Hi This is an introductory blog for Dan Miles and Shelley Stickel-Miles at:
http://under-thesame-moon.
Please visit us at this blog and if you go to the bottom you can easily and quickly send us a message.
How did we end up in Japan?
Somehow we didn't manage to get out a family letter this
year but news is catching up with us and we wanted to share
with you some of the big changes that are coming in
our lives
Putting
this in context (and sharing the view from our home as a
grounding)...
have totally enjoyed my 7 years here working in Kaslo and at
JVH. Through my travels throughout the province and my
work with the Ministry and at conferences I have had the
opportunity to celebrate the work done for kids. The
JVH/Jewett family of schools has developed quite a name for
itself.
Shelley
and I love Kaslo. We love the beauty, the peace and quiet.
We love the mountains, the trails and all of the outdoor activities. We love our home and our friends.
Last
month Shelley said that she was ready to retire from her
work in Creston in order to be together again.
So....
As you may have gathered by
now I, Dan, am someone who is fed by change and challenge. ( he partly means moving, whereas some of us can comprehend change even in one place)
An amazing opportunity came out of the blue last Monday. After
a very quick one week of interviews both with the Ministry
of Education staff and the Japanese consortium, I have
signed a contract with Bunka
Suginami Canadian International School of Tokyo to become
the principal of the first offshore BC secondary school in
Japan. This is a school in Japan that will be teaching
BC curriculum in English to Japanese students who will
then graduate with a BC degree as well as a Japanese degree.
This model already exists in China and Cairo where there are
at least 30 other schools... But this will be the first
in Japan!
I asked who
my supervisor was and the woman from the Ministry of Ed
paused and said... Well no one; it's your school! I am
totally excited about being in at the very beginning of a
school that is projected to grow to 800 plus students in the
first 3 years! They are already talking about me working
with schools in other cities to help them set up programs.
My MInistry of Education contact also supervises the
school in Cairo. She talked to me about going there at some
point to help transition the new admin there... Amazing
opportunities of growth and creating programs from the
ground up. I am thrilled!
This is also a good time for Shelley to
take on new challenges and though she will not be employed
at the school she will be exploring lots of volunteering
opportunities in Tokyo and at the school. She also plans to
come back to Kaslo regularly to spend time with her 81 year
old mother.
I will be retiring on Feb. 28 from this
district.
So we have lots to do between now and then. We
plan to keep our house and we look forward to returning to
truly retire in Kaslo when this stint is
done.
Japan....??
From a village of 880 to a city of 26 million!!!!!! Who
knows where life's twists take you. Come visit us
in our small 2 bedroom Tokyo apartment!
Isn't life fascinating and always
surprising!
a very quick one week of interviews both with the Ministry
of Education staff and the Japanese consortium, I have
signed a contract with Bunka
Suginami Canadian International School of Tokyo to become
the principal of the first offshore BC secondary school in
Japan. This is a school in Japan that will be teaching
BC curriculum in English to Japanese students who will
then graduate with a BC degree as well as a Japanese degree.
This model already exists in China and Cairo where there are
at least 30 other schools... But this will be the first
in Japan!
I asked who
my supervisor was and the woman from the Ministry of Ed
paused and said... Well no one; it's your school! I am
totally excited about being in at the very beginning of a
school that is projected to grow to 800 plus students in the
first 3 years! They are already talking about me working
with schools in other cities to help them set up programs.
My MInistry of Education contact also supervises the
school in Cairo. She talked to me about going there at some
point to help transition the new admin there... Amazing
opportunities of growth and creating programs from the
ground up. I am thrilled!
This is also a good time for Shelley to
take on new challenges and though she will not be employed
at the school she will be exploring lots of volunteering
opportunities in Tokyo and at the school. She also plans to
come back to Kaslo regularly to spend time with her 81 year
old mother.
I will be retiring on Feb. 28 from this
district.
So we have lots to do between now and then. We
plan to keep our house and we look forward to returning to
truly retire in Kaslo when this stint is
done.
Japan....??
From a village of 880 to a city of 26 million!!!!!! Who
knows where life's twists take you. Come visit us
in our small 2 bedroom Tokyo apartment!
Isn't life fascinating and always
surprising!
Did the Grouse Grind on our way.
Said goodbye to friends and family and Vancouver cherry trees.
Thanks to Gillian and Richard for a staging area and sweet goodbyes.
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