English Camp

Probably the most rewarding thing I did in my job as an ALT, was the English Challenge Cup. The ECC is an English speaking competition for first year Junior High School, and first year Senior High School students. It is completely run and funded by JETs in Hokkaido. Students who wish to enter the competition practice with their ALT for several weeks and then have a video-taped test. This video tape is then marked by several judges. The top winner in all of Hokkaido gets to take a 2-week trip to an English speaking country of their choice, all expenses paid! The top 40 winners get to attend a 5 day English camp run by Hokkaido JETs. It's a really great program, and it really makes the kids use their English which they don't really get the chance to do in regular school classes.
This year I entered 15 of my students in the test, and 8 of them ended up in the top 20! AND, one of them was #1!! So, we were all pretty excited!!
Here are some pictures of my kids and other kids at the ECC Camp in Sunagawa, Hokkaido.



Making team banners on the first day of camp.

















Camp cooks!

















Some of the guy camers.






















And some of the girls. Ayaka, on the right, was the #1 winner!

















Saying goodbye to four of my students. I had to leave half-way through camp to fly home to Canada.