Mar 26  Visits from Bristish Universities

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We are delighted to have welcomed some of the top Universities to Harrow Appi in recent weeks. Prestigious institutions, such as Cambridge University, visited our campus and shared crucial application insights with our senior students, such as crafting personal statements and preparing for interviews. Additionally, they showcased the diverse array of study options available at UK universities, spanning from humanities to natural sciences, engineering, and medicine.

Ms. Claire Zupnick from University of Leeds noted the enriching cocurricular offerings at Harrow Appi, which undoubtedly contribute to crafting distinctive personal statements for university applications. While Ms. Laura Collier from University of Central Lancashire highlighted how students from full boarding schools, like Harrow Appi, demonstrate greater independence and adaptability to diverse cultural environments, which aids in their transition into university life. 

Mar 20  Off-Piste Ski Adventure

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Last Sunday, on 17th Mar, a group of courageous Harrow Appi students went on a great backcountry ski adventure high above Hachimantai. Students got to spend a full day skiing off-piste with a local mountain guide and our trusty head of expeditions, Mr. Wilson. All students pushed themselves to improve their skiing and snowboarding in challenging conditions. 

Mr. Wilson said of the expedition: “I was impressed by the students’ desire to improve their snowboarding and willingness to learn about their new environment. Off-piste skiing requires a whole new range of skills and the students soaked up as much information as they could from their guide Junya, and Harrow Appi staff. Plenty more of this to come in the future!” 

Mar 15 Field Trip to Grand Seiko

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Our unique location certainly doesn’t limit us; it connects us more deeply with the special local community around us. Our outstanding educators are always on the lookout for opportunities that not only enrich our students’ learning experience but also broaden their horizons. This week, our Remove IGCSE Business Studies students had a remarkable opportunity to step beyond the classroom walls and dive into the world of luxury marketing at the Grand Seiko Shizukuishi facility.
Led by Mr Matthews, Head of Humanities, 15 of our curious minds enjoyed a wonderful learning experience. Mr Matthews comments: “The students toured the workshops and watched the Grand Meisters at work, tried to assemble a Grand Seiko mechanism themselves, with varying degrees of success, and, of course, got to try on some of the beautiful, finished products.”
This incredible learning journey was not just about understanding the intricacies of marketing luxury products but also about connecting with the craftsmanship and heritage that our local community takes pride in.
This unique educational experience also caught the attention of a local TV, highlighting how our students are making real-world connections. Check out the full coverage here: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/727789c045e54367ffec44f28bdc49297bfe72d8 

Mar 13   Harrow Appi Alpine Cup    

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On Saturday, students from Harrow Appi, Harrow Hong Kong, and various schools in Iwate Prefecture participated in the second Harrow Appi Alpine Cup skiing competition. Without doubt, the competitors showcased their passion for sports and impressive skills. Students expressed how rare an opportunity it was to demonstrate their abilities in such beautiful snowy landscapes and compete alongside peers from different regions, leaving them thrilled and proud! 

Mar 8 Assembly with Harrow Hong Kong

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Today, we extend a warm welcome to our special guests from Harrow Hong Kong. Harrow HK students will be taking advantage of the slopes this week and together we will go head-to-head in the first Alpine Ski Race on Saturday.

In the spirit of camaraderie and team sports, we’re also excited to announce that Harrow Appi’s football team is gearing up for their first visit to Harrow Bangkok next week. This exchange highlights our commitment to sportsmanship and reinforces the diverse opportunities our students have to engage, learn, and grow within the Harrow Family. 

Feb 23 Mathematical Challenges

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Harrow Appi students excel in the UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Mathematical Challenges! 

We’re thrilled to announce that 70 of our students took part in the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge on 1 February. Over 650,000 students from 4,500 schools participated in this prestigious competition, making it the UK’s largest national maths competition.

A special shout out to the 14 students who achieved the Gold certificate, including Oscar, Year 10, who is among the top 1,500 performers in the world and will participate in the Hamilton Olympiad 2024 follow-on round in March. 

Feb 17 White Long Ducker

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Nurturing a Love for Nature, White Long Ducker at Harrow Appi 

This week our students participated in a 1.5km snowshoe challenge – the White Long Ducker, which is a tradition of Harrow UK. The Long Ducker also helped to raise money for Hands on Tokyo, a volunteer organization that seeks to contribute to society. This special activity provided a unique setting for students to connect with the environment, fostering a love for nature that goes beyond textbooks.

Feb 14 Igloo Building

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Boundless Learning unfolds during the Harrow Appi Igloo Building Competition

Thanks to the professors from Aomori University, students were able to hone their teamwork skills whilst creating innovative igloos! With nature as their classroom, the children evaluated the best location to build their igloo, prepared the foundations and built the igloo snow-brick-by-snow-brick!

This hands-on experience exemplifies how we cultivate talents in nature, fostering a deep connection to the environment while nurturing leadership and resilience.  

Kakizome: The First Writing of the Year. Celebrating our Diverse Community

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The Languages Department celebrated ‘kakizome’ meaning ‘The First Writing of the Year’ in recognition of the Japanese tradition of writing kanji to welcome in the New Year (first kanji written at the beginning of the year). The event was held during the first and second week of term for Japanese Lower and Upper Prep students, producing some wonderful and original calligraphy known as ‘shodo’　書道 the art of writing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush. 

After much discussion amongst the students, the most popular kakizome kanji was judged to be:   有言実行（ゆうげんじっこう- yuugenjikko）which translates literally as ‘perform what you have said’ or more naturally as ‘definitely do what you say you are going to do (this year)’. This was beautifully composed by Lower Prep student, Koyuri. The Lower Prep students had many positive and enthusiastic reflections on the afternoon’s activity. Their calligraphy writing skills improved markedly with each piece of work and by the end they were writing impressive kanji, demonstrating impressive balance, expertise and technique. 

Tatsuma, Lower Prep, commented: “There are many celebrations going on during the New Year’s holiday and I think it is a perfect time during the beginning of the year to decide what I want to accomplish this year, so I really enjoyed writing kanji which could best capture my ideas”.   

Mio, Upper Prep enthused: “This is a great way to start the year in Japanese. I love doing shuuji,  習字”(another word for calligraphy in Japanese).

Makoto, Lower Prep. added “I wanted to write down my New Year’s resolution on paper as I think I am more likely to achieve my goals if I focus my mind on written kanji”. 

Ruji, Lower Prep, said “I really enjoy writing kanji with using a fude and would like to join the Calligraphy CCA based on this experience to improve my writing skills”.

All the students voiced their appreciation to Ikeda sensei for her careful preparation and for giving them ideas, support and guidance throughout the afternoon in what proved to be a hugely enjoyable and rewarding experience for the students.  

Mr Crispin Chambers
Head of Languages

Tennis Trip

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Four of the Harrow Appi Tennis players travelled to Shirako, Chiba to participate in a tennis camp hosted by The One Tennis Academy. It proved to be a fantastic opportunity for our players. They not only honed their tennis skills but also had the chance to compete against fellow players from all corners of Japan. The camp served as a melting pot of talent, providing our students with a unique opportunity to test their abilities against diverse playing styles. Beyond the courts, this experience also facilitated the forging of new friendships, as our students connected with peers who share a common passion for tennis.