_thumbnail.jpg)
It is an undeniable fact that since the opening of the Cougar Café Activity & Sports Center, the frequency and range of activities offered to our students and extended community has increased substantially.
With the end of the academic year soon approaching came the last session of our Elementary School Aikido Class. In order to celebrate all the learning and personal growth that the students went through during those many weeks of dedicated training, we hosted our yearly examination session.
As we bid farewell to the Winter Sports Season, the echoes of victory reverberate through the halls of Saint Maur International School. The exhilarating journey reached its pinnacle as our Middle School Basketball Boys A Team soared to new heights, claiming the championship trophy at the fiercely contested Kanto Lower League Tournament.
On Sunday 14th of January, the Aikido World Headquarters in Tokyo hosted their annual Kagamibiraki ceremony. Kagamibiraki (鏡開き, lit. "opening the mirror") is originally a shinto event that involves the breaking of a cake (kagami mochi, 鏡餅) that consists of two round rice cakes placed on top of one another, with a shiny finish that mimics the surface of a round mirror. The superposition of a small mochi on top of the bigger one symbolizes the Yin and the Yang, as well as the passing of a year and the coming of the new one.
January saw the return of a familiar favorite: the Saint Maur Ski Trip. Students in Grades 5, 6, and 7, along with their homeroom teachers, traveled to Niigata for three days of winter fun. Although the Ski Trip is normally an excursion for the 5th and 6th grade, the 7th grade was included this year. For the past two years, the trip had been canceled due to the pandemic.
The 8 students who chose to take Summer School Kendo Class were so excited when they arrived for the first training session on Monday, June 13. Students in the new Grade 3 to Grade 7 with experience of enrolling in Elementary School Kendo Club participated in 2 hour training for a total of 10 days to improve their skills.
This summer, while most teachers and students were still enjoying their summer holiday, 36 incoming elementary, middle and high school students decided to spend the first two weeks of August honing their skills on the basketball court. From August 1st through the 12th, the Cougar Sports Center was filled with the sounds of squeaking shoes, pounding dribbles, swishes, and cheers. The basketball atmosphere was palpable and many students grew tremendously in their ability to play the game.
Can you believe that last Friday was our last Elementary School Aikido Club session of the year? To celebrate the end of our first year running the club, we held the awarding ceremony for their very first Aikido promotion to eleventh kyu
Our Montessori students had a fun-filled Sports Day last Friday, May 20th, and we were excited that we were able to invite parents again not just as spectators but also to take part in two final activities!
Even though Aikido has no matches or competitions, there are plenty of opportunities for aikidoka to challenge themselves, meet other practitioners, and experience different approaches to the art. A major source of such challenge and discovery usually comes under the form of seminars, which are technical masterclasses placed under the direction of one or several teachers. Those can last from half-a-day up to an entire week in the case of resident training.
Kanto Champions! For the first time in school history, the Saint Maur Middle School Boys Baseball Team won the Kanto Tournament which was held at ASIJ on Saturday, May 9th. Cougars had high hopes entering the tournament as we were seeded 2nd overall. Having a successful season, we only had one goal in mind: To win the championship!
With the seniors off for exams, multiple injuries, and new players who have never practiced with us, the Saint Maur Cougars’ final game was limited to only one substitute and even saw the debut of 8th graders Hugo and Kuga. Put against YIS’s Junior Varsity team, the Cougars put up a fierce fight despite what the scoreline would suggest. Lack of preparation and a full bench rotation of substitutes for YIS posed many difficulties for the Cougars.
All members of our community are welcome to submit a news for publication on this website.
83 Yamatecho, Naka Ward Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-8654
Email: info@stmaur.ac.jp
Phone: +81 (0) 45 641 5751
Fax: +81 (0) 45 641 6688
