Last Thursday, January 25th, we had the opportunity to hold the Students Discussion Series through Zoom and exchange information with Smile English, an English school located in Hirakata, between Kyoto and Osaka, Japan. The owner of the school, Miss Shizuka, along with David, an English teacher, provided us with information about their school, giving us a virtual tour through Zoom and showing us the different sections of their school: cafeteria, yoga area, study area, etc. They also surprised us with a PowerPoint presentation.

We were able to see some of their students wearing winter clothes, in contrast with us in Indonesia, where we have a tropical climate. Smile English, unlike Bright World Academy, has students from the ages of seven to eighty. Among their students are doctors, nurses, police officers, paramedics, entrepreneurs, police officers, bakers, photographers, and piano teachers, among others.

We also learned, among other things, that Hirakata has one of the oldest amusement parks, built in 1910. Our students, Carrisya, Yasser, Allys, Syal, Abel, and Nafa, representing different grades (7 to 9) from junior high school, were the participants representing our school. Under the supervision of the school foundation, Mrs. Rose and Mr. Camelo, and the JHS principal of the school, Ms. Dyan, the students made a presentation covering topics such as school projects, school celebration events, thematic projects, and extracurricular activities.

This activity aimed to encourage students to showcase their public speaking skills, enrich students’ exposure to different school cultures, appreciate the diversity and commonalities of Asian countries’ cultures through fruitful dialogues about school experiences, and strengthen friendships on a global scale.

The Student Discussion Series with Smile English was a great opportunity for our students to interact with students from different cultures and exchange knowledge about their respective schools. It was a valuable experience for our students to learn about a school in Japan and compare it with their school in Indonesia. Through this activity, our students were able to practice their English skills as they communicated with students from another country.

We would like to express our gratitude to Smile English for their willingness to participate in this virtual exchange. We hope to have more opportunities in the future to collaborate and learn from each other’s cultures and educational systems. Such activities not only enhance our students’ knowledge and skills but also promote global understanding and friendship.

Thank you to all the students and teachers who participated in the Student Discussion Series. Let’s continue to embrace diversity and learn from each other.

#Caring for the Next Generations