New Friends to meet, New Things to Learn … A Lot of Up-Coming Enjoyment

Oita Godo Newspaper (evening edition on April 11, 2008)

A considerable number of entrance ceremonies of this new academic year were held by 199 elementary schools from 14 towns inside Oita prefecture on April 11.

New first-year students were accompanying their parents to attend the ceremonies cheerfully.

At Minami elementary school in Beppu city, 51 new students were given a warm welcome from senior brothers and sisters (sixth-year students) at the school’s gymnasium.

The school director gave a speech that “Without forgetting the thankful feeling, please go ahead vigorously at your next level of study.” Moreover, Uchida-san (sixth-year student) also presented a welcome word, and then a representative of all second-year students played a musical instrument for new students to sing a song called “When we become a first-year…” together.

In the aspect of new comers’ opinions, some were said that “After entering the school, I would like to play with friends, and study mathematics.”

According to the statistics of the prefecture, the number of new students who enter elementary schools in this academic year is 10,531 which are lower than the last academic year 69 people.

This is a new step of their lives.

Try hard! Fight for your future! Ganbatte Kudasai!!

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

Thailand

APS３, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University