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Earlier this year students from Year 8 to Year 12, who are currently studying Japanese, had been busy folding and constructing over 1000 paper cranes to take on the Japan Study Tour. During the Term 2 School Holidays, 25 students and four teachers, Mr Vidot, Ms Mizukami, Miss Manalili and Mr Roseby, flew to Japan for two weeks on a study tour. Whilst in Japan, the students and teachers visited many places such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagasaki, Hiroshima and Fukuoka. One of the significant places visited was the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, where we placed our 1000 paper cranes.
The origin of the paper cranes comes from a well-known story of a Japanese girl called Sadako Sasaki, who lived in Hiroshima when one of the two atom bombs were dropped in Japan during World War II. Sadako was diagnosed with leukemia as a result of exposure to radiation from the bomb. There is a belief that if one folded 1000 paper cranes, their wishes would be granted, so Sadako began folding paper cranes in the hope that her wishes of recovering from her sickness, attaining world peace and healing all victims that were affected would come true. At the age of 12, Sadako succumbed to her illness and passed away, having folded over 1000 paper cranes.
Therefore, on behalf of St Andrews College, we handed over our completed 1000 paper cranes to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park to contribute to Sadako's wish and our own wish of attaining world peace.
We would like to take this chance to thank all the students and teachers, especially Miss Manalili and Ms Mizukami for taking their own time and effort to make all of it happen. Also, a special thank you to Mr Roseby for holding culture lessons every week on the Junior Campus in order to prepare the students for the two week study tour. Thank you, once again, to all who contributed to our 1000 paper crane project and made it a huge success!
Year 10 Japanese Students
Chelsea Lomibao
Desiree Bongolan
Jessica Vassallo