Ethan's 5th Grade Field Trip

In Aomori Japan to visit a Japanese elementary school

Entering the school:

We had a very warm welcome.
The Japanese students were outside and looking through windows,
greeting us with energetic waves hello.

When you enter a Japanese school you take your outside shoes off and put on your inside shoes.  We then headed to the gym to have the kids find their buddy for the day.  After pairing off and splitting into smaller groups they took us to a class room for the first project.

Origami lesson

They were making a kind of goldfish that the Japanese use as a decoration for one of their celebrations.

Ethan and his buddy.

Calligraphy Lesson

Notice that even though you have changed your shoes to clean indoor shoes.  They still have you take those shoes off to go onto mats.  They are a very clean and respectful people.

Balloon game

After game time ended the kids went back up stairs to the class rooms to have a Japanese style school lunch.  The Japanese students always eat in their class rooms with their teachers.  They serve each other and clean up their class room when they are finished.  The American and other Japanese adult volunteers went to eat lunch in the library.  The Japanese PTO served us our lunch.  We were given the same lunch as the kids, with the exception of the dessert.  We got one and the kids didn't.  It was all very delicious and very healthy.

Bowl of Rice. I added a yummy seasoning that they offered.
Miso soup with Japanese potatoes and carrots (yes, they are different than American)
Bowl of pork, bamboo, and what looked like green beans (I think;)
Milk(not pictured)
Cookie/cake (not sure what is was, but it was very good)

(sorry can't get this picture to turn correctly)

One of my all time favorite field trips!

~ November 25, 2015 ~