Students from Sano Nihon University Senior High School and Secondary School participated in the Forty-First Annual English Speech Contest of Nihon University Affiliated Senior High Schools in Tokyo yesterday. Rinka Sakai, a 1^st year high school student, and Yosei Asahi, a 4^th year secondary school student, presented their speeches to a crowd of students, teachers, and judges. The title of Rinka’s speech was “My Brother with Tourette Syndrome”.

I hope everyone enjoyed their break, because it’s time to hit the books again. 2^nd and 3^rd year students returned to class last week, while new 1^st year students had a few days with their teachers for training and orientation. Cherry blossom season is already behind us, but there are many other important events to look forward to as the new school year starts.

Beginning March 18^th, Sano Nihon University High School will be on holiday until the start of the new school year on April 5^th. There will be several events going on at the school during the break, including several seminars, national tournaments and games for the rubgy, gold, and kendo club teams, the introduction of new faculty and staff, and saying goodbye to those retiring or moving on to other schools. We hope 1^st and 2^nd year students will take the time to prepare for their challenges in the new school year, and do their best to make new students feel welcome.

The day may have started out cold, rainy, and grey, but by the time students left Plaza 40 with their flowers and heads held high, the weather reflected what everyone was feeling: sunny and beautiful.

This week, Sano Nihon University High School held ceremonies over two days to honor the students’ achievements for the Heisei 29 school year. First, on Wednesday, 1^st and 2^nd year students were presented awards and recognized for accomplishments in sports and culture activites in a small ceremony. On Thursday, parents joined in for a long day of awards, speeches, band performances, and diplomas for the 3^rd year students.

Congratulations to all who took part in the ceremonies this week! There are still two more weeks of school until the spring holiday.

This Sunday students from Sano Nihon University Senior High School involved in the Sakura Interact Club had the chance to meet with other club representatives from Tochigi Prefecture schools at the Utsunomiya Commercial High School. The club normally engages in volunteer activities, but this week was all about networking and enjoying  talking about each school's volunteer activities with the food provided. There will be other opportunities for the Sakura Interact Club in the future.

Snow blanketed most of East Japan Monday evening, causing some trains to be delayed, roads to be closed, and a generally slowtime getting home. Sano Nihon University High School was affected as well; students were released early on Monday to ensure they could get home safely before the storm, and reported back to class late Tuesday morning.

Although it’s nice to see how a little snow can completely transform a landscape and let us see it with fresh eyes, we should always remember where our priorities are. We hope students will use the extra time to study and reflect while staying warm and safe.

Welcome back to Sano Nihon University High School! I hope everyone enjoyed their winter vacation. Students returned to class on Tuesday to resume their studies for Heisei 30, and many students in the third grade are preparing to get high scores in the National Center Test for University Admissions, which will be held on January 13^th and 14^th.

Let’s all try to improve our performance as we finish up the school year by continuing to work hard, both in class and club activities.

"We are now landing at Sano Nihon University High School. Please return your seatbacks and tray tables to their full upright and locked position…"

This weekend students at Sano Nihon University High School were treated to the full air travel experience without ever leaving the gymnasium. Mr. Hideki Yamamoto, a pilot with Japan Airlines, came to speak about his experiences flying for over thirty years. Starting with his career path in flight school, joining JAL at age 25, and working his way to becoming the captain of a 767 aircraft, Captain Yamamoto had some entertaining stories and words of advice for students interested in pursuing a career in aviation.

This week, the Yell Caravan visited Sano Nihon University High School to promote the importance of supporting physical activity. Students had the opportunity to learn important information about their health, exercise, and eating habits, and how they will affect their future. Mr. Atsuhiro Miura, a former professional soccer player, spoke to the students and later attended a practice with the club team.

Several big events happened at Sano Nihon University High School this week as we approach the end of October. First, on Monday, a group of students visiting from Taiwan attended classes and learned about Taiko drumming. Though their stay in Sano was short, we always appreciate having other nationalities around for more perspective.

Secondly, it was a busy week for speech contests across the country. Saki Imai represented Sano Nihon University High School at the 39^th annual English speech contest of Nihon University-affiliated senior high schools in Tokyo on Thursday. There were many excellent speeches from across Japan at this event, and though Imai-san did not place, she spoke very confidently and represented her school well.

On Tuesday, Aki Tomita participated in the 54th International Understanding Speech Contest in Utsunomiya. She recommended a solution to solve the world's poverty problem by participating in a short-term overseas training in the UK thi ssummer called "Bridge of the World”, which earned her 4^th place.

On Friday, many students participated in the prefectural English speech contest in Tochigi City. As in Tokyo, there were many talented speakers presenting a range of topics. Masayuki Maruhashi of Sano Nihon University High School took home first place with his speech about basic necessities titled “What do you want most right now?”

Congratulations to all participants in the speech contests, and we hope we will have just as much interest next year!

As we start this second term, let’s consider everything we have to look forward to in the coming months. For many third-year students, autumn is an important time. Some will start to have entrance exams, and others will have to start to prepare for ones coming at the beginning of next year. We’ve already had students studying in the US last month, but starting in November, there will be other trips to Okinawa and Kyushu. Here’s to another wonderful six months!

Today, we remember the origins that eventually led to the creation of Sano Nihon University High School and pay tribute to those teachers who dedicated their careers to help students succeed.

This week, Sano Nihon University High School students took the achievement tests to determine if they qualify to enter Nihon University. Four intense sections of Japanese, English, math, and science took students all day Thursday. Their efforts will go noticed by prestigious universities, with years of hard work and study paying off.

Many high school students go on to do great things after graduating. Some end up working in highly scientific fields or business. Whatever their choice in the future, these students deserve our support for a job well done today.

Sano Nihon University High School welcomed visitors from junior high schools across the Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, and Ibaraki areas last Saturday as students and their parents took the time to walk around campus, look into classes, and learn about the admissions process. Some of these students may be joining the school in the next year or two, and our faculty and staff made them feel right at home.

Sano Nihon University Senior High School students broke up into ten groups for field trips across Ibaraki Prefecture on Thursday. The groups visited the National Research Institute for Science and Disaster Resilience, the Meteorological Research Institute, JAXA, the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, and the Public Works Research Institute. The majority had the opportunity to visit the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization to observe their particle accelerator and other machines.



This facility specializes in high energy particle physics. First years were able to ask questions to the scientists on site, watch the main lab from above, and learn about the history of nuclear energy and particle accelerators in Japan. We hope all high school students will have similar opportunities to explore their passion for science.

Sano Nihon University High School welcomes all students and teachers back after a long summer holiday. With typhoons and small earthquakes hitting Japan over the break, it was an interesting few weeks for everyone.

Students representing Sano Nihon University High School placed 3^rd at the 64th National High School General Kendo Competition. They traveled to Kamei Arena in Miyagi Prefecture from August 9th to 12^th. Not only did the entire team do well, but Shoshi Ohiro placed second in the individual competition.

As we enter into the second half of the 2017 school year, we hope all students will continue to be diligent and respectful of themselves and their surroundings. Let’s make these next months as amazing as the start of your time at school.