October Newsletter

Dear NLIS families,

October promises to be a full month of learning and fun!

Both schools will have choir practice each week for the Asahi Festival on November 23.

Chapel is back! Mr. Veale, our “chapel guy,” will visit the elementary school each Friday to share Bible verses and stories. The children love chapel, and they love him. At the secondary school, teachers and students will take turns leading chapel each week. It is a wonderful opportunity for students to grow in leadership and public speaking.

October highlights

On October 2, students in grades 7–12 will receive report cards. Both schools will hold assemblies that day, led by our student council members, who are doing a fantastic job.

Students will be off on October 5 for a Teacher Workshop and on October 12 for Sports Day.

On Friday, October 9, grades 1–4 will celebrate our 100th day of school with activities about the number 100. Elementary students will also visit the library on October 9 and 23.

Also on Friday, October 16, Kofu Police will visit the secondary school from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. to demonstrate safety techniques and discuss what to do during a lockdown. Both campuses will hold lockdown drills that day.

All students will take standardized tests on October 20–22. Please help your child get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast on testing days.

Open School on October 24

Please invite families who may be interested in NLIS to our Open School on Saturday, October 24. Visitors can see classroom activities, hear a bilingual presentation, explore the curriculum, tour both campuses, and ask questions. The elementary campus visit is from 1:20 to 2:30 p.m., followed by the secondary campus from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. We will ask student council members and some other students to come and help welcome visitors and share their experiences. If you know of any families who have children, please pass the word about our school and this Open School Day. If you would like to join, we would welcome that since you can help with any questions other parents may have.

Fall parties on Friday, October 30

All students will have a fall party. This year’s theme is Storybook or Fairy Tale Characters: princesses, knights, animals, and other friendly characters. Secondary students may also dress as manga characters. As a Christian school, we choose a positive fall celebration without emphasizing Halloween. Please choose costumes that are modest and suitable for school. Please avoid witches, demons, ghosts, blood, horror, realistic weapons, and frightening masks.

New Students in October!

Two families are moving to Japan this coming month! One family is from China originally, but has been living in Thailand for seven years. Dora Chen will be in 8th grade. Another family has three children: one boy in 2nd grade, and two girls, in 9th and 11th. Their father is a soccer player and will join the Matsumoto Yamaga team.

Warm regards,

Suzy Brown

Principal, New Life International School

October Dates at a Glance

Date	What is happening
Fri, Oct 2	Report cards for grades 7–12; Teacher Appreciation Day; assemblies at Shiobe at 8:50 a.m. and Asahi at 1:00 p.m.
Mon, Oct 5	No school for students; teacher professional development day.
Fri, Oct 9	100th day of school celebration for grades 1–4; library visit for Asahi on Oct. 9 & 23.
Mon, Oct 12	No school for Sports Day.
Wed, Oct 14	Board meeting at 1:00 p.m.
Fri, Oct 16	Kofu Police safety session at Shiobe, 9:00–10:00 a.m.; lockdown drills at both campuses, including Asahi at 11:00 a.m.
Tue–Thu, Oct 20–22	Standardized testing for all students.
Sat, Oct 24	Open School at Asahi, 1:20–2:30 p.m., and Shiobe, 2:45–3:45 p.m.
Fri, Oct 30	Fall parties for grades 1–12; student surveys.