Sitero Francisco MNHS SPFL- Nihongo

🎉 Facebook recognized me as a consistent post creator this week!

🎨 Kizuna Workshop Day 3- May 6, 2026: The Ultimate Kana Challenge 🎨

The energy reached a whole new level on Day 3! Our participants proved that hard work pays off as they moved from games to high-stakes challenges and creative projects.

🎮 Katakana Kickoff
We started the morning with a high-energy Katakana Identification Game led by Kian-san and Thera-san. It was a tight race, but a huge congratulations to Group 1 for taking home the win! 🏆

💡 Mnemonics & Mastery
We officially tackled the latter half of the Katakana script! By using creative mnemonics, participants found fun ways to memorize those tricky characters.

⚡ The Kana Challenge
After some intense review time, it was time for the Kana Challenge. Collen-sensei flashed Japanese words in Hiragana and Katakana, and participants had to quickly translate them into Romaji.

A massive shoutout to Shammah-chan, who crushed the competition with the highest score! 🌟👏

🔖 The Bookmark Project
To wrap up the day, everyone tapped into their inner artist for the Bookmark Project. Participants carefully wrote their names in Katakana, decorating them with unique designs.

The most creative bookmark with the most accurate Katakana writing will earn the title of Shodo (Calligraphy) Artist, to be officially awarded during the finale! 🖌️✨

We are so impressed by the dedication shown in Day 3. From fast-paced games to beautiful calligraphy, our students are truly embracing the language. 🌸🎌

🌸 Kizuna Workshop Finale: The Amazing Race & Graduation (May 7, 2026) 🌸

Day 4 was the perfect conclusion to an unforgettable journey! It was a day filled with high-energy competition, heartfelt reflections, and well-deserved recognition.

🏃‍♂️ The Amazing Race: Kana Edition
The workshop kicked off with the ultimate test of speed and knowledge! Participants raced through four stations designed to challenge their mastery of Hiragana and Katakana:

Kana Dance: Expressing characters through movement! 💃

Writing Blitz: Speed-writing characters with precision. ✍️

Reading Challenge: Decoding words in real-time. 📖

After a thrilling battle of wits and agility, Group 1 proved their dominance once again, taking home the gold! 🥇🏆

🎓 Celebrating Achievement
With the challenges complete, we transitioned to our formal awarding ceremony. We were honored to present:

- Certificates of Completion for all our dedicated participants.

- Special Awards for those who showed exceptional skill and creativity

- Certificates of Recognition for our generous donors and our hard-working Grade 8 facilitators.

🎤 Heartfelt Reflections
We heard moving words from those who made this workshop special:

Shammah-chan of Grade 7 shared that she gained much more than just language skills; she found new friends and had many misconceptions about Japan cleared away.

Kian-san, Grade 8 Facilitator, reminded everyone that while awards are wonderful, a certificate doesn't define your proficiency. His inspiring advice? "Speak and continue practicing even outside of school!"

🤝 Strengthening our Kizuna
To close the event, Collen-sensei expressed her deep gratitude for everyone's hard work. Her greatest hope is that the participants leave not just with new knowledge, but with lasting kizuna (bonds) with their new friends and their senpai.

Thank you to everyone who made the Kizuna Workshop a resounding success! This is just the beginning of your Japanese language journey. お疲れ様でした! Otsukaresama desh*ta! 🇯🇵✨

🎏 Kizuna Workshop Day 2: Samurai Spirit & Script! (May 5, 2026) 🎏

Day 2 was a whirlwind of creativity and focus as we celebrated a very special Japanese holiday while doubling down on our language skills!

🏮 Celebrating Children’s Day (Kodomo no Hi)
In honor of Children’s Day in Japan every May 5th, we kicked things off with a hands-on cultural session! Using old newspapers, Collen-sensei guided everyone through the art of folding Samurai Hat (Kabuto) Origami. The result-- our participants transformed into a room of modern-day warriors! ⚔️🗞️

We also had an energetic practice game for the students to familiarize themselves with the hiragana characters led by Jade-san and Airis-san. Group 1 won the game.

🌸 Meet Hanako-chan!
The highlight of the day was the official introduction of the adorable Hanako-chan, the mascot of our SPFL-Nihongo program! 🎀 She instantly stole hearts and definitely gained a whole new group of fans. It’s safe to say she’s the new favorite member of the team!

✍️ Conquering the Scripts
Our participants are officially becoming masters of the Japanese writing systems! Led by our dedicated facilitators, we reached some major milestones: We successfully finished the latter half of the Hiragana alphabet and we’ve already started diving into the first half of Katakana! 🚀

The kizuna (bonds) are growing stronger every day. We can’t wait to share what’s in store for Day 3! ✨

✨ Kizuna Workshop: Day 1 (May 4, 2026) ✨

Our journey into Japanese culture is officially underway! Day 1 was packed with energy, learning, and some seriously impressive skills.

🎌 Language Essentials with Collen-sensei
The participants dove straight into the basics with Collen-sensei, mastering the fundamentals of Japanese communication:

Jikoshoukai (Self-introductions): Everyone practiced introducing themselves with confidence.

Greetings & Commands: Learning the essential phrases used in a Japanese classroom.

Ojigi (Bowing): Perfecting the art of the traditional Japanese bow as a sign of respect.

The highlight? Seeing our participants bravely perform their jikoshoukai right in front of their leaders! 👏

📝 Master of the Characters
In the second half of the day, our amazing facilitators took the lead! They guided the participants through the graceful strokes of Hiragana, successfully tackling the first half of the alphabet. ✍️

"A different language is a different vision of life."

We are so proud of the progress made in just one day. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to build our Kizuna! 🌸

Huge Kudos to our Grade 8 Facilitators!🌟

A massive congratulations to our incredible Grade 8 facilitators, Kian-san, Thera-san, Jade-san, Airis-san, Rey Anne-san, Jameeka-san, Nhicole-san, Rhowena-san, and Leiyzin-san for successfully leading the Kizuna Workshop!

Your leadership, energy, and commitment to building stronger "kizuna" (bonds) within our community truly shone through. You didn’t just lead a workshop; you created a space for connection and growth. 🤝✨

We are so proud of the heart and hard work you poured into this. Keep inspiring!

Congratulations to our brilliant Grade 7 Completers! 🌸

After four days of dedication, creativity, and hard work, we are incredibly proud to celebrate the students who successfully finished the Kizuna: Hiragana and Katakana Workshop. You have officially taken your first big steps into the world of Japanese language and culture!

🎊 Meet Our Workshop Graduates:

Group 1
Facilitators: Kian-san & Rey Anne-san
⭐ Myla, Prince, Shammah, Ella, Christylle, and Angel

Group 2
Facilitators: Thera-san & Nhicole-san
⭐ Athena, Shayne, Jhayne, Jennevie, and Larra

Group 3
Facilitators: Athena-san & Jameeka-san
⭐ Astrid, Hannah, Aurkene, Llienard, Agatha, and Roxette

Group 4
Facilitators: Airis-san, Rhowena-san, & Leiyzin-san
⭐ Danica, Jaysecond, Jewel, Regina, Juliana, and Chrissia

Over the course of this workshop, these students didn't just learn Hiragana and Katakana; they mastered Japanese greetings, practiced essential classroom commands, and dove deep into a new culture.

More importantly, they lived up to the name of our workshop—Kizuna (Bond). They gained new friends, built strong connections, and created memories that go far beyond the classroom.

We hope the "kizuna" you formed here stays with you as you continue your journey. Otsukaresama desh*ta! (Great job on your hard work!) 🇯🇵✨