Submitted by Sachiko Liou:

September has arrived where I can greet the faces of children who have gotten tanned from playing under the sun and who have gotten taller over summer break. I am reminded of the first time I brought my children to Japanese school in September over 20 years ago. At that time classes were in session until 2:00 PM, and I recall how I was busy helping my children with homework and making their lunches. They had the yearly Kurimanju event where I personally made quite a few very good friends. It was also a great hangout spot for me. After my son and my daughter graduated, I remained as an instructor for 10 years. Starting this year I will serve as your principal and hope to work with the teaching staff and the parents to build a long lasting working relationship.

I believe our Japanese school needs to change along with the times in order to grow. A big effort needs to be put forth to increase enrollment and become a more involved part of the community.