Keio, Gakugeidai Oizumi, Shoei

Congratulations to all of you who passed the Keio, Gakugeidai, and Shoei exams! Once again, we are all very proud of your accomplishments. 

Most of you who passed these exams have already passed one or more exams for other schools and now you have a very important decision to make. As you make your decision, please keep in mind that we are all here to offer advice and support to you and your parents. We also have many juken students from previous years who are still studying with us. I'm sure they would be happy to tell you about their schools and provide you with the information you need. Just let us know what we can do for you. 

Again, congratulations everyone...and thank you for making this a great year for KA and for each other. 

M, T, M, L, H

Sherlock's field trip to beautiful Medaimae was a great success. M,T,M,L, and H learned all about the history of my hometown and the history of cats.

We learned that cats came from Egypt and were brought over to Europe by traders to help Europeans fight off the disease-infested rats.

And we drank coffee.

We also learned a lot about Chubby and about the Korean language. We learned about the contents of his wallet, although he didn't seem very pleased by that.

Sherlock has been a great class and I will miss them dearly. We had a great year together. Thank you for all your hard work and kindness. You are great kids and I'm sure you will achieve great things at your new schools.

Shibu Shibu Results Best Ever

Wow! We can't say enough how proud we are of all of you. 12 KA students managed to pass Shibu Shibu, and one of our very own was chosen as the 'special' student. This level of success is unprecedented for KA, and perhaps for any school in the kikokushijo community. We are in awe of the great work you've all done. 

Congratulations! 

Congratulations Shibu Maku Students!

We were absolutely thrilled with the great results from the Shibu Maku exams. Sixteen of our students managed to pass one of the two most difficult English tests in Japan. All of us at KA are extremely proud.

This is turning into the one of the best'juken' seasons ever. Our students are all stepping up and doing their best.

Keio, Shibu Shibu, and Gakugeidai students, we know that you're getting tired but you only have a few days left to go. Hang in there, and look forward to our bowling party in February!

The Eiken and the KAAT Test , Sunday Intensive Course

Although many of this year's 'juken' students are taking an entrance exam on the same day that the Eiken is going to be held, other juken students should seriously consider taking the Eiken this time around or at the latest in June. The first year of junior high school is busier than many of you might expect, and it will be difficult to find the time to study English as intensively as you have during this exam season. This might be your best chance...at least for a year or two. 

5th graders, I strongly encourage you to take the Eiken this January, even if you feel you aren't quite ready. Practice makes perfect, and for some students, the first attempt at any given level ends up being a practice run. Take the test, if you don't pass, find out what you need help with, and pass it next June. Studying for the Eiken can also help you with the KAAT test, our own placement test for students taking junior high school entrance exams. You'll be taking that soon so you'll want to be ready.

J1 students, glad to hear that many of you are finally going to take the Eiken. I realize that you were exhausted from last year's juken season, but I think we all agree it's time to get serious about English again. Eiken 1st grade for starters, then the PSAT. 

Giggles came to the Sunday intensive course, but she managed to keep the giggling under control. Thank you. 

Hard Work and Giggles

Last night seven or eight students stayed after nine working tirelessly on their essays and interview skills. I have to say I was very impressed with the progress the students have made, although there is still a way to go. 

As we were working hard in the science room, we couldn't help but be distracted by a strange yet familar sound:  Chi and Ay giggling uncontrollably in the room next door. Wonder what that was about. It's incredible how much giggling can come out from such a small space. If we could somehow harness the energy from their giggles, we could power up the whole school without the use of electricity. 

Mmm. 

One more note, a number of exams are coming up this weekend. Examinees, please be sure to get some rest over the next two days. Don't forget to take a few slow breaths whenever you begin to feel overwhelmed. Good luck. Our thoughts are with you! 

Senzoku Students: We're Very Proud

Great work! This year is turning out to be one of the most competitive ever, yet 20 of our students managed to pass Senzoku, who only accepted 36 this year for the A exam. That is simply amazing. We are all so proud of you.

For many of you, there is still more to come. Hang in there! It will all be over in just a few short weeks!