Information
Information
The 2nd Year Senior High School Students Visited New Zealand
From August 1st to 20th, the 2nd Year students of Junten Senior High School visited Christchurch, the South Island in New Zealand. From Narita, the students first went to Auckland in North Island, then transferred to a domestic flight to Christchurch. It was a long flight so some students feel sick, but they all safely finished the city tour and arrived at the school where they met their host families.
(紙の大聖堂の前で記念撮影)
There was a welcome ceremony where the New Zealand students showed the Maori dance. They showed us a Maori style greeting “Hongi”, which is a greeting that two people press their noses together.
At Rangiora High School, Junten students sung “Sekai ni Hitotsudakeno Hana”. Then Junten students divided into two groups and each group went on to experience their assigned schedule. One group stayed at Rangiora High School and the other group stayed at Rangiora New Life High School. The Junten students spend two weeks at the schools.
Rangiora High School has 9th to 13th grades and Rangiora New High School has students aged from 6 – 18 years old. Each Junten student had his/her Buddy from each school, who worked and assisted the students.
(Rangiora High School, Welcome Ceremony)
(Rangiora New Life Stchool Welcome Ceremony)
One of the special aspects of the trip was that the student arrived on a Friday afternoon and their homestay
started on the weekend. So they had time to spend with their host families and the family took them to interesting
places to have fun experience.
Junten students participated in the physical education and home economics classes in addition to general subjects
such as mathematics and English at Rangiora High School. The physical education class was difference from
Japanese physical education class. In the home economics class, Junten students learned making sweets. They
enjoyed the recession talking with Buddies.
At Rangiora New Life School, they participated in the Maori culture class. They experienced cultural activities
centered on Maori dance, singing, and making Maori charms. Furthermore, in the home economics class, they showed
how to make Oyakodon. In addition, they were able to participate in classes that have no opportunity at Japanese
schools, such as Christian Living and a French class.
A New Zealand school has a long break of 20-25 minutes called Interval "recession" between the second and third hours,
and we were able to eat and relax. Also, in this course, each year, each student conducted a preliminary study on
the theme of “Difference between New Zealand and Japan” and gave presentations on the topic.
(Taking photos in the Interval period)
(Giving Presentations)
During the two-week trip, every Friday there was an field study opportunity. First Friday, they went to Merino
Company's ZQ farm, which produces merino wool. This ranch has a lot of sheep, and the students saw sheep shearing
and sheepdogs. The students had received prior learning about wool in Japan, but they visited the actually site of
wool production, where their uniform fabrics came from. At lunch time, ZQ Farm gave us a gorgeous lunch bag with
sandwiches, salads, apples, cookies, muffins, etc. and everyone was very happy.
They went to Willow Bank on the second Friday of their homestay. Willowbank is a zoo. Many pigs, ponies and
chickens are kept there. Some students bought food and fed large eels and birds. In the Maori cultural experience of
“Ko Tane”, Maori ritual performances using tools such as sticks.
After a two-week homestay, the group moved to Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, for self-studying. They chose their
our own lunch and places to go around for a few hours, but there seemed to be many students who felt that there was
not enough time.
Thirty-one Junten students seemed to had a lot of interesting experience during this New Zealand training.
The longest period of time they were away from Japan. They developed a deep connection with the local students and people
by sharing time together. This was the most memorable thing about the trip.