Visit of Johoku Students

Our international friends.

From Friday 18^th March to Thursday 28^th March, Highcliffe School welcomed 13 Japanese students from its partner school Johoku High School in Hiroshima, Japan.

The students stayed with families of students at Highcliffe School. They participated in lessons  and helped lead activities within the school – and, being keen footballers, they enjoyed a game of football against our Year 10 boys thanks to the refereeing of Mr Jobbins. They also contributed to the wider community by visiting Ballard School and Tiptoe Primary School where they demonstrated origami and calligraphy.
 
The students also paid a visit to Stonehenge and Christchurch Priory and had an audience with the Mayor of Christchurch, Councillor Peter Hall.

This homestay visit was the eleventh time that Highcliffe had hosted boys from Johoku School.  As always it was a fantastic and moving experience for all those concerned.

This year, however, was particularly special for two reasons. Firstly, to acknowledge Highcliffe’s 50th anniversary, Mr Fukuhara the Principal of Johoku High School also paid the school a visit. This was a great honour for our school.  Secondly, again in order to mark the 50th anniversary with something particularly special, Highcliffe School embarked on a programme of paper crane making.

Paper cranes are a symbol of peace and are especially important to the city of Hiroshima having been the first place ever to suffer an atomic bombing.

Inspired by her recent school trip to Japan, teacher Mrs Bewley, with the support of Mrs Dedman and Mr Bryden, sought to ensure that at least one thousand cranes would be made in order to highlight in its anniversary year Highcliffe School’s own wish for peace.

Mrs Bewley and Mrs Dedman went into assemblies to pass on the message of Hiroshima to the students.  Art and Design teacher, Mr Mant, ensured that instructions and paper were available. The Johoku students also delivered presentations on the story behind the paper cranes in Humanities classes.  They also worked hard by helping students in registration make paper cranes. In the event, virtually all students and staff at Highcliffe School were involved in the making of the paper cranes.

In the end, we exceeded our target and well over a thousand cranes were made. Johoku students and staff kindly took these back to Hiroshima.



Thanks to Johoku School, the cranes are now hanging at the Children’s Memorial in the Atomic Bomb Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima. A placard has been placed with them. The cranes have been registered under Highcliffe School’s name which means that the school’s wish for peace is a part of the park’s permanent records.

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Owned by: | Last Published: 02/05/2013 09:36:54 | Next Update: N/A