Christian Academy in Japanthe gift of

PLAY

Spring 2021

Message from

Head of School
C H R O N I C L E

While children are in school and classes are in session, they spend
more time with their teachers and their classmates than they do

EditorDonna Lewis
Photo Editor
Linnea McGlothlin
Photo Contributors
Victor Eby
Anda Foxwell
Yukiko Howard
Koshin Construction
Ranaye Prevatt
Graphic Design
Juliana Barker
Christian Academy in Japan
1-2-14 Shinkawa-cho
Higashi Kurume-shi
Tokyo, Japan 203-0013+81–42–471–0022
www.caj.ac.jp

with their parents. What happens in school goes a long way towardshaping the way young people will think and their attitudes to work,
people, life, and even toward God. At CAJ, we want learning to be
filled with joy and wonder. We desire that while our students are withus, they will be infused with a sense of awe at this amazing world
God has created, and that through that, they will catch a glimpse of
his character, his creativity... even his sense of humor!
During this global pandemic, teaching and learning have certainly
been challenging. Maintaining distance and carrying out education
with a sense of extra caution do pose some barriers for joy in learning,
but we hope you will catch a glimpse of how we are battling “COVID
fatigue” at CAJ. Even when the world gives us reason for sadness, we
can still learn with delight. We want even hard work to be filled withsatisfaction. We plan and design facilities and spaces that will not
only provide environments where students learn facts, but will also
inspire creativity and stimulate imagination. Young lives are changed
when they come to understand that learning does not need to be
drudgery, but that it enhances and enriches everything in life.
Our hope is that as you turnthese pages, you will also findjoy in reading about what
is going on here in Higashi
Kurume, and that you willremember

Follow us on Facebook

some

of

the

pleasures of your youth.

@christianacademyjapan

Anda Foxwell
Head of School3

LIVING IN COMMUNITY
4farewell to
KNIGHT’S

CASTLE
JAMIE MATSUOKA | class of 1990
Community Relations CoordinatorAlong with the Class of 2021, Christian Academy in Japan’s beloved, iconic green
play structure, Knight’s Castle, will be “graduating” this school year to make way
for a regulation sized turf field and upgraded playground equipment. Since its

and we would call it The Cave of Thoughts. We talked

grade student underestimated his height while

about a lot of stuff there, and had so much fun. I dotrying to escape his pursuer during a fierce game offeel like a change will be nice. CAJ might become

construction in the spring of 2003, it has been not only an important campus landmark, butalmost unrecognizable if you look at it from where

Grounders——that special version of tag that seems

also a touchstone of play experiences and memories made with classmates and friends. An

Knight's Castle is notimportant part of saying farewell and letting go is reflecting on the origins of Knight’s Castle

going to be, especially toand the central role it has played in the formative years of a whole generation of CAJ students.

the people that graduate

In January 2003, after much fundraising,carrying packages of screws all the way overresearch, and decision making, all the parts

to the other side,” remembers Angie, now aneeded to build the play structure were purchased and shipped from the United States
at a cost of US$56,604 (¥6.6 million). A few
months later, a team of volunteers that
included former staff Chuck and Sandy Hall,
as well as their youngest daughter Angie,
came to put the pieces together. “I remem-

CAJ staff member.
When asked about their memories ofKnight's Castle and feelings about it being
dismantled, sixth graders had a lot to say.
“I feel excited, but also sad about Knight's
Castle being torn down because I madeber that the parts were laid out on the edge

so many memories there,” Elina E. (Class ofof the field near the art room so even though2027) shared. “Under the play structure is an

I was just a third grader, I was put to work

area where my friends and I would go to talk,to be played only here at CAJ. The bridge was not
the only perilous part ofthe equipment. “That zip

ful. Both teachers andI played on or around the Knight's Castle
almost every lunchtime for many years,
even if it was raining or snowing. It wasa place where I formed so many great
memories, and while it may be time tomove on, I am thankful for the experiences it gave me. I hope any new playstructures will do the same for the next
generation of students!

students can easily recall

Callum Marshall | class of 2017and it must have hap-or leave, if they visit again
for some reason.”
However, not all memories of Knight's Castle
are bright and wonder-times when the playarea left a literal mark.

line handle would clonk
kids

and

leave

them

with a distinctive bruiseon their forehead,” said
Ruth

Spalink,

formerschool nurse. “This was
the most dreaded injury
pened at least ten times.”
Thankfully,

most

acci-

“That bridge is fun to walk across, but running underdents have happy endings. Yuuri K. (Class of 2027)

it doesn’t work as well,” said one staff member

shared this one: “I fell from the stairs and smacked

who would like to forget about the time a seventh

my head on the concrete and everyone just was
5

LIVING IN COMMUNITY

POEM

6

watching me while I tried not to cry and look cool and tough. But
spoiler: I cried a lot like this, uuuwawsss! I got taken to the nurse, but
overall I still think playing there was fun.”Some of the students who have been at CAJ longer also have amemory or two of injury but those are overshadowed by their fondfeelings about their good times on Knight’s Castle. “I remember
rushing to Knight’s Castle every lunchtime in elementary. I createdmany friends from different grades, learned new games, and felt
many emotions there” said Mariko M. (Class of 2021). “We loved
running through every obstacle as we played tag. Sports Day will not
be the same without the obstacle course and Coach Eby encouraging us.” Even newer students have logged serious hours playing in andaround our leaf-colored edifice. “It's just sad and lonely to feel thatthe playground we're used to is going away,” reflected Shiori T. (Class
of 2027) “I loved that little bridge and the slides and especially thatwobbly bridge made out of little green platforms that were round. It
was so much fun to play tag in Knight's Castle, because it was so big
and you could slide down the slide to run away easier. There would
be so many shortcuts you could take to try and get away, and it wasso much fun discovering new ones”.
The wonderful times of play children have experienced on Knight's
Castle have had a profound impact on their parents as well. “Myhusband was born in Japan and attended CAJ from third grade.
Five years ago we came from the U.S. to visit his parents here,” onemember of the community said. “Among the places we visited was
CAJ; it was summer! We walked the halls and he reminisced. My
children played on Knight's Castle, thesame playground that their dad had
played on. At the time, there were no
Dear Knight's Castle,
immediate plans to move to Japan. And
I played on you with my friends after
now, our children attend here. We havelunch and took a picture of a beausome priceless photos and memories
tiful sky. I always think the sky infrom that day.”Higashikurume is so beautiful. I someMany students are looking forward totimes fought with my friends and thenexperiencing the new playground andbecame friends one more time there.
other upgraded facilities that are in
When I came to CAJ for the first time,
the works. Although the exact dates foryou were where I made my first brandremoving this beloved monument andnew friend. As I think of my memories
replacing it much anticipated turf areof CAJ, I also remember Knight's Castle.
not yet set, administration is hopefulthat a significant part of the work will be
I was so sad to hear that you will bedone this calendar year. Joy P. (Class of
torn down. But I am also excited to see2022) said, “It's sad to see such a memhow you will be renewed. Before thatorable piece in this school go, but I defiI will play more with my friends andnitely think it's time for this beloved playmake more good memories before you
ground to make room for the new field.
will be gone. Goodbye, Knight's Castle.
The memories I had in this playground
Thank you for everything,will hopefully be replaced with memories of us playing on the new field.”

I have memories of golden
afternoons spent swinging
from monkey bars andbalancing across green poles,
laughing and crying andplaying and fighting with thepeople who would become
my most cherished friends.
I remember how the dust
from the gravel would feelin the grooves of my hands,
and how the smooth plastic
would glint in the sunlight. I
remember how we weren’t
supposed to walk acrossthe top of the slide, but how
sometimes we would anyway.
I remember franticallyevading capture from myclassmates and being lazily
sprawled along the slides. I
learned how to be brave, andhow not to be. I learned how
to break the rules, and when
it was best to follow them. I
learned I could trust somepeople, and I couldn't always
trust others. I learned tovalue friendships, even if they
didn’t always last. For me,
Knight's Castle will always
be remembered as a placeof learning and growth andchildish days that have longsince slid on past.
Anonymous

Min K. | class of 2025
7

TEACHING TRUTH

C

hildren are born with a natural senseof wonder and curiosity. They develop
thesetraitsthrough
exploration,

experimentation, examination... through play!
Famed psychologist Jean Piaget noted, "Play is
the work of childhood." American children's TV
host and expert on child development, Mr. Fred
Rogers, elaborated, "Play is often talked about as
if it were a relief from serious learning, but forchildren, play is serious learning."
Through play, children begin to understand
who they are and how they relate to others.
They develop their imaginations and learn tosolve problems. They enhance communication strategies and practice social skills. They
also build their own confidence to try more, go
further, and build on what they could do the
day before.
Though we believe play is vitally important inour kindergarten learning centers and during
elementary school recess, playfulness is a partof learning at every level of education at CAJ.
This playful learning may be more obvious withthe younger students. They dress up. They makebelieve. They pretend to be a superhero, a book
character, or a community worker. Older students may not do this as visibly, but when they

playfulLEARNING
ANDA FOXWELL | Head of School

8internally see themselves in a story — one of literature, history, or the Bible — or when they areable to delight in solving real life problems, they
are also engaging in playful learning.
We desire to extend play from the playgroundto the classroom as students practice being
inquisitive, develop a sense of awe, and areable to marvel and rejoice in the created orderaround them, an order that spans the world
past and present, from the microscope to thetelescope. With this attitude, calculus transforms from being about only solving complex
equations, to "reveling in the beauty of abstract
ideas and the amazing way they connect to theworld God has made." Fifth graders understandthat they are "made to wonder and explore"
and they seek to discover their own passions.
Students wrestle with complexity and celebrate their "aha" moments.
9

TEACHING FOR
TRANSFORMATIONTEACHING TRUTH

If you were to walk the hallways of CAJ and peek intoclassrooms you might catch glimpses of the way playand learning intersect:learn and practice new vocabulary.

• Students in elementary beginning

Japanese class create hiragana flashcards
for each other, and more advanced
students write and decorate notes ofencouragement to others using their
beginning language skills.

• Middle school PE classes explore body

STORYLINE

THROUGHLINES

how theseeing how
God-givenroles
contribute toGod's story

movement through hip hop dance.

• First graders make life-sized models of theircoursebodies, complete with organ systems.

connects to• High school juniors apply the principles

God's storyof justice and agency to put together
charity projects that will allow them to
explore their individual talents, provide
opportunities for the CAJ community, andraise money for needs in the world.
outdoors for a long distance to learn more
about what life in South Sudan feels likefor the characters in the book they readcalled A Long Walk to Water. Keeping thewater in their buckets is playful, but theexperiential learning is powerful.

• Environmental science students in highschool explore the dangers of plastic
waste and the need for recycling bycollecting plastic containers, and creatively
recycling them into planters they sell, thenusing the proceeds to help needy families
in the Philippines.

Playful learning looks very different depending on
the age level and the content area, but the sense of
joy and discovery students experience as they explore
God's world is common to everyone. We believe, asElizabeth Barrett Browning wrote long ago, that
"Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common
bush afire with God, But only he who sees takes off
At CAJ, we want our students to truly see the glory of
God in the ordinary things they study, and to revel in
it, wonder at it, rejoice in it, and have fun with it.

FORMATIONALLEARNING
EXPERIENCES

that help
students live
God's story

DEEP HOPE• Students in sixth grade carry water

his shoes; the rest sit round and pluck blackberries."

10

helping students see and live God's story• Students in Spanish class do charades towhat we desire for our students
DAVID MARSHALL | Director of Teaching and LearningIn

an article in the fall/winter 2019 issue of the Chronicle, we shared about “Teaching for Transformation,”
an approach to help Christian schools be even more intentional about connecting the truths of theirclasses to God’s truth.

As our teachers have continued to grow in their understanding they have reached the third and final pieceof the picture: Formational Learning Experiences(FLEx for short). IN FLEx activities, students, under theguidance of their teachers, undertake to apply theirknowledge to the world in a way that deepens theirunderstanding of who God is and what he wants
them to do while they are here in his world.

help glimpses of heaven break into our present world
and present circumstances.”

The Storyline (see diagram) for the class follows thepractice of faithful followers of Jesus who see a needin the world and decide to act. To put this newfoundknowledge into action, they are trying their handat lobbying for changes by researching proposals
that they will take to the CAJ leaders. At the time ofTeachers are busy planning for these, but some are writing, students are putting the finishing touches toappearing in classrooms already.
their presentations on topics that are near to theirhearts like dress code, cell phone policy, courses andWe have a new course in grade 10, called Comparative curriculum. The leaders are looking forward to having
Politics and Government. The teachers of this course a town hall style meeting to hear these proposals, ask
have the following Deep Hope for the students — questions, and see these budding activists practicethat “they will grow to have a broader understanding their persuasive speaking skills.
of the world around us, how different cultures andunique people are all creations of God, reflections of This is one of a number of experiences that will be
his work, and as such deserving of respect, and what surfacing in the coming months and years. We are
our role and responsibility is in this place — that we looking forward to the deeper learning and sense ofmight better bring wholeness to a broken world and joy that comes from connecting school with life.
11

LIVING IN COMMUNITY
12

DEVELOPMENT

updateBRYAN LEWIS | Business ManagerIt

has been a blessing and a real point of praisethat pandemic disruptions have not delayed our new building progress. We remainon course to be able to occupy the new spaces from the end of June. New facilities
are always enriching to school programs, and the additional space is even more welcome
during this time of social distancing. The multi-purpose areas will allow much new activity
and enhance the accommodation of music, sport and cafeteria needs.
Master planning continues as we workthrough how to best renew other aging
buildings in coming years. This may involve
the need to apply for some zoning changes soyour prayers for successful negotiations withlocal authorities would be appreciated.
Finally, we have been very active in recent
months planning the upgrades to our field,
courts and playgrounds. This work will flowon from the end of the building construction,
following the old cafeteria demolition in July.
We have been encouraged by the initial
response to our fundraising campaign forthis project which has enabled us to consider

completing all desired upgrades at the one
time, and to ensure the final product will
be of high quality and best meet the needsof our students. Our campaign informationon the following pages outlines options for
donations to the project. We are currently
over halfway to our target, mostly raised
through our local community. It would be
so encouraging and valued if Alumni wereable to get us across the line! Donations will
be acknowledged permanently on a grid of
the field to be displayed on the new building.
You can also see the grid and watch it as it fills
up with donors' names in the Giving sectionof the CAJ website. Thank you for considering
supporting us in this way.
VIEW FROM THE ROOF OF THE NEW BUILDING

13

LIVING IN COMMUNITY
14

turf field

PROJECTFor many years now Christian Academy in Japan has been providing a quality in­ternational schooling option for our area of Tokyo. During this time we have provided a Christcentred educa­tion to thousands of students, part­nered with hundreds of families, andwelcomed many other supporters. We value the fact you are part of this growing community.
In the lead up to our 75th Anniversary wehave recently been considering how to celebrate this event and what we need to do toensure we are suc­cessful for the next 75 years!
We have called this vision ‘Impact 75’ and are
excited to invite you to partner with us in thisvision. Your support would be greatly encouraging, will help us con­tinue to bless our local
area, and assist in preparing more students toserve Japan and the world for Christ throughtheir future endeavours. Your donations andsupport will also be recognised within ourcommunity to show our appreciation.

The next stage of our vision is the up­gradeof our current field and playing areas. Ourparents are currently sup­porting this projectthrough the ‘pur­chase’ of small squares of the
field for 500 US$ each square. Some havedo­nated numerous squares. Now we in­vite
you to partner with us in this project throughthe following ways:

DONATEDONATEDONATEYou will receive
acknowledgement on
a permanent displayof a grid of the fieldshowing the squares you‘purchased’, along withall other contributors.
The more $500 squares
you buy the larger the
acknowledgement.

As well as
acknowledgementon the grid wewill recognise yourdonation on our
website, and incampaign updates
to our community via
email and facebook
during 2021, and in our
final campaign printed
report.

You will beacknowledged as above
however instead of on
the general field grid you
will receive permanent
acknowledgement
on a plaque listing‘Gold Sponsors’ of the
project, as well as being
recognised as a Gold
Sponsor in the othercommunications.

$500 to$4,500$5,000 to$9,500$10,000
or moreNaming rights of parts ofthe project are also avail­able for larger do­nations
upon enquiry.

If you would like to donate, go to the Giving section of our website caj.ac.jp or email blewis@caj.ac.jp.
Both US dollar and Japanese yen donations are tax deductible.
Thank you so much for considering supporting us in this way.

15

REFLECTING HIS IMAGE
16

H
the

SERIOUSbusiness of play
LISA TURNER | Kindergarten Teacher

ave you ever heard the saying, “Everything you need to know you
learned in kindergarten”? This may not be completely accurate, but you
do learn many life skills when you are around 5 or 6 years old that you
take with you for the rest of your learning experiences.

If you have been around a child for very long

Through play, students also learn character

you know that they need to play. Researchdevelopment.

shows that play improves intelligence, sparks

disagreements, selfish tendencies, cheating andcreative thinking, and improves communication,

sometimes arguments. This gives the teachers

vocabulary and language. When children area chance to guide the students to develop theplaying they are problem solving, adapting,character of Christ and encourage them to sharelearning resilience and developing courage.

and have empathy. We are helping them to learn

Play improves the cognitive, physical, social andstrategies to solve problems during conflicts byemotional well-being of children and young

first having them talk to their friend that they arepeople. Through play children develop andstruggling with and working out the problem

discover the joy of learning. This can easily bewith love and kindness. Playing gives students ansuppressed by too many worksheets, too muchopportunity to collaborate and negotiate which

sitting, too long spent on devices, and by taking

turns the “I” into “we.” It also requires empathy

play out of their school life.

and negotiation, as well as active listening and

At CAJ we believe that God has created eachchild to learn and grow to their fullest potential
so that they can build their foundation on Him
and impact the world for Christ. “For you created
my inmost being; you knit me together in mymother’s womb. I praise you because I am
fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are
wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139: 1314. By focusing not only on
academics but also on thesocial, emotional, spiritual andphysical character of a child
it is our prayer that they growinto being the children of God
He created them to be.
At CAJ, we try to give students
many opportunities to learn

using manipulatives, and exploring the world
around them, they are building knowledge.
It is also vital for young children to be able togo outside and play so that they are building
the gross and fine motor skills needed indevelopment.

bewith play. As the students enter the classroom
we have them choose from three different areasof play. This gives them a chance to enter theroom at a more casual pace and spend sometime interacting with their classmates.

~ Albert Einsteinmany ways. By keeping them moving, singing,can

In kindergarten here at CAJ, we start the day off

RESEARCH

areas, students are given the chance to learn in

there

A Day in the Life of Kindergarten

is the highest form ofday. By incorporating play into different subject

play

mutual respect.

PLAY

through play throughout theirDuringWe next have our daily worshiptime where we sing and readfrom God’s word and pray
together. Next is time for Mathwhere we sing an action songthat goes along with our mathfocus. We have a mini lesson
and then use manipulatives ormath games to practice theconcepts that we are learning. During the Bible
lesson the students are learning God’s wordby listening, retelling, acting out Bible stories,
or making crafts that go along with the Bible
message. When we were learning about Joshua
and the Battle of Jericho, the students usedblocks to build the walls of Jericho and thenwe marched around the “walls” and blew our
trumpets to knock them down.

17

REFLECTING HIS IMAGE
18

Our language arts time, also known as Daily 5,

students get a chance to play in the drama

is a time when students have an opportunity

play area, build with big wooden blocks, play

to learn the alphabet, and reading and writing

with trains, k-nex, kinetic sand and play games

skills. They do this by using play-do, lego blocks,
games and manipulatives. The kindergarten
students have 3 recesses during the day andgo to P.E. 4 times a week to keep their young
bodies moving. In the afternoon, our time isspent focusing on exploring God’s world. In
our fall unit, we observed the leaves changing
colors, collected and sorted leaves by color,size, and shape. We also enjoyed jumping into
a big pile of leaves. We have also been adding
many STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,and Math) activities to our curriculum. These
activities involve working together to problem

like Go Fish and Candyland. At the very end of
the day we spend our time outside runningand playing again.

LEARNING
THROUGH

P L AY

It is our goal to empower students with thelife skills and strategies that they can takewith them to be lifelong learners. We at CAJ
kindergarten value play and know that it is
one of the important steps in our students’
growth and development. So if you cometo CAJ and see the students playing, knowthat they are not wasting time or giving theteachers a break. They are running, jumping,solve, create, think, and invent. Later in theimagining, creating, building, communicating

afternoon we have center time and this is one

and delighting in being a child created in theof the students’ favorite times of the day. The

image of God.

19

REFLECTING HIS IMAGE
20

elementary school

ON PARADE
HAIKU
by Miss Johnson &the 5th graders

Elementary
Playing, laughing, having fun
Smiles everywhere
Dress up days all year
Hats, socks, clothes tomatch the theme
What are you wearing?
100 days of school
In celebration, we age
Gray hair, wrinkles, canes
Balloons on parade
Colorful characters float
Creative and bright
Even at our homes
Distance learning on iPads
School is always fun

JULIE JOHNSON | class of 2006

Grade 1 Teacher and Elementary School Head Teacher

21

LIVING IN COMMUNITY
22

clubs at CAJ
KEITH KELLETH | Social Studies TeacherT

oo often in High School, students get wrapped up in academic pursuits.

Between essays, projects, tests, AP classes and more, the students often don’t haveenough chance to unwind. But student clubs at CAJ provide a much needed breakin routines. Once a week, high school students get together with their fellow club members
to share their interests and bond over a bit of fun.
There are many different clubs in High Schoolthat appeal to a range of student interests.
Some are very relaxing for those that needa bit of down time. There’s the Anime Club
where the students share their favorite
shows with each other and discuss the complexities of the characters. The Board GameClub meets to relax with a little friendly
competition on the tabletop. For the moreartistically inclined students, Photography
Club, Art Club, Writing Club, Drama Cluband Jazz Club offer them a chance to create
beauty and express themselves. Some clubs
prefer a little more high energy fun; Debate
Club finds joy in engaging over various
topics, while Fitness Club allows students toenjoy some active camaraderie and sports.

in the Business Club. The Industrial Arts club

And while all the clubs have a component ofservice to the community, a few clubs focus
more on outreach than others. Particularly
enterprising individuals have fun developing
ideas and becoming budding entrepreneurs

interests. Of course, there’s the occasional

uses their talents and tools to create projects
for the community, and the Service Club isconstantly reaching out to lend a hand to
those that need it. Finally, The CAJ Chapterof E-Nable utilizes engineering and 3D
printing to create prosthetic limbs for those
without the means to afford them.
As the club committee advisor, it’s verysatisfying to see just how the students havetaken ownership of their clubs in recent
years. They’ve created outreach projects, setgoals, bonded; even raised funds for themselves in some instances. It’s encouraging to
see that students are building each other up
while spending time enjoying each other’s
student that takes a while to really meshwith their group, but I am thankful that theHigh School student body is able to cut loose
and play, even if it is just once a week.
23

LIVING IN COMMUNITY
24

middleschoolELECTIVES
WINNIE LANGELAAR | Middle School PrincipalRather than student led clubs, Middle School offers elective classes for year 7 and 8.
These give students an opportunity to spend some time doing something they reallyenjoy, or even try something new. This is very much in line with the Middle School
philosophy of offering a range of classes to these young teens to allow them to discover theirareas of strength, as well as developing their interests and potential beyond the academic
courses. This class runs every other Friday for 45 minutes.
Students can choose from a wide variety of activities. Here, as an example, are the electiveclasses that were offered during the 2020/2021 school year.

• ASL/Sign Language• Silent Reading• Bicycle Riding• Number puzzles/Colouring• Bullet Journaling• Problem—Solving

Students learn American Sign
Language during this class.
Students go on short rides and also
learn some basic maintenance ofbicycles.
for students who like to doodle andmake lists, this class can help students
organize themselves.

• Easy Sewing Projects

Students take their sewing machineskills a step further by creating simple
sewing projects.

• Group Adventure Games

Students play a classic style text basedadventure game in groups.

• Jazz bandStudents can play their instrumentwith a small group.

• Paper Crafts

Make various crafts out of paper.

A perfect chance to read quietly,in a quiet environment.
Students can enjoy working on acoloring page or a number puzzle(such as sudoku).

Middle schoolers having fun on Community days.

Students learn to "think outside thebox" and to use mistakes as steppingstones for a better "plan B." This
elective involves creative thinking,building, and drawing.

• Board Games

Here's an opportunity for you to playboard games with your classmates.

• Math Games

Students play games (points based,strategy, problem-solving) in groupsof 3—5 per game.

• Music Tech

This is suitable for students whoare interested in music but do notnecessarily play an instrument.
25

LIVING IN COMMUNITY
26

Alumni Updates
Dianne Luber Henry | 1967

Ruth Brown Garrott | 1989

Dianne passed away 4 Feb 2021 after a year

Ruth is still living in Knoxville, TN. For the past

long battle with cancer. She was a devoted

eight years she has enjoyed singing with awife, homeschool mom, wedding coordi-

large 140+ member choir called the Knoxvillenator, home designer and gracious hostess.

Choral Society and serving as Alto section

Her passion was relationships and meaning-leader. Four years ago, she also began singing

ful communication. Dianne loved the CAJ

professionally with three other women inclass reunions! Her family meant everythinga group called Blesser Heart. They perform

to her. She and her husband Chuck wereoriginal songs with an occasional cover song.

blessed with four children and their spouses

In addition, she does side work with arranging

as well as eighteen grandchildren. Declaring

and co-producing music for local artists, but"there's Jesus" and smiling, she left withher main job is with The Arc of Anderson

Chuck holding her.

County, Tennessee, USA as the lead teacher for

Do you wish there
were more updates?
You can help fix that!
Spend five minutes
right now emailingyour update toalumni@caj.ac.jp



students with developmental disabilities. She
misses being able to visit Japan, but she has a

Heidi Barkman | 2013 & Victory Eby | 2007
Heidi and Victor were married at Okutama
Bible Chalet on March 27, 2021 in the presence

trip planned for 2022 and hopes to see someof their families. They are thankful that manyof you then!

were able to ‘join’ via livestream.



Ashley Sakamaki | 2008
Ashley married Yoshihisa Nakamura on November 16th, 2019. They were surroundedby their wonderful friends and family and had an amazing day filled with joy and love!
Except for the groom, all pictured are from CAJ Class of 2008.
back row | Ken Morimoto, Yohan Kim, Bradley Loewen
front row | Yuri Maruyama Kitahara, Ayumi Amano Lopes, Asami Inui Zenimura,
Ashley Sakamaki, Yoshihisa Nakamura, Reanne Kobayashi (wearing red dress), Mayu
Funabiki Kobayashi

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Western Association of Schools and Colleges since 1976
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