PLS Newsletter - June 10th, 2022

There is only one week to go until the 2022 PLS Convention.

We are at the registration deadline of June 10 (Friday), and are delighted to report that we have received many applications, and are expecting a large number of attendees. We would like to thank all members for their participation.

We are also pleased to announce the themes for the afternoon Breakout Room discussions for the English group and present the complete program for the day.

Afternoon program onsite

Theme: Reflecting on this year's new student enrollments.

Target: Group sessions for in-person participants.

Afternoon program online (Breakout Rooms)

Japanese ①Reflecting on this year's new student enrollments

English ②Teaching ideas for Junior High School Students to Adults

English ③Teaching Ideas for Kids Aged 0-4

Please refer to the complete program (PDF version) below for details.

Sister schools who have already registered their attendance online.

We will be sending out a separate form where you can select which of the two sessions you would like to attend. We would be most grateful for your response.

Sister schools that are planning to make last-minute registrations.

Please fill out the form below and select the sessions you would like to attend.

The registration deadline is today, June 10 (Friday).

If you are a Sister School that has yet to complete the formalities, we ask that you RSVP to let us know your plans.

More than two years since the COVID-19 outbreak, we are beginning to see movement, both social and economic, towards living with the virus. Last year, we hosted the PLS Convention online, and were delighted to have so many join us from around the country. While the online format has its advantages, we also believe in the importance of sharing time with everyone in person. As we’ve heard that many at sister schools feel the same, we will be holding this year's event as a hybrid with both in-person and online participants.

Next year, PLS will celebrate its 50th anniversary, and this year marks the 31st year of the PLS Sister School Association. Ahead of next year’s major anniversary, this year’s theme will be “Back to Basics” as we reflect on and confirm what is important to us.

This will be a chance for us to re-connect, review, remember, and re-learn together, exploring questions such as “What are the fundamentals of education?” and “How can we better understand children?”

Through sharing our experiences, in accordance with the PLS philosophy of shared learning, we hope this will be an illuminating event.

Theme: Back to Basics

Date: Sunday June 19, 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center
(Tokyo-to-ritsu Sangyou Boueki Center)
Hamamatsucho Building 4F Conference Room 3

Access: 5-minute walk from Hamamatsucho Station on the JR Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku Lines

Note: The venue is the Hamamatsucho Building.
Please be careful not to mistake the venue for the Taito Building (Asakusa).

Schedule: Please refer to the updated programme for details.

For this event, Ray Ormandy will join us via Zoom from California.

Attendance: ① In person at the venue (bilingual support)

Online/remote: ② Japanese group / ③ English group

Online participants will be notified of the Zoom ID and passcode before the event.

In person: School representatives, or managers acting on their behalf

Online: All members (representatives, managers, teaching and non-teaching staff)

In light of the continuing pandemic, in-person attendance will be limited to school representatives, or managers attending on their behalf. Representatives and managers who wish to refrain from travelling between prefectures or gathering in large numbers are welcome to attend online, alongside other teaching and non-teaching staff. Thank you for your understanding.

Schools with three or more attendees (regardless of participation style) will receive a discount of ¥1,000 per person from the third registration.

For: School representatives, or managers acting on their behalf

Format: In person only

Time: Sunday June 19, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Venue: Tokyo Prince Hotel 11th Floor “Suehiro"

Fee: ¥11,000 per person (tax excluded) — Western course meal with free drinks

The Tokyo Prince Hotel is approximately five minutes by taxi from the convention venue. Assistance with hailing taxis will be provided.

Tokyo Prince Hotel: As of writing, superior double rooms with breakfast are available at a cost of ¥12,150 (Inclusive of Tax and Service Charges) per night from June 19th.

Please let us know if you wish to stay at the Tokyo Prince Hotel. We will stop accepting reservations if rooms become fully booked.

Please RSVP by Friday June 10 using the form below.

We ask that those who do not wish to attend also submit the form.

We look forward to seeing you!

Contact: Saki Imamura