Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Staff, Students, and Friends of BST, 

In last week’s newsletter, I wrote that in the face of the climate crisis, my hope for humanity stems largely from the activism and sense of responsibility of young people and students such as ours at BST.

This week in a similar vein, I wish to concentrate upon the responsibilities and obligations that we all have as members of the BST community to each other and society more broadly. My return to the concept of community stems, of course, from the events of this week and the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic upon our school and lives more generally.

For those who read my weekly musings or have met me in person you will know that values associated with community are of fundamental importance to me. What else would you expect, of course, from someone born, raised and educated in the industrial and now post-industrial valleys of South Wales in the UK.

In my opinion, strong communities are essential features of all cultures and societies irrespective of their location in the world. Communities are enduring, and there is something universal in the draw, appeal and turn to community at times of crisis. During times of uncertainty, strong and resilient communities offer security and a sense of belonging. Members of communities such as these work together in collaboration and mutual support, secure in the knowledge that through unity, there is strength.

Since March 2020, our own school community has played a prominent role beyond its principal focus of education in the lives of students, staff and parents alike. A source of information, a place of refuge and a social network for those isolated from family and friends. A healthy diversity of thought, ideas and perspectives has characterised interactions. Respectful dialogue, open exchange of opinions and purposeful communication has been the norm, not the exception. A sense of responsibility to others and an understanding that our actions have implications for those closest to us and a much wider group have predominated. Knowing that we are all part of something much bigger than ourselves and that in times such as these more than ever, care and respect for others guide our actions. 

As we continue together to face the impact of the pandemic it is now more than ever that the characteristics of our resilient and proud school community need to come to the fore. Placing the School’s values at the heart of our actions, it is now that we all must remind ourselves of our responsibilities and obligations to each other.

For the school to manage the ongoing COVID-19 situation effectively with little disruption, we must cooperate as a community – students, staff and parents. Therefore, I ask each of us to think carefully about our behaviours and abide by the government’s requests during the current State of Emergency. Specifically, I stress again:

·  Read the school’s health and safety guidelines carefully.

·  Inform the school immediately of any COVID-19 related issues impacting you or your family by using this new email address -  covid@bst.ac.jp 

·  Do not gather in large groups, host parties and mix households.

·  Do not send children or family members into school if household members take COVID-19 tests.

As I have written before, it is easy for us to become complacent and fatigued by the pandemic, but now more than ever, our full attention to the health and wellbeing of our community is needed. As such, in the words of a famous politician of my youth - “community membership is not simply about rights; community is about responsibilities and obligations".

Stay healthy and safe during the long weekend.

Paul Tough

Principal
The British School in Tokyo

Dear Parents, Staff, Students, and Friends of BST,

I trust you are all well and have enjoyed the week. Happy St George's Day and best wishes to all the English members of the BST community. I hope you have or will celebrate in some small way today. 

Earth Day

American President Joe Biden’s assertion yesterday that the climate crisis is the “existential crisis of our time” was echoed by students at BST as the school marked Earth Day. Listening to our students discuss the global situation confirmed that there is hope in the face of significant challenges and that humanity will find ways to defeat global heating. That hope stems largely from the activism and sense of responsibility of young people and students such as ours. As yesterday demonstrates, students' efforts worldwide have raised public consciousness to new levels and pushed political leaders to develop bold and ambitious ideas to confront this challenge.

However, it will require all of us to heed our students’ call to action as this “existential fight” is not theirs alone. As I was reminded by one passionate Year 13 student, the time for dithering and prevarication in the face of environmental degradation has passed. As a society, school community and individually, we must play our part during this “decisive decade” in the fight against climate change. One of the ways that BST is looking to make a significant difference in this area is through the E-Cool Team's work and a structured programme for education and action through the Eco-Schools framework https://www.ecoschools.global/.

COVID-19 and State of Emergency

One of the other challenges of our age is, of course, the pandemic. The impact remains an immediate reality that continues to affect our lives daily. From recent news, the authorities will likely announce another State of Emergency in Tokyo this weekend to mitigate the impact of Golden Week on the rising case numbers of COVID-19 across the country. As I write today’s newsletter, the details of the government’s actions are yet to be announced. However, it seems retail and hospitality venues will be the main target of any restrictions. As such, I anticipate that the school’s daily operation will continue with all classes on campus but with visitors to the campuses and extracurricular activities suspended for the duration of the State of Emergency. Once we know the details, I will write separately to the BST community outlining the school’s response. 

Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

On the theme of COVID-19 mitigation strategies, I wanted to acknowledge the work of BST student Yukina Kasai in Year 12. Yukina has produced an outstanding research project as part of her Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), which has positively impacted the way the School has implemented health and safety guidelines on both campuses. The standard of Yukina’s project is exceptional, and as Yukina’s teacher, Mr Groarke, commented, neither of us “have ever seen such an innovative and professional EPQ / research project by a senior school student.” Yukina’s project has just been submitted for marking but once done we want to publish Yukina’s work for the entire BST community to read as it is worthy of a wider audience. 

School Advisory Committee (SAC)

This week the School Advisory Committee (SAC) met with an excellent discussion on a range of issues taking place, including COVID-19, assessment and reports in the Primary School, PTA updates, an update on the new Primary School campus, educational technology developments and teacher recruitment. The minutes of the meeting will be published in next week’s Lion and I welcome suggestions for the next meeting’s agenda (schooladvisory@bst.ac.jp).

Curriculum Review

The Japanese Language curriculum and teaching review started this week, and it has been great to speak with colleagues, students and parents about the programme. Lots of lesson observations have taken place. We also welcomed Shibuya Junior and Senior High School staff plus staff from Showa Women’s University Junior-Senior High School as part of the review team. The team will now take some time to evaluate the range of evidence and feedback compiled this week to produce a series of commendations and recommendations in due course. Also as part of the review, we are working with a team of staff to identify several Japanese festivals and events, which will be celebrated next school year as part of the school's calendar. Once these have been decided we will be asking parents to participate and help with their organisation. 

Internationalism Symposium

Finally, I want to make you aware that planning between BST, Temple University Japan (TUJ) and Showa Women’s University (SWU) for our first joint symposium on internationalism is in its advanced stages. My colleague Nora Yamada, leading the BST team, has confirmed that the project is proceeding apace with July 10^th scheduled for the event. The title of the symposium is: “The Future of Japan, The Future of the World: The Responsibilities of Living in a Global Society.”

Students will host three seminars on the following subtopics after the keynote by Kyoko Yonezawa:

• How can we overcome intolerance towards other cultures or fears of losing one’s culture?
• What is a multicultural society? What does it mean to live in a multicultural society?
• What qualities and skills are needed in a globalized world? How can we learn them?

The symposium will involve students and staff from BST and both universities. It will also be open to parent attendance via a webinar format. Our Comms Team are in the process of finalising communications which will be published soon. The day promises to be thought-provoking and engaging, and I am delighted with the level of collaboration between the institutions. Moreover, this is another example of BST students leading from the front and recognising that collaboration across cultures and nations is crucial to humanity’s future.

If you have any questions about the topics in today’s newsletter, or would like a one to one meeting, please let me know.

Best wishes for the weekend.

Paul Tough
Principal
The British School in Tokyo

Dear Parents, Staff, Students, and Friends of BST, 

It has been a positive start to the term, with lots happening across both campuses. In particular, it has been wonderful to see the students’ enthusiasm and happiness at being back at School. Equally, staff have enjoyed seeing their classes and colleagues again at the start of the new term. Without a doubt, school buildings are sad and lonely places when empty over the holidays and are transformed once a new term begins, thankfully!

This week’s highlights have included Monday’s professional development day, where teachers and educational assistants experienced several sessions focussed on different educational research and approaches to learning. (See BST - Start of Term Update - https://tinyurl.com/3uwyy755 ). We also had two successful earthquake drills involving both campuses.

I am looking forward to the Japanese Language Curriculum Review and the next School Advisory Committee meeting taking place next week. The Language Review is part of the School’s new self-evaluation process and is linked to priorities in our Strategic Plan As an outcome of these reviews; we aim to make clear the School’s commitments to students in all areas of their learning including languages.

Of course, as a School we believe it is crucial to ensure every student is supported to access the curriculum and culture of the school through the medium of English. We also believe it is important to foster an inclusive environment for students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds and value multilingualism as an important part of the BST experience. 

Equally, as a British international school in Tokyo, I believe that it is crucial that we enable students to achieve proficiency in Japanese. Clearly, as a school community, we value the Japanese language and believe that Japanese learning provides insights and perspectives into Japanese culture, traditions and history. Moreover, given the nature of our community and our location, it is incumbent upon the School to provide opportunities appropriate to all students to their level of ability and background in learning Japanese. 

The outcomes of next week's review will help us develop the Japanese language programme at BST and make clear our commitment to language acquisition. As part of the review, we will be observing lessons, speaking to students, staff and parents. We are also gaining valuable insights into our programme from staff joining the review team from Shibuya Junior and Senior High School plus Showa Women’s University Junior-Senior High School. In due course, I will make you aware of the review’s outcomes, including an updated Languages Policy for BST.

In the meantime, as ever, if you have any questions about the topics in today’s newsletter, or would like a one to one meeting, please let me know.

Best wishes for the weekend.

Paul Tough
Principal
The British School in Tokyo