Trois Ono
Recently, the Saint Maur High School Student Council went on a school exchange to Saint Mary’s International School, an all male school located in Setagaya City. On May 8th, 2023, we, including female student council officers, had the chance to experience a completely different school environment and interact with our corresponding student council members.
The trip was highly immersive and we were given the chance to participate in their classes which include IB courses as well. One of the biggest differences that we noticed was the length of the classes. Instead of the usual 55-minute classes we have here at Saint Maur, Saint Mary’s was accustomed to having 90-minute classes. This significant change had mixed reactions as some students found it more difficult to focus on their studies while others found the extra time useful for consolidating the information learnt.
As soon as we arrived we were led on an extensive school tour, passing hallways filled with student-made artworks and trophies. At the beginning of the second period, we crossed the bridge to their south campus. As we entered the second floor, we heard the harmonious voices of the Saint Mary choir students. We then quickly made our way to the bottom floor, entering the band room where we reunited with our former band director, Mr. Griggs. Saint Maur band students were invited to play alongside some of the most talented musicians in the Kanto region. Having had to use a spare saxophone because he forgot to bring his own, one of our student council members, Masaya (G9), claimed “Mr. Griggs’ saxophone was relatively clean.”
Throughout the day, Saint Maur students watched Saint Mary students in envy as they strided past us in blue and yellow varsity jackets, bedazzled with letterman patches. It also made us feel excited for our soon-to-come, Cougars letterman jackets. At noon, we enjoyed a Cezars Kitchen lunch in the cafeteria and interacted with the other IB students who were as stressed as us.
The student council exchange proved to be an insightful experience and the interscholastic events discussed during the exchange present an exciting prospect for students of both schools. In the end, Saint Maur students returned to Motomachi station with brighter ideas of positive changes that could be implemented in their school community to enhance the student experience.
Trois Ono