Author: billkralovec

Mr. Mecklem the principal and I gave a presentation to parents during our Visitation Day last week. The pdf of the slides presented can be viewed below. The workshop was a follow up to the work Mr. Mecklem and OIS counselor Melissa Lamug have been doing with our MYP students. My big take away from making the presentation is that one’s outlook on stress is the most important factor. Viewing it as a “performance-enhancer” or something exciting to propel you to do your best is a much healthier outlook than looking at stress as something bad or unhealthy.

Finding ways to clear your mind and taking care of your body through proper sleep, exercise, the arts, etc.  is also important.

 

 

The Eco Club sponsored a Sustainable Living and Cooking Workshop during Earth Week.

What does it mean to make a sustainable dish?

• The less processed the better. Requires less energy to create and packaging to transport and is better for you.
• Requires minimal resources to produce. Ex. Veggies require significantly less land and water to produce than animal products.
• The lower on the food chain the more sustainable. Growing plants or animals to feed to other animals to grow them is very energy intensive/less sustainable.
• Locally produced and healthy is more sustainable.
• Organic will require fewer resources and have fewer impacts on health and environment than non-organic foods
• Plan ahead to decrease food waste.

Thanks to all of the teachers and students who taught recipes and techniques and Ms. Rumble, sponsor of the Eco Club for leading the event!

 

 

 

 

OIS students are invited to attend a Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra concert on Thursday, June 7 starting at 19:00 at the ORIX Theatre (1 Chome-14-15 Shinmachi, Nishi Ward, Osaka). They are providing 20 free tickets to the performance for our students. Check your SOIS mail to register.

 

 

Former SOIS athlete of the year, Aki Shigeyama is continuing his sporting achievements in university. The 2017 graduate runs the 200 and 400-meter sprints for Chapman University in Orange, California. He was recently featured in an article in the university newspaper, The Panther. You can read the article here. 

OIS is proud that Aki is excelling in track and field and his studies this year! Congratulations!

 

 

 

 

OIS strongly believes in having our students experience Japanese culture. Setsubun is celebrated in Japan every February 3 as a division between Daikon (greater cold) and Risshun (beginning of spring). The traditional Japanese calendar has 72 “microseasons” in a year and Daikon and Risshun are two of the 24 major subdivisions of this calendar.

Setsubun was previously thought of as sort of a New Year’s Eve, and so it is still today marked by a special ritual to cleanse away the bad spirits of the former year. The mamemaki ritual of throwing beans at the Oni representing bad spirits, cleanses the participants to they are good and healthy for the rest of the year.

The kindergarten students loved throwing beans and had a memorable experience because they were active and it was emotional. The IB philosophy of learning by doing is on display on an activity like this. OIS students learn the culture and language of Japan through their Japanese classes.

 

A delegation of OIS students and teachers marched in protest yesterday in downtown Osaka. Marches were taking place all over the world to protest the racist and sexist statements, policies and actions of US president Donald Trump. The goal of the marches were to raise awareness of women’s and minorities’ rights.

In a Japan Times article about the event in Osaka, OIS student Manon Raby was quoted,

Manon Raby, a student at an international high school in Osaka who participated in the event, said there wasn’t really a lot of talk among her Japanese friends publicly about Trump and the past year.

“People seem to talk politics around the dinner table, but not really participate in marches like this,” she said.

Our mission statement challenges us to “contribute to the global community”. The OIS teachers and students demonstrating activism certainly were fulfilling this goal. The mission statement of the IB is to create a better and more peaceful world. Peaceful activism and standing up for what they believe are necessary for democracy.

We plan to continue the conversation on women’s rights on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2018. We are planning events on this day, including a roundtable discussion and lessons raising awareness.