(above) Krish Thapar, Abigail Franks, Patrick Miller, Logan Scheffler, and Mia Kang pose in front of the Tokyo 2020 sign with big smiles.
Middle School Students take the Trip of a Lifetime
Partnering with Educational First Tours (EF Tours), an organization dedicated to inspiring a new perspective on the world, Mrs. Amy Jensen, a Warren Middle School music teacher, arranged for an exciting and educational trip to Japan with five Warren Township students and five adults from April 13, 2019, through April 21, 2019. In total, the local group toured Japan with thirty-seven other individuals from groups out of New York, South Carolina, and California.
Jensen has incorporated the music of Japan into her daily lessons and choral concerts with Warren Middle School students. “I love the music of Japan and over the years have taught my students’ several Japanese songs, like Okuyama Ni,” said Jensen.
Jensen and Mrs. Pattie Pillinger, a grade 2 teacher at Angelo L. Tomaso School, were very excited to escort the student group to Japan. Throughout the week the group had a very full and impressive schedule. The group visited Japan’s capital, Tokyo, as well as Hakone, and Kyoto.
The students’ reactions to the trip say it all. Grade 8 student Logan Scheffler stated “It was an amazing trip. We saw many different sights and we learned a lot of things about them. We had lots of laughs and lots of fun.” Some of the sites Logan is referring to included the Asakusa Kannon Temple, the Meiji Shinto Shrine, Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, the Golden Pavilion and a boat cruise on Lake Ashi. “One of my favorite places was the Tokyo Skytree because we could see a very clear view of Mt. Fuji which is very rare because most of the time it is covered up with clouds,” said Patrick Miller, 7th grader.
Throughout the educational tour, the students experienced Japanese culture which included, customs, food, architecture, music and much more. One highlight from the trip according to Jenson was singing Haru Ga Kita, a well-known Japanese song about springtime with the student group and their tour guide at the Asakusa Kannon Temple in Tokyo.
“The trip to Japan was amazing! It was so cool and our guide was very nice. I loved the food and Japanese culture, especially the kawaii and anime. Learning about the culture and history of Japan was so fun,” said Mia Kang, 6th grader.
Submitted by Shannon Regan
Photo by Warren Township Schools
