Today (Wednesday, June 21) we went on our first school observation - it was to the Kesennuma City Shishiori Junior High School.

The Junior High Schools in Japan are grades 7 to 9. When Junior High School ends, students do not have to go on to high school - the end of ninth grade is the end of compulsory education in Japan. However, over 95% of students go on to Senior High School.

The students all bring their lunches to school. A box lunch was brought for us and it was beautiful (see photo)!

The students were well behaved and we enjoyed our observations. Their days are VERY long. They arrive at school by 8:00 a.m. and do not go home until 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. All students must clean their school every day before the after school clubs begin. All students MUST participate in an after school club. Examples of clubs are soccer, judo, cooking, and music.

One of the most humorous things I saw was in English class. There were four pictures showing how Americans speak English. I've posted it here - you will get a kick out of it.

The other teachers and I felt like celebrities while we were at the school. Students kept running up to us, saying hello, asking for autographs and business cards. They were VERY cute!!!

It was a very long day for us - observing the classes - I can only imagine what it is like everyday for the students and the teachers. Teachers stay at school 12 hours a day regularly. They MUST run an after school club and they get very little for it.