Rye Elementary Students Celebrate Japanese Culture at Milton and Osborn Schools

Students at Milton and Osborn elementary schools recently explored global traditions through immersive Japanese Culture Days, bringing classroom learning to life through hands-on experiences, music, art, and cultural activities. 

At both Milton and Osborn Schools, third-grade students celebrated the culmination of their Japanese culture units with vibrant festival-style experiences organized in partnership with parent volunteers. 

As part of their studies, students learned about various aspects of Japanese culture and traditions, including schooling, celebrations, food, and traditional clothing. They also explored the principles of Japanese garden design and applied their understanding by creating their own model gardens. 

The celebrations transformed classroom learning into interactive cultural experiences. Students engaged in origami activities, creating designs such as dress shirts, ninja stars, and cranes. They practiced writing their names in Japanese characters using calligraphy brushes, crafted their names with stamps, and played traditional Japanese games. Students also tried on kimonos and other traditional attire and watched interactive videos about Japan that reinforced key cultural concepts from their units of study. 

At Milton, students also sampled traditional foods such as rice balls and edamame and performed a song in both English and Japanese, accompanied by recorder music. 

The events at both schools were supported by the Milton PTO and Osborn PTO, which partnered with the Japan Education Center in New Rochelle to borrow cultural artifacts and traditional attire for students to explore.