August 2024

 What's Happening This Month

Here is the calendar once again.  Please note that will not have lessons during the Obon holidays (August 11th to August 17th).

👆お盆休み（8月11日～8月17日）は、レッスンお休みです。

We still have some space left for our Summer Camp, so if you're interested, please give us a call or drop in for a visit.  Spaces are filling up quickly, so don't miss out!

👆８月のサマーキャンプにはまだ空きがあります！夏休みの怠けた体に喝を入れるため・・・２学期の早寝早起き準備もかねるため・・・ぜひお問い合わせください。定員の予約は日に日に埋まってきていますのでお早めに！

Here's a quick peek at Week #1.  If you like what you see there's still time to join for week #2!  Click on the link below to see all the fun: ABC Summer Camp 2024

Culture Corner: Summer Vacation

    Like Japan, Canada also has a long summer vacation.  However, there are some major differences between the two countries.  In Canada the school year ends in June.  Summer Vacation is normally two months long.  That's right, all of July and August there is no school.  In Japan, there's usually one day in August where kids return to school to hand in their homework, but in Canada there is NO SUMMER HOMEWORK and no club activities either!  Both teachers and students get to relax for two months!  

    

In Canada, most people believe kids need time to be kids and that doing a lot of homework during the summer holidays can lead to brain drain.  What do you think?

Teacher's Corner

For those that didn't have a chance to read last month's news blog, we have added a new page to our website.  This page is dedicated to students who want to continue working diligently at home.  You will need to request permission to access these features.

先月のニュースブログを読む機会がなかった方のために、再度お知らせします。この度、新しいページをウェブサイトに追加しました！ このページは、自宅でも一生懸命音読を練習したいという生徒さまのお声にお応えして作成しました。こちらにアクセスするには、許可をリクエストする必要があります。ご質問、ご不明な点等ございましたら、お気軽にお問い合わせください。

Idiom of the month: In keeping with our summer theme, here's another summer idiom that is often used.

 "Ray of sunshine" - Your son is a ray of sunshine in our class.

Riddle of the month:  A little late in the summer for this Riddle's answer, but a fun one, no less.  good luck!

I'm not a bird, but I can fly,

Through summer nights, I light the sky.

Look for me when the sun's gone dim,

I'll be the first to wink at you.

What am I?

For the answers, please ask Leo teacher!

Inside the Classroom

This month were looking at Unit 3 of Everybody Up 4.  This unit gives us some basic descriptions on

 how to describe how people look (Appearance).  It teaches us about hair colour, style and length.  It also teaches us about eye colour and some other features, such as glasses and facial hair.  This information can be a little challenging, so let's practice!  Using the chat, try to describe people in your family, teachers and friends at school or at work.  

Q:  What does he / she look like?

A:  He / She has short, straight, black hair and glasses.

Adult Corner

This month we have another video with a very interesting topic.  Please click on the link below to view the video and then try to answer the questions below.  I think there will some interesting conversations about this video during our lessons.  Enjoy! 

How the Media Controls the Masses

Key Words:

• bias: favoring one side of a issue over another
• manipulation: pressuring others, in sometimes sneaky ways, to get what you want
• "Right" & "Left": reference to the political spectrum, where "right" means more conservative thinking and "left" is more liberal thinking
• media spin: the way media selects, omits and or alters facts to suit their narrative
• the masses: the majority of people within a society
• influence: the ability to have an effect on the character, or behaviour of someone or something
• dictate: an order or principle that must be obeyed
• narrative: a spoken or written account of connected events; a story
• fabrication: to lie or to invent  facts 

Questions About the Video:

1. How is the media controlled?
2. Who controls the media?
3. When did 24 hour news coverage begin (in the U.S.A.) and how does it affect the masses?
4. What does the narrator say about corporate control of the media?
5. What is "media spin"?

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think about the ideas expressed in this video?
2. Do you think Japanese media is controlled in the same way as in the U.S.A.?
3. When you watch or read news, do you ever think about bias?
4. When you watch or read news, do you ever question the source and ask  why it's being presented that way?
5. The video provides excellent examples of "media spin."  Can you recall any examples of "media spin" within the Japanese media?
6. How will this video affect the way you watch and read new stories in the future?
7. The video talks a lot about the ongoing Israeli genocide of Palestinians.  What is your opinion about how this news story has / is being reported in the Japanese media?