Maitland Area School

After a tiring flight from Japan, the JEP 2010 staff and students landed safely at Adelaide airport and were whisked off for a day of rest and relaxation at Glenelg and Hahndorf.

After a good night's rest they visited Cleland National Park and spent time with the Australian fauna and flora before leaving for Maitland.

 

Fifteen Japanese students and four teachers arrived at the school today after spending two days enjoying the sights of Adelaide and the near Barossa.

Excited host families met in the temporary Music Room to greet the new family members and soon were whisked away to begin their two week home-stay.

The JEP 2010 Welcome Assembly was held today in the school recreation centre. The assembly featured items from the Japanese students and msucial numbers from the School Concert Band, class bands and the Festival of Music Choir. The JEP students were presented with honourary YP certificates of citizenship and shared information about their home towns of Ohara and Mimasaka.

Maitland established a staff and student exchange program with Ohara Junior High School, in the Okyama Prerfecture of Japan,  nearly twenty-five years ago.

In alternate year the two schools sends a contingent of students and teachers to spend two weeks in the other country's community. The exchange program has become an important in developing students' cultural awareness and provides students with the opportunity to participate in family life in another country.

A recent small-towns amalgamation program in Japan now means students visit from not only Ohara but other areas of the City of Mimasaka.

The Ohara visit was canceled in 2009 due to the Swine Flu epedemic.

The visit for this year is from August 17 through August 27.

A planned return visit from Maitland is set to occur in 2011.

Links

• Mimasaka - Wikipedia
• Ohara - Wikipedia
• Mimasaka City - English

Slideshow

Slideshow of the last MAS Visit. Click to visit the gallery.