Christian Academy in Japan

Seasons of

CHANGE

Summer 2022

Message from

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

These past weeks have been filled with

EditorDonna Lewis

when I had children graduating from

Photo Editor
Linnea McGlothlin

game, last concert, last class, last walk

Photo Contributors
Yamato Matsu
Linnea McGlothlin
Tom McGlothlin
Nate Rudd
Ushio Sawada
Renee Van Druff
Grace Yamato
Thank you to those who inthe early days of CAJ had theforesight to record the school
and its happenings. We
appreciate you, although we
don’t know your names.

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“last moments” for me. I’m reminded ofhigh school, and all the bittersweet
occasions they marked: the last soccer
to school. I find myself celebrating andreflecting on some of the same “lasts.”
I want to savor each main event, and

CAMPUSCHANGESalso take time to appreciate thoseordinary episodes that make up a dayin school life.
I am so grateful for this CAJ community that spreads beyond here
and now to include those whose lives intersected here in Higashi
Kurume many years ago. In this CAJ Chronicle "last" issue for me ashead of school, we talk about the changes ahead, confident that the
God who does not change is still guiding us through the days andyears before us. We affirm with the Psalmist,
But [God] is the same, and [his] years will not come to an end.
~ Psalm 102: 27
May we all find rest in his eternal changelessness.

Based on this issue’s theme of change we have a few photos of someof the amazing changes to the CAJ campus over the years. Here arejust a few — lk for other changes photo pages throughout this issue.
Which of these photos do you remember from your time at CAJ?

Anda Foxwell | Head of School

INSIDE THIS ISSUE
4 | Managing Change
6 | Denise Owen: 41 Years of Faithful Service
10 | The Flipped Classroom
12 | Social-Emotional Learning
14 | New Opportunities in New Spaces
18 | Farewell Anda Foxwell
21 | Meet the New Head of School: David Mawhinney
23 | Alumni Updates
3

TEACHING TRUTH

MANAGING change

Students will continue to be led into
“servant leadership by providing guidance
for their spiritual journeys, cultivating
individual excellence, fostering healthy
relationships and building a sense of
local and global responsibility in a Christcentered, nurturing, diverse and inspiring

ANDA FOXWELL
Head of School

learning community.” We will persist in
maintaining the values of teaching God’s
truth, cherishing his image in each indi-C

vidual, and building community where

hange can be excitingorfrightening,somethingweembrace or avoid. When one

imagines how many changes each of us

we are and beyond.
We have methods and systems in placethat help us safeguard these importantprinciples. Our Board of Directors moni-face during our lifetime, you would think

tors the impact of decisions on the direc-

we’d be used to their impact, but changes

tion of CAJ and helps ensure that we stay

still generate a variety of emotions. CAJ istrue to our identity and vision. CAJ is led

facing some changes on the horizon withby a team of leaders who each know thea new Head of School arriving and several

strengths and needs of their division andlong-term staff members reaching or

further contribute to the wisdom of thenearing retirement. How does this impact ateam. Teachers receive ongoing training

school? How do we navigate change, whileand development in strategies to meetstaying on the course we have chosen?

our objectives through the lens of a

We need to be certain of where we areheaded. When we know that the goal wehave in the distance has not changed;
when we are sure that map that guides
our course is reliable; when we understandwhat is important to us in the journey weare assured that despite changes aroundus, we will stay the course. This is the reason
we talk so much about our core statements that define our vision, our mission,
our values, and our objectives. These statements serve as our destination, our map,and our means of travel. No matter who
the person is who will be leading the way,
we will aim toward “equipping students

biblical perspective, as well as building
their own leadership strengths. Many
checks and balances help protect the
integrity of CAJ so that small changes do
not shake the foundation.
Of course, the one unshakeable constantfor CAJ and for all those who form thecommunity connected to it is that God
himself never changes. It is his unfailinglove that sustains us and will continue tobe the light that guides us into a futurethat is “as bright as the promises of God”
(Hudson Taylor). Change is inevitable, but
we serve a God who “is the same yesterday
and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

to serve Japan and the world for Christ.”

4

5

LIVING IN COMMUNITY
6

DENISE OWEN
41 years of faithful service

I have been immensely blessed by working with Denise Owen. She is aconsummate musician: talented, skilled, knowledgeable and helpful. She
has applied these attributes to her role as accompanist for my two choirs
during the past eight years (and did so for many years for my predecessor).
As her accompanist for middle school choir, I have watched a masterteacher elicit from her students beautiful, exciting, skillfully performed music.
I have learned new techniques and no small amount of music history. Most
importantly, our students have benefited greatly from Denise’s instruction,
which will influence musicians for generations to come.
Scott Ponzani | Music Department Chair and Fine Arts CoordinatorAt the end of this school year, CAJ will say a fond farewell to
Denise Owen, who has been teaching at CAJ since 1981.

Denise was born in Indiana, USA andstudied music at the Oberlin Conservatory(Bachelor of Music) and Regent College(Master of Christian Studies).
She came to Japan on March 9, 1981 as ashort-term missionary with LIFE Ministries.
A LIFE Ministries leader had children at CAJ
and Denise heard that CAJ was looking
for a piano teacher. Denise initially taught
piano on her day off, but shortly after that
she applied for a one-year placement.
That one year has turned into 41 years ofcontinuous service at CAJ.
During her time at CAJ Denise has taught
elementary music, middle school choir,private flute and flute ensemble,and
has been the accompanist for Chamber
Singers and High School Choir. She has
also taught piano and accompanied the
Middle School Choir.
Over her time at CAJ, Denise has seen
many changes. She notes that thedemographic of the students has changed.
There are a lot more EAL (English as an
Additional Language) students now thanthere were in 1981. There are over twice
as many students overall. New buildings
have been built: the gym, the middle andMiss Owen has been my flute teacher
for many years and has taught me
so much. She is a very talented flutist
and a good teacher. She is not only
my flute and ensemble teacher, but
she is also my friend who shares fun
stories about her cats and interestingdetails about her life.
Sarah | class of 2023

high school building, and now the ARK,with its Cafeteria, multi-purpose spaceand band room.

7

However, despite the changes over the years,
Denise says that some things never change students in general like to be here and wantto learn and cooperate.
Teaching is not always easy, and one of
Denise’sbiggestchallenges

has

been

helping students who come in the upper
elementary grades who have not had any
music education at allcatch up with the rest
When the school was reviewing
its Emergency Management
procedures, Denise’s detailed
knowledge of earthquakes inJapan was both impressive andvery useful.
Bryan Lewis | Business Managerof the class
As well as music, Denise
has

been

involvedwith the Emergency
Management

proce-

dures at CAJ. Denisesays “I have always
beeninterestedinscience, and coming
to Japan I was interested in earthquakes. I
became very afraid of large earthquakes
after the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995,
when we had a student who came to school
here for a few months from there. In 2011 I

CAMPUSCHANGESwas also very afraid, but by that time we had
ways to learn from the Internet, so I realized
I could learn more about earthquakes andthus be less afraid of them. I am interested
in risk mitigation, earthquake and volcano
monitoring, and science communication.”In the future, Denise hopes to teach private
and group music lessons in this area, andcontinue volunteering as a translator at the
volcano museum at Sakurajima in Kyushu.
When asked what legacy she hopes to leave
at CAJ, Denise says: “I hope to leave students
with a desire to serve God, others and themselves through music, and the theory andtechnique to be able to do it.
89

REFLECTING HIS IMAGE
10THE FLIPPEDclassroom
RENEE VAN DRUFF | Grade 8 Algebra Teacher

noticed that students were successfullyusing them to learn, even though we could
not be together in person. When students
returned to the classroom in August we
decided to fully implement the idea of aflipped classroom.
Changing to a flipped classroom structure has had many advantages. Most of
the practice takes place under the guid-Hance of the teachers, so when students

ave you ever sat in a class and thought

have questions they can be answered rightyou understood the lesson, only to getaway. Misconceptions are discovered andhome, pull out the assignment andcorrected quickly. Gone are the days ofrealize you still had lots of questions and there

doing an entire assignment only to find

was nobody there to help? Just about anyone

out later that it was done wrong. Anotherwho has taken a math class has had thisadvantage is that students have theexperience. It was this problem, along withability to watch the video lessons as manysome challenges of the new Block Schedule,times as needed, and they can pause andthat motivated Heidi Eby and me to FLIP ourrewind as well. Who hasn’t wanted to be

8th Grade Algebra classroom.

able to do that while in class taking notes?

Don’t worry, we did not turn the desks upside
down. A “flipped” classroom is a teachingmodel where students are introduced to
new content at home, usually throughvideo lessons, and then they doactivities and assignments topracticethenewcontent

during class. When students
do the easier, note-taking
part at home, it frees up timein class for more engaging
activities

andAdditionally, when students are absent
they can still access the video lessons sothey don’t have to fall behind. This is thesecond year that we have used this format
and the 8th graders have risen to the challenge and adapted well to the new wayof doing math class. Sometimes change
brings opportunities to grow, adapt, andimprove and this has certainly been true of
our change from a traditional to a flippedclassroom.

meaningfulpractice of the concepts. We
first realized structuring ourmath classroom this way was
possible when Covid-19 forced
us into distance learning in thespring of 2020. This change
required us to develop new ways
to deliver content to students.
We started using technology tocreate tutorial videos, and we

11Students have so many issues facing them in

LIVING IN COMMUNITY

today’s world: influences of media; pressure to12

excel academically, tensions that come withpeer relationships; conflict at home; questions
about identity, culture, and faith. Dealing witha global pandemic and the stress that accompanied periods of distance learning, disrupted
sports seasons, cancellations of special events,
the need for social distancing and fewer opportunities to gather together, we have heard this“wake-up call” at CAJ as well.
With our change to using a block schedule(longer periods of class-time fewer times aweek) we were able to devise a plan that

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL

learning
ANDA FOXWELL | Head of SchoolIn a recent newsletter from TELL, a Tokyo-based, English language counseling center, this statement confirmed a trend we have noticed at CAJ. “On
March 2nd, the World Health Organization issued a COVID update, statingthat the global presence of anxiety and depression had increased by 25% andraised concerns of further increases in mental health conditions. Dr. Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said, “This is a wake-up call to
all countries to pay more attention to mental health and do a better job of
supporting their populations’ mental health.”

included a period we call “skinny block.” This
shorter time each day allows for time forstudents to participate in clubs, have time toread for pleasure, learn more about study skills
and college admissions, and also have one day
a week when we focus on social and emotional
learning. Though we have a planned curriculum
for this, it also allows time for conversations anddiscussions that can help students focus on
self-awareness, responsible decision making,relationship skills, and self-management.
Social-Emotional learning helps students bestronger and better prepared for the challenges
they face, but when the inevitable mental andemotional health issues arise, CAJ employs twocounselors – one for elementary students andone for secondary students – who can help
them navigate the storms of life. We addressthese issues through the lens of a biblical perspective, letting them know they are uniquepeople created in God’s image, loved and cherished by Him.
Schools are emotional places – this has always
been the case – and a global pandemic has
increased strain on students. We seek to meetthese challenges through adapting and adjusting to meet the needs, while remaining faithful
to our mission to equip our students to serve
Japan and the world for Christ.
13

REFLECTING HIS IMAGE
14

NEW
opportunities

IN NEW

spacesEnergyis probably the mostcommon word thatcomes to people’s minds when they think oflower elementary students. As the elementary PE teacher at CAJ, I can assure thosepeople that they are 100 percent correct.
CAJ’s youngest students use PE class time toshake the pent-up energy out of their bodies
in an appropriate setting. These growing kids
also learn valuable movement and coordination skills, teamwork and sportsmanship.
But it’s important to have the right space forthis learning.

JARED JOHNSON | Elementary PE teacher
15

REFLECTING HIS IMAGE
16

CAJ’s new Multi Purpose Room (MPR) is on the firstfloor of the recently constructed building, named
the ARK, and it replaced the gym arena as the newhome for kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade PE classes
at the start of the 2021-22 school year.
The room’s teal and orange floor is slightly spongy,
and its walls are padded with yellow mats. Thesefeatures make the space safer for lively bodies todart around without fear of injury.
Sage (2nd grade) said, “I like that the MPR is softerso that when you fall down, you don’t get hurt.””We can play
Sharks and
Minnows and we
can do doublecrossing. If we doit in the big gym,
we will be too
tired.”

Another key attribute is the MPR’s compact size
— it is about one-quarter of the size of the gym.
Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students still occasionally use the gym for certain PE activities, but the
new MPR is usually perfect for their smaller bodies.
“I like that it’s not as big as the big gym, because thebig gym is so big!” said Anna (K).
Psalm (2nd grade) added, ”We can play Sharks and
Minnows and we can do double-crossing. If we doit in the big gym, we will be too tired.”
But the main draw of the space, at least according
to most students, is the sheer quantity of active fun
the students can enjoy in the MPR.

"I like that the MPR is softerso that when you fall down,
you don’t get hurt."

Kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade students
all walk from their classroom to the MPR in 30
seconds or less. The smaller space also means fewer
distractions and shorter transition times between
activities. The result of this is a much more efficient,action-packed 30-minute class period.
Students get more rounds of their favorite games,such as Sharks and Minnows, Throwers Become
Catchers, Meatball Monsters, Animal Tag, Pick a
Color and a wide variety of team relay races.
“I like the MPR because we get to play more games
than the big gym,” said Alisa (K).
Lisa (1st grade) agreed, saying that “there is moretime for games and exercise.”
While CAJ’s youngest students will all eventuallyoutgrow the smaller space, the addition of the MPR
has made a huge impact in the elementary division
this school year.

"I like the MPR
because we get toplay more games
than the big gym."

17

LIVING IN COMMUNITY
18

FarewellAnda
FoxwellT

It has always been a pleasure having Anda
as a core member of the Board FinanceCommittee. Anda had said early on that
finance was not her favorite topic, but she had
a natural and uncanny sense that enabled
her to clarify and add important backgroundand insights to the topics being discussed
that positively contributed to our decisions. I
do think that recently she secretly was looking
forward to our meetings!
Joel Peterson
caj finance committee chair

his issue of the Chronicle focuses on change. It’s a subject close to me, as I lookback and look forward, keenly aware of the changes both in my life and at CAJ. I
came to CAJ as a 22-year-old teacher, newly married and living out of the UnitedStates for the first time in my life. Only a few years later, my husband and I joined the ranks
of CAJ parents and remained so for the next 18 years of life, as our four children wereraised and formed in the CAJ community. After a few years away when those children
were very young, I returned to CAJ as a teacher, then a high school principal, and for the
past six years, as head of school. This is my community, my village, and I am proud to have

There are so many things that I
appreciate about Anda. Even though
we are the same age (I'm actuallya few months older), I have often
thought, "I want to be like Anda whenI 'grow-up.' She is deeply caring, levelheaded, and fun-loving.

been a part of it in some way for 40 years.
As I transition out of life so closely
connected to CAJ, I am confident that theimportant things that make this such a
special place will remain constant. We havea highly functioning, extremely competentleadership team in place who will continue
to collaborate and use their gifts to glorify
God and serve CAJ. We have a staff who are
passionate and qualified in each position
they hold, and they will continue to equip
students for lives of service. And we havecore statements in place that guide us andhelp us to see where we have been andwhere we are going.
As I look back on the past six years, I feelvery proud of the ways we have weatheredsome difficult challenges together. We
have faced the difficulties of education ina global pandemic, which has included amonumental pivot to Distance Learningand keeping an active student body safe
during uncertain times. We learned verysad news about abuse that happened
at CAJ decades ago, but faced this news

with a desire to learn and tell the truth.
The investigation into that abuse has
been concluded and we continue to do
everything we can to be sure such things
never happen again. We have plannedand executed a building plan that has
resulted in the completion of The ARK anda redeveloped field and playground area.
These new facilities provide more spacefor students to learn, imagine, play, andsocialize.
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve
this community I love. CAJ has contributed
to my own growth, both personally andprofessionally, and I hope to continue tobe connected to it in less public and visible
ways as I move on to new adventures
which will likely include more time with
grandchildren, traveling to new places,
perhaps doing some writing, and finding
new opportunities where God might use
me in the future.
Anda Foxwell | head of school

Jean Hino
elementary school principal

Anda's deep love for the students and staff of
CAJ was evident in every report she made to
the board. Anda never forgot that behind thedata were real people whom she deeply loved
and cared for. Anda faced many challenges
as Head of School and through each one
she demonstrated dependence on Jesus forgrace, courage, strength, and wisdom. God,
indeed, enabled Anda to do the good work forwhich He prepared her to do (Eph. 2:10).
Karen Stoesz
caj board secretary

David MawhinneyE

arly in our married life, my wife Susan and I lived for three years in San Antonio, Texas,
and that is where our two daughters were born. As I write this, we are about to return
there for the first time after moving to Boston 25 years ago, a trip to show our daughters— and our Boston-born son and his wife — where they were born and lived in their early years.

Eliot Reasonerclass of 2013

One of our memories of that time was thecommon sight of a bumper sticker saying,“I wasn’t born in Texas but I got here as fastas I could.” As Susan and I prepare to join
the CAJ community, I believe I can say theYears ago we did a "choose the animal that
represents your personality" exercise in ourleadership team meeting and Anda chosea mother elephant to represent herself. In
all the time I have known Anda, she has
exhibited well the elephant personality
traits of deep compassion, confident
intelligence, unwavering commitment andfierce protection of those in her care.

same thing about us and Japan. What wehave learned in our lives has come together
at this time and for this opportunity as God
planned in advance all along.y community,
my village, and I am proud to have been apart of it in some way for 40 years.
For the last 14 years I have worked at

Jacquie Willson
director & educational consultant
school support services

Boston Trinity Academy, serving on theleadership team for 10 years in various
capacities including Director of Admission
and Dean of Faculty. However, I am a teacher at heart, and my main academic interest isworld history, especially Chinese history. I also coached the girls’ varsity soccer team for eight
years, winning three championships along the way.
I was born and raised in London, England; my father was from Belfast, Northern Ireland andmy mother is from Detroit, Michigan. Susan and I met and later got married in Hong Kongand she too will be joining the CAJ community, teaching first grade. We spent a number ofyears living and working in China as missionaries and teachers. My educational journey hastaken me from the University of Southampton to the University of Texas at San Antonio to
Harvard University.
As the new Head of School, I am fully committed to implementing the vision of CAJ toequip our students to serve Japan and the world for Christ. Every child is created by God
to grow in knowledge and understanding, in wisdom and character, in the company ofothers, and in the pursuit of God’s call on their life. CAJ has a dedicated faculty and staff andsupportive families and together we can continue to move forward in realizing this vision, for
our children, our world, and the glory of God.

20

LIVING IN COMMUNITYMEET THE NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL

Anda was my English 12 teacher,and she was fantastic. I remember
clearly her lessons on Frankenstein,
Beowulf, and Brave New World.
She really instilled in me a love forEnglish Literature, and was always
open to talk about the books wewere reading. Anda truly changed
my life through her patience and joy
in the classroom and outside of it.
She stirred my affection for literature.
Because of her, I’m now teaching
English, and even teaching some ofthe same books!

21

Alumni Updates
Howard Blair | staff

Jared Johnson | class of 2011

Mr. Howard Blair, who will be in attendance atthe 1965-1967 reunion in Michigan this June,
served as a missionary to Japan for 42 years
under SEND International. For much of thattime, he both taught at the Christian Academy inJapan and pastored Kurume Christ Church. Last
summer, he published a book titled Christian,What Do You Believe? A Pastor’s Reflections on
the Apostles’ Creed.

Landon Timothy Johnson wasborn in Tokyo on February 4,2022 to Jared and Christina
Johnson. He weighed 3414
grams and was 53 cm long.

JuShin Kim | class of 2002
JuShin and SungHoon Jang welcomed
DaeHan Jang to the world. DaeHan was bornin Tokyo on January 10, 2022. He weighed
3355g and was 50.5 cm long.

CAMPUS

Noah Okada | class of 2019
Noah, who is a student at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, hasbeen awarded a Goldwater Scholarship. The scholarship is one of the
top scholarships in the United States
for undergraduate students of math,natural sciences and engineering. Noah has beenworking in a neuroscience lab. According to an Emory
University article announcing this news, he is “developing VR (Virtual Reality) landscapes and memory
paradigms that recreate real-world experiences that
open new research options in neuroscience”.
To read the full article, go to:news.emory.edu/stories/2022/04/er_college_
goldwater_scholars_06-04-2022/story.html

CHANGESTo learn more about the Goldwater Scholarship, go to:
goldwaterscholarship.gov/

50th REUNION | class of 1972
The Class of 1972 will hold their 50th reunionin Duxbury, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston
over the weekend of October 7-9, 2022. For more
information, contact Mark Ramseyer at:
ramseyer@law.harvard.edu

REUNION | classes of 1965, 1966, & 1967
The Classes of 1965, 1966, and 1967 are gathering in
Michigan, June 23-25, 2022. Anyone from those classes
is welcome! Mr. Blair is planning to attend as well. The
planning committee is Judi Mollenkof, Jill Rieck, Kathy
Shelton, and Gaius & Martha Berg. For more information, contact Martha at: gaiusandmartha@gmail.com

We would love to hear from you! Take a few minutes right now — email your update to alumni@caj.ac.jp
CAJ Alumni Updates is a forum for updates from alumni, provided as a community service.
The inclusion of any piece of alumni updates is not necessarily an endorsement by CAJ.

ALL ALUMNI REUNION February 24-27, 2023
Inviting all alumni and CAJ staffers to attend this event at the beautiful Best Western Island Palms hotel
property in San Diego, CA. It will be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect. There were over 135 attendees atthe 2016 reunion and we expect the 2023 reunion will surpass this attendance. More information coming
soon. Hope to see you in 2023!
planning committee:
Bobby Howe, Ken Nielsen, Jennifer Plesman, Dan Sims, Tracey Davies, Margaret (Bower) Smith, Rick Seely
22

23

EQUIPPINGSTUDENTS TO SERVEJAPANAND THE WORLDFOR CHRIST.

www.caj.ac.jp

Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support making our mission possible.

ACCREDITATION
Western Association of Schools and Colleges since 1976
GOVERNMENT STATUS
Gakko Hojin (School)