During these days of disruption and disconnection, it has been a pleasure to connect with some of our teachers who have participated in the past and find how they are coping. We begin with the Katagiri sisters.
Meet Our Japanese Twin Sister Teachers
The Hexagon Project has been fortunate to have two teachers, Aya Katagiri, an Art Teacher, and Sonoko, an English Language Teacher, participate for many years in the Hexagon Project. They teach in separate schools and, even though they are twins, they have very different ways of facilitating Hexagon Project themes with their students. Below are the excellent projects they have created for 2019. Aya has focused on personal expression of the abstract qualities of Inner Conflict while Sonoko has continued a multi-year “Pen Hexagon Pals” exchange with students of Japanese in the United States. This is evidence of how the Hexagon Project can both suit the needs of students and also meet curriculum standards.
Corona Update from Aya Katagiri;
“Hello Beth. Our school (Almost all the schools in Japan ) has been closed since 2nd March. The new year’s classes have not been started yet in my school. I am working at home and school now. We teachers are working on preparations for online learning though, the systems and equipment are going behind from other countries, I think. I am sorry that I have little news about my class now… I am working on my doctoral research at the same time. This year is the most important year for me to concentrate writing thesis.
We will have the national holidays at the beginning of May though, it is impossible to commute around the country now. So, I can’t visit my hometown to meet my family at this time.”
Corona Update from Sonoko Katagiri
“Hello, Beth!
I’d like to share my new school info with you. I’ll be transferred to another school in April.
I’ll move out from the city where I live now. My new school is the school like the following:
“The UNESCO School is a school that implements peace and international cooperation to realize the UNESCO philosophy set forth in the UNESCO Charter. “
-By the Ministry of Education, culture, sports, science and technology-Japan
I’m looking forward to participating with your project and enjoy intercultural communication with new people:)”
