Risa Noju’s eyes lit up as she rubbed her hand along a stuffed squirrel’s tail in the science classroom at Washington Middle School. The squirrel was one of several Wisconsin animals introduced to Noju and seven other Japanese students participating in the sister school exchange in Oconto Falls.
WMS students shared picture books, mounts and animal hides with the Japanese guests from Tomiura Junior High School, acquainting them with animals that are so familiar here.
As they looked at the skunk, WMS teacher JoAnn Peters piped up.
“If you thought the farm smelled bad, this is worse!” she told the Japanese students, then held her nose to demonstrate her meaning.
The students toured a dairy farm early last week as part of a city-sponsored field trip that included lunch at Gilligan’s North and visits to ST Paper, the Oconto Falls Fire Department and Springside Cheese.
Through his experience in Oconto Falls, Satoshi Takayanagi got the impression that “everything is big,” like the hamburger served at the restaurant. Takayanagi, vice principal of Tomiura, was one of two adults accompanying the group. The other was Marie Kamada, an English teacher at Tomiura and the sister school coordinator.
“The scenery is very different,” Kamada said.
She called the lifestyle in Wisconsin “very rational,” and later described it as “practical.” She said Wisconsin has a good balance of advanced technology and nature.
Attitude is one thing she wanted the Tomiura students to gain during their stay. She said some Japanese teens envy Americans, but know little about their lifestyle. Through the exchange program, the Tomiura students gained a deeper meaning of what it means to be American.
Peters, who coordinates the sister school program, said one of the advantages for WMS students is the exposure to a different culture and language.
“There is a communication barrier, and the kids who work with them really have to try to find ways to communicate,” she said.
“It was hard at first,” host student Kaelyn Allen said, “but it gets a little easier once you get to know what they understand and what they don’t.”
She learned Shione Isumisawa loves chocolate, especially M&Ms, but wasn’t fond of licorice. Isumisawa likes to try new things and is very polite, Allen said.
“It think it’s fun,” she said of the experience, even though she gave up her bedroom for a week.
Peters said the Japanese students showed no sign of homesickness.
“They’re pretty busy, and a lot of the time their messages to home say they want to stay,” she said.
The Japanese delegation experienced many firsts on their visit, including a chance to sit in a fire truck and try on firefighters’ gear, something they’re not allowed to do in Japan, Peters said.
The students visited Apple Valley Orchard and experienced a hayride at Rock K Ranch and canoe trip at Navarino Nature Center. They learned the basics of football and how to bake an apple pie and in return, shared information about their culture at student assemblies.
This is the 21st exchange trip between the two schools and the 11th time that students from Japan visited WMS.
The program started during the 1991-92 school year with the first group of Japanese students visiting in the fall of 1992. A yearly exchange started in the 1993-1994 school year. The only year missed was 2009-2010 due to the threat of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.
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