On Mondays, at 8pm Japan time, which is 2pm Ukraine time, children in Ukraine can tune in to a JOEE lesson crafted especially for them. Care is taken not to include any mention of planes, buildings or dangerous situations as the children are often tuning in from locations that are in or near to war zones during this time.
These lessons are organized by a non-profit in Eastern Europe, Smart Osvita, that seeks to bring educational moments to children who might need a joyful distraction from the stressful events that are happening in their lives right now. The website is here: nus.org.ua Daily lessons are listed in Ukrainian with information about the age group and subject matter of each lesson. The listing for Monday, April 18, is shown below. “A Hog Needs a Hug,” was one of the lesson offerings.
During the hour-long JOEE lesson, Hamlet the Pig, along with some of his friends, taught the children English words. About 63 children logged in to the lesson. The moderator was able to unmute children who had a question or a comment, or just felt like talking to a friendly pig. In the process, my pugnacious pig made friends with stuffed animals on the other side of the world. Here is a reflection that I wrote after meeting these dear children, many of whom spoke English quite well!
If you feel led to donate in time or money, please remember the children of Ukraine. May they be protected from harm and may the war cease and the residents of Ukraine be able to return to their homes. Please pray and do what you can to help!
What are some ways to “Get Fit and Give Back?” The upcoming KIWL Palace Walk is one way that you and a group of your friends or colleagues can get some fresh air and exercise while raising money for a worthy cause. Sign up for the Imperial Palace Walk/Jog that takes place on April 22nd and 23rd near the Sakuradamon Station exit. More details provided when you complete the registration. ¥5,000 (or $50 donation for adults) gets you an exclusive T-shirt. The minimum for students is less.
4. When that page opens up, click on “DONATE NOW” button.
5. After entering “full name” and “email,” there is a button underneath and to the right — ‘Donate in honor’ which should be clicked on.
The following screen will appear:
6. Click on ‘no card’ and there you can add “JOEE” under the words, “In Honor Of” when donating. (See example below.)
That’s it! You’re done. Have a lovely walk or run around the palace grounds on a beautiful day in late April. May your steps lead you to many more paths of caring and compassion as you “Get Fit & Give Back.” Blessings on your journey.
Note: If you would like to make a direct donation to JOEE with no running around involved, you can click on the DONATE button to the left on this JOEE webpage.
Ever wonder what goes on inside a JOEE online lesson? Here’s one sample of a lesson that landed on the Japanese festival of Setsubun which is celebrated before the start of spring. This year, Setsubun landed on Feb. 3, the same day as the weekly online Thursday lesson at St. Francisco Children’s Home. “The children want to chase away an oni” said the JOEE helper at the orphanage. “But we don’t have any soybeans.”
The JOEE lesson was set to begin in a few minutes, so it was time to brainstorm. First of all, I had to locate a monster…. an “oni.” I found an old costume headband from Halloween that had horns on it. Most “oni” have horns. But what about the face or the head? In homes with a mom and a dad, usually the dad will put on a mask and play the part of the “oni.” The children shriek with delight as the monster enters the house and then “drive out the evil” by throwing dried soybeans at the “oni.”
“Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” they yell, which roughly translates as: “Evil spirits get out! Good fortune stay in!” The pretend monster goes running away much to the delight of the children, who are feeling quite powerful at being able to drive off a monster with a handful of magic beans.
So, I had to find a monster mask. Then I remembered the dinosaur head, sitting off to one side of my cluttered teaching studio. Yes, I have a tyrannosaurus head — a gift from an excellent teacher, Mr. Richards, with whom I had previously taught a summer school class… all about dinosaurs. My “oni” would have to be a T-rex with bright red horns.
I grabbed a pair of red gloves and a green jacket for the finishing touches to my costume. Now we needed something for the children to throw at the monster. Instead of soybeans, the children would throw tiny rubber ducks… but not at the screen (where the horned dino would soon appear). Instead, we would direct the children to throw the yellow ducks into the air! Yes, we just happened to have lots of little squeaky yellow ducks at the children’s home. We have used them for counting games and for teaching other vocabulary words.
Why would a dinosaur-oni be afraid of yellow ducks? Well, you’ll just have to watch the video and find out. And while you are at the YouTube channel that posts JOEE videos, why not subscribe and get notified when new videos are posted there? Click here to view part of the Setsubun JOEE Lesson:
Another way to help the JOEE foundation, which brings free, lively English lessons to kids growing up in institutionalized care in Japan, is to send a donation in through the Global Giving link added below. Thank you for caring and sharing!
Lining Up Gifts from CAJ with JOEE Teacher, Lexi (Names on bags blacked out for privacy)
The Christmas season was lively in the children’s homes that are receiving JOEE lessons. This year, with a well-organized gift drive carried out in coordination with Christian Academy in Japan, JOEE was able to bring personalized gifts to all 44 children in residence at the St. Francisco Children’s Home in Ota-ku and to the 5 children in the JOEE program at Chofu Gakuen Home. This year, the children (especially the teen individuals) were given an opportunity to request specific gifts so that we could meet their needs. Gift donors did their best to find the perfect gifts for all of the youth. The gifts were presented at Christmas parties – one held on Dec. 19 and the other on Dec. 23.
Christmas Helpers Joyfully Load the JOEE Van at CAJ
Our two JOEE Christmas parties were aided by volunteers from Tokyo Union Church and its sister congregation, West Tokyo Union Church. Helpers played the piano, the violin, bells and a harp to bless the children with beautiful Christmas music. The JOEE students had learned a few simplified carols and exuberantly sang, “Joy to the World, sing joy, sing joy… sing joy, sing joy, sing joy! Sing JOY, JOY, JOY! Sing JOY, JOY, JOY!” It was a good reminder that the foundation of JOEE is JOY!
2回のJOEEクリスマスパーティーには、東京ユニオンチャーチとその姉妹教会である西東京ユニオンチャーチのボランティアが協力してくれました。ピアノ、バイオリン、ハンドベル、ハープなどを演奏していただき、子どもたちに美しいクリスマス音楽を届けていただきました。簡略化されたキャロルを覚えたJOEEの生徒たちは、「Joy to the World, sing joy, sing joy… sing joy, sing joy, sing joy！Sing JOY, JOY, JOY! Sing JOY, JOY, JOY!」と元気よく歌いました。JOEEの基本は喜び（JOY）だということを思い出させてくれました！
Tokyo Union Church Brings the Music to St. Francisco
Meeting a Heavenly Harp and Harpist for the First Time
After the singing, the children heard the story of Christmas, the reason for this celebration and gift-giving — how God sent His Son, Jesus, as a gift to the world, to be born in a humble manger in Bethlehem. The story reminds us that God especially cares for and blesses the poor and the outcast; God honors those who are put down by society, like these children growing up in institutional care homes. These kids, often cruelly labeled “throw-away children” in Japan, are actually valuable gifts and should be treated as such.
JOEE Volunteers Happy to Help Spread Christmas CheerAmazing Annie, Chofu Gakuen JOEE Teacher
Christmas Games and Songs at Harukaen in Chiba with Jonathan
Every child at St. Francisco Children’s Home received a Christmas gift bag. Inside, they found pairs of new warm socks, books and school supplies and a gift chosen just for them. Our volunteers had great fun helping the children cut strings, open boxes and install batteries. The Christmas party ended in a joyful cacophony of thank-you’s and goodbyes. The children were even waving to us from the balconies as we drove away.
While we wish that we could give every child a gentle and loving family to care for them, we do what we can in making sure that they are safe and have joyful and positive learning experiences as they grow up in a care home. Please help JOEE in any way that you can. Financial gifts can be made through Global Giving by going to this link:
A week after the Christmas parties, I received a beautiful handmade thank you card from the children at St. Francisco Children’s home. Inside I found handwritten notes from 17 of the residents. It was so sweet and heartwarming and made my holidays very happy indeed. A Merry Christmas to all and a very Happy New Year. We have great plans and hopes for 2022! Thank you for your support.
Thanks to the generous volunteering talents of two of our teachers, Annie and Lilian, JOEE lessons have begun at a newly remodeled facility in Chofu in the western part of Tokyo. Hurray!
Annie is a veteran teacher of small, active children and she excels at using English to delight, engage and teach. She is joined by Lilian, who was a bit timid at first, but who is a hit with the children who love her furry puppet feline sidekick.
Listen in as Annie gives us a summary of the first full JOEE lesson taught at this lovely facility:
Introductions – First of all, we handed out colourful nametags to each child and introduced Lilian and Tabby the cat. Nametags are very helpful, especially when beginning lessons. Building connections begins with learning names.
Ice Breaker – We started by tickling our toes and head and wiggling our arms and bodies to get warmed up before singing the Hello Song. The children enjoyed tapping and clapping to the beat as we sang. The staff joined in singing with us and the kids seemed to enjoy having each of their names sung. Hopefully the kids will join in singing as they become more familiar with the song. Classroom Management – We established the signal “are you ready?” “oh yes!” rhythmic chant and practiced it sitting and standing. We used this signal throughout class and will use it throughout our lessons to make sure kids are ready to listen. They are familiar with this kind of activity in the care facility as they usually do this kind of greeting before meals etc.
ColourKuruta! – We elicited different colour responses by pointing out the colours on our clothes and things around the room. The kids said them in Japanese at first, but with a bit of encouragement they repeated them in English. They needed a lot of repetition to retain the vocabulary. With coloured cards we played a memory game, the older kids did very well but it was a bit challenging for the youngest. As they turned over the card the child had to say the colour in English. Seeing that this was difficult, we changed the game to a version of KURUTA (a traditional Japanese guessing game). To start, the children put their hands on their head and when I said a colour they had to touch the corresponding card on the floor. The aim next time will be for the kids to take turns being the leader and say the colour out loud.
Colour Matching Game – I brought out my colourful parachute and the kids placed the corresponding colour card in the correct place on the parachute. Then we sang RED, YELLOW, GREEN and BLUE to the “William Tell Overture” melody while shaking the parachute to the beat. They loved this activity!
Goodbye – Our lesson concluded with the Goodbye Song. We will begin and end each lesson the same way as this is reassuring for young learners and helps to build their confidence as they demonstrate their ability to remember the words.
We look forward to continuing lessons with this dear group of young learners in the joyful JOEE program and we are so grateful to our teacher volunteers. Contact JOEE via email if you are interested in volunteering: ruth(at)joee.jp
Compelling English lessons can be taught anywhere, but with young children, they can be especially effective when taught out-of-doors. JOEE classes are taught both indoors and out-of-doors at orphanages, but we are also giving lessons in and around Shinanomachi and in Iizuna in Nagano.
For several months, JOEE has been teaching lessons at a unique school on the slopes of Iizuna called “Green Hills Outdoor School.” Their curriculum is largely focused on the out-of-doors and our natural environment and it appears that children really thrive with this approach to teaching.
Follow a winding road up a hill in beautiful Iizuna, and you will find a jewel of a school tucked into the green arms of a forest. At “Green Hills School” in Nagano, Japan, a quiet revolution in education is percolating. Many lessons are conducted outdoors and children are encouraged to learn from their environment, ask important questions and be creative. This school is educating students who are learning to think for themselves and to value and protect nature.
I have been hired by Green Hills School to bring native-level English lessons to the students in the elementary division. My lessons use the JOEE curriculum, teaching basic English words and phrases and adapting to the level of the students being taught. I use puppets, books, games and songs to teach English language skills.
A few weeks ago, the students in grades 1 to 4 studied colors by enjoying a read-aloud “A Color of His Own” by Leo Lionni. They found colors on my I-Spy quilt and went on a scavenger hunt for colors. Our lesson ended with exuberant playtime as I made giant bubbles for the students. This week, we learned the words “Over,” “Under,” “Around” and “Between,” along with some other words. Students, with their puppets on their hands, went over a bench, under a table, and around some chairs as they experienced the words in English. Involving the whole body helps the children learn new words in a new language.
As I teach, I am impressed by the creativity and curiosity of the students here. They are eager to try new things. They work hard at correcting their pronunciation. They have fun learning. This is what school is supposed to be like. I am happy to be teaching English at such a lively school that honors the bright spirit of the child.
教えていると、生徒たちの創造性と好奇心に感銘を受けます。 生徒たちは新しいことを試すのに意欲的です。 自分の発音を直すのに一所懸命です。 学ぶことを楽しんでいます。 学校とは本来こうあるべきです。 このような、子供たちの輝く心を大切にする活気あふれる学校で英語を教えることができて私は幸せです。(Translation by Tom Eskildsen)
A few weeks ago, thanks to a donation by the Wesley Center and an additional donation by Folkmanis Puppets, a big box arrived from the States filled with eager, furry new teaching assistants for Joyful Opportunity English Education! Our new puppet friends couldn’t wait to meet their partners.
数週間前のウェズリーセンターからの寄付に加えてフォークマニス・パペットからの寄付のおかげで、大きな箱が米国から届きました！ その中にぎっしり詰め込んであったのは、JOEE (Joyful Opportunity English Education) のためにこれから働きたいと願っている、フサフサの毛がある、教師の新しいアシスタント達でした。沢山の新しいパペット人形達は、これから働くことになるパートナーに会うのを楽しみにしていました。
Folkmanis Puppets Travel to Japan
For the past couple of months, JOEE has been training new teachers. We are gearing up for the reopening of Japan in anticipation of more widespread vaccine availability. As of this writing, TEN new teachers are learning how to present JOEE lessons and how to use puppets to engage and delight young English learners in orphanages and care facilities. Hopefully by the end of summer or early autumn, we will be able to start new lessons in many new places.
JOEE teacher training shows participants the origins and philosophy of Joyful Opportunity English Education. Besides bringing joy into the lives of young children with weekly lessons, JOEE is also focused on their future. Learning English at a young age gives these kids the advantage of acquiring excellent pronunciation skills and builds the mental and emotional facility for learning language as their education progresses.
JOEE教師トレーニングでは、参加者にJOEE (Joyful Opportunity English Education) がどの様に始まったのか、またその哲学について学びます。 JOEEは毎週のレッスンを行い、児童の生活に喜びをもたらすだけでなく、彼らの将来にも焦点を当てています。幼い頃に英語を学ぶことは、子供たちに英語の母語話者に近い発音のスキルを習得するという利点を与え、彼らの言語教育が進むにつれて役立つだろうと考えられる、言語を学ぶための精神的および感情的な心構えを構築するというメリットをもたらします。
Anneliese and Silvia find voices for their teaching assistants
By meeting and interacting with English speakers of many different ethnicities, the children learn to be accepting of a wide variety of world inhabitants. Because personalities and attitudes form at a young age, this open-mindedness will work to their advantage when launching out into the greater world of work after they turn eighteen years old and exit the care institutions.
Our JOEE lessons dovetail nicely with the programs in computer and life skills and continuing English studies for older children that the nonprofit, YouMeWe offers. Our two organizations sometimes work in the same care facility. In these instances, a child can be studying English from the age of two all the way to the age of eighteen.
At the end of March this year, 2021, JOEE was invited by Matelda Starace of the Italian Embassy in Tokyo to participate in their Spring Bazaar. We were so pleased to participate in this outdoor event where every precaution was taken to make sure that, although we are still dealing with pandemic measures, everyone who attended could do so safely. Masks were worn at all times and only removed briefly, while outdoors, for a few quick photos.
JOEE set up a table amidst other vendors who were also raising money for worthy causes. We met many lovely people and exchanged contact information, promising to keep in touch. Matelda was very gracious, introducing us to new friends and contacts.
Matelda’s husband, the ambassador, mingled with the crowd and stopped to answer my questions about the fascinating array of bonsai that decorated the back veranda. I learned about a unique kind of wisteria that I had never seen before. Refreshments of sparkling beverages and delicious Italian pizza and tartlets were served.
Our donors were happy to receive thank you gifts of darling, knit kangaroo finger puppets. Each puppet has two little joeys tucked into its precisely knit little pouch. These puppets were made for us by a women’s cooperative in Mexico, so our fundraiser had a double impact. We are so thankful to Matelda for the invitation, and very grateful for all of the generous donations that we received throughout the day. If you would like to donate to JOEE, please go to the Global Giving link below:
With the help of many generous donors from two international schools in the Tokyo area, JOEE had the joy of bringing presents to all of the children residing in two large orphanages in the both the western and eastern areas of the metropolis.
The collection of gifts began in November at the Christian Academy in Japan where the elementary division collected sets of socks, children’s books, toys and Christmas gifts for every child at St. Francisco Children’s Home. The presents were packed into large bags expertly painted and decorated for the season. Then all forty-eight bags were somehow packed into the back of a small k-car and driven to the orphanages for distribution.
We were allowed into the orphanage where everyone was wearing masks for safety and the windows in a large room were kept open. Even though we could not sing out loud due to pandemic precautions, we were able to play some lively Christmas music and teach energetic dance movements which the children seemed to enjoy immensely.
A kamishibai presentation of the Christmas story followed and then the presents were handed out from the oldest to the youngest. A happy cacophony ensued as the children exclaimed with delight at their wonderful gifts. Several times, children would run up to us and exclaim, “This is exactly what I wanted! How did you know?” It was a very merry time for everyone and we stayed as long as we could.
A second orphanage, Nozomi no Ie, was eager to receive gifts at Christmas even though no outsiders could be permitted to enter the facility. With the help of more donations from CAJ and staff from The American School in Japan eagerly helping out as well, we were able to bring gifts for every child in that orphanage as well. West Tokyo Union Church in Mitaka delivered the gifts on the Sunday before Christmas and sang carols outside in the courtyard.
When people work together towards a positive goal, magical things happen. JOEE would like to thank all of the donors who generously gave to bring a Merry Christmas to the children of two homes in Tokyo who will hopefully be looking forward to a bright future and a Happy New Year.
Since JOEE’s goal is English education especially for those who cannot afford private lessons, we are posting English teaching videos to YouTube so that lively song and puppet-assisted lessons can be accessible to anyone.
“Miss Raku” and “Ruth-Sensei” have both created videos teaching basic English words. Please feel free to copy the links and share with friends; and encourage them to “Subscribe” to the YouTube channel which can be found by doing a search for “Ruth Gilmore Ingulsrud.”
