Minutes of the Primary School Council of the First trimester

(The full report is available on the LFIT website – in French)

Each year the first school council is an opportunity for the director to introduce several subjects for the new school year, discovery class projects and the calendar for upcoming events.

New school year 2019

New teachers : Mme Bonifay (M2), Mme Dohen (M4), Mme Jallerat (M7), Mme Allard (CPE), M Boumghar (CE2B) et Mme Cazeres (FLSco).

The school now has 33 classes; 9 in Kindergarten and 24 in Elementary. An additional 4th-grade class was opened. We are expecting to have 34 classes next year.

As of September 2019, there are 843 students (averaging 25.5 per class). The 3rd cycle continues to have the most students with an average of 28 students per class. The school is doing its best to keep optimal student numbers, however, in some cases, classes have up to 30 students.

In order to add a class, the school converted the computer room into a regular classroom for CM2A. To make up for this, 70 Chromebooks (5 per class from 3rd to 5th grade) have been purchased to make computers available to students rather than having a specified room for them (this goes along the recommendations from the Ministry of Education). The school transitioned from teaching how to use computers to utilizing them as learning tools. Computer use is conducted according to needs and educational projects decided in advance. 

Action FLT : We will continue to monitor the increase in the student population as well as the optimal use of the computers.

Discovery class projects: 

In November CE1 (A,C,E) will go to Nagano.

Through the Football Project for Asai, 20 students from CM1 and CM2 will go to Hanoi in December.

CE1D and CE2E will go to Chiba in April and CP (B and E) will go to Nagano.

CM2 (B,C,D) will go to Myoko Mura in May and CM1 (A and D) will go to Sakura in May-June.

These projects are chosen by the teachers who agree to take their students. For the project to go through, at least 80% of the children must attend. The budgets are still being calculated but will not go over the maximum allowed for trips inside Japan (50,000 yen).

Action FLT : We will continue to monitor the projects, budgets, and requests for financial help to the solidarity fund made by families for families who need financial assistance.

Event Calendar : 

Week of French School in the World (18th to 22nd November); Christmas Choirs (December) ; Solidarity Christmas Race for Kindergarten  (11th December) : 18th December in the event of rain ; Solidarity Christmas Race Elementary (17th December) : 19th December in the event of rain ; Olympic and paralympic week 2020 (February 3rd to 8th) ; Francophony month/ Reading Night (March) ; Maths Week  (March) ; Visit from Suzuki School (April 10th) ; Science Week (May-June) ; School Festival (30th Mai ) ; Musique Festival (June) ; Mini Olympics CE1, CM1, CM2 (June).

Your questions answered:

Actions were taken to increase the offers and the capacity of the after school activities.

We are doing the best we can with the space available and the time constraints Where possible, we open a second class to satisfy the number of requests (for instance for the Musical comedy). When all spaces are occupied, a solution is to open classes on Saturday morning, as we did for Soccer.

Recess

• There have been 7 accidents since the beginning of the school year. Two in Kindergarten and five in Elementary. Ambulances were called twice (Kindergarten:1, Elementary:1)
• During recess, 4 to 5 adults supervise the schoolyard in different vantage areas. The procedure is the same during the lunch break but the people supervising are either the ATSEMS in Kindergarten or in Elementary. The teachers and the director have assured us they will be more watchful of problems that might occur in the toilets.  
• The children have many play opportunities during recess that are changing during the year (balls, chess, books, paper and markers, elastics, tops, Kaplas and board games). New projects are being implemented this year by the teachers including a musical box and more recycled materials to build and create.

Languages 

• The bilingual program is unified since the English teachers in the bilingual classes are using the same program from the French National Education curriculum. The children follow the same program as their counterparts in France.
• Teachers met to discuss and reflect on the work conducted in language classes in both Japanese and English.
• Since last week, English teachers have opted to have consequences for notebooks that haven’t been returned. Japanese teachers have different notebook policy depending on the grade level. They prefer that in case of a misunderstanding that the parents give back the notebooks.

School and Ecology

• There isn’t a designated eco-delegate but each class delegate fulfills this role and all students participate in an eco-school.
• The principal insisted on the fact that the work needed for obtaining the “eco-school” label is too much for one person to take on. We know this already as it was implemented a few years ago by Mrs Jaffres and some volunteer parents. Some teachers have indicated interest so we will need to follow up on that point.
• The Principal insists that he wants this project to start again but there must be several volunteers committed to it first, several LFIT staff as well as some parents. He also mentioned he would like the school’s project for next year (2020-21) to include sustainable development.
• He added that environmental questions have been mentioned at the teachers’ council and that the feedback will be given to parents.
• The principal added that environmental issues have been reviewed during the teacher’s council and the school will get back to the parents on this matter.
• Parents point out that the school can have a positive influence and role for Japanese families on the topic of the environment, especially related to plastic. It is important to communicate to parents about this.

The next council meeting will be held on April 1st, 2020.