Shikaoi Junior High School

Cameron Wylie

( 15,Oct.1996 )

 Shikaoi Junior High School is a medium sized school in the Town of Shikaoi. The school has a reputation for excellence and is looked upon as a leader by other schools in the area. There are currently around 200 students enrolled in the school with 2 classes of first and second year students, and 3 classes of third year students.

The school offers a wide variety of courses, in many ways similar to the curriculum of a school in the sister town of Stony Plain. An average day in the life of the students entails taking courses in math, social studies, Japanese language, English, physical education, home economics, and building construction.

The average day for the students here starts at approximately 8:40 in the morning with classes going until about 12:20 in the afternoon. This is followed by a break for lunch until about 1:20 p.m. and then classes until about 3:10 in the afternoon. Each period is 50 minutes long with a 10 minute break before the next class.

There are a total of 4 classes in the morning followed by 2 in the afternoon. The day here begins and ends with the students home room. This is a time for the students to discuss school issues and, at the end of the day, clean up. Club activities usually start at around 3:30 in the afternoon and those available for the students to partake in include volleyball, basketball, soccer, baseball, judo, the Japanese Tea Ceremony, and depending on the season many others.

The majority of the students participate in these club activities and do so everyday until about 5:30. Shikaoi Junior High School prides itself on the excellent teaching staff available and the excellence they promote in their students. For anyone visiting Shikaoi in the future a trip to Shikaoi Junior High School would be a great opportunity to see the Japanese educational system at it's best.

 The Town of Shikaoi is a beatiful town nestled in the northern Tokachi region of Hokkaido. The town has just over 6 000 people and the prime industries in the region include agriculture, the Japanese Self-Defence Force, and tourism.

The region is very fortunate to have some very scenic areas. These include Lake Shikaribetsu in the mountains north of the town and the Kanno Onsen area (hot springs) not to far away. Some beautiful natural outdoor hot springs can be experienced by those visiting the area if they are willing to go off the beaten path.

The Town also boasts some incredible facilities for use by those living in the town. These include a state of the art fitness center, a memorial art museum (named after a famous local painter Kanda Nissho), and construction will start on an indoor heated pool next spring.

The town is also actively promoting internationalization. This is primarily accomplished through the strong sister city relationship with the Town of Stony Plain near Edmonton in Alberta Canada. There are annual exchanges between the towns and the relationship has helped change perceptions about our respective cultures in both communities.

The climate of Shikaoi is in many ways a continental one. There are warm summers with temperatures in the afternoons ranging between 25 to 30 degrees with night lows of around 15 degrees celcius. The winter months can get quite chilly with temperatures at the end of January around -5 degrees celcius and night time lows of about - 15. The town has great spirit and welcomes all visitors with open arms.

If you are planning on coming to central Hokkaido please stop in and see what the town has to offer.