Learning Centre links to Japan
With a chorus of hellos and lots of waving, the children of Somerfield Primary School and Japan's Nakashima Elementary School began the first live international video conference between Christchurch and one of its sister cities.
The 45-minute exchange, on 15 February, connected the City Council's South Learning Centre in Beckenham with sister city Kurashiki, giving the Year 4 and 5 students a chance to learn more about the other group's city, culture and everyday lives.
The children talked about their favourite things. Both groups had prepared pictures and managed to get their message across with body language when their English or Japanese failed.
Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore got the conference under way by welcoming all the students, while other children, their parents, teachers and guests watched everything on a big screen next door.
Somerfield teacher Serena Holm says the link was, "a wonderful opportunity for the children to forge links with students in another country".
The conference is the first stage in what's planned to be a relationship between the two schools. Another video conference is being planned, and Somerfield students are working on a parcel of Christchurch-related items to post to Japan.
For more information about Christchurch City Libraries and the South Learning Centre, look online at library.christchurch.org.nz/South
For more about Christchurch's sister cities, go to www.christchurch.org.nz/sistercities
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