Anju (center) is visiting with Simon Miller (right) and his family.Students in Ms. Mansour’s 4th Grade Sward class had a special visitor this week, 7-year-old Anju from Japan. Anju and her family are visiting with a local family, and she wanted to experience an American classroom.
“Anju is staying with Simon Miller and his family. When Simon’s dad was a college student, Anju’s mom was a foreign exchange student from Japan. Through social media, they were able to stay connected and remain friends. Anju’s family tries to visit every few years. It was actually Anju’s request to visit Simon’s class and see what an American school is like,” said Mansour.
Through a translator, Anju was able to socialize with students. The class spent the morning learning about her Japanese customs and neighborhood and sharing American customs. Students presented Anju with a welcome sign, signed by each student.
“With Anju’s visit, I hope my students were able to see that although Japanese culture is different from our own, we shared many similarities with Anju. For example, Anju’s love for soccer, ELA, and candy mirrored many students’ own hobbies and interests. Through photographs, we were able to see what a Japanese school looks like, and we noticed how the classroom was set up similarly to ours. Although we are on opposite sides of the world, we can relate to each other in our daily routines,” said Mansour.
During her last visit to the States, Anju was able to experience Halloween, her family and the Millers went to a pumpkin patch, and trick or treated.
“We have trick or treating in Japan but it was a lot of fun here. I loved going to the pumpkin patch. I always look forward to visiting the United States,” said Anju.
Anju shared with the class that she has traveled a lot with her family and has even visited the Pyramids in Egypt!