BHS Theatre Students and Parents –
TL/DR – we’re looking for some families to homestay two or more Japanese students in December. It’s an incredible opportunity to meet students from the other side of the world and learn from their experience and share your own. Read below and sign up here!
Good morning! My name is Chris Owen, one of the band directors at Batavia HS and the Fine Arts Coordinator. I received your E-Mails from Mr. Casburn, the theatre teacher and long-time director of many theatre performances at Batavia HS with his permission to contact you.
We are SO EXCITED to let you know some amazing news for our school and community. We are excited to announce that Batavia High School will host a high school band from Japan this December for two days.
The Inagakuen Sogo High School Wind Orchestra will rehearse at Batavia High School for two days (12/17-12/19) in preparation for their performance at the 78th Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. The Midwest Clinic is the largest band and orchestra conference in the world – to perform at the Midwest Clinic is a really big deal – Inagakuen Sogo is only one of two international bands to perform this year. There will be about 150 students traveling from Japan to perform at the Midwest Clinic on Thursday, December 19th in the evening.
Additionally, the Batavia High School Band will share a concert with Inagakuen Sogo High School on December 18th at 7:00pm. Batavia HS will play one or two holiday selections and Inagakuen will perform their “Thank You” Concert as a way to say thank you to our school, students, and our community for hosting them. We’d love for you to attend the free concert to hear these incredible musicians!
Here’s where we need your help – Japanese students need places to stay when we are hosting them. We are planning to have home stays for the Japanese students in families’ homes for two nights from December 17-19. Japanese students (grades 10-12) are placed in duos, trios, or quads with host families. Most Japanese students speak English well enough to communicate. Students arrive in the evening on December 17th and will leave in the morning on December 19th for Chicago. You would need to host your students for two nights, but during the school day the students would be at school rehearsing – essentially, they come to school with BHS students. Here’s a brief itinerary for the students and the responsibilities of host families. Two Japanese students can share a Queen bed or larger. Air mattresses and pull out couches work for students as well.
A number of other local schools have hosted International bands previously and have been moved by the experience remarking that the students were so kind, polite, and courteous. I’ve been told that most students and parents don’t want the students to leave. Students often make friendships that they continue past the two days that the Japanese students are in Batavia.
We’d LOVE you and your family to help host our Japanese students this holiday season. Please fill out this form if you would be interested in hosting Japanese students in December.
There will likely be many questions. Please reach out to Chris Owen at chris.owen@bps101.net to answer any questions you may have.
Chris Owen
