On Saturday, February 1st, ten students and one teacher from our sister school in Japan will be visiting Saint Stephen’s. The visitors attend Shibuya Senior High School and will be staying until Wednesday, February 5th, experiencing Floridian life. 

Over the years, Saint Stephen’s and Shibuya have shared several visits and the relationship between our two schools is very strong.  

Shibuya has been recognized as a Super Global High School (SGHS) by the Japanese government. This recognition “aims to foster globalized leaders who will be able to play active roles on the international stage… as well as awareness and deep knowledge of social issues, communication ability, and problem-solving skills.”

The Shibuya students who have been selected for this trip have earned this distinction and were those with the top brochure projects and accompanying English presentations this year. 

Saint Stephen’s has visited Shibuya’s campus three times over the past four years, including during Water is Life 2018, which is an international conference focused on water conservation. This year, however, marks Shibuya’s sixth consecutive year visiting SSES! 

Next week, you will see the ten Japanese visitors in your classes with their host students as well as other special activities we plan for them to attend as we finalize their schedule. This visit will allow for the Saint Stephen’s community to learn about the culture of Japan through classroom interaction. 

This is our last exchange program for the year, so don’t be afraid to step into a new culture and say hello!