We’re already halfway through October, and at last, we can feel a hint of autumn here in Okinawa.
A gentle autumn breeze is blowing through the AMICUS campus this morning. The intense summer heat has finally begun to ease, and walking around the school in the fresh morning air feels wonderfully refreshing.
Out on the playground, elementary school children are having a great time playing soccer. Others are trying their hand at the horizontal bars. From the little hill nearby, I can hear the happy sounds of children laughing and cheering. Their cheerful voices, carried on the autumn breeze, are enough to lift anyone’s spirits.
After a while, the sound of a whistle rings out across the playground. It’s Mr. Seimiya, one of our staff members, signaling that playtime is over. The children immediately stop what they’re doing and come racing up the stairs we call Koi no Takinobori, or “Carp Climbing a Waterfall.”
These stairs lead from the playground up to the school building. Their name comes from the image of carp swimming energetically upstream and leaping up a waterfall. Watching the children dash up the stairs, one after another, it’s easy to see why the name fits so well!
I can’t help but smile at the sight. It’s just an ordinary moment on an ordinary school morning, but moments like these remind me how wonderful it is to be part of a school community.
Meanwhile, over at the junior high school, preparations are well underway for next week’s JH Olympics. This morning, students were busy creating flags for the four teams: Blue, Red, Yellow, and Green.
I may be a little biased, being the principal of AMICUS, but I genuinely believe that our JH Olympics is a wonderful educational experience.
One of the things that makes it so special is the way we organize the teams. Instead of keeping students in their usual grades and classes, we deliberately mix students from Grades 7, 8, and 9 to form four completely new teams.
Of course, it would be much easier to organize teams by class. Students already know their classmates, and teachers are familiar with the students they work with every day. Everything would probably run more smoothly that way.
But at AMICUS, we intentionally do things differently.
Students meet new teammates, including older and younger students they may rarely have spoken to before. Together, they practice for competitions and performances, learning to work as a team.
At first, some students may feel a little nervous or unsure of themselves. There may be disagreements, and reaching a decision together may not always be easy. But I believe that is exactly where the real value of this event lies.
Students learn to express their own ideas, listen to different opinions, work through disagreements, and cooperate toward a common goal. Older students learn to look after and support their younger teammates, while younger students learn to think for themselves and find ways to contribute.
Through these experiences, students naturally develop independence, teamwork, leadership, and consideration for others.
The JH Olympics is about much more than winning or losing. It is a valuable opportunity for students to build new relationships, learn from one another, and grow together as a team.
The big day is coming next week! I wonder which team will take home the championship.
Of course, I’m looking forward to seeing the results, but what excites me even more is watching our students give their best, support one another, and work together with their new teammates.
To all our parents, I hope you’ll join us in cheering on the students and encouraging them as they take on this challenge.
On this beautiful autumn morning, listening to the cheerful voices of our elementary students and seeing the dedication on the faces of our junior high students, I feel grateful to be part of a school where children are growing, learning, and smiling every day.
I really do love mornings like this.
Ken Oshiro, Headmaster
