and the third year students sang a song to the school

the band getting ready for the graduation

watanabe and shimizu sensei were third year teachers along with me

gives you an idea of how much snow there was in march

the sempeis say goodbye to their groups, and give small gifts to the new leaders

after the ceremony the students mingle, saying goodbye

Okada, the boy on the far right was one of my favorite students
It was difficult to say goodbye to so many of my favorite students.
The third year students are a class full of characters, all who made me laugh and enjoy my first 8 months in Japan a great deal.

me and two of my favorite third year girls

empty chairs for the san nensei students await for them...it is their graduation day

A third-year boy's rebellious shoes... my school is known for being a little rowdy and rebellious, I love it... I think everyone has character, it makes it all so great!

some of my favorite third year boys

the first and second year students sang a song as a gift for the graduating third year students

kocho sensei hands a diploma to a student

me and my desk in the teachers room... in japan all the teachers have desks in a room together, not in a classroom, the classrooms are for the students, not the teacher...

Snowboarding

I have taken it upon myself to learn to snowboard. Seeing that I live in the area of the most snowfall in all of Japan I figure I have no excuse but to learn. I really am not much of a boarder, and even at the end of the season I have yet to get off the lift successfully~I mean people I can barely walk, getting off a lift with something strapped to my feet trying to glide around- now that is a stretch

My friends and I got passes that way we had no excuse but to learn (but honestly, this was before I realized how busy I was going to be most of the winter- between visitors and weekend escapes and meetings and the occassional bad weather- it was difficult to find time to really hit the slopes)