Japan Exchange 2008

I had the privilege of taking four Year 10 girls - Florentina Oyelami, Natasha Savovic, Nia Hopkins and Ophelia Gibson-Best - on the 2008 Japan Exchange along with six other pupils from St. Augustine’s High School and Westminster City. The trip was incredible.  The pupils were excellent and we all thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Tempura, temples, chop sticks, noodles, Mount Fuji, sun and cherry blossoms are what I had associated with Japan on my first visit there four years ago.  However, visiting the schools meant that we really got a much closer experience of Japanese culture and customs.  There was so much to learn and we really enjoyed meeting the Principals and pupils in the Tokyo high schools.  

The aim of the Japanese Exchange was for our girls to learn how to speak Japanese confidently and to get a better insight into Japanese culture.  As a matter of fact, they learnt much more.  They learnt how to live in another home, how to communicate in another language (even when at times it appeared to be extremely challenging), how to convert money, how to use the Japanese subway, how to order food and even how to fill in a landing card on the plane!

The girls had to do a speech in Japanese in front of the Deputy Mayor of Chiyoda, the three Principals of the partnership high schools, the Board of Education and the parents.  They did a fantastic job and were model students throughout the exchange.

The partnership with our friends in Japan has enriched our girls’ lives and has given them an experience that they will never forget.

Miss Solani

The Grey Coat Hospital would like to thank the GB Sasakawa Foundation for their support towards funding the project.