An Hanami Picnic is  planned for 12:30 pm  on 1 April to Celebrate Harmony Day and the 10th anniversary of our friendship with Myojo Gakuen.  We will signify the events by also having a Casual Day.  Students are invited to wear either white, red, pink, and/or orange colours or  traditional costumes / clothing from their cultural background.  Parents are invited to contribute international food.  Parents and Grandparents are welcome to attend.  Class teachers will communicate specific arrangements. 

 

We are looking forward to the 12 Myojo students and 3 staff members arriving from Tokyo on Tuesday 29 March. This year is a very special year as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the relationship with Myojo Gakuen. We have planned a great week of events and learning opportunities for our visitors and we hope it leads to the development of more lifelong friendships particularly with our host families.

 

One activity we are holding is an hanami picnic. This time of the year in Japan, when Japanese people enjoy cherry blossom viewing, which is called ‘hanami’. Many people have a picnic style gathering where they enjoy viewing the stunning cherry blossoms. At Woodend, we will share an hanami style picnic lunch with our Myojo visitors. The picnic area will be decorated with hand-made cherry blossoms and other significant Japanese cultural items.

Screen Shot 2016-03-20 at 10.07.34 pmWe will also use this opportunity to celebrate Harmony Day. Theme  of  Harmony Day 2016 is Our Diversity Is Our Strength.  Our wonderful multicultural diversity is quite a big contrast from our Japanese visitors’ everyday experience.  Therefore, this will not only be a great and enjoyable event for our school but it will also be quite memorable for our Myojo visitors.

Parents & grandparents, all are welcome!  Your child’s class teacher will provide more details about the class’ involvement in this event.