Second Quarter 2011-12 - St. Mary`s International School

ST. MARY’S INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
1-6-19 Seta, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158-8668
Tel: 03-3709-3411 Fax: 03-3707-1950
St. Mary’S NewSletter
Headmaster
1
Our Founding Father 2
SMA President
2-3
ES Principal
3-4
MS Principal
4-5
HS Principal
5-6
MS/HS Counselor
6-7
School Nurse
7-9
L.S. Coordinator
9-11
ES Library
12-13
MS/HS Library
13-15
Athletics
16-17
Aquatics
17-20
Scout Master
20-21
IB News
21-22
I.T. Office
22-23
Development Office
23-24
Merry Cuddly
Christmas
24-26
SMA News
26-38
Advertising
38-43
2nd Quarter
9th December 2011
From the Headmaster
We have completed the first quarter and we are already deep into the first
semester. Both the teachers and the students are working hard at keeping the
learning momentum running. All are getting used to the new environment and
this includes a progressively better use of PowerSchool, our Student
Information System.
About ten years ago, we started the process of forming our own school
corporation. As many of you know, we are now part of the corporation called
‘Gakko Hojin Sei Maria Gakuen’. This corporation includes Seiko Gakuin and
Sayuri Yochien in Yokohama and St. Mary’s International School here in
Tokyo. We have been very well served by the corporation so far and we will
continue to have a deep connection with the two institutions located in
Yokohama since they have been founded, like St. Mary’s, by the Brothers of
Christian Instruction. However there are some good reasons for having our
own corporation. We are registered in Kanagawa prefecture but operate in
Tokyo and we constantly have to produce reports and get approval from two
different entities. We are also very different from Japanese schools in the
language we speak and the way we operate.
We are now in the last phase of the transition to the new corporation. The
approval has been given by ‘Gakko Hojin Sei Maria Gakuen’, our present
corporation. Tons of documents have been submitted to Tokyo-to and we are
looking at April 1st, 2012, as being the official inauguration of the new
corporation. It will be called ‘Gakko Hojin Kokusai Sei Maria Gakuen’ or St.
Mary’s International School Corporation. It will essentially continue to operate
as before. The biggest difference is that we will cease to deal with Kanagawa
prefecture.
We will continue to keep you
informed about this important
transition in the life of St. Mary’s
International School.
Br. Michel Jutras, Headmaster
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Statue of our Founding Father
Jean-Marie de la Mennais, the Founder of the
Brothers of Christian Instruction has now been
immortalized in a bronze statue located at the
entrance of the school in the atrium. The statue, a
gift from our benefactors Mr. Normand Gélinas
and Mrs. Monique Villemure, was unveiled at the
closure of the 150th anniversary of our Founder’s
passing in 1860. It was made by François
Deschenes, a Canadian artist from Vancouver.
The blessing of the statue was followed by our
regular Sunday Mass attended by all the Brothers
teaching in Japan, many collaborators and friends.
We express our gratitude to all those who have
helped organized this celebration, small in
magnitude but great in meaning for us.
The Brothers started St. Mary’s International
School in 1954, and more than 10,000 students
have already passed through the rigorous course of
study offered by the school. We have been
supported throughout the years by a multitude of
parents and benefactors. May Fr. de la Mennais continue to protect St. Mary’s and its entire
community.
Br. Jean-Pierre Houle and the Mennaisian Family
From the SMA President
2011 has been an extraordinary year which marked profoundly each of us individually and
collectively, in the world, in Japan and here at St. Mary’s. We have been deeply impressed with
the resilience and renewed spirit of volunteerism exhibited by the Japanese in the aftermath of the
disaster. At St Mary's we contributed the proceeds from the Carnival in May to the Tohoku
recovery effort and continue to support it in many different ways.
But we have also faced our own challenges -- SMA started the school year without a President or
an Executive Board, but gradually, we have been able to catch up. We are pleased to welcome
Mrs. Jennifer Yamamoto as the SMA Vice-President. Ms. Lia Kumar graciously stepped in from
her position of Nominations chair to chair the Bingo Committee. Ms. Tomoko Sandhar joined
her and we had a very successful Bingo! In terms of the financial contribution, the Treasury chairs
tell me it was the highest in the past five years (please refer to the Treasury report), thanks to the
dedicated support from the school community. In addition, the Room Parent Coordinators were
able to hold a very successful Bingo Bake sale, and the Elementary Room parents are fully
organised. The Hospitality chairs had a very well attended Yokohama outing and the Recycled
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Uniform chairs have been busy collecting and selling used uniforms. The JSSG chairs are now in
the midst of organizing the Christmas Craft Fair, which is returning to St. Mary’s after a few years
of interruption.
On November 30th, Ms. Tina Quick was invited as a speaker to the parents on Third Culture
Kids parenting, jointly hosted by PFA and SMA.
We have many other plans, but we need to fill the empty board seats of Donations, Ball/Dinner
Dance, Raffle and Carnival, otherwise we will not be able to carry this on. If you would really like
to make a difference in these important events in St Mary's school year, and would enjoy working
with other parents from around the world, please consider taking one of the board positions. We
have an undoubtedly strong support from the school community, but now we need people in
positions of leadership.
Now that December is upon us, we are busy preparing for the delightful Christmas season. The
Christmas Craft Fair will be held on December 10 before and after the Elementary Christmas
Concert. Please take your time to visit the fair at the Multi-Purpose Hall, next door to the Gym.
We wish you all a wonderful Holiday Season, and for the families leaving St. Mary’s at the end of
this year, our prayers for a safe journey ahead.
Caterina M. Tanaka [email protected], SMA President
From the Elementary School Principal
Christmas is just around the corner and our holiday preparations have already started. Please take
some time to come in to see the wonderful Christmas decorations on display around the school
during the weeks before Christmas break. Also, make sure to come in to view the great student
work that will be adorning our hallways soon; you will be quite impressed by the boys’ work! I am
confident that one look at all these colorful displays will certainly get you in the mood for our
Elementary School Christmas Concert which takes place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 10th.
We hope to see you there!
This year we are participating in quite a few charity events to help those less fortunate than
ourselves. In addition to our school-wide Save the Children fund raising drive (thanks to everyone
for their monetary donations as well as the food donations for the Bake Sale), we are also sending
donations to the children at the Brothers’ school in the Philippines, gifts to an orphanage in
Tokyo, and many of our students participated in the Koni-Santa project whereby students brought
in toys to be distributed in the orphanages and kindergartens of the Tohoku area. We gathered a
great many toys which were sent to brighten the lives of young children who suffered loss in the
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earthquake/tsunami disaster. Thanks to everyone for their generous and selfless giving. This is
what Christmas is all about.
Along with this newsletter allow me to send my sincere wishes for a blessed and peaceful holiday
season! Let us all share our time, talent and treasure with all we meet and continue to work with
one another to ensure the success of all the boys at St. Mary’s. Have a Merry Christmas and a
Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Michael DiMuzio, Elementary School Principal
From the Middle School Principal
In his bestselling study of corporate culture, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the
Leap... and Others Don't (HarperBusiness, 2001), Jim Collins identifies some of the key
challenges involved in taking an organization from one which merely does things well to one which
is a model of excellence.
The same question can be asked of schools that Collins poses for the business world. What does it
take to lift a school from “good” to “great”? Any answer to this question should begin with an
honest appraisal of the school’s current strengths and areas for growth. Here at St. Mary’s, we are
able to draw upon a number of sources to provide us with feedback on our performance. One of
these is the accreditation process. Schools such as St. Mary’s, which belong to accrediting agencies
such as the Council of International Schools, agree to undertake a periodic comprehensive review
of all aspects of the school. Being accredited means that a school has met a wide spectrum of
rigorous standards, and that it has developed an action plan for on-going improvement. Other
valuable sources of feedback are the Parent-Faculty Association, the School Improvement Council,
the SMA and the Student Council. All of these organizations act in different ways to keep our
school moving forward and engaged in self-improvement. We are fortunate at St. Mary’s to have
teachers, parents and students who are willing to give freely of their time to serve on these and
other groups within the school community.
So what does a great school look like? The following are some of the characteristics that I believe
are found in great schools, regardless of their geographic location, size, demographics, or facilities:
First, a genuine commitment from educators to teaching the whole child, seeing him or her as a
developing human being with hopes and fears, aspirations and unique gifts to be shared. Second, a
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sense of shared vision among the school leadership, teachers, parents, students and support staff;
and the energy to translate that vision into daily reality. A school without a vision is like a sailboat
with a broken mast. The vessel will stay afloat, and it will even move forward, but its direction will
depend on where the ocean currents take it. The school with a vision moves confidently forward,
trusting its internal compass to keep it from drifting off its chosen course. Third, active investment
in the school’s human resources, so that teachers have access to continuous professional
development, making them effective and innovative in imparting their knowledge and skills, aided
by digital tools and an underlying technology literacy. Finally, great schools, like championship
sports teams, never rest on their laurels. They know that it is much easier to go from great to good
than vice versa. Such schools know that greatness happens by design, not by accident or good
fortune.
This year’s school theme at St. Mary’s is “Adaptation and Renewal.” By working together, we can
ensure that our school is well equipped to adapt to the changes in the world around us; and that in
doing so, we experience continuous renewal in all aspects of our mission. A school that can
achieve these goals may justifiably claim to be well on the road from “good” to “great.”
Andrew Cross, Middle School Principal
From the High School Principal
First of all on behalf of the high school staff, we wish you season’s greetings and best wishes for a
Happy New Year. During this holy and sacred season, let us also remember the importance of
helping those in need. The St. Mary’s community banded together to give spiritual, financial, and
logistical support in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku. The list of fundraisers, special trips, and sacrifices to help continues growing to this day. Thank you for your
support and involvement. November also brings to mind the importance of helping one of our
long-time charities, Save the Children.
School-wide we have a goal of donating at least one million yen to the Save the Children
organization. Students in the high school are busy organizing and preparing for this drive. Some of
the upcoming fund-raisers include lunch-time games and a school-wide bake sale. Please do check
the website as details for the bake sale are finalized — tentatively planned for Dec. 14. We ask that
families donate individually wrapped baked goods (enough for 10 servings). All money raised
during this fund-raising period will go to Save the Children.
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St. Mary’s International School is a focal point for the community. The demands of the academic
program alone are a challenge. Many of the high school students take on the demands and
responsibilities of a fine arts or sports activity as well. Time is precious, and the school community
rallies to support and honor all involved. Please do take time to be with family, friends and loved
ones, and to recall the spirit of giving and love that is so important during the Christmas holidays.
During this school year of renewal and adaptation, let us focus on the family and community.
Saburo Kagei, High School Principal
From the Middle and High School Counselor
My name is Silke Conrad and I am the new school counselor for grades 6 to 10. After having
worked at Tokyo English Life Line for the past nine years as one of their therapists, I am very
excited that I have been offered the opportunity to join St. Mary as one of their school counselors.
Middle school in particular can be an exciting, yet sometimes also very challenging time for
students as well as their parents. During this time, when students are moving from childhood to
adolescence, we can see high levels of activity sometimes coupled with frequent fatigue due to
rapid growth, a search on the student’s part to build their unique identity, and often extreme
sensitivity to comments from others. In addition, students are turning increasingly towards their
peers for ideas and affirmation.
While the student is becoming more independent, he still needs the support of his parents as
much as ever. While you as a parent may decide to allow your son more autonomy in certain
areas, be sure to stay actively involved in your son’s school. Research shows that children whose
parents are engaged in their child’s education are more likely to achieve academic success.
The counseling program at St. Mary is designed to assist your boy make the most of his
educational experience. As your son’s counselor, I am concerned about his academic progress,
and personal and social development. The counseling program offers individual counseling for any
academic, emotional or social needs. Also, period classroom guidance lessons related to positive
personal growth and development are offered. In addition, the program is available as a resource
to parents and families as students navigate their way through middle and high school.
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Please feel free to give me a call, set up an appointment or just stop by at my office.
My contact details are:
Phone: 03-3709-3411 extension: 5267
E-mail: [email protected]
Office hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:15 a.m. -4:15 p.m.
I sincerely look forward to working with you in the coming year to help your son have a successful
experience at our school.
Silke Conrad, MS/ HS Counselor
From the School Nurse
How Much Sleep Do Teenagers Need?
Most teens need about 8½ to more than 9 hours of sleep each night. The right amount of sleep is
essential for anyone who wants to do well on a test or play sports without tripping over their feet.
Unfortunately, though, many teens don't get enough sleep.
Why Aren't Teens Getting Enough Sleep?
Until recently, teens were often given a bad rap for staying up late, oversleeping for school, and
falling asleep in class. But recent studies show that adolescent sleep patterns actually differ from
those of adults or kids.
These studies show that during the teen years, the body's circadian rhythm (sort of like an internal
biological clock) is temporarily reset, telling a person to fall asleep later and wake up later. This
change in the circadian rhythm seems to be due to the fact that the brain hormone melatonin is
produced later at night for teens than it is for kids and adults. This can make it harder for teens to
fall asleep early.
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These changes in the body's circadian rhythm coincide with a time when we're busier than ever.
For most teens, the pressure to do well in school is more intense than when they were kids, and it's
harder to get by without studying hard. And teens also have other time demands — everything from
sports to other extracurricular activities.
Teens who fall asleep after midnight may still have to get up early for school, meaning that they
may only squeeze in 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night. A couple hours of missed sleep a night may not
seem like a big deal, but can create a noticeable sleep deficit over time.
Why Is Sleep Important?
This sleep deficit impacts everything from a person's ability to pay attention in class to his or her
mood. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2006 Sleep in America poll, more than onequarter of high school students fall asleep in class, and experts have been able to tie lost sleep to
poorer grades. Lack of sleep also damages teens' ability to do their best in athletics.
Lack of sleep has also been linked to emotional troubles, such as feelings of sadness and
depression. Sleep helps keep us physically healthy, too, by slowing our body's systems enough to
re-energize us after everyday activities.
How Do I Know if they are Getting Enough?
Even if you think teens are getting enough sleep, they may not be. Here are some of the signs that
they may need more sleep:
 difficulty waking up in the morning
 inability to concentrate
 falling asleep during classes
 feelings of moodiness and even depression
How Can I Get More Sleep?
Here are some things that may help teens to sleep better:
Set a regular bedtime. Going to bed at the same time each night signals to your body that it's
time to sleep. Waking up at the same time every day can also help establish sleep patterns.
So try to stick as closely as you can to your sleep schedule even on weekends. Don't go to
sleep more than an hour later or wake up more than 2 to 3 hours later than you do during
the week.
Exercise regularly. Try not to exercise right before bed, though, as it can rev you up and make it
harder to fall asleep. Finish exercising at least three hours before bedtime. Many sleep
experts believe that exercising in late afternoon may actually help a person sleep.
Avoid stimulants. Don't drink beverages with caffeine, such as soda and coffee, after 4 p.m.
Relax your mind. Avoid violent, scary, or action movies or television shows right before bed —
anything that might set your mind and heart racing. Reading books with involved or active
plots may also keep you from falling or staying asleep.
Unwind by keeping the lights low. Light signals the brain that it's time to wake up. Staying away
from bright lights (including computer screens!), as well as meditating or listening to
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soothing music, can help your body relax. Try to avoid TV, computer and telephone at
least one hour before you go to bed.
Don't nap too much. Naps of more than 30 minutes during the day may keep you from falling
asleep later.
Avoid all-nighters. Don't wait until the night before a big test to study. Cutting back on sleep the
night before a test may mean you perform worse than you would if you'd studied less but
got more sleep.
Create the right sleeping environment. Studies show that people sleep best in a dark room that is
slightly on the cool side. Close your blinds or curtains (and make sure they're heavy enough
to block out light) and turn down the thermostat in your room (pile on extra blankets or
wear PJs if you're cold). Lots of noise can be a sleep turnoff, too.
Wake up with bright light. Bright light in the morning signals to your body that it's time to get
going. If it's dark in your room, it can help to turn on a light as soon as your alarm goes off.
If a teenager is drowsy, it's hard for them to look, feel and do their best.
Information obtained from kidshealth.org
Jennifer McCoy, School Nurse
From the Learning Support Coordinator
Do You Hear What I Hear?
As colder weather, lights, decorations, and Christmas music signal the arrival of the holiday season,
I remember as a little girl carefully placing a vinyl record on a turntable, then delicately setting the
needle on top of this big black disc, watching, and waiting for the needle to make its way, groove by
groove on the record that’s turning round and round, producing scratchy sounds at first, then
inevitably bursting out with the sound of beautiful music.
These days, I’m not sure how many people even listen to music this way, except for record
collectors. You probably are like me, one of millions of users of personal music players worldwide. (If you own an iPod, you are one of 173 million people who own one.)
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In fact, according to surveys in the United States alone, there has been a huge increase in
ownership of iPods and other MP3 players among 8- to 18-year-olds. It has grown from a mere
18% to a whopping 76% --- in just five years. And I’m not surprised at how intuitively appealing
these devices are.
Representing the collective work of brilliant minds, this small thing, not even larger than your
palm, can contain your entire music collection (among other things) ---- a thought which must have
been unimaginable years ago when stereo systems practically took up a entire wall of a living room.
For truly, there’s something magical about listening to your personal music collection any time you
want. With a touch of a tiny button, a few swipes on a screen or twirls on a dial using your finger
(hopefully a clean one), you can listen to a wide selection of music for every occasion or mood, all
carefully selected and classified. What’s more, you can actually take your entire music collection in
your jeans pocket anywhere you go!
Amazing! I hold these devices in awe. These new electronic inventions, for lack of a better word,
have a magical hold on us. These inventions are truly a gift to mankind. You can actually take your
entire music collection in your jeans pocket wherever you go! It was probably unimaginable back
then when places to appreciate music were designated and immovable spaces due to the bulk of
the studio system and made comfortable with soft cushions. Not anymore.
However, the convenience of it all has some drawbacks, and I’m not sure if people are aware of it,
least of all our children. With the convenience of always having your personal music collection,
you need a set of earphones or ear buds, to enjoy your music privately while on the go.
The result is pure unadulterated sound directed entirely to your ear, unfettered by distance.
Unfortunately, that stream of sound can permanently harm the microscopic hair-like structures
inside your inner ear (called the cochlea) if it continually bombards that tiny space with sound
vibrations for a long time. When damaged, these hair cells are gone forever, and so is your hearing
(or part of it). Children and young people are unable to fully appreciate the substantial impact of
hearing loss later in life, as much as we as adults do.
Research shows that MP3 players, iPods, and concerts can damage children’s hearing. So how
loud can sound be before it harms the delicate structures that allow us to hear?
We measure sound using decibels (or dB). Rustling leaves produce 25 decibels and normal
conversation occurs at 60 decibels. (Both are not loud enough to cause damage). Music at a pop
concert typically maintains a fairly constant level of 110 decibels, and the sound of an ambulance
siren is 120 decibels. (Sounds such as these are painful to our ears at close distance.) A clap of
thunder (120 dB) or a gunshot (140 -190 dB) can cause immediate damage. Many devices that
children use today have levels much higher than 85 decibels. For example, an MP3 player at
maximum level is roughly 105 decibels. Scientists recommend no more than 15 minutes of
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unprotected exposure to sounds that are 100 decibels to prevent the risk of permanent hearing
loss.
A study in 2008 conducted by the European Union’s (EU) Scientific Committee found that
“listening to personal audio devices with headphones at volumes greater than 89 decibels could
have detrimental effects on hearing”, and as a result, has required that all personal music players
and smart phones be manufactured with a lower default volume of 80 decibels.
Another study in the US found that teens not only tend to play music louder than adults, they are
often not aware of how loud they are playing it. Among teens, boys are more likely than girls to use
it in ways that may cause hearing loss later in life. Hearing loss might not be a concern for young
people right now because the damaging effects may not manifest for many years.
Indeed, noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), as it is scientifically described, is becoming a real
problem nowadays. But the good thing is --- it’s 100 percent preventable. We parents need to tell
our children to listen responsibly, and here are some ideas:



Turn It Down. Experts recommend that volume be set while in a quiet environment. If
you cannot hear people near you speaking, turn the volume down. Do not use your device
to block out the noise from your surroundings.
Limit Listening Time. Your ears adapt to higher volume settings over time, without
realizing how harmful this is to your hearing. Chronic exposure to these sound levels is
cumulative, so a slight hearing loss in childhood can become a substantial one in
adulthood.
Protect Your Ears from loud noise by moving away from it, or using ear protectors (ear
plugs or ear muffs).
Or, it might just be a great idea to listen to music the good old-fashioned way.
Happy holidays!
Mitos Molina, Learning Support Coordinator
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From The Elementary School Library
Reading Celebration Day
On November 10th, we held our 2nd Reading Celebration Day, to celebrate
the spectacular readers we have at St. Mary’s and their summer reading record
of 511,485 pages read. It was truly an inspirational day, starting out in the
school’s first floor atrium with our students, teachers, administrators and many
others reading quietly for about 15 minutes. It was fun to see and hear everyone reading, both to
themselves and the younger readers confidently reading out loud.
Throughout the week we held a bookmark contest and a door decorating contest. The judges for
both contests had their work cut out for them. We have many talented artists at St. Mary’s.
Congratulations to our bookmark contest winners: Kaito in RPK, Muku in 1C and Kei in 3K.
Please take a look at our winning bookmarks and see who made the top 10 bookmarks for each
category. http://library.smis.ac.jp/elementary/award/bmcontest.html
Congratulations also go out to 2B and 4C for their spectacular winning door displays. 1R took 2nd
place and 5W came in 3rd. http://library.smis.ac.jp/elementary/award/door.html
This year we asked our RP students to participate in a month-long reading challenge in October.
We challenged them to read 200 pages each. Once again, St. Mary’s students surpassed our
expectations. Our two RP classes read a combined total of 16,452 pages, while we expected 6,600
pages. Good job, RP!
Many thanks for your many donations to our book drive for Books for Africa. Your generosity will
definitely help many students who would otherwise not have access to quality books.
Reading Programs
Currently all of our Elementary School students are involved in either the St. Mary’s Book Award
Program or the Sakura Medal Reading Program.
The St. Mary’s Book Award (SMBA), a children’s choice award, is an important part of
our library program. All students in RP to grade 3 hear the five short-listed titles during
their library classes and vote for their favorite title at the end of the program. They are
encouraged to evaluate the books for both the story’s content and the illustrations.
This year’s short-listed books are: Say Hello to Zoro! by Carter Goodrich, The Quiet Book by
Deborah Underwood, Holler Loudly by Cynthia Leitich Smith, How Rocket Learned to Read by
Tad Hills and Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright. The winning book will be announced in
January 2012.
Books are flying off the shelves as students in grades 4 to 5 embark on their six-month
journey into the world of the Sakura Medal Reading Program. This exciting reading
program, which was dreamed up by a group of teacher-librarians from international
schools throughout Japan in 2005, is a big part of the international school library programs in
Japan.
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At St. Mary’s, students in grades 4 and 5 are currently reading books from the Chapter Book List,
and grades 2 and 3 will begin their journey with the Picture Book List in January. The Japanese
Picture Books and Chapter Books are more popular than we had dreamed. It’s fantastic to see so
much reading going on. For more information about this exciting reading program, please check
out our website at http://library.smis.ac.jp/elementary/award/sakura.html#list. Thank you, SMA,
for your help to keep this exciting program going.
St. Mary’s has 50 students from the 4th and 5th grades who are participating in the Sakura Book
Bowl, which is similar to the Brain Bowl. Our students will compete in three internal competitions,
culminating with the two highest scoring teams joining forces to compete in the All-Japan Sakura
Book Bowl competition which will be held in March 2012. We wish all our teams the best of luck
as they read, read, read Sakura Medal Books!
http://library.smis.ac.jp/elementary/award/bookbowl.html
Christmas Checkout
December 7 marks the start of our special Christmas Holiday checkout period. Students will be
given the opportunity to check out extra books during their classes. Please send a bag for them to
carry their books in.
Grade
RP
1st, 2nd, 3rd
4th, 5th
Parents
Number of extra books
3 books
5 books
10 books
20 books
As we move into this holiday season, remember to take time out from your busy schedules to read
together as a family. Just a few minutes a day can really make a difference toward your son’s
academic achievements and can foster a love of reading that will help them reach their potential,
not to mention all the great holiday memories you will make.
Happy Reading and Merry Christmas!
Tammy Hays, Elementary School Librarian
From the MS/HS Library
Last month, in celebration of Teen Read Week, the MS/HS Library sponsored a creative writing
contest for the Middle School. Taking their cue from TRW’s theme It’s ALIVE @ your library,
the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students relished writing horror stories — and with spectacularly
gruesome and frightening results! The Library was pleased to supply the judges and the prizes
(bike locks, pens, pencils, certificates and bookmarks) for the short story writers. You can go to our
website at http://library.smis.ac.jp/mshs/Teen_Read_Week_Photos.shtm to see photos of the top
13 finalists and you can even read some of their original horror stories online.
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While the MS English students were busy imagining their horrific tales, the HS students had a
chance to reflect on the scariest stories they had ever read. With the enticement of some sweet
treats, high schoolers were persuaded to come into the library and cast a vote for their favorite
horror story. The list was long, but among the top 13 were classic tales of horror by Edgar Allan
Poe and H. P. Lovecraft as well as more contemporary horror fiction by Stephen King and
Anthony Horowitz, as can be seen from the excerpted list below.
Teens Top Favorite Horror Books
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Quitters, Inc., by Stephen King
Bloody Horowitz, by Anthony Horowitz
The Tell Tale Heart, by Edgar Allan Poe
The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde
Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark, by Alvin Schwartz
Cirque du Freak, by Darren Shan
More Horowitz Horror: More Stories You’ll Wish You’d Never Read, by Anthony
Horowitz
8. There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor’s Baby: Scary Fairy
Tales, by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya
9. Into the Woods, by Tena French
10. Bad Behavior: Stories, by Mary Gaitskill
11. Ripley’s Short Scary Stories, by various authors
12. Misery, by Stephen King
13. Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, by H. P. Lovecraft and others
It is now a tradition and the middle school and high school students look forward to the month of
November as the start of the Sakura Medal Book Award Program. The Sakura Medal Award
program is now running successfully in its seventh year at St. Mary’s (I am happy to be one of the
original founders of the International Librarians Group which sponsors the Sakura Medal Award).
The novels shortlisted this year come from all corners of the globe, include some splendid titles in
translation from other languages besides English, and, in addition, students can choose to read
from selected lists of great books in Japanese for MS and HS readers. All the 2012 Sakura Medal
Award lists can be found on our website, http://library.smis.ac.jp/mshs/sakura_award2012.shtm,
and at the international librarians group official website, www.sakuramedal.com.
14
You can judge the excellence of the Sakura Medal Award selections by our recent visiting author,
David Poulsen, a 2010 winner of the award. As you can see on our website page at
http://library.smis.ac.jp/mshs/visit_David_Poulsen.shtm, St Mary’s students responded very
enthusiastically to his winning book Numbers, his writing workshop and his author talks in the
Library last month.
In December, we have planned another author presentation — this time by Australian writer James
Moloney (www.jamesmoloney.com.au), author of the fantastic Book of Lies trilogy. Mr. Moloney
will present to Elementary students in the ES Library and to Grade 6 students and to Parents in the
MS/HS Library on December 6th.
Parents are cordially invited to attend the 2:30-3:15 session that will be specifically tailored to their
interests.
Happy Reading!
Anna Fernicola, MS/HS Librarian
From the Athletics Department
While St. Mary’s was unable to defend its titles in high school cross country and tennis, it
nevertheless remained a force to reckon with by finishing second and third respectively in the
Kanto region. In Far East competition, the cross country team missed out on a Far East title by a
mere four points while tennis was edged out by CAJ in spite of Kent Shikama retaining his Far
15
East singles title. Middle school sports continued to perform creditably with third place finishes in
cross country and soccer.
With the fall season over, winter sports teams are now gearing up for their season openers in the
first week of December. In preparation for this, the varsity soccer team competed in the Moanalua
Tournament in Honolulu while varsity basketball just returned from their annual trek to the Hong
Kong Holiday Classic Tournament. Wrestling kicks off their season with a dual meet against Zama
in early December while middle school basketball takes on Aoba and K-International for their
opening games.
Please come out and support the Titans! If you are interested in travelling to away games at US
military bases, please send me the following information at [email protected]:
1. Family Name as it appears on your passport
2. First Name as it appears on your passport
3. Date of birth
4. Nationality
5. Home address
6. Telephone number
7. Copy of driver’s license
8. Copy of car registration (shaken-sho)
Winter Sports
Ball Hockey – Coach Nicholson
Mind Sports – Coach Klein and Coach Craney
Grade 2 Activities – Coach Hagenson and Coach
Hornickel
MS Basketball 8 – Coach Willis
MS Basketball 6&7 – Coach Molina
MS Wrestling – Coach Yabui
Varsity Basketball – Coach Young
JV Basketball – Coach Sasaki
Varsity Soccer – Coach Van Den Bossche
JV Soccer – Coach Twohig
HS Wrestling – Coach Harlow
Swimming – Coach Moodie
Good luck to all winter sports teams!
Let’s Go Titans!
Tom Molina, Athletics
16
From the Aquatics Department
Kohei Kawamoto Swim Clinic at St. Mary’s
Elite swimmer Kohei Kawamoto held a swim clinic on Tuesday November 15th at St. Mary’s
pool. Kohei recently placed 2nd and 3rd place in the 100 and 50 meter Butterfly events at FINA’s
World Cup meet in Tokyo. Kohei will be vying for a spot on Japan’s 2012 Olympic Team for the
London Games.
St. Mary’s swim team members were fortunate to have Kohei interact with younger and veteran
swimmers. He also provided valuable technique tips and drills for Butterfly and Freestyle as well
as advice on both starts and turns. The Bucs were inspired by Kawamoto’s motivational speech
and appreciated the time allowed for a Q&A session.
FINA World Cup Swim Meet at Tatsumi
Tokyo hosted its 2nd World Cup meet on November 12th & 13th. The World Cup is an
international series of short course (25m) swim meets organized by FINA, the International
Federation for Swimming. The 2011 series featured seven meets starting in early October. Meets
were held in Dubai, Stockholm, Moscow, Berlin, Singapore, Beijing, and Tokyo. Each meet has
34 events — prize money is awarded to the top three swimmers in each event. Additionally, overall
prize money is presented to the series top three swimmers — both male and female — $100,000
for the overall winner with $50,000 for 2nd place and $25,000 for the 3rd place finisher.
St. Mary’s Senior Kelly Moodie swam the 200 and 400 Freestyles having qualified for the
competition based off his August performances at the Inter-High Championships and the Age
Group National Championships. Kelly finished in 27th place for the 400 Free (3:55.69) and in
37th for the 200 Free (1:50.43).
Sweden’s Therese Alshammer and South Africa’s Chad Le Clos each received $100,000 as the
overall series winners. The Tokyo meet was the last stop for the 2011 FINA series.
The NCAA recruiting season for the 2012 graduating class is in full swing. Moodie, a five star
recruit recently signed a national letter of intent/scholarship with the University of Arizona. Link to
the announcement: http://theswimmerscircle.com/blog/hansen-arizona-land-verbals-from-big-malefemale-recruits/
The University of Michigan Wolverines competed at the Minnesota Grand Prix meet. St. Mary’s
graduates Miguel Ortiz (2008), Ryutaro Kamiya (2010), and Bruno Ortiz (2010) are all competing
at the Grand Prix with the wolverines. Results can be found on the following link:
www.gophersports.com/livestats/w-swim/index.htm
17
Tokyo-To Kirokukai Swim Meet at Tatsumi
42 Buccaneer swimmers competed in the Nov. 5 + 6 Tokyo Fall Kirokukai Swim Meet at
Tatsumi. 2,512 swimmers from 96 teams participated in the annual event. The Bucs continue
their streak of compiling Age Group National qualifying times very early in the swim season.
Freshman Mokhtar Al-Yamani bettered the JOC Cup standard in the 50 + 100 Freestyle as well as
the 100 Butterfly. The 15-18 Boys won the Freestyle relay and were just 1.9 seconds off the ‘cut’ in
the 400 meter relay with all swimmers averaging 53’s for a stellar 3:32.88.
Mokhtar Al-Yamani set 2 new Open + Area records in the 13 + 14 Boys age group. Mokhtar
blasted a 58.21 in the 100 meter Butterfly and blazed a 24.19 in the 50 Free. 10th grader Kana
Moodie bettered her own Open + Area mark in the 15-18 Boys 50 meter Backstroke to improve
the standard to 31.97.
The 11 + 12 Boys Relay took 2nd place overall in both the 200 Medley (2:10.29) and 200
Freestyle Relay (1:56.02). Joshua Brown, Yutaro Sahara, Naoki Nomura, and Takashi Kanazawa
narrowly missed the Area record for the medley relay.
The training is paying off as Bucs continue to produce US Swimming all star time standards.
AAAA times were put in by Mokhtar A., Toshiki Takahashi, Christian Brown, Joshua B., and
Naoki N. Triple A times came from Kana M., Junwoo Moon, and Yutaro S. AA times were
turned by Masaya Takeda, Nicolas Flint, Shunichi Ichimura, Kazuki Martin, and Takashi K. A
times were swum by Riki Motoyama, Yuri Hayashi, Yudai Ichimura, Coco Yamamoto, Marina
Chun, Kaitlin Rossman, Yu Kunita, Keigo Hayashi, Young Ju Choi, and Laszlo Wenk.
Buccaneer Invitational at St. Mary’s
The Invitational has a long tradition always displaying strong swimming. The meet always features
competitive Japanese teams — a decade ago Yasuko Tajima swam in the meet 10 months prior to
winning the Olympic silver medal in the 400 Individual medley at the Sydney games. 10 elite
nationally ranked athletes from nearby Nihon Sports Science University (Nittaidai) competed on
Sunday. Spectators were awe-struck by Nittaidai’s Senior Hiromasa Fujimori swim in the 200
Individual Medley.
The Bucs played host to 11 teams throughout the Kanto Plains on Saturday and Sunday. There
was a lot of activity around the pool with 331 athletes attending and a total of 1,435 individual
entries and 85 relays.
The Bucs do not count themselves in the team trophy race for the Invitational, but amassed 1,063
points over 2 days of competition. Taiyo Kyoiku Sports Center of Setagaya-ku took 1st place with
1,475.5 points, followed by Setagaya-ku’s Mishuku Sakura Swim Team (605) and Kibogaoka
finished with (290.5). In Boys team scoring the Bucs finished far ahead with 909 points to Taiyo’s
550, and Mishuku’s 287.
18
High Point trophies are awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in each age group based
on six events over 2 days.
15-18 – 9th grader Junwoo Moon took 2nd place overall with a 40 points over 2 days. Masaya
Takeda captured the 3rd High Point with 36 points. Senior Kelly Moodie swam just 2 events: he
won the 100 Free in a US Swimming AAAA time and led off the Bucs’ triumphant 400 Free relay.
In the girls 15-18 division, Seisen 10th grader Kana Moodie took the overall high point trophy
with a perfect 54 point total – Kana was close to breaking the Area records in the 50, 100 Free,
100 Fly, and her own mark in the 100 Back.
13 + 14 – 9th grader Mokhtar Al-Yamani captured the High Point for with 52 points. Mokhtar
bettered the Age Group National qualifying time in the 100 meter Freestyle with a 53.89 effort.
Toshiki Takahashi took 3rd place honors with a 42 point total and Kazuki Martin was close
behind, finishing 5th overall with 34 points. Mokhtar, Toshiki, Kazuki, and Riki Motoyama
combined to break the Area record in the Boys 400 Medley relay (4:19.50). In one of the more
exciting races of the meet, Toshiki Takahashi and Taiyo’s Takeshi Kiuchi battled head-to-head in
the 200 Breast both swimming AAAA times – Kiuchi won the close race, but Toshiki came back
on Sunday to win the 100 meter Breast.
11-12 – The 11-12 age group was clearly the most competitive – just 12 points separated the top 5
swimmers in the high point standings. 7th grader Joshua Brown captured the High Point for Boys
11-12 with 50 points. The 3rd High Point went to 6th grader Naoki Nomura with a 40 point total,
just 2 points ahead of 5th place finisher Yutaro Sahara. The quartet of Joshua, Naoki, Yutaro and
Takashi Kanazawa won both the 200 Free and 200 Medley relays – narrowly missing the Open +
Area record in the Medley relay.
8 + Under – 3rd grader Keigo Hayashi netted the 2nd high point with a 2 day total of 50 points,
just 2 points behind Taipei American School’s Hironori Kondo. Tyler Corwin had 44 points to
capture the 3rd high point award. Bien Bagui and Young Ju Choi joined Keigo and Tyler to win
the 100 Freestyle relay. Keigo, Tyler, Bien, and Laszlo Wenk also won the 100 Medley relay.
Other swimmers finishing in the top 8 in overall points for their age groups were Shunichi
Ichimura, Riki Motoyama, Yuri Hayashi, Coco Yamamoto, Bien Bagui, and Young Ju Choi.
Dave Moodie, Aquatics
19
From the Scout Master
Troop 15 Boy Scouts on the Move
The Boy Scouts have been out and about, camping and hiking in the wilds of Japan – since last
May we have seen an influx of several older high school boys joining, which has added a new and
greater dimension to our activities. We have a fun and busy, active troop.
At the start of the school year we climbed Mt. Fuji; several Scouts made it to the very top. In
September we camped near Odawara, in a drop-dead beautiful campsite lined with higambana
flowers — the first I had ever seen in my many years in Japan (!). It was an incredibly scenic site,
next to a river and rice paddies. Our next campout, also a late-game change of location, was out in
the countryside — in Yamanashi — with some Webelos Cub Scouts — it was a great weekend and in
spite of the traffic on the way home, we enjoyed the countryside.
In October, Troops 15 and 16 hosted the Merit Badge Day at St. Mary’s, and it was well-attended.
Scouts earned badges in Crime Prevention, Emergency Preparedness, and other areas.
For our November campout, we had a bit of “damp” weather — it was sort of like before Noah’s
Ark started floating — we were in Yamanaka, and the water just kept on coming — but we all
survived it, and the Scouts and adults had a great time — Sunday’s fantastic weather made it all
come together — we still have a few damp tents, though ...
On the radar is a 5-mile hike in historic Tokyo (think 47 Ronin), a mochi-pounding and mikanpicking day trip, and a Court of Honor (awards ceremony) before the Christmas break.
It’s been a great year so far in Scouts — now when are you going to get out and go camping and
enjoying the beauty of nature in Japan?
Frank L. Striegl, Scoutmaster, Troop 15
20
From the IB Coordinator
International Baccalaureate News
Using the Winter Break
As we approach the winter holidays, the Senior IB Diploma candidates can feel a sense of relief at
what they have accomplished: most college applications are in, the Extended Essay has finally been
completed, and many of the other Internal Assessments are either complete, or well on their way
to being so. However, there are still many challenges ahead, and students are urged to use the
coming break as both a time for rejuvenation and as an opportunity to strengthen their positions
with respect to any major pieces work or exams which await them in January. The IB calendar of
due dates which all IB students and most parents now have (by e-mail) may be of interest to
parents who wish to see what IB challenges lie ahead for their son, whether he is a Junior, Senior,
Diploma Student or Certificate Student.
The CAS Program
‘Creativity, Action and Service’ is one of the three elements of the core subjects (along with
Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge) which Diploma students need to work on. Usually, the
creativity and action components largely take care of themselves within the school curricular and
extracurricular activities. Service, however, requires a special commitment, and should be on-going
throughout the year. Please ask your son what he is doing to get involved in community service,
and encourage him as much you can. If he is stuck for ideas, please have him approach the CAS
Coordinator, Ms. McMillan. If you, as a parent, have any connections or insights into possible
service activities suitable for our students, please contact me or the CAS Coordinators.
Help students make sensible choices.
Some students set out to challenge themselves to the maximum by taking on too many activities
beyond their required responsibilities, and they end up becoming overwhelmed. For some it’s a
matter of having wide and varied interests, and for others it’s an attempt to improve their college
candidacy profiles. But taking on too much can easily back-fire and manifest itself in fatigue and
declining performance in school.
Parents of Juniors and Seniors can help by talking with their children and discussing the reasons
for choices of activities and about the advisability of their choices
as they approach the second semester. If they need further
advice, they can always approach the IB Coordinator or the
counselor to discuss ways to lessen an overloaded schedule.
Cris Copping, IB Coordinator
21
From the IT Department
Please register for the Families Mailing List
St. Mary’s uses the Families Mailing List to contact school parents in cases of emergency, as well as
with information about school and important events. After two years in operation, the list is nearing
100% enrolment by St. Mary’s families. Our current figures are:
Overall:
Elementary School
Middle School:
High School:
94%
97%
93%
90%
(The figures include students for whom at least one parent has registered to the Families Mailing
List.)
If you have not done so, please register for the Families Mailing List at http://families.smis.ac.jp/
Please Note: If you have registered but are not receiving mailings, your e-mail address may not be
verified. When you register, you should receive a confirmation message (within two business days).
The message contains a link. You must click the link in order to verify your e-mail address for the
Families Mailing List.
(If you register and cannot find the confirmation message in your Inbox, please check your Spam
or Junk Mail folder.)
Accidentally Unsubscribing: Each message sent to the Families Mailing List contains an
“Unsubscribe” link. (This is in keeping with mailing list best practices, for the prevention of spam.)
If you have accidentally unsubscribed from the mailing list, please contact us to send another
confirmation message. You must re-confirm your address before you are added to the mailing list
again.
DJ Feldmeyer, IT Program Manager
22
From the Development Office
Since the Annual Giving letter went out at the end of September, we have received a number of
generous contributions, totaling nearly 7 million yen in the past two months. We would like to
thank all the contributors who have been very supportive of our school.
Although we all enjoy the facilities of our new school buildings, the completion of the interior of
the Multi-Purpose Hall is our next goal. This Hall will be used for shows, the school musical and
various concerts. It will certainly add extra allure to our school.
We appreciate any donation, big or small, and rely on your generosity to continue the outstanding
educational program we offer to our students.
If you have any questions, please contact the Development Office at 3709-3411 or e-mail
[email protected]
St. Mary’s Alumni Association (SMAA)
The SMAA hosted the “Gala Dinner Show” on Saturday, November 12, in the gymnasium. It was
another huge success. We enjoyed great food and superb performances by our alumni: John Ken
Nuzzo (1984), Erik Reiff (2000) and Andre DiMuzio (2005). The other performers included
classical pianist Yumi Okazaki, cellist Reine Hirano, and of course the St. Mary’s choir and band.
Everyone enjoyed the dazzling night full of wonderful music.
Development Office
23
Merry Cuddly Christmas!
Hello everyone! Christmas is just around the corner and we sincerely thank you for the kindness
you have extended to our Tohoku charity drive this year. This is an invitation to a very special
Christmas Charity Sale by the Kesennuma Relief Effort Helping Those in Need Project.
On December 10th, there will be a Christmas Market in the Multi Purpose Room before and after
the Christmas Concert starting at 12:30 p.m. when the doors open. Please drop by with your family
and enjoy some leisurely Christmas shopping. We are going to sell lots of brand new stuffed toys
donated by NAO’s Stuff, Inc., for a very good price and we are sure that these cuddly animals can
put smiles on the faces of many children and adults! Just take a look!
50 % of all proceeds will go to the Save the Children Fund and the remaining 50 % will go to the
Kesennuma Relief Effort Helping Those in Need Project to support the young children in
Kesennuma, Rikuzentakata and Ofunato affected by the tsunami and earthquake disaster.
Stuffed toys offer reassurance and comfort to children. They help their imagination and
communication skills, too. It would be really great if you could help these children by purchasing a
cuddly little friend and then giving that friend a home.
24
We will also have a Play Area for Children on the day so that young children can enjoy playing
with the stuffed toys. There will also be a photo studio corner. Please drop by and have your photo
taken with a beautiful, big teddy bear.
Thank you very much for your kindness and support.
We wish you a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Kesennuma Relief Effort Helping Those in Need Project
Merry Cuddly Christmas!
Please come and visit us in the Multi
Purpose Room!
SMA News and Events
SMA is a volunteer organisation whose aim is to provide opportunities for parents to meet on a
common platform. It encourages parents to develop ideas, in partnership with the faculty and
administration to foster a spirit of learning, harmony, creativity and joy.
SMA invites all parents to participate in this process of learning and be involved. You can help by
donating your time, sharing your skill or providing a donation for any of our events,
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
25
Upcoming Events-
We will have used
children’s fiction and
non-fiction books for
sale. All proceeds from
books sold will benefit
student programs funded through the St.
Mary’s Association. Please stop by, and pick
up a few books for your children to enjoy
over the holidays!
J.S.S.G presents
Elementary Christmas Concert
December 2011
26
CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR
The SMA Japanese Speaking Support Group (J.S.S.G) invites you to the St. Mary’s Christmas
Craft Fair to be held on Saturday, December 10th, in the Multi-Purpose Hall, the day of the
Elementary School Christmas Concert. The fair will be open from 12:30 to 1:50 p.m. and from 3
to 4:30 pm, before and after the Concert. The fair will be closed during the concert time.
A total of 15 vendors will be in the fair. The vendors will be featured as follows:
Vendors’ Booths
Summer camp, Preserved Flower, Tutor Services, Acute puncture pierced earring, Clothing,
Christmas Wreaths, Tableware, Bags, Accessories, Kimono/Obi cushions, Pearl jewelry,
Children’s books, Workbooks, Gift, Stuffed toys sale for Kesennuma, Indian Food, Baked food,
Pies Coffee, SMA recycled uniform sale, SMA used book sale, SMA Christmas bake sale
No Food Will Be Allowed In The Gym. Please Stay In The Multi-Purpose Hall To Savour
Your Food And Drink.
Some seating will be available in the MPH
All Children Must Be Supervised At All Times!
Children Will Not Be Allowed To Run Around The School Premises Unsupervised While The
Parents Shop And Socialize In The MPH!
During the Craft Fair hours, there will be a supervised child play area in the MPH for children 3
years old to 1st Grade and out in the field for children in 2nd Grade and up, run collectively by
the Student Council’s ”Save the Children” fundraising drive and Ms. Ono’s “Kesennuma Relief
effort helping those in need Project”. The service will be free of charge but donations will be
welcome. Please deposit them in the prepared boxes. The proceeds will be shared equally
between the two campaigns. If the child is not in the supervised play areas, they should be with
their parents or care takers.
We are looking forward to seeing you there!
JSSG Chairs
Risa Osawa and Yukari Tsui
27
From the SMA Treasurer
We are writing to express the gratitude of the SMA to all who contributed to SMA activities since
school re-opened in September. The following spreadsheet provides a breakdown of all funds
raised through donations, Bingo night and other activities. It also shows how the funds were used.
As you know, fund-raising is ongoing. We are committed to making many meaningful
contributions to enrich school life for our boys and our families.
With best wishes to all.
St. Mary's Association Treasury Report as of November 24th, 2011
SMA Income from September 29 to November 24
SMIS Pocket Calendars Sales
19,000
Pocket Calendar Adv.
180,000
Donation Received by Nov. 24, 2011
1,039,600
Newsletter Adv.
25,000
Bingo
2,484,140
Hospitality Outing
26,600
Carnival 2011 (Art Auction)
10,500
Total Income
3,784,840
SMA Expenses from September 29 to November 24
SMIS Calendar 2011-2012
(2,043,300)
Mind's I 2011
(937,650)
Welcome Tea
(18,000)
Bingo
(124,375)
Hospitality Outing
(13,300)
Sports Allocation
Cross Country
(Trip to Guam)
(150,000)
Varsity Tennis
(Trip to Osaka)
(60,000)
Students Allocation
RP
(Field Trips)
(102,000)
G1
(Field Trips)
(165,000)
G2
(Field Trips)
(213,000)
ES/HS Library Allocation
MS/HS Library
(Author Visit)
(54,400)
SMA Board stationery (Ink Cartridge)
(4,290)
Total Expenses
(3,885,315)
Bingo 2011 Treasury Report
Income
Expenses
Pre-sale Tickets
689,845
ES Supervision on Bingo Day
154,000
Entrance
319,300
Extra Card
366,900
Bake Sale
199,389
0
Food Court
590,536
0
Drinks
164,170
(25,110)
Prizes
(70,893)
Decoration
(10,407)
Others
(17,965)
Total
2,484,140
(124,375)
Miho Nagano, Miki Repeta, SMA Treasurers
28
Thanks from SMA Hospitality
On Thursday October 13th, 37 ladies (and a baby!) set
out for the port of Yokohama for a day of sightseeing,
shopping and Chinese delicacies! A good time was had
by all. Thanks to all the
participants and to our
bus driver, Mr. Saito. We
hope to host another trip
in the New Year.
Sincerely,
Roula Leggieri and Therese Adachi, SMA Hospitality
29
From the Nominations Committee
Dear Parents,
St. Mary’s Association (SMA) is run by a fantastic volunteer committee consisting of parents and
guardians of the students at St. Mary’s. SMA donates its time, energy and creativity towards the
improvement of the school and enriching students’ school experience. This Letter from the
Committee is intended to highlight the role of SMA.
The Purpose of SMA:
1. To sponsor activities, meetings, social events and drive fund-raising projects enriching the
quality of the school and students.
2. To help parents to become better acquainted with the faculty, administration and the school in
general.
3. To provide financial assistance to the school within SMA’s remit and allocate such funds at the
discretion of the Executive Board.
This organization will not function without the active participation of parents like you. We invite
you to join us. While on the board, we do have to work on fulfilling the responsibility we have
taken, but at the same time, it provides us with opportunities of greater involvement with and
understanding of the entire school community.
Please consider taking the following positions of leadership. Be part of the SMA board:




Donations Committee
Dinner/Dance Chair and Co-Chair
Carnival Chair and Co-Chair
Raffle Chair and Co-Chair
Kind Regards
Lia Kumar, Nominations
[email protected]
30
31
From the Bingo Committee
Many Thanks From The
Smile Bingo Committee
We would like to thank everyone who made this year’s Bingo a GREAT Success!!
To all of the parents who donated delicious food and cash to our “Food Court” a very BIG
thank you!
Food Court Cash Donation
Mrs. Toshie Saito, Mrs. Kiyomi Medeiros, Mrs. Ai Shane, Mrs. Chiemi Bodenheimer, Mr.
Charlie Francoline, Mr. Isao Namba, Mr. William Lee, Mr. Karl Che, Mrs. Kana Lee, Mrs.
Yumi Yamazaki, Mrs. Tomoko Ajeesh, Mr. Ken Kress, Mrs. Shwe Yin Min Do, Mrs. Rei Ueno,
Mrs. Rumi Someya, Mrs. Midori Shimada, Mrs. Keiko Sonoda, Mrs. Suju Toyokawa, Mrs.
Itsuko Nogami, Mrs. Mihoko Nomura, Mrs. Shinobu Harada, Mrs. Yukari Matsukawa, Mrs.
Meredith Cardenas, Mrs. Akira Kong, Mrs. Megumi Peto, Mrs. Izumi Ryan, Mrs. Miwa
Tsurumi, Mrs. Lola Wan, Mrs. Miwa Yamakawa, Mrs. Norika Rampinini, Mrs. Jinru Fujita
Food Court Food Donation
Mrs. Hisako Shimada, Mrs. Yuki Shimizu, Mrs. Kumi Ito, Mrs. Riki Mano, Mrs. Jun Tateno,
Mrs. Maria Wood
We are very thankful to Mrs. Iwori Arai, Mrs. Sandra Jones, Mrs. Akiko Inamine and Mrs.
Jennifer Yamamoto for donating cash for the Hot Dog booth. We are very grateful to Mrs. Aya
Bedi, Mrs. Hiromi Kim, Mrs. Hiromi Wittman and Mrs. Itsuko Nogami for their invaluable
help at the Hot Dog Booth.
To Mrs. Yeon Yu, Mrs. Heonkyung Hwang, Mrs. Heayeon Jang, Mrs. Jiheon Choi, Mrs.
Mikyung Song and Mrs. Yeonju Kwun for organizing and running the Korean Food booth.
To all of the parents who donated their creativity for our "bingo decorations"
To Mie Ward who designed our awesome poster!!
To Yuakri Ko and Chigusa Miura, without their invaluable help on donations, we would have
been completely lost.
To the Booster Boys, led by Luca Nioi, who helped with everything on Bingo night ... and
especially for getting everyone excited to play.
To Mr. Tierney and Ms. Hornickel for their great voice as MCs.
To Miyoko Lay and Naomi Takahashi for organizing the bake sale ... and to everyone that
donated baked goods.
32
To Miho Nagano, Miki Repeta and their very organized Treasury team.
To all of parents who donated their time at ticket pre-sale, entrance, food court, set up and clean
up.
To Ms. Linda Wayne and the faculty member volunteers for making sure event areas ran
smoothly.
To the school administration and staff for all their support from set-up to clean-up.
To our perfect Bingo Committee that made work fun!!
Finally, we would like to thank all of the corporations, parents, alumni, and friends for your
generous prize donations. It brought smiles to the faces of one and all!!
Individual Donors
Cash Donations
Platinum — ¥500,000
Mr. Seijiro & Mrs. Yuko Nozaki
Blue — ¥100,000
Mr. Duil Kim (¥100,000)
Mr. Jeffrey Koo (¥100,000)
Mr. Yoshiaki Murakami (¥100,000)
Silver — ¥50,000 — ¥99,000
Mr. Akira Omiya
Ms. Keiko Kamada
Ms. Misook Asai
Mr. Unryu Haku
Titans — ¥10,000
Mrs. Pauline Kitazawa
Mr. and Mrs. Morie and Rei Ueno
Mr. Kendrik Liu
Dr. Peter & Mrs. Ai Shane
Mr. Akira Kong
Mr. Atsushi & Mrs. Mieko Mizoroki
Mr. & Mrs. Bhandari
Mr. & Mrs. Bodenheimer
Mr. Charlie Francoline
Mr. & Mrs. Matsubayashi
Mrs. Megumi Peto
Mrs. Meredith Cardenas
Mrs. Midori Shimada
Mrs. Mihoko Nomura
Mrs. Miwa Tsurumi
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Ms. Cheryl Porter
Mrs. Chigusa Miura
Mrs. Choi
Mr. & Mrs. Erdos
Mr. Guy Matthews
Mrs. Hisako Shimada
Mr. Isao Namba
Mrs. Itsuko Nogami
Mr. Ivan Smallwood
Mr. & Mrs. Iwamoto
Mrs. Maria Woods
Mrs. Jianru Fujita
Mrs. Jun Tateno
Mrs. Kana Lee
Mr. Karl Che
Mrs. Keiko Sonoda
Mr. ＆Mrs. Kenichi Kuboya
Mr. Kenmei Yamamuro
Mr. Kenneth Andrews
Mr. Kenneth Kress
Mrs. Kiyomi Medeiros
Mr. & Mrs. Kubota
Mr. & Mrs. Kumar
Mrs. Kumi Ito
Mrs. Rumi Someya
Mr. Ryosuke Komatsu
Mrs. Miwa Yamakawa
Mr. Naritoshi & Mrs. Chiemi
Minami
Mrs. Norika Rampinini
Mrs. Pauline Kitazawa
Mrs. Rei Ueno
Mrs. Riki Mano
Mrs. Ru Chen
Mrs. Rumi Aoyama
Mrs. Izumi Ryan
Mr. James Ko
Mrs. Jeany Khan
Mr. Ryuta Toyokawa
Mr.& Mrs. Sandhar
Mrs. Shew Yin Min Oo
Mrs. Shinobu Harada
Mrs. Suju Toyokawa
Mrs. Tomoko Yamaya
Mrs. Toshie Saito
Mr. Tun Aung Myo Thein
Mr. Unryu Haku
Mr. William Lee
Mrs. Yu Kobayashi
Mrs. Yukari Matsukawa
Mrs. Yuki Shimizu
Mrs. Yukiko Rahman
Mrs. Yumi Yamazaki
Corporate Donors
20th Century Fox Film Corp.
246 Café (Café Company)
A 971 (Café Company)
A Cut Above Beauty Salon
Ajinomoto General Foods, Inc.
Ambika Trading Co., Ltd
Atelier Niki Tiki Co., Ltd
Barbacoa Grill Aoyama
Basi Pilates Roppongi Studio
Beauté Absolute
Café Company
Coca Cola Japan
Disney
Hong Kong En
Indian Restaurant Ghungroo
Keiki Intercultural Preschool
KRH Studios
La Jolla
Momirinton
Mori Living
Nagatanien Co., Ltd
National Denen Supermarkets
Nato Corporation
Nivea Kao K.K.
Public House
Quiksilver Japan Co., Ltd.
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Dome corporation
Domino's Pizza Japan, Inc.
Dr. Ci:Labo
Dr. Kaku's Office
Elio Locanda Italiana
Ellevi Co., Ltd
Frijoles K.K.
Fuji Torii Co., Ltd
Fujiya Hotel
Funroots Co., Ltd
Global International Juku
Heinz Japan Ltd.
Roppongi Hills Nishibori Dentist
Seta Modern Golf
The Gotoh Museum
Tokyo American Club
X-Dome/ R.G.Produce Japan Co., Ltd.
Tokyo Dome Roller * Skate Arena
Toss Tennis School
Warner Entertainment Japan Inc.
Yokohama Country & Athletic Club
Yutaka Dental Clinic
Zeya Trading
Lia Kumar, Bingo Chairperson
Tomoko Sandhar, Bingo Co-Chairperson
Parent-Faculty Advisory (PFA) Group
The PFA provides parents an unique opportunity to communicate with St. Mary’s administrators
and faculty in an open and informal atmosphere. The PFA contributes by serving the
administration in an advisory role. All parents of St. Mary’s students are welcome to attend. A
range of topics is discussed, such as school campus facilities, curriculum, the community at large,
school calendar, etc.
St. Mary’s parents are welcome to raise issues for discussion at the meetings by sending an e-mail
to: [email protected]. If you would like to request an upcoming meeting agenda, you may do so by
sending an e-mail to the same address.
PFA Meeting Dates for 2011-2012:
December 8
April 12
February 2
May 10
March 1
All meetings are held from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in meeting room 263.
Every St. Mary’s parent is welcome.
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Dates to Remember
December 10, Saturday — ES Christmas Concert
December 16, Friday — Christmas Holidays Begin
January 5, Thursday — School Reconvenes
Advertising Section
St. Mary’s has no direct relationship with service or events advertised in this section of the
newsletter. Please contact advertisers directly for more information.
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St. Mary’s Newsletter Desk
Editor – Sherry Khetan
If you have any suggestions or comments please contact me at –
[email protected]
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