2024.05.20
First Year Retreat in Gotemba
Early May is always a busy time at Eiwa, with various grades going on school trips and camps. For the first year students of junior high, this means a two-day retreat in Gotemba where the students have the chance to get to know each other better, learn about the history of our school, and to reflect a bit on church teachings and the world around them. This year was no exception, with the first graders enjoying lovely weather, interesting and informative talks, and fun times in Gotemba on May 9 and 10.
With regard to Eiwa’s history, Mr. Suzuki, our vice-principal, focused on the rather extraordinary life of Miss Martha Jane Cunningham, the first principal. She was the first woman to cross Canada on her own by train, arriving in Japan in 1887. Eiwa was set up that year, becoming the first school for girls in Shizuoka. To mark the 100th anniversary of Eiwa, the art club produced a beautiful book made out of cut paper, or ‘kiri-e,’ which Mr. Suzuki used to illustrate his talk.
As always, the Reverend Mr. Matsukita’s talks were very lively and engaging. He challenged the students to think about the concept of peace. What is peace? It is more than not being at war. Can we say that Japan is at peace when there are still many social problems such as suicide? I also enjoyed his comments on getting along with others. In Japanese we talk about ‘naka ga ii’ to mean that people are getting along. However just because there is no conflict between people, it doesn’t mean that ‘naka ga ii.’ It may just mean that there is no contact, that ‘naka ga nai.’ We need to take the next step towards ‘naka ga ii’ instead of just being content with ‘naka ga nai.’ Important words indeed and I think this two-day retreat did in fact do a lot towards creating good relationships, or ‘naka ga ii,’ between our students.
