PLS Newsletter - May 26th, 2021

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we canceled last year’s convention entirely. We had hoped to resume in-person events this year, but in light of the current circumstances of the pandemic we have decided to host this year’s convention online.

Had we been able to host an in-person event, our original idea was to present a live lesson followed by an exchange of ideas with all sister school members. However, to make productive use of the online format this year, we have created a one-day event schedule, packed with group sessions as well as a keynote speech from Masumi Ormandy and discussion with Ray Ormandy. 

As a focal point of this year’s convention, we would like to take a close look at students that have enrolled in the pre-rank nenchu program from April, as well as students that have transitioned from pre-rank to 9th Rank. Also, we'd like to discuss how we can best support their development.

As we journey from the alphabet to words, from words to sentences, then from sentences to speeches and discussions, we begin to connect the dots and form lines. Throughout this progress, there are always moments of realization. It is our hope that during this year’s convention, we can discuss how to make the most of these moments.

We look forward to seeing you all online.

Date: Sunday, June 13, 2021

Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Platform: Zoom

Cost: Frst participant per school: ¥3800 (tax included)
Subsequent participants per school: ¥2800 (tax included)

Please fill in this form to register your attendance or non-attendance.

*  We would appreciate confirmation even if you are not planning to attend. 
** For applications over five people, please submit multiple forms.

We would be very grateful for submissions to be made by Saturday, June 5.

We will provide participants with the Zoom ID and passcode required in advance of the event.

Theme: Looking Forward
“Our Actions Now as We Look to the Future”

09:45 AM    Zoom Main Room Open

10:00 AM    Greeting Message

Breakout Rooms (please submit your preference prior to the event)

     ・Keynote Speech: “Our Actions Now as We Look to the Future”
　　　　　 Chairperson Masumi Ormandy, Co-Chairperson Midori Daikuhara (Japanese) 

　　　　 ・“Teaching Reminders and Sharing of Ideas”
Co-Chairperson Ray Ormandy (English)

At previous in-person events, it was possible to provide real-time translation for much of the day. The technical limitations of online conference systems make this unfeasible, so to allow all attendees to get the most out of the day we have scheduled parallel events in both English and Japanese throughout the day. Please pre-select your preferences to ensure smooth transitions between events on the day.

11:10 AM    Break

11:20 AM    Video: A look at a Nenchu class and “post-Nenchu” 9th Rank class

12:10 PM    Break

01:10 PM    Workshops and Group Discussions, Session 1

1. Little Kids Program (age 1-4) (discussion - English)
   (Pre-event questionnaire included)

2. Click Flash demonstration in a lesson (workshop - English)

3. Teaching “Late Starters” (new upper-elementary students) (workshop - English/Japanese)

4. The PLS System and How It Links to Eiken (discussion - Japanese/English)

5. “Let’s Ask Masumi” (information exchange - Japanese)
   

02:00 PM    Break, transfer to meetings for Workshops and Discussions 2

02:10 PM    Workshops and Group Discussions, Session 2

1. Nenchu Program (discussion - English)
   If you have any teaching ideas/techniques that you would like to share on the day, please take advantage of this opportunity. 

2. Discoveries by School Staff (information exchange - Japanese - Pre-event questionnaire included)
   Preferred method of communication with guardians (phone, email)?
   Converting trial lessons into signed-ups
   Effective communication between teachers and staff.
   This is an opportunity for participants to share their experiences and exchange ideas on small changes we can make to improve our daily work.

3. Teaching “Late Starters” (new upper-elementary students) (workshop - English/Japanese)

4. The PLS System and How It Links to Eiken (discussion - Japanese/English)

5. Visualizing Students’ Learning and Progress (discussion - Japanese)

Please register your interest in one group per session prior to the event. There will be unique Zoom IDs created for each of the afternoon sessions to minimize transition time.

About mixed-language groups:
While some groups have a specified primary language, others have been labeled with both English and Japanese. We believe that these sessions in particular may be of interest to a variety of positions, and hope to encourage as many participants as possible from various viewpoints to share their thoughts. This may present challenges, however we greatly appreciate your understanding and PLS facilitators will be on hand to assist, if required.

03:00 PM    Break

03:10 PM    Summary

03:30 PM    End 

* Please note that topics or content within topics may be subject to change on the day. We appreciate your
understanding. 

Requests for Participants

• On the day of the event, you will be assigned to your pre-registered breakout room for the morning session) and will have access to your pre-registered groups in the afternoon session. Please note that you will not be able to move between rooms. 

• So that each participant can have access to their desired sessions, please ensure that you prepare one device per participant. If you plan on sharing a device on the day, please note that it will only be possible to access one breakout room in the morning session and one room in each of the afternoon sessions.
  

It is unfortunate that we will not be able to see each other in person for this event, but we very much look forward to seeing you all online!