Message from New Principal, Mari Honma

“Sensei, you’re still here?” is a statement that I often hear from graduates. With a career spanning over 40 years as a Japanese language teacher, it’s not farfetched to hear such things. However, it does leave me wondering why I’ve been involved with the Vancouver Japanese Language School for such a long time.

The Children’s World program (Kodomo no Kuni) accepts students from as young as 2 years old, which means that there are about 15 years until these students graduate from the high school program. In that time, I’m very happy to not only connect with these students but to see their overall growth as well. To know that these students and graduates who have studied at our school move on with their lives and become active in various areas of society, even though I have no actual influence on them, leaves me with a very content feeling.

Despite saying that they hated doing the homework and learning kanji, it pleases me that these students who attended our school are now sending their own children here to learn Japanese as well. Also, former students who are all grown up now, have returned as directors at the school, knowing full well that they won’t be compensated for their efforts, which makes me so happy that I want to brag about it. It goes to prove that our school’s educational beliefs were correct, and those beliefs are now bearing fruit.

With 118 years now having passed since the school was first founded, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with various pre-war members who were instrumental with the post-war re-opening of the school and the maintenance of operations, listening to their thoughts and feelings. Even after becoming a teacher at this school, I have seen the many unpaid directors who have worked so hard and overcome many financial difficulties to keep things running.

I have also seen the many people who have dedicated themselves in the various behind-the-scenes areas that most people do not see, such as janitorial and custodial work. There are also those who dedicate themselves over many years in areas such as the library and teacher training. Even now, there are parents of current students as well as parents of graduates who are deeply involved as volunteers.

Even after graduating, many former students help out with current students as class volunteers or help in the kitchen with their mothers. Over the many years, I have seen numerous volunteers support this organization in various ways. It is a truly wonderful thing that I am so deeply proud of.

Watching the growth of students and building many happy memories with the teaching staff are also reasons why I continue to be involved with this school. Above all though, I am honored to be involved with this school and the many people who have supported it over so many years

It is for these many reasons why I wish to continue to be involved with this school for as long as possible.