Elementary School Life inKure CityFor Foreign Children and Guardians Who Came to Japan
Children – who study at elementary school
Guardians – parents or family members who are raising the children

Textbooks, notebooks, and
Put on name tag andpencil case etc. are placed
traffic safety emblem.
inside the school bag.

Put on security

Gym

shirt

isbuzzer.

placed inside.

Handkerchief
andtissues

areWhen going to school, wear

placed inside.
Indoor shoes

comfortable

clothesandshoescaneasily

thatbeare placed
taken on and off by the child.
inside.

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Table of Contents
１．A Day at School

２-3

２ ． Things Children Should Not Do at

３School
３．Class (Time Table)

３-4

４．Grades４

５．Things Guardians Should Do at Home

４-5

６．Things Used at school

５-7

７．Money Needed at School

7

８. Contact Between School and Guardians

７-8

９．Events During a Year

8-11

１０．Getting to Know School
１１. Consultation When There is a Problem

１1１１-13This guide provides a simple introduction about elementary schools in Kure city.
Specifics may differ depending on the school you go to.
Please make sure to attend the information session of the school you are enrolling in.
If you have any questions, please ask your school.

2１． A Day at School
8:15

Going to school
・ From home to school, go through the fixed road (school route).

～ 8:2０
8:20～ 8:３5・If you are late or absent, you must call the school. （7:30～8：20）

Morning Assembly - Once a month, everyone gathers together.
Morning homeroom - greetings in the classroom and listen to the teacher
talk

8:35～

Class ・The homeroom teacher teaches all the subjects.
・Each period is 45 minutes. There are four periods by noon.
Classes are different every day.
・ After two 5 minute break, there is a 25 minute break after the 2ndperiod.
・ Washroom is to be used during break time.

12：05

School lunch ・School prepares lunch. You need to pay for it.
・Children distribute school lunch. （lunch duty）
・Some days there will not be school lunch.

～ 12：55

・ School distributes handouts about__school’s lunch.

12：55～ 13：50
13：50～

Lunch break-play.
Cleaning-Children and teachers clean together.
Class ・Sometimes there will be and will not be classes in the afternoon.
・Afternoon homeroom – teacher distributes handouts and talk about3

next day’s class or school-related things.
Leave school – coming home from school

After school – after classes end

After-school children's association ・・・ children can attend this association afterschool until evening. Please consult:（→Kure City Social Welfare & Public Health Department,Child Care Support Division TEL 0823-25-3254)

２．Things Children Should Not Do at School
×Do not dye your hair×Do not wear accessories such as earrings
×Do not bring money, food, snacks, games, and etc.o×Do not go to school by bicycle
×Do not take a day off without contacting the school first×Do not go home early without talking to the teacher first×Do not bring a cell phone(Please consult the homeroom teacher if you need to bring a cell phone)

３．Class (Time Table)
・The time school finishes dependingon the day of week, and the grade.

Day of week

・Saturdays and Sundays are off.

Second period・ The homeroom teacher teaches
most of the subjects.

Subject＜Elementary school’s subjects ＞

4Japanese

MathpPhysicalMusic

education
LifeStudies

Arts andEthics

CraftsClassroom activity

ScienceThePeriod〈Grade 3・４・５・６>

Integrated

Environment

Social Studies< Grade 1・2>

〈Grade 3・４・５・６>

ofStudyHome

Foreign

economics

language<Grade 5 and 6><Grade 5・6>

〈Grade 3・４・５・６>

４. Grades①Test・Sometimes tests will be given to check students’ understanding.
②Grades （report card）
・At the end of school term, guardian will talk with the homeroom teacher aboutchild’s grades and condition at school. The teacher will give you a report card.

５. Things Guardians Should Do at Home
① After children come home from school
１． Look at the contact book・Children will list their next day’s study and homework.
・ This contact book can also be used for the homeroom
teacher and guardians to communicate with each other.
２． Read the contact handouts from school5

３． Look at child’s homework
４． Prepare for the next day②When going to school late and leaving schoolearly・Must first contact the school・Guardian must accompany the child when going to school late・Guardian must accompany the child when leaving school earlyIt’s really worrisome if childdoes not come to school.
Please make sure to contactthe school.

6. Things Used at school
Write child’s name on all the belongings.
① Things distributed at school
Name tags

Crime prevention whistle

Textbooks

Notebooks

Contact book and its bag

School bag’s cover
Traffic safety emblem

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② Things to prepare by the entrance ceremony
Indoor shoes and shoe bagbag

School bag

Cleaning cloths

Exercise shoes

Gym clothes, red and whitecap, bag

Writing utensils
2B pencil, red pencil, eraser,“shitajiki” (a plastic board placed
under a sheet of paper forwriting), ruler, black marker,
pencil case

There are also schools thatwear tracksuits.

③ Things to order and prepare from school’s handout after school

entrance
Keyboard harmonica

Crayons, colored pencils

Tape, glue, scissors

Ruler

Swimming suit, swimming cap, bag

Jumping rope

Tool box※Depending on the school, some items will be distributed or will need
to be bought.
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If you have any questions, please consult the homeroom teacher.

７．Money Needed at School
Tuition０ yen

Textbooks

０ yen

Miscellaneous expenses

About ５，０００ yen

Tuition and textbooks are free.

PTAmembershipfees,materials, etc.
School Lunch

About ５，０００ yen

250 yen per lunch×about
20 times per month

OthersSchool trip’s fee varies depending on school grade.

※Please create a bank account specified by the school, such as “JP Post Bank”.
You will pay from the bank.
Please make a monthly money transfer by the date determined by the school.

８．Contact Between School and Guardians
Please contact the school when child is taking a day off or is being late. If there isno contact, it may be possible that the child gets into an accident on the way toschool, which makes the school’s teachers really worried.
Please contact the school using one of the following three methods:①Call the school’s homeroom teacher② Write in the contact book and let the homeroom teacher know.
8③ Have the child’s siblings or friends in the neighborhood notify
the homeroom teacher☆When you do not understand, when you cannot read Japanese…
Ask another mother in

For those who cannot readthe same school.

Japanese, please notify the school.

９．Events During a Year
School is off on Saturdays, Sundays, and weekends.
1st term

Entrance Ceremony - An event to welcome the first graders who（4/7～7/20）

enter the school.
Opening Ceremony ― An event to start a new term.
Physical measurement-The height and weight of the child will bediagnosed by a doctor.
Closing Ceremony-An event that ends the term. Report card will
be distributed.

Summer break

Swimming instruction is available at designated school’s(7/21～/31) swimming pool.
Homework will be given. Please bring it to the Opening Ceremonyin September.
2nd term

Opening Ceremony（9/1～2/24）

Closing Ceremony-An event that ends the term. Report card willbe received.

Winter break

Homework will be given. Please bring it to the Opening Ceremony(12/25～1/7) in January.
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3nd term

Opening Ceremony(1/8～3/20)

Graduation Ceremony-An event in which sixth graders graduate
from elementary school.
Completion Ceremony-An event to end the school year. Reportcard will be received.

Spring break

In April, everyone will enter the next grade.ill be in the next g(3/21～4/6)① Report Card …notifies guardians about children’s grades.
Depending on the school, the Japanese name for report card may be called
differently, such as “Ayumi”.
Report card will be received around Closing Ceremony.
② Evacuation training ... Training to escape a fire or an earthquake.
Depending on the school, there is also training which parents go to the school
to pick up their children.

Fun Events
SportsRunning, dancing, and enjoying exercises.

DayAll children will attend. Guardians can also
watch the event.

Fieldtrip

Bring a boxed lunch and spend a fun day
outside of school.

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School

Everyone in grade 6 will go on a trip.

Excursion

Will spend 1 night outside.

OutdoorEveryone in grade 5 will participate inActivities

outdoor activities.
Will spend 1 night outside.

Study（music）presentation

Each grade will play songs and musicalinstruments
Sometimes, what’s being studied in classwill be presented in a play.
Everyone in school and guardians canalso watch the event.

Swimming lessons（June to August） There are swimming classes in the pool.
On the day of the swimming lesson,
parent will measure the temperature ofchild and write on the swimming card.
After name is written and hanko is
stamped on the card, child brings the cardto school.

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Swimming suit

Drying towel

Swimming cap

１０． Getting to Know School
Talk with the homeroom teacher and other guardians.

① Open School Day
In order for parents to know what the children are doing at school, they canobserve lessons, recess, and school lunch etc.

② Guardians’ round-table conference
Once in every school term, after parents observe the class, they will talk withthe homeroom teacher in the classroom about children’s study, life at school,
and how the children are spending time at home.

③ Personal Meeting (Handing over report card)

You can also get toknow other children’smothers！

Guardians talk with the homeroom teacher.
Report cards will be given.

④ Home Visit
Homeroom teacher will come to your home and talk.
There are schools that do not have home visit.

１１．Consultation When There is a Problem① Problems regarding child’s growth and bullying
12

You talk with theteacher about yourchild in private. Thereis no one else. You can
ask what you areworried about.

・If you are worried about it, please consult the homeroom teacher.
・You can contact the school and consult a school counselor.

② Problems regarding money
・School support system - Kure City will help you with school's lunch expenses,
school supplies, etc.
Please consult the homeroom teacher.

③ Children’s Japanese・Japanese language instructor・Interpreter - You can have a Japanese teacher
teach your child Japanese. If you need help with interpreting, please consult
the homeroom teacher.
・Children's Japanese Class “Kodomo Nihongo Kyoshitsu Ciranda” ―(Every Saturday 14: 00-16: 00)(Hiro Machidukuri Center TEL: 0823-71-0321)④ Guardians’ Japanese・Japanese class“Nihongo Kyoshitsu Kure” ― (Every Saturday 18: 00-19: 30)
・Japanese class “Sekai no Hana” ― (Every Wednesday 10: 00-11: 30)（Hiro Machidukuri Center TEＬ：０８２３－７１－２１５１）・Foreign language consultation desk - Kure: TEL: 0823-25-5604
You can consult in English, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
Hiro: ＴＥＬ：０８２３－７６－３３０７
You can consult in English, and Portuguese.
Wednesdays and Sundays are closed.

☆Interpretation Support
・You can have a consultation through an interpreter . Please consult the homeroom
13teacher.
School’s “person in charge” will contact the Hiroshima International Center
consultation desk.

Reference: “Elementary School Guide for Foreign Guardians”（ピナツボ復興むさしのネット<ピナット>，Mitaka International Society for Hospitality）

Elementary School Life in Kure City （February, 2021）
Editor and Publisher：
Japanese Language Network

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