April News

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! We are delighted to see all the students and families back this week, and we welcome the new families and teachers this year!

Andrea Boko, the new secondary teacher, is excited to teach at NLIS. She has excellent class ideas that will help the students learn well.

First-grade parents and children, please come to Miss Stadius' classroom in the main building on Wednesday. The new first-grade teacher, Miss Ilagan, has been delayed and is not in Japan yet. Japanese immigration misspelled Miss Ilagan's name on the Japanese certificate of eligibility. It is corrected now, and she should be here in a few weeks. In the meantime, Miss Stadius will teach the 1st graders until Miss Ilagan can come to Japan. We appreciate Miss Stadius for covering this class.

Miss Matsuzaki will teach Japanese to the 2nd graders and the high school class. She is a graduate of Yamanashi Eiwa University. Miss Matsuzaki has a gift for languages. She speaks four! Our students will learn well from her.

The new Parents' Supporting Education (P.S.E.) leaders this year are:

1 President: Kitajima, Miki

2 Vice President and Secretary: Rodgers, Makiko

3 Treasurer: Shinohara Bacani, Yukiros

We are thankful for these extraordinary ladies and ask for your cooperation in helping them help New Life International School be a better school. The first meeting is on April 21. Please come and meet the parents on this day.

April 5-7, Wednesday through Friday, are half days from 9:00 to 12:00. This helps the students ease into the year and allows the teachers to determine the students' levels and needs. Please have your children bring all their homework and supplies on Wednesday. Students from 9th grade have class on the 2nd floor of the main building. Masks are no longer required.

Parent's English Bible study will begin on Friday, April 14. We will meet in the auditorium upstairs. Everyone is invited. We read and discuss a different Bible story every class. The study is free, and I hope you can join!

I will not be at school on the week of April 22 through 28. I will evaluate a school in Thailand that desires continued accreditation through WASC, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Open House will be on Thursday, April 27. Parents are invited to come and view their children's texts and work. The students love when the parents come! I will write a letter soon with the exact times for this day.

NLIS must turn in a candidate report in June for WASC. Teachers will have extra research writing and meetings for this critical report. The next step after this report will be another visit to get full accreditation.

The school will take off from May 1 through 5 for "Golden Week." We will return on May 8, ready for another great month of learning.

Thank you for being great, supportive parents. NLIS students are such a loving group. It is a joy to teach and interact with each child. The teachers and staff are all looking forward to this year!

Please see the NLIS Schedule for 2023-24 below.

God bless each family, and God bless New Life International School!

Warm regards,

Suzy Brown

NLIS Schedule for 2023-24

April

5-7 W-F Welcome back! Half day from 9:00 to 12:00

7 F 1st School wide Assembly

14 F English Bible Study

14 & 28 F Library

21 F P.S.E. 2:00

21-28 Suzy in Thailand for WASC visitation

27 TH Open House

May

1-5 OFF Holiday

8-12 Christianity Week

19 F English Bible study

12 & 25F,TH Library

22 M Students are OFF; Teacher WASC Workday

26 F Field Trip to Kawaguchiko

June

2 F Assembly

9 & 23 F Library / English Bible Study

9th F 5/6th Grade trip Yomiyuri Land

12 M OFF Teacher Workday

13-16 T-F Standardized testing 1

16 F Earthquake Drill

19 M Open Campus

20-22 T-TH Personal Safety Week

23 F Art project due!

26-30 M-F Art Fair

30 F Movie day (K-6)

July

7 F Beach Day/ Library /Report Cards (K-6)/ English Bible Study

14 F No Classes; Parent/Teacher Meetings

17 M OFF Sea Day

20TH ½ Day Summer Party! Last day before summer holiday

24-28 Summer School (5 classes) THEME: Camping

August Summer Vacation

September

4 Welcome Back!

8 F Assembly

8 & 22 Library/ English Bible Study

15F Camp Literacy Day

18 M Off Aged Day

19 T Observation Day

29 F Fire Drill

October

3 T Report Card 1st (7-12)

6 & 20 F Assembly/Library/ English Bible Study

9 Off Sports Day

10-13 Standardized testing 2

16 M 100 Days

19 or 26 Th Sports Day to Midorigaoka

23 M Open Campus

27 F Fall Party

November

3rd F Off Culture Day

6th M Assembly

2 17F Library

10 Movie Day

17th F report card

20th M Off Yamanashi Day

23rd Th Off Labor Day

24th F No classes Student-led parent meetings

Dec.

1 & 15 F Library; Parent’s Bible study

8 F Assembly

20 W Christmas Program

21 TH Christmas Parties, half day

January

9 T Welcome back! Assembly

12 & 26 F Library/English Bible Study 2:15-3:00

22-25 M-TH Standardized testing 3

31 T Student and Parent Surveys

February

Feb. 1 Th Vote for student council

Feb. 2 F Assembly/ choose electives in secondary school

9 & 23 F Library/ Bible Study

12 M Off

14 W Valentine Parties

16 F Science Fair

19-21 M-W EFL testing

22-23 TH-F School wide Writing tests

? K-2 field trip to the bus

March

4 M Lockdown drill, Clean Day

5 T Minute to win it

6 W Ending ceremony, Graduation, half day