Momilani Elementary School held a special school assembly on Thursday, August 15, 2013 to welcome eight students and their chaperones from Hyuga City in Japan. It was the fourth group of students from Hyuga City to visit Momilani Elementary School as a part of a cultural exchange and home stay partnership that will also send eight Momilani students to Hyuga City in October of this year.
“We have a sister school relationship," said Momilani Elementary School Principal Mrs. Doreen Higa. "Eight students and their three chaperones have come to Honolulu to do a home stay visit and cultural exchange. We will go back to Japan sometime in October and do the same thing. Today we’re welcoming the fourth group to visit Momilani. We’ll send the same amount of eight students. So whoever is hosting them this weekend will be going to Japan."
The students had the opportunity to bond with one another while learning each other’s culture. After trading gifts, the Hyuga City students presented an interactive power point Q&A presentation that taught the Momilani Elementary School students, staff and parents in attendance about their cultural and the things that they enjoy the most about their school. All eight Hyuga students also performed on the flute for the audience.
Momilani students presented the Hawaiian culture to the visiting cultural exchange students with a traditional Hawaiian chant and a hula performance.
The Hyuga City students will spend the weekend with the hosting Momilani families. They will visit Iolani Palace on Monday and fly back home to Hyuga City, Japan on Tuesday.
Hyuga City is located in the northern part of Miyazaki Prefecture facing the Sea of Hyuga. The city is known as the thriving gateway of Kyushu.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Visiting cultural exchange students and their chaperones from Hyuga City, Japan take a group photo
with Momilani Elementary School Principal Mrs. Doreen Higa (top row, center) and her students in the
school cafeteria on August 15, 2013.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Hyuga City students presented a power point Q&A presentation that taught the Momilani Elementary
School students and staff about their cultural and the things that they enjoy the most about their school
in Japan.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Principal Higa is pictured welcoming everybody to Thursday's school assembly that introduced
and honored the visiting Hyuga City cultural exchange students and their chaperones.
Momilani Elementary student emcee's for the event look on. (They did a great job. Congratulations!)
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]