現地校では3rd Quarter が終わり、いよいよ最終のFinal Quarter に突入し6月の学年末に向けて最終スパートとなる時期。一方日本では旅立ちの季節である3月。

マティソンでは中高大受験生の今期の受験サポートの目途が立ち、旅立つ生徒さんとの別れを惜しむ時期でもあります。ここに通ってくれた生徒さんの中にはファームステイでひと夏の冒険を一緒に繰り広げた学生さんや心の内の苦しみや悩みを相談してくれた学生さんもいます。
それぞれが体験したかけがえのない思い出が、次の人生につながっていきます。

今回のブログでは旅立つ学生さんが海外での挑戦を振り返り語ってくれた言葉を少しご紹介します。これからNY生活に挑戦しようと思っている学生さんが少しでも現地の様子を理解し勇気 を出してくれるといいな、と思います。

Do you remember the first day of your new school? How did you feel?

Student A: When I started school in NY, I was very nervous. I was a 1st grader and I cried. But, Japanese friends in the class helped me a lot when I didn’t understand. On the 2^nd day, I didn’t want to go to school and missed my mom. But I went to school every day because I knew I had to go to school.  My mom said I had to go to school. And she bought me my favorite juice and it made me happy. 

Student B: I went to Milton school for the first time. I was more excited, not nervous. The table setting was so different compared from Japanese school. I started in 2^nd grade. I didn’t talk so much, but there was a boy that I could trust. So, I just kept following him everywhere and watched what he did.

Student C: My first day was online lesson because of COVID-19. Starting a new school and experiencing online lessons were both my first experience, so I was so nervous. But when I actually started going to school, I really enjoyed going to school. Everything was different from Japanese school. School had extra English curriculums and I enjoyed the atmosphere, which I felt like everyone was my family. 

What was your greatest achievement in America?

Student D: Moving to the USA changed me. In Japan, I didn’t know how big the world was. After I came to NY, for example, every house in Harrison was so big and everyone had a big yard. The parks were big as well. It was very comfortable for me to live in NY. In Manhattan, there were many kinds of people from all over the world. They get together and live in one place. And I felt we all need to get along with each other.
Understanding the importance of the world was my biggest achievement.

Student E: I didn’t play baseball in Japan, so I played baseball in NY for the first time. What I learned was everything in English. Learning a new sport in a different language was awesome.
Also, I was outside almost every single day with my brother doing sports such as baseball and basketball. That was better than studying and half of my friends I have now are friends from playing sports.

Student F: I could go to school every day and make many friends, and I could pass Eiken 2. They are all my big achievements! Now, I am going back to Japan. And I’m not so nervous about going back to Japanese school because I started Japanese weekend school in America after 2^nd grade. I love American school! American school has more fun events like Halloween and Valentine’s Day. I will miss American school.  

What is your advice to people who come from Japan or other countries?

Student G: If you can, you can study English before they come to America. If you can speak a little bit of English in school, it will be more fun to go to school. It’s also fun to talk to American friends. American friends are so friendly. People are friendly and kind in this country. And don’t be shy to ask when you don’t know and talk a little bit louder so that everyone in the class can hear your voice. If you don’t speak loud enough, they might just not hear you! Anyway, play and enjoy!

Student H: Do what you want to do! You want to think by yourself so that you will be more confident when you go back to Japan. Your experience in America will give you a new opportunity for your future.

Student I: You don’t have to worry about communicating with American people so much. When I visited another local school and took classes with them one day, the American students tried hard to understand me. They even used Google translate to try to communicate with me. It made me happy. If we all want to understand each other’s hearts, even though we can’t understand perfect language, we can still be friends.  Just keep your mind open.

Student J: Just don’t worry about English. You will understand what they are doing and saying by watching and hearing. Don’t stay inside all the time, go outside. Some American houses have basketball hoops and you can play with them and sometimes they would invite you inside their house and you can become their friends. Reading and writing practice help, too, but talking with friendly American kids can teach you better English. They talk a lot!

ファームステイ22、全員初体験の朝のブタさんのお世話ーブタのケージの掃除、干草のベット作りに餌やり。午前の英会話のレッスンの後は毎日様々なアクティビティを体験しますー乗馬、魚釣り、カヤッキング、スイミング、ナイトハイク、エッグハンティング、化石採集、射撃体験。

滞在中のお肉の食材は全てお世話をしてる家畜のブタや牛。必然と動物や農家の皆さんに感謝する気持ち、食べ物を大切にする気持ちが育み、それが自然環境を深く考えたり、自分で考え切り抜ける力、様々なステージでの共存を考える気持ちにもつながればいいな、と願ってます。

日を重ねるごとに責任感が出てきてみんなで協力しながらお世話できるようになりました。

夢中になって遊んでいる時がそのまま学びの時間へリンクする内容の濃い1週間。プログラム参加者には校外活動として目立って頑張ったことを記載したCertificateを渡し入試時などに役立ててもらえたらと思います。参加者のみなさんの今後の成長が楽しみです。

“Farm Stay’22” at Mattland Farm, New York.

First time farm experience for all of them. These kids did so many things they’ve never done before.

In the morning, they took care of the pigs – cleaning, bedding, and feeding.
Then they had English lessons – agriculture in NY, carbon footprints and the environment, big and small business, cultural differences, and manners. Every afternoon, we enjoyed various activities – horseback riding, fishing, kayaking, swimming, night hike, egg hunting, fossil hunting, and target shooting.

All of the meat we had on the trip was provided by our family farm, Mattland Farm. We could all feel how important it is to treat the animals with respect, take good care of them, and definitely didn’t waste any food.

As each day passed, they took responsibility and helped each other to do the chores. They got done faster and faster and could feel what it’s like being a farmer.

The positive real-life experiences we have may enhance our abilities and play an important role in whether we all grow up to have a sense of purpose at all.
We loved to see each kid’s growth.

Thank you so much to our Mattison family for making this program happen every year
We are so pleased to have such a caring and supportive family.

This year’s FARM STAY is ON!

Our Farm Stay 2022 is 7/25 to7/31 this year. We are in final preparation.
Six ambitious participants are all excited as we are.
We can’t wait to share time on the Mattison farm!
Our regular lessons will be closed from 7/23-8/4.
Here we go!

昨年はコロナの為中止となったファームステイでしたが、今年はコロナ対策も十分に施し参加者全員が7泊8日を健康に過ごすことができました。

2006年から開催し今年で15年目となるこのプログラムですが、毎年少しずつ新しい取組みや学びの場を増やし、学びありそして楽しみありの益々充実したプログラムになってきました。有難くも参加した皆さんから参加してよかった！という感想を毎年聞きますが、今後行ってみたい、興味があるけどどんな内容だろうという方のためにブログを利用して少しずつファームステイの中身を少しご紹介してみます。

ファームステイって何するの？
今回は毎朝行う農業体験についてお話しします。

☆農業体験
農業体験を通して酪農や農業、自然環境、自然との共存関係を学ぶことができます。これは地域やマティソン親族と連携しながら、参加者の「心の教育」や「いのちの教育」「食の教育」を主な目的とするものです。
滞在中は毎朝、豚牧場の飼育のお世話のお手伝いをします。普段嗅いだことのない動物のにおいや鳴き声にはじめは驚きの眼差しの参加者ですが、プログラム終盤になると飼育の流れを把握できるようになり自主的に行動できるようになってきます。

そしてお手伝いの最終日は牧場内の豚の飼育を参加者に任せられるまでになります。参加者同士が話し合い役割を分担し、「子豚とママ豚にはこれだけ、大人の豚にはこれだけ」、と餌やりの分量から豚の寝床を干し草で整える事までしっかりこなせるようになります。

また牧場のお世話をしながら少しずつ疑問を感じる参加者も出てきます。
子豚の可愛さに見とれ、抱っこして益々愛着が湧く一方、夕食で食べるステーキや朝食のベーコンはお世話をした牧場からの豚や牛。スーパーで食肉を購入する事が常の多くの参加者とってこの事実は普段滅多に考える事ではありません。
かわいいけど自分たちの食材になってしまう生き物の宿命をどうとらえたらいいのか。
世間では環境問題として牛肉を食すことを懸念する声も多く聞きます。
色んな意見がありますが、どの意見が正しいと教えるのではなく参加者一人一人が環境問題や育てた生き物をたべる事について自分なりの納得のいく考えに行きついてくれたらと思います。美味しく頂くのも、今後のお肉を口にする事を考え直すのも本人の責任であり自由です。
こんな体験が参加者の道徳観や責任感、自主性を育て自己肯定感も高くなり大きな自信につながっていきます。
必死になってお世話をする姿を見てあげてください。