MONTHLY
NEWSLETTEROUR MOTTO
MOTIVATE
Learning is a life-long journey

FEBRUARY
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

BELIEVE

programs that aim to prepare students for life’s opportunities.

Together we can change the world

VISIONINSPIREWe are a school where exceptional personal character and strong

Follow our lead as we pursue our dreams

relationships provide opportunities to excel in our areas of interest
and affect change in our local and global communities. We are aschool where personal, social, and emotional support help build

SUCCEED
From Japan to the rest of the world

global perspectives. We are a school that embraces diversity,
encourages leadership, and respects the values and unifying
traditions of the Marist Brothers.

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND TRUSTEESMBIS Board of Directors and Trustees have had a busy few months of committee and extraordinary meetings to focus on the completion andapproval of the Strategic Plan 2022 - 2027 and the next stages of the Campus Redevelopment Plans. The approval of our revised Guiding
Statements sees us well placed as a values driven organization committed to excellence, partnerships, innovation, and care.
Our work with Jones Lang La Salle Project and Development Services (JLL) has progressed well and we are pleased to move the project
forward where we are committed to finalizing the Campus Master Plan including the project budget and selecting the architect and generalcontractor for the project.

MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

We have recently approved additional technology expenditure to ensure that students in the Lower School and Specialist Faculty have access

Shawn Hutchinson

to devices that support teaching and learning. We understand the importance and value of the use of technology and have acknowledged that
our technology resources in the Lower School require an injection of funding. This ensures that students from grades 1 - 5 have access to 1:1
devices and students in our early learning environment also have access to digital technology.

M

arist Brothers International School (MBIS) is a proud international school in Japan, an accredited member of the Western Association of
Schools and Colleges (WASC), and an authorized International Baccalaureate World School. The high standards to which our school

measures itself against are outlined in our Guiding Statements. The Guiding Statements are a ‘living and breathing’ document, defining thedirection of our school and are used to guide our decision making at all levels.

We have also approved the proposed IB PYP and MYP candidacy and implementation timeline in order to work towards implementing theframeworks of the IB PYP and IB MYP for a full IB continuum of learning. The IB continuum ensures an emphasis on Inquiry, Content, Skills,
and Concepts and Formative and Summative Assessment and Assessment Criteria. The curriculum continuum prepares students for success in
the IBDP.

Included within our Guiding Statements, are the Marist Brothers International School Vision, Mission, Values, Philosophy, Marist Expectations,and Motto. The MBIS Values of Excellence, Partnerships, Innovation and Care are embedded into our school through our approach tocurriculum and the interactions with the members of our community. We value the role that our school plays within the community andunderstand the importance of connecting with our faculty, staff, students, alumni and parents in a deep and meaningful way, ensuring
everyone within our school feels a sense of value and belonging.

August 2023 submit application for PYP/MYP Candidacy
Sept 2023 – Year 1 candidacy begins
July 2024 – End of consultancy report received by school
Continue mandatory 1 academic year of trial teaching period

Through deliberate and congruent words and actions, MBIS embodies every aspect of our Guiding Statements. By doing so, we ensure weremain a pillar of the local and international community, a high performing school, and an example of the excellent standards that can beattained by an independent, non profit institution.

August 2024 – Year 2 candidacy begins
March 2025 – Application for Authorization submission

As an entire school community, we move forward with our revised and approved guiding statements:
MissionWe 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 theworld 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 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.
ValuesEXCELLENCE: Make excellence and quality a part of each day and seek continuous improvement in all that we do.
PARTNERSHIPS: Build sustainable and meaningful partnerships, embrace diversity, and connect with the community.
INNOVATION: Seek innovative and creative approaches to problem-solving.
CARE: Be a person of good character who is responsible, respectful, reflective, and acts to make the world a better place.

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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

Our school community has dedicated this month to focusing on the Marist Expectation of Caring. The Grade
Focussing on the pillar of Academic Excellence, this month we recognized students for their outstanding
academic achievements, awarding First and Second Honors certificates. Students who met the specific criteria received the awards at
assembly on 17 February. A total of 57 students received First or Second Honors certificates, a remarkable effort. Congratulations to not only
those students, but to all students who performed to their potential during Semester 1.

1 teachers have gone the extra mile by initiating a "Caring Week" to encourage students to participate in actsof kindness towards one another, as well as teachers and parents in our community. They even created a Caring is Love shirt designed by astudent’s father. More details about their project can be found later in this newsletter.
Developing attitudes of international mindedness, compassion, and common humanity is a crucial aspect of an international education, which
is not limited to the month of February but is a lifelong skill that should be fostered and cultivated.
To promote this, here are some activities that can be tried at home:•

Encouraging students to learn about other cultures, traditions, and practices. This can be done through books, movies, documentaries,
or even by visiting cultural events and exhibitions.

•Brainstorming ways for your family to assist others in the community or on a larger scale.

•

Encouraging students to actively participate in the "shared guardianship of our planet" by being mindful of our planet, which includes
reducing, reusing, and recycling.

•

Reading books that emphasize the importance of caring together as a family.

•

A simple smile can also go a long way.

Some recommended titles include:"Lily's Purple Plastic Purse" by Kevin Henkes"The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein"Yertle the Turtle" by Dr. Seuss
"The Grouchy Ladybug" by Eric Carle.
For more information on this topic, you can also refer to this link.

Beyond the classroom, students are provided with a number of experiences that help build a well rounded person. After a hiatus of 3
years, students traveled to the Hachikougen ski fields for a day of skiing. For a number of students, this was the first time that they had theopportunity to experience the challenging physical skill of skiing. It was great to see the smiling faces amongst the very cold conditions andstudents persevering to learn the new skill. Everyone enjoyed the day and most importantly, came home safely. Thank you to Mrs. Neill and
Ms. Abe for their support in organizing the trip.

Finally, we wish the Senior class well as they undertake their mock examinations in preparation for the IB DP examinations which begin 27
April.

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5MESSAGE FROM THE IBDP COORDINATOR
Gunseli Yuksel

connections within
and between subjects

At the heart of International Baccalaureate (IB) education is developing young people to create a more peacefulworld. The IB world schools around the world design their programmes to provide their students with tools totransdiciplinary
subjects

engage in local and global contexts, attain skills and dispositions to develop intercultural understanding, andbecome responsible lifelong learners.

connections to priorknowledge

connecting knowledge (TOK)
IB curriculum

real life connections(CAS, TOK)IB programmes achieve their aims through a curriculum framework that is broad, balanced, conceptual, and connected.

collaborative planning

CONNECTED

concurrency of learning
PYP: transdisciplinary
subjects

technology

curriculum framework flexiible learning
environments

relevant context
authentic
performances

inquiry
DP: 6 groups
employability skills
independent learninglearning in andoutside the classroom

interdisciplinary
subjects

diversity anddifferentiation

BROAD ANDBALANCED

MYP:8 subjects
experiential
learning
extendedlearning
collaborative
learning

LEARNING IN THE UPPER SCHOOL
The mathematics department would like to thank all upper school students and teachers for their cooperation in facilitating the American
Mathematics Competition (AMC). Grades 9 - 12 sat the AMC10 and AMC12 on November 10 and grades 7 and 8 sat the AMC8 on January
12. The results have been received and although no one made it through to the AIME round (American Invitational Mathematics Examination),concept-based inquiry

Marist students put up an exceptional performance and we look forward to recognising our high achievers at an assembly in the near future.

"big idea"
Form; Function;
Causation;
Change;Connection;
Perspective,
Responsibility

perspectives
higher-level thinking
transformation, culture,
identity, reflection

CONCEPTUAL
transfering knowledge
local and global contexts
enduring understanding

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Grade 7 Science: Identifying Minerals with a Canadian Geologist

Grade 11 Biology: Making Mesocosms

This month the grade 7s have been learning about different types of rocks and how we date them to better understand the history of the Earth.

This month, the grade 11 Biology students have been learning about ecology and the cycling of matter through an ecosystem. To model this,To explore this further, they had the opportunity to work with a Canadian Geologist, Ms. Noelle Lin, where she led them through an activity toeach student researched and prepared materials to create their own self sustaining ecosystems: a mesocosm. Students collected wild samples

identify minerals based on their physical properties.

of moss, small plants, soil, and sand from a local park and Suma beach. Over the next 6-8 weeks they will continue to collect data on how their
mesocosms sustain the plants in this closed system!

Students looked at luster (shininess), Moh’s hardness scale and used the streak test to help them categorize different mineral samples. The
students had fun learning about new minerals and also were excited to meet a real geologist. They thought she rocked!

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Marist Brothers International School | Newsletter

9Grade 11 - DP English A and Visual Arts Field Trip
As part of our DP English A curriculum, we studied non-literary texts,

MESSAGE FROM EARLY YEARS
Tina Mathers & Teighyn Austin

which has allowed us the opportunity to examine texts both within
and beyond the walls of the classroom. This year, we attended the
Andy Warhol exhibition held in Kyoto, from which students were able
to draw upon a wide array of "texts" for their official assessments.
Students explored how Warhol conveyed different global issues
through a plethora of authorial choices. Moreover, the excursion
provided an opportunity for students to experience one of the manymuseums situated in the Kansai region. We trust that the experience
has left the students to be more inquisitive and motivated to explore
our local art scene and to continue examining the world around them

As part of our theme to inquire into the interconnectedness of human-made systems
and communities, the kindergarten students were given a chance to become little
scientists. We have had so much fun in Kindergarten learning all about Community
Helpers and as our theme came to an end, we were lucky enough to visit the science
department where the grade 7 students had prepared different science experiments for the Kindercats to observe and participate in.
The Grade 7’s worked so hard preparing and practicing their experiments as well as teaching the kindergarten students all about safety in ascience lab. They did a wonderful job and we thank them very much.

using the diverse modes through which our society communicates.

We were very happy to welcome families to our Elementary Assembly Performance on 24th February. Thank you so much for your support ofthe very youngest children in our school. The children worked very hard to prepare three songs - The Hello Song, Gu Cho Ki Pa and Oni no
Pants. We are especially grateful to Nobuko Sensei for her choice of Japanese songs which help instill values of love, kindness and strength.
What a wonderful performance!

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MESSAGE FROM GRADE 1
Mrs. Ito & Mrs. Yoon

Spreading Kindness at Marist and in our Community
In Grade 1 we foster “Caring”, one of Marist’s Core Values.
We have been encouraging our students to show care andcompassion for one another, by practicing random acts ofkindness. When a child is recognized by a teacher for his/her
act of kindness, they receive a small bear called a “Care Bear"

Grade 1 giving the caring jar to Grade 2

Grade 1 and Grade 2 happy together with the messages

pinned on their uniform. The student proudly wears the “CareBear” for the rest of the day to show others that they are caring.
When someone asks them why they are wearing the bear, they are happy to explain their act of kindness.
Mrs. Yoon and I decided to build upon this idea even further to spread kindness, care, and compassion throughout Marist and our community.
We decided to design our own special Grade 1 T-shirt with a picture of our “Care Bear'' on the front wearing the Marist uniform, and theMarist Expectation for “Caring” clearly stated on the back. We wanted our T-shirt to be professionally done and we were very fortunate toreceive help from Nina Sakoda’s father, Masa Sakoda. With his supportand effort, our dream to make the “Care Bear'' T-shirts became a reality.
All of the Grade 1 students are very excited to wear their “Care Bear”
T-shirts as they perform acts of kindness throughout the rest of the school
year. Grade 1 decided to make February 15-17 a week of “Caring” here
at Marist, because the Marist Expectation for the month of February is“Caring”.
During “Caring” week some of the activities we participated in included

Arya with Ms. Inada

Nadia with Mr. Hutchinson

Grade 1 students writing the caring messages

Teji, Hitonori, Taishin and Daichi showing

Yuka, Yoshitoki, Teji and Daichi with

Rina and Alex sharing hot chocolate

their God’s Eye crafts

Keiko-san and the cafeteria staff

with the kindergarteners

a “Caring” jar. Together with the room parents the Grade 1 students
decorated a BIG jar, and filled it with caring messages. The “Caring”
jar was delivered to the Grade 2 class. Each of the Grade 2 students
were invited to take a caring message from the jar and receive a special
kindness message from a friend in Grade 1. The first graders also

Manvi (left) and Arya with Grade 1 Care Bearcreated caring messages to give to their parents as well.
The Grade 1 students made a video of themselves singing a song about“Caring”. They all learned the words and actions to the song, and had
a lot of fun making the video. The “Caring” song was a great way topromote caring and instill the lifelong value of caring for others.
Click here to watch the video!!!
The first graders also wrote caring letters and made a craft called God’s

On the last day of “Caring” week, the Grade 1 students served free hot chocolate to Marist elementary and upper school students!!! They

Eyes to show their appreciation for Marist teachers and staff that havepersonally greeted each student by saying the words “Sharing is Love”, as they gave free hot chocolate to over 400 students, teachers, andhelped them this year. Each child worked very hard writing letters using

staff members!!! We also had a lot of visitors from Kyoto International School, KOBILS and Deutsche Schule Kobe for the futsal tournament.

kind and caring words. They wrote their letters on specially designed

The students from the visiting schools were very impressed with our caring and compassion here at Marist! It was a very special day for all!!!

“Caring” stationery. The children enjoyed learning how to make God’s
Eyes, and they also learned the act of giving. The first graders delivered

Nina with her brand new Care Bear T-shirt

the letters and the God’s Eyes in person, thanking the teachers and staff

and Aily with Alisha wearing Care Bear T-shirts

Our Grade 1 students will continue to practice acts of Kindness and Caring and set great examples at Marist and in the community, while
promoting the Marist core value of “Caring”. Go Marist Grade 1 Care Bears!!!

members personally for their kindness.

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MESSAGE FROM GRADE 2
Julie Sugiuchi

Grade Two Meets a Real Author and Illustrator!
This month, every Grade Two student became a published writer! We learned
about the writing process and worked hard to revise and edit our drafts. We
used our best handwriting to copy our finished drafts and illustrate our work.
We had a publishing celebration where students volunteered to come up andread from their pieces. All of our finished work can be found in our brandnew class library, where we can read our friend’s pieces and write kindcomments for them about their writing.

Mrs. Ito, Mrs. Hanamura, and Mrs. Yoon in their

Tory and Aily serving Mr. Inoue

To celebrate becoming published writers, Ms Sugiuchi invited her friend

Grade 1 kids in Montessori

Rebecca Green to visit the class. Rebecca Green is a famous author andCare Bear T-shirts

illustrator of children’s books. She used to live in Osaka, and has been
friends with Ms Sugiuchi for a number of years. Rebecca Green’s mostacclaimed book, How to Make Friends with a Ghost, has been translated intoa host of languages and the Jim Henson Company recently acquired the rights
to produce a stop-motion animation of her work. Grade Two was very excitedabout the idea of meeting a famous writer and illustrator, especially since a
number of her books are available to borrow at the MBIS library.
Two students volunteered to give a short speech for Rebecca Green,
welcoming her to the class. Other students got to speak to the author, asking
questions about writing and illustrating, and giving opinions on some of her
books. We learned that Rebecca Green started making books in elementary
school, just like us! She showed us a book that she wrote and illustrated when
she was only seven years old - she kept it all throughout the years! We got achance to show her some of the books we wrote, as well. It was very inspiring
to meet a famous writer and illustrator. Who knows - maybe one day, a bookthat one of us writes will be available in libraries all around the world!

Grade Two gets a chance to show their newly publishedwork to Rebecca GreenAll of the Grade 1 students with Mrs. Ito and Mrs. Yoon after a week of Caring activities

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MESSAGE FROM GRADE 3
Annabelle Staack

Grade 3 Recipe: Easy Banana BreadA delicious smell wafted across classrooms and hallways sending every bread-loving person in Marist to olfactory heaven, all thanks to ourGrade 3 master chefs’ Easy Banana Bread recipe. In this cross-curricular themed activity, our students were able to apply their knowledge ofmeasurement in weight, volume, and temperature. They also observed and discussed yeast, a common ingredient in baking, as an actual living
single-cell organism which needs food, warmth, and moisture to thrive. Engaged and motivated by the prospect of eating their final product,
they worked collaboratively to follow multi-step directions and demonstrated the proper way to knead to get the dough soft and ready for theoven. To culminate the affair, our third graders wrote drafts of the steps using recorded videos of themselves demonstrating each part of theprocess. Shown below is the draft of Sungah Lee’s own take of the recipe. In the coming weeks, our master chefs will attempt to be masterauthors by turning their drafts into How-To essays and publishing a mini-cookbook with all the recipes they tried this semester.

They have each other’s back! Our third graders wrote
positive character traits to describe their peers.

Character Traits Train Right on Track!
“Chug..chug..chug!” was the sound that made learning character traits in Grade 3 class a rail-ly fun activity. In preparation to write a milelong descriptive essay, our little explorers linked themselves to describe the physical and personality traits of their friends. They wrote positive
adjectives, the best ones that perfectly fit their peers, to highlight what makes each one of them truly unique and special. Afterwards, our third
graders went on board to read passages about characters and determine the traits being described. The most exciting part of the activity was
when they had to identify all 24 traits in the passages within a time limit. Keigo Moriishi couldn’t help express-ing his excitement with little
squeals. To end the activity, the third graders applied their fluency skill in reading the passages like a bullet train. Ryota Nakashima, Riona
Okamoto, and Seitaro Yagi topped the record at 21 seconds reading a 50-word passage! What a freight way to end the day!

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MARIST ALUMNI ASSOCIATION UPDATEROKKO WOMEN’S HOUSE

Supporting Women in Need - Jennifer Uchida (Class of 2001)

Recently, Mr. Hutchinson (Head of School) and Mr. Pilgrim (Development Officer) had the opportunity to welcome Executive Committee
Members of the Marist Alumni Association (Mr. Kumar Chugani, Mr. Vinod Daswani, Mr Gary Smith and Mr. Spyridon Mentzas) back to thecampus. Current Marist students provided a guided tour of the campus and the opportunity for Marist Alumni to talk to students and faculty
was warmly received.

Introduction
First of all, I want to offer my deepest thanks to Mr. Hutchinson and the Newsletter team for allowing me this opportunity to share my story

The Marist Alumni Association was officially formed in 2001 with the approval of Sister Mary, HOS and the Executive Committee Members

here more than 20 years after graduating from Marist.

(Mr. Kumar Chugani, Mr. Vinod Daswani, Mr Gary Smith and Mr. Spyridon Mentzas and Mr. Ken Duer) have been instrumental in organizing
reunion events along with regular informal social gatherings.
2000 Reunion by the Class of 1979 at Gaylords Indian Restaurant
2001 50th Anniversary Reunion at the Portopia Hotel2005 Reunion at Charlies Bar
2010 Reunion 10-10-10 at the Kobe Club
2016 Reunion at Estacion Kobe
Moving forward, the school will be working in partnership with the Marist Alumni Association and providing the necessary support to ensurethat alumni activities and initiatives are supported. Mr. Mark Pilgrim (pilgrimm@marist.ac.jp) will be the main point of contact for alumni
members to get in touch with the school and will be creating an Alumni Directory to ensure that we have up to date contact details of all Marist
Alumni members. If you haven't connected with the alumni via The Official MBIS Alumni Kobe Japan Facebook page or the Marist Brothers
International School Linkedin page then please get in touch with Mr. Pilgrim with your full name, graduation class, and contact details.
On Saturday, 1 April, the Marist Food Fair returns and all Marist Alumni Association members are warmly invited to attend. Upon arrival,

Project Overview

please be sure to visit the Alumni/VIP Booth at the South entrance where you can register and receive complimentary Food Fair tickets! We
This article talks about an ongoing housing welfare project in the Rokko area of Kobe thatlook forward to seeing our alumni members back on campus!

I am involved in. I volunteer at a non-profit organization called Women’s Net Kobe thatmainly supports victims of gender-based domestic abuse, and we are building an affordable
apartment complex that will be capable of housing 40 women and their children who facesocio-economic issues such as poverty, violence and social isolation. It will not only beaffordable but come with various assistance such as employment support, childcare, foodsupport, social work and counseling. Its aim is to fully assist the tenants to recover, beempowered and get ready for their next step towards self-reliance. We plan to start accepting
tenants from spring 2024.
Self-introduction
Before getting into the background and giving more details on the project, let me introduce myself. After spending my high school years
at Marist, I went on to a university in Kyoto to study law. I worked for ten or so years in the intellectual property industry as a paralegal andtranslator, but 5 years ago, I made a big career change to do what I had really wanted to do. Now I work as a nursery teacher (hoikushi)
specializing in the education and support of challenged children.
My other interest is in foster care. Depending on the type of institution 38.4 to 78.1% of children in foster care have experienced some sort ofabuse. The risk of abuse is heavily dependent on the socio-economic situation of their parents or caretakers, obviously including their mothers,
although the actual abuser could be somebody other than the mother. Supporting the mothers in socio-economic struggle by providing
adequate housing with other social support is one important way to reduce the risk of child abuse, and this is what the project aims to do.
Going back to my Marist years, I loved history, social studies (especially MUN), sociology and literature. I was excited to learn about thedifferent events and issues in the world, past and current, and how human beings behaved in those circumstances. I tried to tie the dots ofthese different phenomena to find common themes and recurring patterns, which was so enlightening. I also had a chance to get involvedin volunteer activities such as Habitat for Humanity. I strongly believe that all these experiences at Marist built the foundation of my life-longinterest and involvement in child welfare and other social issues.

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Why housing support matters; In the case of single mothers in Japan

This is not because the mothers are largely unemployed. Most single mothers are hard working. The employment rate of single mothers
in Japan is 81.8%, the top in all OECD nations (OECD average 70.6%). They work a lot, but the issue is that their pay is low. The average

The project will accept such women as:

employment income only comes to ¥2,311,000 per year (compared with ¥6,467,000 for all households with children). Why the low pay? The
main reason is that a majority of single mothers work only part-time (or under non-regular contracts), mainly because it is extremely difficult for•

Domestic abuse victims (female)•single mothers and their children•

domestic/international female students with economic difficulties (mainly due to the pandemic)•

young women without a safe place at home•young women without adequate housing after leaving foster carethem to work full-time and take care of their children at the same time. The average yearly income of part-time working mothers is less than halfof that of full-time working mothers.
*Note: Only a quarter of all single-mothers receive child support payment from the father.
Source:OECD figures: OECD Family Database www.oecd.org/els/family/database.htm

We expect that the biggest group will be single mothers and their children, so here, I will briefly explain the situation of single motherhouseholds in Japan and why they need housing support.

JP figures: Comprehensive survey of living conditions (2019), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/k-tyosa/k-tyosa19/index.html

Importance of Housing Support

Situation of Single Mother Households in Japan

In supporting anybody with socioeconomic difficulties, finding clean, safe, healthy, and culturally appropriate housing is important. An
adequate place to live greatly helps them to recover, and motivates them to start a new, more self-reliant life. Also, children are hit the hardest
by poor living conditions. So better housing improves their mental and physical wellbeing, education etc., and reduces the risk of child abuse.
However, it is difficult for single mothers and other women needing support to find such housing for the following reasons; Rent in cities is toohigh to pay, real-estate agents are generally reluctant to lease rooms without sufficient income or savings, and many housing contracts requirea guarantor, which many women coming from difficult/poor backgrounds cannot find. As a result, many end up in a cheap but poor living
environment, for example, small old single-room apartments, filthy rooms with no sunlight, or rooms not meeting fire or earthquake standards,
etc. In short, they are in a very weak position housing wise.
Against this background, the leader of Women’s Net Kobe made a determination to launch a housing project to provide women with a place
to live where they would wish to live, not where they have no choice but to live. She visited such housing projects in Denmark and one of themhad such spaces as a sunlit common room, a kids’ room and counselling rooms.
The following are images of the floor plan of Rokko Women’s House. We believe that a comfortable, bright and open environment will help
the women have a positive mindset about their life and encourage them to make a step forward.
Regarding housing complexes for socioeconomically struggling mothers and children, there are no other examples in Japan of such a large
scale as this one, and we hope to spread similar initiatives in other parts of Japan, involving local governments and businesses.
There are 1,232,000 single mother households in Japan, and the number has grown by 150% in the past 30 years. (We must not forget there
are also 187,000 single father households.) Shockingly the relative poverty rate of single parent households in Japan is 50.8%, making it thesecond bottom in all OECD nations. (OECD average 31.0%). The average yearly income of single mother households in Japan is less than halfof the average of all households with children.

Project Details
To close, I would like to give you some basic information on the project itself. We are still working on the exact details on rent, and who
will actually be eligible to apply, etc., but as of February 1st, we are at the stage of selecting the contractor for the renovation work, while
fundraising efforts are ongoing. I hope very much that my talk today has given you some insight into the problem that many women face inJapan and what Women’s Net Kobe is trying to do to solve these problems. Thank you very much for your interest.

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Project Outline

Main features

Name: Rokko Women’s House
Location: Rokko area, Nada-ward, Kobe
Steering organizations: Women’s Net Kobe, Kobe Student Youth Center
Building: an old staff dormitory offered for use by Co-op Kobe
Capacity: 40 rooms
Operation to start in spring 2024•

Affordable rent•

Guarantor not necessary•

Safe, healthy, comfortable rooms with privacy•

Common rooms enhancing mutual support of tenants•

Open to the local community (just by chance, the place where I grew up and still live!)•

Making use of a building that has a supermarket, clinic and police box

Assistance services•

employment support•

childcare•food support•social work•

counseling

BudgetRenovation cost ¥198,000,000*120 million yen funded by national subsidy, 78 million yen by the two organizations*Women’s Net plans to raise more than 50 million yen for renovation work + decoration work + management costs.
*Extensive renovation work is need.
How to Help•

Discuss the issue at school and at home - most important as students!

•

Spread information on SNS•

Hands-on volunteer work - we plan to have DIY and other volunteer events•

Donate money/items such a home appliances and furniture

Project Website (Japanese)
https://wn-kobe.or.jp/womens-house/

Youtube Videos (switch on subtitle for English subtitle)
Project Website

1. Message from Women’s Net Kobe
https://youtu.be/ktFXAi3GMxk

2. The building
https://youtu.be/3fMZH00yWHk

Message from Women's Net Kobe

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Marist Brothers International School | Newsletter

Building Video

23

MESSAGE FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR & MAA

MESSAGE FROM THE MHS / NHS

Our little school has always been known for its resilience, particularly that of our staff and students, who strive to

National Honor Society (NHS)

Junya Kobo

Mio Ranni

make the best of what we have. This 3rd season has always been a struggle for our sports teams due to a limited
facility to practice soccer with a field smaller than a third of a regulation soccer pitch, however this has neverAfter successfully completing the "4 pillars project" earlier in the year, the National Honor Society (NHS)

stopped our teams from staying competitive within the league. As usual, this has been a fruitful season, with many trophies already won andstudents have now embarked on a new project called the "reflection project." As part of this project, NHS

many more yet to come.

candidates go to the morning homerooms of Upper School and deliver a reflection speech on how they have grown as a person after being in
the NHS for half a school year and working on the 4 pillars project.

Recently, our middle school boys placed third at the Saber Invitational Futsal Tournament hosted by Osaka International School, among a
number of very strong teams. We are also delighted to announce that one of our Marist players, Gautham Kumar, received the Golden Boot

We are thrilled to see our NHS students taking initiative in sharing their experiences and inspiring others to grow and achieve more. We

Award for the tournament's best player.

believe that this project is a great opportunity for our Upper School students to hear from their peers about the positive impact that the NHS
can have on personal growth and development.

The following week, our high school boys also participated in the Saber Invitational Futsal Tournament, finishing in second place among eightteams in the A division and third place in the B division. Once again we are proud to announce that a Marist player won the Golden Boot

We are also excited to announce that our NHS students will be hosting an orientation for students who would like to join the organization forAward. Congratulations to Rui Shimono for this fantastic achievement!

the upcoming school year. The orientation will take place on March 1 and is open to all students from Grade 9 to 11. During the orientation,
the NHS executive officers will present about the mission and four pillars of the NHS, as well as share some of their own leadership

Our sports council hosted the Bulldog Invitational Futsal Tournament, where our high school girls took home the 3rd place trophy in the Aexperiences. This is a great opportunity for students who are interested in joining the NHS to learn more about the organization and thedivision and finished in 1st place in the B division. The MVPs for this tournament were Sakurako Yamamoto, Marisa Yamamoto, and Michelle

benefits of membership.

Ranni.
Thank you to our NHS executive officers and members for their commitment to promoting scholarship, leadership, character, and service.
The middle school girls' basketball team has also had a successful season so far, winning most of their games and losing only one game by abasket. They continue to train hard in preparation for their upcoming tournament.

Marist Brothers Honor Society (MHS)

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the members of the Marist Athletic Association, who generously give up their time on the

There are some exciting activities that the Marist Brothers Honor Society (MHS) has been up to in the month of February. One of the projects

weekends to manage our athletic events and continue to provide excellent service and hospitality for our visiting teams.

that the MHS students have been working on is the "after school cleaning project." Starting from the last week of February, our Grade 9 to 12
students have been cleaning the desks inside classrooms to promote a clean learning environment and service spirit. This project demonstrates

Congratulations to all of our coaches and teams on their outstanding achievements so far, and we wish them the best of luck in their respective

our students' commitment to taking care of their school and creating a welcoming atmosphere for everyone.

end-of-season tournaments. We are proud of their dedication and sportsmanship, which reflects the values we instill in our students.

In addition to the cleaning project, MHS students have also been busy training themselves for CPR. They invited two Red Cross staff memberson three separate occasions to provide training, as they are eager to prepare themselves to save lives. This initiative shows our students'
dedication to their own personal growth and development, as well as their desire to serve others. students from Grade 9 to 12 became
ambassadors and gave school tours to prospective students and families during the Open House day. These students displayed confidence
and pride in representing our school, and they were able to share their positive perspectives on what makes our school such a great place tolearn and grow.
We are extremely proud of the MHS students and their dedication to serving our community. Their hard work and commitment to service andleadership are an inspiration to us all.

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FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 70 YEARS,THE MBIS MARIST TENNIS CLUB HAS BEGUN!
The first ever official Marist Tennis Club has been started at Marist! It’s a great celebration for the school and all of us. We are all very excitedfor our new journey at the tennis club! We play tennis every Friday after school at Shioya Country Club which has great facilities including
Hybrid Turf tennis courts, outdoor swimming pool and restaurants. Having such a comfortable and great environment helps our students enjoy

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

learning and playing tennis even more!
Coaches

The After School Activities Program offers a range of enrichment activities for Marist students. Spaces are still available for some activities inBlock #2. Please visit our website to register: https://marist.ac.jp/activities

The Marist Tennis Club is coordinated by Mrs. Yoon, who is a big tennis lover. We are offering professional coaching lessons from Hyogo
prefecture representative tennis player, coach Kawaguchi with support by Mrs. Kuhl & Mrs. Yoon.

Students from the Marist Theatre Guild rehearsing a scene from the “Greatest Showman”

Mrs. Yoon

Mrs. Kuhl

Ms. Kawaguchi

Students
We are a group of students from Grade 1 to Grade 6 with various tennis levels. Some students came to learn tennis for the first time with us,
some students have taken tennis lessons for a year or two, and a couple of students want to be professional tennis players! We are so proud tobe able to support all the students with different ages and different levels.

Students from the Science Club engaged in ‘hands on’ science experiments

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The goal of Marist Tennis Club is to connect the students in different grades and strengthen the school community through the love of tennis!
Also as our Marist mission, in the Marist Tennis Club, we focus on our students gaining knowledge, communicating effectively, developing
good character and becoming responsible citizens of a global society with our core values such as caring! We believe that we are helping toprepare them to be responsible, confident and caring citizens in the world!
Marist Tennis Club offers professional tennis lessons on the tennis court, along with other tennis fitness training including strength andconditioning exercises to develop aerobic and anaerobic capacity, strength, flexibility and speed.

Benefits of tennis
Tennis is a great sport that teaches our students not only athletic skills, but the value of teamwork. It also helps them build self-confidence andself-esteem. Our students will make friendships that will last a lifetime! It’s a great opportunity for Grade 1-6 students to get to know different
grade level students as a part of the Marist family. The mental and physical benefits of tennis for children are immense. Playing tennis in school
will not only improve a child’s fitness but helps pupil to improve their reaction speed and be more alert. This improves their overall well-being
and academic focus in the classroom!
For those who would like to join Marist Tennis ClubAs the club reached the maximum enrollment very quickly, a lot of students couldn’t join the Marist Tennis Club. We will work on increasing
the maximum number to accept some more students in the future. We will let you know when there are some available spots!! Thank you foryour interest and support. We will grow together and make great memories together as one Marist family!

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MESSAGE FROM THE LIBRARY

STAFFING UPDATESElbert Shitamoto

Hulya Park Appointed
Guidance Counselor

Parents and Guardians, did you know that you can check out library books for your families and yourselves?

Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, Mrs Hulya Park first came to

Mr. Caldwell and I will create parent/guardian accounts for any parents/guardians interested in checking out books for their children, family

Japan as an exchange student and immediately decided this wasmembers, and/or themselves. Please be sure to visit the library and/or email me at shitamotoe@marist.ac.jp to sign-up for an account. Please

where she wanted to live. After completing her BA in English

include your name, children’s names, and contact information (phone #s and email addresses) in your request.

Language Teaching, she completed a Masters in International Higher
Education at Hiroshima University as a MEXT Scholar.

To search our library catalog, please visit https://mbislibrary.follettdestiny.com. The link for the MBIS Library Catalog can also be found in
My Portal in the MBIS website. In addition to print media, the library also shares an eLibrary collection with ten international schools andHulya has lived and worked in the Republic of Korea and is currently

subscribes to several online subscription databases. We recommend using these digital resources to help your children with their reading/working at Nagoya University as the International Admissions

studies and also for your own personal reading/studies. If you would like to sign up for access to these digital resources, please email Mr.

Coordinator. She speaks English, Japanese, Korean and Turkish, is

Shitamoto at shitamotoe@marist.ac.jp.

a member of the International Association for College Admission
Counseling and CIS, and a member of the Japan University

We look forward to providing you with library services!

Consortium. She has also received awards as a national volleyball
player.
Hulya is married to Inchun and they have two children. Their2-year-old son, Koru, enjoys his days at the kindergarten and theirdaughter, Duru, is excited to make new friends at Marist MontessoriChildren’s House. Hulya and her family are excited to join the Marist
community.

The MBIS Library Catalog Homepage

Ms Taeko Sakurai Appointed
Whole School Counselor
We are delighted to announce that Ms. Taeko Sakurai has been
appointed the Whole School Counselor to join our school from 1 May
2023. Taeko was born in Tokyo, Japan. She moved to Australia when
her family was posted overseas and lived in Melbourne for nearly 40
years. After working as an international student advisor at Swinburne
University of Technology in Melbourne, Taeko became a registeredpsychologist in Australia. She is also qualified as a certified trainer

The MBIS Library Catalog

with the International Focusing Institute in the USA.
Taeko has over 20 years of experience in counselling various ages
and ethnicities on a wide range of issues. Her work has involved
providing well-being workshops for the Japanese community inAustralia, case management of international students with academic
and social challenges, and crisis intervention programs. She isparticularly interested in cross-cultural adjustments, such as identity
issues and anxiety about living away from one's home country, as she
has experienced this herself.
Taeko raised two sons in Australia. Her older son Kiyoshi is currently
working as a physiotherapist in Melbourne. Her younger son Kei just

The MBIS eLibrary:graduated from high school last December and will start his studies
at the University of Melbourne this year. Taeko is looking forward tocontributing her experience to this beautiful Marist community.

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UPCOMING EVENTS
As part of the IB Visual Art course, the Visual Art students will be participating in a group student exhibition to showcase the work created forthis IB DP assessment component. They will be setting up and preparing for their opening reception at the Flore Artist Gallery, located near
the Kitano area, at 1-7-9 Yamamotodori, Chuo Ward, Kobe, on March 3, 2023.
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) Visual Arts Exhibition is a critical component of the visual arts assessment. It
allows the students to showcase their artistic talents by curating an exhibition that is both unique and personal to them. The exhibition design
will be tailored to the gallery space, providing an opportunity for the students to demonstrate their understanding of how artwork can bepresented to create a specific effect or mood. This will involve hanging artwork and arranging the space in a way that highlights the uniquequalities of each piece. This hands-on experience will help students develop important skills in project management and exhibition design,
which can be invaluable in a range of future careers and pursuits.
This event celebrates the hard work and dedication that the students have put forth over the past two years. Each student has spent countlesshours exploring and experimenting with a wide range of art-making techniques and materials, creating truly unique and compelling artworks.
On the evening of Friday, March 3, the Visual Arts students will host an opening reception from 4:30-7:00 PM at the Flore Artist Gallery. There
will be light refreshments and a lovely evening with our eight IB DP Visual Arts Students. This exhibition is not only a celebration of art, butof their creativity, passion, and hard work. This year’s opening reception event is open to the Marist community as well as the general public.
The exhibition will also be open to the public over the weekend, providing an excellent opportunity for art enthusiasts, friends, and family tointeract with the artwork.

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MARIST SUPPORTERS

ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2022-2023
Semester Two

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.

February 2023

It was that support that enabled us to grow and, after the 1995 earthquake, rebuild. We are forever grateful for these generous contributions ofMarch 2023

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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Founders Day Holiday

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

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WASC Visit

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IB Visit

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Spring Break(School Closed)
Spring Equinox(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).

April 2023

May 2023

Cash gifts are the simplest and easiest gifts you can make. Vist our website for more information.
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Shower Day

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June 2023

ACCREDITATION AND AUTHORISATION

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Elementary Awards and143

Closing Ceremony
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Term Starts and Ends

Japanese Public Holiday

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