Last weekend, students from YBS Preschool, Elementary School, and Middle School participated in the Jacaranda Festival held at Kanagawa Dental University.
For many visitors, it was a day filled with performances, activities, and community celebration. For our students, however, it was something even more meaningful—a chance to step beyond the classroom, connect with the local community, and experience what it means to share their learning with the wider world.
At YBS, we believe that education becomes most powerful when students can apply their learning in authentic settings. The Jacaranda Festival provided exactly that opportunity.
Our Preschool students proudly took the stage to perform traditional Japanese cultural arts, including Taiko drumming and Soran Bushi dancing. While this was not their first performance, the experience felt very different. The audience was larger, the excitement greater, and the challenge more demanding. Yet, our students stepped onto the stage with even more confidence than before.
Through their preparation and practice, they not only deepened their understanding of Japanese traditions but also developed perseverance, teamwork, and self-confidence. Standing before a large audience, they demonstrated remarkable courage and enthusiasm, earning warm applause from the community.
Our Elementary and Middle School students also shared their musical talents through instrumental performances and songs they had been practicing in their regular music classes with professional musicians.
Their performances reflected far more than musical skill. They showcased the dedication, collaboration, and joy that come from creating something meaningful together. As the students performed, their nervousness gradually transformed into confidence, and their pride in their accomplishments became visible in every smile.
While our students are familiar with performing in front of teachers and parents, this experience was different.
They stood before members of the local community and Kanagawa Dental University, sharing not only their performances but also a part of themselves. The experience brought a new sense of excitement, responsibility, and purpose. Beyond the nerves, the students genuinely enjoyed expressing their creativity, sharing their learning, and connecting with others through their talents.
Following the stage presentations, our Middle School students took on another important challenge: operating a vegetable sales booth featuring produce grown through their monthly agricultural project.
This experience went far beyond selling vegetables.
Before the event, students discussed how to attract visitors, how to communicate the purpose of their project, and how to create an engaging experience for customers. They worked together to organize their display, develop promotional ideas, and interact directly with community members throughout the day.
Through these experiences, students gained valuable lessons in communication, marketing, teamwork, and entrepreneurship. More importantly, they discovered how their efforts and ideas could create meaningful connections with others.
The Jacaranda Festival reminded us that some of the most important learning happens when students engage with the real world.
By performing, presenting, and interacting with the community, our students learned how to communicate with confidence, contribute to something larger than themselves, and recognize the impact they can have beyond the classroom.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone at Kanagawa Dental University for providing this valuable opportunity and to the many members of the local community who warmly encouraged and supported our students throughout the event.
YBS recently entered into an affiliated school partnership with Kanagawa Dental University, opening exciting new possibilities for education, collaboration, and community engagement. The Jacaranda Festival was one of the first opportunities for our students to experience the value of this partnership firsthand.
We are deeply grateful for our growing relationship with Kanagawa Dental University and for the continued support of our local community. Together, they provide our students with authentic opportunities to learn, contribute, and grow as compassionate, capable, and globally minded citizens.
Every meaningful experience helps expand a child’s world.
The Jacaranda Festival was one of those experiences—a day of learning, connection, and growth that our students will carry with them long after the festival ended.
At YBS, we remain committed to creating educational opportunities that inspire students to engage with the world around them, discover their potential, and become active contributors to their communities.