Amicus Cafè

On Saturday, July 27th, the Amicus Caffe was held. Parents considering enrolling their children in AMICUS Kindergarten or AMICUS Elementary School participated in the event. The breakdown of participants was as follows: Kindergarten (6 families from within the prefecture, 2 families from outside the prefecture), Elementary School (6 families from within the prefecture, 12 families from outside the prefecture), and both Kindergarten and Elementary School (4 families from within the prefecture, 5 families from outside the prefecture), totaling 31 families.

From 9:00 to 10:30 AM, there was a session where participating families could ask questions to AMICUS teachers and current AMICUS parents. In the elementary school session that I attended, various questions were raised from different perspectives. AMICUS parents answered questions appropriately. Here are some excerpts from the exchange:

Questioner: How much parental support is necessary?

Ms. Toyoda: I believe it’s best not to be overly involved. We support children to become independent.

Questioner: Do your children participate in extracurricular activities?

Ms. Yonemaru: Yes, they do. Because of their busy schedules with extracurricular activities, they learn to manage their time for homework themselves. Engaging in extracurricular activities has helped them manage their own lives.

Questioner: You mentioned various events, what kind of events are there?

Ms. Yonemaru: There are events like Crazy Hair Day, Pajama Day, and Summer Clothes Day. The children really enjoy their school life. Even when they are not feeling well, they insist on going to school (laughs).

Questioner: Are there any issues between the children?

Ms. Yonemaru: It’s not that there are no issues. My child has had conflicts with other children, but the homeroom teacher told us, “Conflicts exist to be resolved. Children grow through overcoming them,” which made me feel much better.

Questioner: Are there families from outside the prefecture?

Mr. Kaneko: Yes, I also moved here from outside the prefecture. I think the natural environment and culture of Okinawa, as well as the environment at Amicus, are wonderful.

Questioner: Are there any other good points?

Mr. UMazume: Amicus offers a different path from the one we took ourselves. It’s definitely a recommended school.

(Details omitted)

At 10:35 AM, there was an immersion lesson by Ms. Lingco. The participating children were very enthusiastic. I also found myself dancing in front of the computer.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the AMICUS parents, teachers and office  staff who cooperated in making the Amicus Cafè a success. This experience made me even more determined to make Amicus an even better school.