ABC Monthly

 What's Happening This Month Business as usual.  However, Monday July 15th is a holiday and no lessons will be held. 7月はレッスンスケジュール通りです。７月１５日（月）は祝日のため、レッスンはお休みになります。 ABC Summer Camp ２０２４　 予約受付中！ Culture Corner: Canada Day     In Canada, July 1st is Canada Day.  It is a national holiday.  It celebrates Canadian confederation, which happened on July 1st, 1867.  It brought together an area called United Canadas, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick into a single dominion under the British Empire.  It was originally called Dominion Day, but the name changed in 1982 to Canada Day.  It's celebrated all across Canada and in many places you can see firework displays to celebrate Canada Day.  There are also parades, festivals and concerts.  Everywhere is different. Teacher's Corner *NEW:  We've updated our website with a new Student Materials page.  You can now follow along with the Phonics reading books at home.  You will need to req...

 What's Happening This Month   Here's our calendar for you reference.  There aren't any holidays in June. Culture Corner: Father's Day Father's Day was in by a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd.  It started in Spokane, Washington in 1910.  It started as a local holiday to compliment Mother's Day, but had very little success.  Most people viewed it as an attempt by businesses to profit from its commercialization.  However, trade groups associated with industries targeting men (like ties, clothing and pipes) put a lot of effort into making it a success.  By the mid-1980s, men's related industries considered Father's Day like a second Christmas! In Japan, Father's Day was introduced by a man named Ito Kyoichi, who was a board member of the Japan's Men's Fashion Association.  He was inspired by the American holiday and helped introduce it into Japanese society.  Japanese department store and other major businesses all wanted to cash in on the ne...

  What's Happening This Month Here's the calendar for this month.  Don't forget, we have the Golden Week holidays during the first week of May.  However, Monday, May 6 we do have lessons! Culture Corner May Two Four In Japan, at the beginning of May there is the Golden Week holidays.  Japanese people often ask me if there is a golden week holiday in Canada.  The short answer is, no.  However, there is a long weekend ( 三連休 ) holiday.  We celebrate the birthday of the late Queen Victoria (of England), because Canada is a Commonwealth country.  Queen Victoria lived from May 24, 1819 to January 22, 1901.  Therefore May 24th; or "May Two Four" in Canada, is celebrated usually on the third Monday in May (this year it's Monday, May 20th).  "May Two Four" has a double meaning (or double entendre):  First, two four or 24 is the date of Queen Victoria's birthday as mentioned above.  Also, "two four" refers to the largest size of a c...

Welcome to the 2024 School Year!  Welcome to the new faces joining us this year.  We hope you have a fun and rewarding experience with us!  Welcome back to our returning students.  We hope you continue to enjoy learning in our unique educational environment!  Here is the calendar for the first half of this year.  Remember to double check your class days and times, as there have been some changes to the new schedule! Culture Corner:  Cherry Blossoms in Canada     Cherry blossom trees are not native to North America.  The majority of the cherry blossoms in Canada were gifts from Japan.  In the 1930s cherry trees were given to the city of Vancouver from the mayors of Kobe and Yokohama.  They were given to honour the Japanese-Canadians who served in World War One.  You can view them at the war memorial in Stanley Park.  On April 1st, 1959, the Japanese ambassdor to Canada; Hagiwara Toru, presented 2000 Somei-Yoshino sakur...

  What's Happening This Month Here's the schedule for March.  It's the last month of the school year.  Please check to make sure of the days and times of the new schedule starting in April. Culture Corner St. Patrick's Day St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17th.  It is the death date of the Saint Patrick.  St. Patrick was the foremost patron saint of Ireland.  He died in the 5th century, but the celebration for saint Patrick only began in 1631. St. Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.  He was taken to Ireland as a slave when he was 16.  He became a missionary and created monasteries, churches and schools. In modern times, St. Patrick's Day is a celebration of Irish culture, honouring the saint who was the key figure in transforming religion in Ireland. Teacher's Corner Idiom of the Month: "Horse of a different colour" - Jim and John were talking about last night's basketball game.  Then Mike started talking about ...

  What's Happening This month Here's the schedule for February. Culture Corner: A Short History of St. Valentine's Day 1.  Who was St. Valentine?         He was a clergyman (either a priest or a bishop) who lived during the days of the Roman Empire.  He was executed on February 14th, 269AD. 2.  Why is he associated with love?         During those times there was a Roman law that banned soldiers from getting married.  A soldier's duty was to the state of Rome, and being married meant that they couldn't focus 100% of their energy on defending Rome.  However, Valentine often married soldiers in secret and one day was caught.  That's why Emperor Claudius II executed Valentine.  Valentine's death made him a martyr. People started to celebrate February 14th to remember the kind heart of St. Valentine. The modern day celebration of Valentine's Day started in the U.K. during the 19th century.  This wh...

Happy New Year!   What's Happening This Month: We hope you had (or are having) a wonderful winter vacation.  Here's the lesson schedule for this month.  Please check to make sure when your first lesson is!  Let's have an awesome and rewarding year together! Culture Corner:  New Year's Resolutions 1.  What is a New Year's resolution?     It's a firm decision on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day to do or refrain from doing something over the course of the coming year.  Some common examples include:  losing weight, saving money, quit smoking and stop drinking alcohol. 2.  When did this tradition begin?     This practice is traced back to the days of the ancient Babylonians, over 4000 years ago.  During those times, people made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed.  If they kept their word, the gods would show favor to them for the coming year.  For early Christians, ...