Principal's Blog 校長先生のブログ
January 25, 2023
I like this time of year. The students are settled in their classes and are hard at work. Many are preparing for science presentations for the science fair. Some are preparing a speech for graduation. All students will take a writing test next week. Many classes are busy working with novels and learning to love literature. The students are healthy and happy. They are working hard.
I'm looking forward to next school year. Three new teachers are joining NLIS. The 1st-graders and 2nd-graders will be separated for the first time. We are improving our Japanese courses by having two levels taught, Japanese for Japanese speakers and Japanese for students who don't speak Japanese at home. I believe this is going to be beneficial for all the students.
August 4, 2022
The school year 2022-23 has been full of changes. New Life is now an official candidate for WASC accreditation. This means NLIS is approved by WASC. The coordinators of WASC will visit again with the goal of full accreditation. The principal has quit teaching and is now focused on helping the school become even better. Two new full-time teachers, one for the 3rd and 4th-grade classes, and one who teaches 9th and 10th-grade literature, 7th through 10th sciences, and Bible, have come this school year. Both teachers are excellent additions to NLIS. I have become a full-time principal and have retired from teaching.
The school just finished a successful week of summer school. The theme was "space." The teachers and students read space books, learned about the planets in our solar system and the constellations, made an excellent glow-in-the-dark moon mobile with its phases, and even launched rockets. Teachers and students played with water balloons, water guns, a parachute, several group games, basketball, and minute-to-win-it relay games throughout the week. It was an exhausting fun-filled week!
December 4, 2021
NLIS is experiencing much growth academically, socially, and numerically. Many new students have joined NLIS this year, and many new ones are coming in April 2022. Several classrooms have had to be reformed to make more room. We are currently looking for another building for our secondary students so that we can continue to grow.
Since July, WASC has visited NLIS, and we are continuing the accreditation journey with workshops scheduled this month and in January and February. NLIS will be an accredited school assuring our students of quality education and promising futures.
There have been many activities during the fall months. Students celebrated 100 days of school, had camp literacy day, a sports day at Midorigaoka Gym and Park, and a class party. Professional student pictures were taken, and the 6th graders went to Disney Land. There were also observation days, an open campus, student-led parent/teacher conferences, and a food drive, all held successfully.
Students are now preparing for Christmas dramas and concerts for final tests and completing projects in classes. Students are working hard and learning well.