Tomomi Matsubayashi has been our latest Japanese Assistant and will finish her year here at the end of the term.
Tomomi is a very competent young lady who has shown much initiative, resourcefulness and has contributed to the school in many ways, not just through the Japanese Program. She has run the Japanese Club every Monday lunchtime, assisted students with their Japanese inside and outside the classroom, created many useful and interesting resources for our students, formed friendships with both staff and students, been heavily involved in the International Students Program, translated numerous documents, including the school website, prepared staff and students for the tour to Japan last year, supported the visit from Ota Dai Ichi this month, performed the tea ceremony at Harmony Day and the Languages Expo and presented Ikebana (flower arrangement) in class. During her time here, she has also spent one day a week at Lilydale Primary School. Through her connection with the primary school, our College has begun to establish a quality relationship with Lilydale Primary School, resulting recently with the Lilydale Primary School Choir performing a song in Japanese at our Harmony Day. Besides all of these achievements, she is a very special person with a beautiful personality and character and she will be greatly missed by so many at the College. I would like to wish her the very best on her return to Japan and I hope this is not the last we will see of Tomomi.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Tomomi’s host families, the Griffith and Sutherland families. Without your support, this program would not run. Your support is greatly appreciated.