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Barbara Roth Showing Students
an American Baseball Card
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Barbara Roth, third-grade teacher at South River Elementary School in
Marshfield, Massachusetts, and her 22-year-old daughter Melinda visited
Senmaya Elementary School on June 24, 2002. Senmaya is a town of about
14 thousand people in Iwate Prefecture in the northern part of Japan, and
Senmaya Elementary School has over 400 students.
Barbara came to Senmaya to personally deliver a new Friendship Doll named Elizabeth
as a gift from the students at South River Elementary. This was the second
doll Senmaya received from Marshfield. In 1927, the Marshfield First
Congregational Church Sunday School sent a Friendship Doll named Betty
to Senmaya. Barbara expresses her goal for the visit, "My intention was
to reach out to the students in Senmaya in friendship and peace from myself
and the students in my school."
In addition to the school visit, Barbara and Melinda had the exciting
opportunity to stay at a Japanese home for three nights. They also were able
to meet people from the Town Hall, International Friendship Club, and Rotary
Club. They enjoyed very much the many beautiful and interesting sites they
were shown by the residents of Senmaya.
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Opening Culture Box from America
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On the morning of June 24, all of the students at
Senmaya Elementary School assembled anxiously waiting to see the new doll for
their school. Barbara gave the following speech to the students:
Hello to the principal, townspeople, teachers, and
students. I am very happy to be here and honored to come to your school.
Students, you are why I have come. Long ago, in
1927, a tradition of sending friendship dolls began between our two
countries. I bring a new doll to you today. She brings greetings of
friendship to you from the students in my school in Marshfield. Our students
had an election to choose her name, which is Elizabeth.
When you see Elizabeth in your school, remember your
American friends. Remember that Japanese students, American students, and all
the students of the whole world have the chance to grow up and work for
peace, and take care of our planet.
I would like to learn more about your school and how
you do things and what you learn. I will tell my students what I learn about
you. Our students will send you pictures and drawings so you can see that we
do many of the same things you do. As we learn more about each other, we
understand more about each other. Then we all have a better chance to work
for peace.
Thank you for having me to your school. I wish you
to have a happy school year, full of learning and friendship.
After the welcoming ceremony, Barbara and
Melinda toured the school, participated in a Japanese tea ceremony, talked with
the 3rd graders at the school, and ate lunch with the students. The students
especially enjoyed joining Barbara in singing "Row, Row, Row Your
Boat."
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Principal Fujino Demonstrating
Use of Parasol
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The students in Barbara's third-grade class at
South River Elementary in Marshfield prepared a culture box so the children in
Senmaya could better understand American culture. The box included the
following items:
- student drawings
- baseball cards
- shells and sand from beach
- stamps and coins
- personal photos such as one student's cat
- magazine cutouts of favorite foods
- children's Sports Illustrated
magazine
- dried cranberries
Barbara believes it is important for children
around the world to think of others in a global sense. She thinks that
children need not only to be learn about other cultures but also to respect
them.
After visiting Senmaya Elementary School,
Barbara wants to continue the relationship established with the students in
the school. She has several ideas about ways the students in her class and the
students in Senmaya can learn and appreciate more the similarities and
differences of the two countries.
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