Monthly Archives: March 2016

Information on Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival

On April 16, 2016 a number of GFES JIP students will be performing at the Japan-America Society of Washington DC Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival.

Please find below some relevant information.  For additional questions, please contact your JI teacher directly.

  1. Each performing student will receive an entry pass to the Matsuri.  Parents and other family members must purchase their own tickets.  Tickets can be pre-purchased HERE
  2. GFES will be singing on Performance Stage 1, or the Sakura Stage, at 12:15-12:45.  Please arrive 1 hour before the performance time.  Students will be getting ready at the two changing tents that will be located behind the Sakura Stage.  Parent volunteers and teachers will be standing by with the Happi Coats.
  3. Every parent must sign a waiver form for each performing student.  Siblings can use the same form.  The waiver will go home in the Tuesday packets.  Please return the waiver forms to your JI teacher by Wednesday, April 13.
  4. There is no parking on the street during the festival.  Parking information can be found HERE
  5. Sakura Matsuri will take place rain or shine.

It’s Crunch Time

It’s crunch time, folks.  As we head into Spring Break and Easter, please take the time to encourage family and friends to lend their voices in our fight to save immersion from being cut.

Here are two easy steps they can take:

To Sign the Change.org Petition :  Click Here

To Sign the iPetitions Petition:  Click Here

Learn How to Write our Representatives: Click Here

Fostering young children’s linguistic as well as cultural capabilities is a vital response to the need for proficient multilingual people or national security and global business.

Please forward this information to your colleagues, families, friends, and neighbors who value language education.

Thank you very much for your supporting language immersion programs in FCPS!

Save Immersion: We need more signatures!

It’s crunch time, folks.  As we head into Spring Break and Easter, please take the time to encourage family and friends to lend their voices in our fight to save immersion from being cut.

Here are two easy steps they can take:

Sign the Petition:  Click Here

Write our Representatives: Here’s How

Fostering young children’s linguistic as well as cultural capabilities is a vital response to the need for proficient multilingual people or national security and global business.

Please forward this information to your colleagues, families, friends, and neighbors who value language education.

Thank you very much for your supporting language immersion programs in FCPS!

Japanese Garden Spring Cleanup

Calling all members:  Spring Garden Clean Up!

When:  Saturday, April 2nd, 10 AM to Noon

Where: GFES Japanese Garden

Its time to clean up the garden beds at school. Bring a friend and your favorite garden shovel or rake. Lots of tools on hand. Coffee, snacks & drinks provided.

Contact Tim Lapham at trlapham@gmail.com for more information

If it rains a little, we’ll start a little later. If it’s an all-day downpour, the rain date is Sunday, April 3rd, Noon-2 p.m.

FCPS Budget Process Explained in Japanese

We’ve added a new document in Japanese (courtesy of Fox Mill ES JCC) that explains the FCPS budget process and how families can advocate for an increase in the FCPS 2017 budget. Please send the link (Click Here) to friends and families from the Japanese community so that they can better advocate on behalf of our immersion program.

Board of Supervisors Members Attack Japanese Immersion

In the past few days, two member of the Board of Supervisors have shown their lack of support for the Japanese Immersion Program.  None of the JCC co-Chairs heard the comments directly.  We are in the process of trying to understand why Japanese is specifically being mentioned – the JI program is a very small part of the school budget.  At this point, we have the following information.

Here are a summary of recent events in English and in Japanese.

We are at a critical juncture in the budget process and must do all that we can to raise our voices in support of Japanese Immersion.

Here are some important dates to keep in mind.

Here is a fact sheet that was put together by a Fox Mill parent, which includes important information about the budget process, how you can help and sample letters.