ABC Monthly

 What's Happening This Month Here is the new schedule for the second half of this school year. There is an unusual break at the beginning of November, so please check closely. Upcoming Events:  ABC Halloween Party     It's that spooky time of year again!  Are you ready for another fun party?  If you forgot, check out the fun we had last year here:  Halloween Party 2023 Here are the details for this year's party: Culture Corner: Canadian Thanksgiving     Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated in Canada on the second Monday of October.  It has been celebrated since 1957.  The holiday is meant to celebrate the end of the harvest season. It is a public holiday, so most businesses are closed and public transportation services run on a shortened schedule.     It is a holiday where many people visit family and friends, similar to Christmas.  Most people also have a special dinner.  People of European descent often hav...

 What's Happening This Month Here's the calendar for September.  Although both Monday the 16th and Monday the 23rd are national holidays, only the 23rd the school will be closed. ９月のレッスンスケジュールです。１６日、２３日が祝日ですが、 ２３日のみお休みとなります 。ご確認をお願いいたします。 Here is the calendar for the second half of this school year.  Please check the dates and if you have any questions, please ask us. 今年度の後半のカレンダーです。日程をご確認の上、ご不明な点がございましたらお気軽にお問い合わせください。 Culture Corner: Back to School     Here is Ota, students are starting the second term of the school year on September 2nd.  Some other cities have already gotten back to school in late August.  In Canada and the U.S.A. students are also getting back to school, but in a slightly different way then in Japan.  In North America, September marks the beginning of the new school year.  Students enter a new grade and will have new classes with new teachers.  Many students like to go shopping during the summer holidays and show of...

  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.  I...

 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...