in his teaching role, but will
dedicate two days per week to take on additional responsibilities in this new role. Mark's
education background includes a university degree majoring in Business Management witha minor in Marketing as well as a Bachelor of Education degree. His business backgroundexperience gained prior to entering the teaching field includes working in corporate sales
and being an owner/operator of three small businesses; one of which he won the Federal
Development Bank Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. While with Marist, Mark has
been a leader in the MBIS Saturday School and After School Programs gaining valuable
local business knowledge and experience. This business experience combined with an in-depth understanding of the past and present
Marist culture and community will enable him to contribute significantly to the school's future capital projects. We congratulate Mark on his
appointment and look forward to working with him in this capacity. If you wish to get in touch with Mark to discuss donations and volunteer
opportunities, please email pilgrimm@marist.ac.jp

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The International School recruitment season is very much in full swing, and we are actively working with Search Associates and Schrole toattract the best candidates for our current vacancies. We are thrilled to announce that we have made an early appointment for a new role next
academic year. Ms Miki (Fujiwara) Kobayashi will be joining us as the new Admissions, Communications and Marketing Executive from August2023.

FULL CIRCLE: RETURNING TO MARIST
Miki (Fujiwara) Kobayashi has been an international educator over the past 20+ years
and is currently in her ninth year as an Elementary School teacher and an EAL specialistat Shanghai American School. Prior to her career in education, she worked in sales,planning, and marketing for Japanese companies, Recruit and Noevir, in their Tokyo
and New York offices. Fluent in Japanese and English, she continues to work steadily on
mastering Mandarin.
Miki began her journey as a global citizen in first grade when her family first moved fromJapan to the United States. The challenges she faced as a young Asian girl in Texas who
didn’t speak English allowed her to develop grit as well as empathy toward language
learners. Upon repatriating to Japan, she was excited to enrol at Marist just before fifth
grade, and fondly remembers the integrity and compassion shown by the Brothers who led
the school at that time. She also loved the diversity of the students and faculty and how theMarist community celebrated their differences. The school certainly prepared her to expand
her horizons and challenge herself. She graduated and went on to complete her Bachelor's
degree at UC Berkeley, and later on, Master of Education at Plymouth State University as
well as a PGCE at University of Sunderland.
Miki is a proud mother of two independent daughters who also attended international schools overseas, completing the IBDP, and graduatedfrom colleges in the United States. Resilient, global citizens themselves, they’ve been pursuing their dreams in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and now,San Francisco. A great passion of hers is traveling and photography, taking inspiring images of the world and tasting local foods. While travel
has been limited during the past three years, especially as she encountered extended lockdowns in Shanghai, she looks forward to travelingagain and visiting friends and family next year.
Excited to unite her knowledge of international schools and her business acumen, Miki is proud once again to join the community at Marist.
Coming full circle back to Kobe, her heart’s home, she hopes to reconnect with old friends as well as make new connections and contribute to
the success of the school in her role as the Admissions, Communication, and Marketing Executive from August 2023.

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Newsletter | Marist Brothers International School

MARIST SUPPORTERS
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.
It was that support that enabled us to grow and, after the 1995 earthquake, rebuild. We are forever grateful for these generous contributions offunds, 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 schoolcommunity. 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(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).
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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ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2022-2023
Semester One

August 2022
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September 2022

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

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10 - 14
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World Culture Week
Sports Day

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PSAT Exam(Grades 10 & 11
Pumpkin Festival

24 - 28

Fall BreakFood Fair Holiday

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Spirit Week
Montessori XMAS Party
Christmas Concert

School Holiday

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Early Dismissal:
12:00PMBus leaves: 12:15PM

Jan 9

24

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19

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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Autumnal Equinox(School in Session)

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Quarter 2 Begins

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Culture Day

10

American Math Competition

17-18

Parent Teacher Conferences

21

School Closed
Professional Development

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Day for Teachers (NoSchool for Students)

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Thanksgiving Day - Schoolin Session

January 2023

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19 -

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(School Closed)

12 - 1616

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December 2022
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November 2022

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October 2022
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Winter Break1

New Years Day

9Coming of Age Day

710School Resumes

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17 - 19

End of Semester 1

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Semester 1 Exams(Grades 9-12)

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Marking Day (No Classes

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Start of Semester Two

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Term Starts and Ends

Japanese Public Holiday

Newsletter | Marist Brothers International School

ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2022-2023
Semester Two

February 2023
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March 2023

National Foundation Day
Founders Day Holiday

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Professional Development(No Classes)
Emperor’s Birthday Holiday(School in Session)
MUN Conference

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April 2023
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Food Fair
Good Friday Holiday

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IB Visit

20 - 24
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Spring Equinox

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

Golden Week Holiday

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Constitution Memorial Day

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Grennery Day

5Children’s Day

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NHS Induction Ceremony

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(School Closed)

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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Conferences

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WASC Visit

May 2023

Montessori to Grade 12
13 - 14

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July 2023

2

MAA BBQ

12 - 14Upper School Final Exams

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Montessori Graduation
Elementary Awards and143

Closing Ceremony
End of Second Semester(Dismissal at 12pm)

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Summer School Begins

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Academic Awards
Ceremony

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Summer School Ends

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Marine Day

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School Holiday

Marist Brothers International School | Newsletter

Term Starts and Ends

Japanese Public Holiday

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24

Newsletter | Marist Brothers International School