Meysen Academy - Takamori Campus -On Location

This is going to be my second grade class come April. They are such a wonderful, fun-loving, happy group of children. One is missing but altogether there are 15 students.

This is going to be my classroom. I will have to share it with the K5 teacher but she and I will work something out. It will be okay. In the corner, we work on curriculum books/songs/chants. At the tables, the students write in journals and work on worksheets daily. The one wall is a full width of window looking out onto a stream. The white board is double and can flip open the sides so that multiple uses can occure on a single plane. Pretty cool!

This is the other classroom next door to mine. I have been helping the teacher of this class on and off again throughout training.

This is the hall going to my classroom. As you can tell, there are windows on one side. The Penguins room is going to be my classroom. Right now, the graduating K5 class has the bulletin board. In April, it will be a new group of students.

This is the hall looking away from my room. The aquarium is one of several on campus. This one contains Tetra Neons and all live plants. The area around it is the reading/sitting room.
This is the front playground. It is very different from anything you would find in the States.
This is the Immersion Friend's Club building where I work. Upstairs on the right is the teachers' work room. It is full of tools and equipment to help make it easier for us teachers. There is a full kitchen, workbench, computers, supplies, everything you could possibly need. If it is not there, there is always the Flying Pig. (Makes me laugh everytime I hear that, it is the foreigner supply website. You can order anything and everything)
This looks on the the remaining campus. The building upfront is where the K4 & K5 Japanese Teachers have offices, the Friend's Club teachers, and the computer room. On the other side is the buisness office, principle's office, conference room, etc. The building in the far back of pix is the Friend's Club building. Talk about a nice piece of architecture. I will take some more pictures to show you. There are two sets of fireplaces - natural wood burning - multiple classrooms, multiple animal exhibits including saltwater aquariums and Iguana's and Camillions. These animals live the good life - no doubt about it. I have often sat in front of the fireplace working on stuff just enjoying it's warmth and comfort. It is a very nice extra.
This is the Gorilla Slide. About 30 feet in length. First day here, we were all challenged to a slide race by a 42 year old man. Run from the bottom of the hill, up the stairs, down the slide, and first at the bottom won. That 42 year old man beat us all. This guy has like 25 year old energy. Craziness. But most of the older staff are like that. They all have incredible amounts of energy and work to our shame. It is amazing. I wish I had that amount of energy and ability now.
This looks out on the barn which houses a horse, two mini-ponies, and an ornery goat. The goat tried to take a bite out of my shirt. I had no idea that they nibble like that. I thought that he was sticking his head out for a little pet. I was wrong. It was my shirt he wanted to eat. I was fortunate enough to get it out of his mouth before any damage was caused. In the summer time, there is a river that flows past the barn on down the hill. It is beatiful and is used for water playtime for the children. Then on down the trail is another playing field. There are two more buildings out of site from this location that are a part of Meysen.