Journal

    Ikeda Yumeka, who is a third year students of science course, was selected a member of “Tobitate!” Leap for Tomorrow, Young Ambassador Program.  This program is sponsored by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.  She is now taking a training for about six weeks in Connecticut, the United States of America.  We’ll inform you of her report from Connecticut!

    I left Narita Airport on Saturday, July 6th and arrived at Hartford via Washington.  There is a thirteen-hour time difference between Connecticut and Japan.  So my days and nights were reversed and I suffered from jet lag at first.  The sunlight is strong outside and it is very hot!  But the air conditioners is so strong in the room that I feel cold although I wear a long-sleeved shirt.
    Now I join “U Conn Pre-College Summer.”  I live in a room in the dormitory.  I have to change my room and my roommate every week.  My first roommate was a local student.  The school cafeteria is buffet style.  They serves typical American meals, so I miss Japanese food so much!
For the first week I chose a “Data Science” class.  I attended an orientation on Sunday and took classes and workshops on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  I took classes all day on Tuesday and Thursday.  After dinner we have some activities every day.
There were many discoveries and surprises this week!  Participants are almost local students.  Of course I am the only Japanese.  I know it’s only natural but I’m surprised that they speak English very quickly.  I ask them to repeat what they said once more because I can’t catch English.  When I talk with few students, I can easily asked them to do so.  But I have difficulty asking them during a class.  However, whenever I’m in trouble, I was helped by my classmates sitting near me so many times. 
In a “Data Science” class, I calculated “cosine similarity,” an index number that shows similarity of multiple documents.   I had difficulty in typing in a unique way.  Of course, I type words in Japanese and others in English.  My teacher borrowed me a PC and people around me helped me.  I managed to do my best.  I finished making a presentation without any troubles on Friday.  Then I finished all the classes of the week.  On Saturday I went to a field trip.
Next week I’m going to take a “Food Science and Technology” class.  The campus is so big that I’m almost getting lost.  I came across beavers and deer while I was walking there.  Connecticut has a good environment because it has a lot of nature.
    (John Does        206HR)
    

　　On Thursday, July 11th, science course students held “SS exchange meeting.”  This event disseminates the current achievements of the second grader’s research.  They interacted in the form of cross-grade exchange so that first graders could have images of their own goals.  The purpose of this event is that senior students advise first graders to study and research questions efficiently.
    In the 5th period, second graders gave the presentation on their school trip (Science Exchange Workshop in Taiwan).  They told first graders how to learn English, spend time in Taiwan and so on.
    In the 6th period, second graders gave poster presentations on research questions.  The first and third graders observed it and then opinions were exchanged actively, mainly by third graders.  In addition, they received specialized advice from teachers of SSH steering and guiding committee.  They will put the advice to good use and make their future research better.                     (John Does     206HR)
        

  A second year student who belongs to the science course in our school left for Taiwan to take part in The 2019 Asia-Pacific Forum for Science Talented.
  The representatives of junior and senior high schools in sixteen Asia-Pacific countries met in Taiwan for the forum.  The purpose of this forum is training them to demonstrate leadership to play an active part in the international community through discussing, making some projects and presentations, doing fieldwork about scientific contents and cultural visit.
  Six students join this forum from Japan.  They are from Ehime University Senior High School, Okinawa prefectural Kyuyo High School, Koyo High School, and our high school.
  On Saturday, July 6th, members of Team Ehime left Matsuyama airport for Taiwan via Haneda airport.  Although their arrival at Taipei was late and behind the original schedule, they managed to reach their destination and met Team Okinawa.
  On Sunday, July 7th, the opening ceremony was held and each country showed their performance.  All the members from Japan wore Yukata and introduced Japanese culture.
After that, they danced with “Fortune Cookie in Love” by AKB 48.  The students from other countries got on the stage and were really excited.
   They are starting Hands-on-Project from tomorrow.
  Before Departure with Their Parents
  Very Exciting Stage!

　During today’s SS (Super Science) for second graders of science course, we invited Mr. Norisuke Ioku, an associate professor of the department of Mathematics, Physics, and Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Engineering in Ehime University.  He gave them a lecture about mathematics, “Why is a soap bubble round? ~ an experiment and mathematics ~.”  They had the experiment about it after the lecture.  They were able to learn the process from finding problems to solving them, “Wonder”→ “Ask questions” → ”Observe and Formulate” → “Solve.”  Let’s make full use of it in future research activities.
　In their seventh period they were divided into groups.  Some completed their research plans.  The others made posters for “SS Exchanging Meeting.”
　　 (I.Y.  K.B.  K.S.  K.H.  K.K.  T.H.   206HR )