PRESS RELEASE
米国グレートフォールズ小学校訪日団の支援の件
【実施日時：2010年7月13日（火）午後２時半～5時半】
今夏、米国バージニア州フェアファックス郡で日本語イマーション・プログラムを導入しているグレートフォールズ公立小学校 http://www.fcps.edu/GreatFallsES/の生徒・父兄による卒業記念の訪日旅行が行われました。これは15年以上も続く恒例の自主行事で、今回は7月２～14日にかけて実施され、参加者は生徒11名、父兄10名。福山市にある姉妹校の広島加計学園 英数学館小学校の訪問を含め、日本各地を訪れて帰国前日に東京に戻ってきました。
CEPEXでは2005年の設立以来、日本語教育のテコ入れを願ってフェアファックス郡の日本語イマーション・プログラムへの支援活動を続けていますが、近年、米国では財政難から日本語教育の廃止・縮小が顕著です。そこで今回は最終日に、総理官邸、外務省、文科省、駐日米国大使への表敬をアレンジして、同プログラムへの支援協力をアピールしました。午後の3時間強で4か所を回る慌ただしいスケジュールでしたが、各訪問先で小学６年生を終えたばかりの生徒たちは日本語で自己紹介を行い、卒業式の定番曲「桜の栞」を合唱しました。今回の取組みには古川内閣官房副長官、ルース米国大使、門司外務省広報文化交流部長、中川文部科学副大臣をはじめ大勢の関係者の皆さまから絶大なるご協力を頂き、日米の次世代の懸け橋を、日米官民学NGOが共同して支援するイベントとなりました。ここに厚く御礼申し上げます。
CEPEX 理事長 多田幸雄
グレートフォールズ小学校の訪日団名簿
父兄【10名】 生徒【11名】
| Great Falls Elementary School Trip Roster | ||
| Parents/ Guardians (10) | Students (11) | |
| 1 | Greg Apostolou | Alexis Apostolou |
| 2 | Eugene Canfield | Jonathan Canfield |
| 3 | Chad Fredrick | Rebecca Canfield |
| 4 | Jennifer Fredrick | Robert Fredrick |
| 5 | Charlotte Johnson | Erin Fredrick |
| 6 | Rene Doucet | Mark Johnson |
| 7 | Anne Meiser | Ivy Mason |
| 8 | Wendy Rose | Claire Meiser |
| 9 | Byron Rose | Caitlin Rose |
| 10 | Stefan Suib | Justin Rose |
| 11 | Samantha Suib |
引率/支援【7名】
| 1. Mamiya Worland | グレートフォールズ小学校 日本語教師 | |
| 2. 中林美恵子 | 衆議院議員 CEPEX副理事長 | http://miekon.com/ |
| 3. 加計 役（ﾏﾓﾙ） | 姉妹校 広島加計学園 理事長 | http://www.eisu-ejs.ac.jp/elementary/index.html |
| 4. Victor Hazen | 姉妹校 広島加計学園 英数学館 国際交流課長 | |
| 5. John Basalla | CEPEX共同会長 & CFO | |
| 6. Justin Manger | CEPEX共同会長 & COO | |
| 7. 多田幸雄 | CEPEX理事長 |
CEPEX Supports Great Falls Elementary School Group’s Visit to Japan
This summer, the Japanese language immersion program at Great Falls Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia sent students and their parents on a graduation celebration trip to Japan. This annual event has taken place for more than 15 years. This year, the trip occurred from July 2-14 and 11 students and 10 parents/guardians participated. The group visited their sister school, Eisugakkan Elementary School, at the Kake Institute in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture. They also visited various other places in Japan before returning to Tokyo.
Since CEPEX was established in 2005, it has supported the Japanese immersion program in Fairfax County and will continue to do so despite the fact that the Japanese language education programs have been reduced or cut due to the budget difficulties in the U.S. in recent years. On the last day of the trip, the students and their parents had the opportunity to visit the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Education, arranged courtesy of the U.S. Ambassador. When the Great Falls group visited with Ambassador Roos, they appealed to him for support of Japanese language programs. Keeping a very tight schedule, the group made their visits in a little more than three hours. The students, who recently finished the 6th grade, introduced themselves in Japanese on each visit and sang this year’s most popular graduation song “Cherry Tree Bookmark” in Japanese, as well.
We would like to thank Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Furukawa, U.S. Ambassador Roos, the Director General of Public Diplomacy Monji at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Vice Cabinet Minister Nakagawa at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for their tremendous support and cooperation. You are helping to build a bridge to the future of U.S.-Japan relations. It was through a joint effort of government officials, the business community, academic scholars and NGOs that we were able to put on this successful event. We sincerely thank you all.
Yukio Tada
CEPEX Chairman
For more information on the Japanese immersion program at Great Falls Elementary, Please visit http://www.fcps.edu/GreatFallsES
| Great Falls Elementary School Trip Roster | ||
| Parents/ Guardians (10) | Students (11) | |
| 1 | Greg Apostolou | Alexis Apostolou |
| 2 | Eugene Canfield | Jonathan Canfield |
| 3 | Chad Fredrick | Rebecca Canfield |
| 4 | Jennifer Fredrick | Robert Fredrick |
| 5 | Charlotte Johnson | Erin Fredrick |
| 6 | Rene Doucet | Mark Johnson |
| 7 | Anne Meiser | Ivy Mason |
| 8 | Wendy Rose | Claire Meiser |
| 9 | Byron Rose | Caitlin Rose |
| 10 | Stefan Suib | Justin Rose |
| 11 | Samantha Suib |
Supporters (7)
| 1. Mamiya Worland | Great Fall Elem. School Japanese Teacher | |
| 2. Mieko Nakabayashi | Member of the House of Representatives and CEPEX Vice Chairman | http://miekon.com/ |
| 3. Mamoru Kake | Sister School, Hiroshima Kake Institute, Chairman | http://www.eisu-ejs.ac.jp/elementary/index.html |
| 4. Victor Hazen | Sister School, Hiroshima Kake Institute, Eisugakkan, Director of International Exchange | |
| 5. John Basalla | CEPEX Co-Chairman and CFO | |
| 6. Justin Manger | CEPEX Co-Chairman and COO | |
| 7. Yukio Tada | CEPEX Chairman of the Board of Trustees |
