Hello, this is Sharmee Abuan, one of the Learning Mentors at ICT Hakusanroku Campus. As the Academic Year 2025–2026 comes to an end, I find myself looking back on our Optional Friday Learning Sessions.

Those Fridays felt a little different from our regular Learning Sessions. They gave us extra space to focus on skills that we did not always have time to cover and allowed students to grow in ways that supported both their academic work and personal development. Our workshops this year had three main parts. 

First, Self-Development Workshops. At the start of the year, we focused on simple but important habits like organization, note-taking, and time management. I still remember students bringing folders filled with loose papers to the first organization workshop, where we spent the evening sorting, arranging, and setting things up properly. It was a very simple activity, but it made a real difference. When we noticed that some students were struggling to submit assignments on time, we held a Time Management workshop. We talked about planning their week and breaking big tasks into smaller steps. The progress was quiet but steady. Slowly, some students seemed lighter and more in control. It became less about chasing deadlines and more about learning how to manage their time and responsibilities. 

Second, is a Fun Review-Game Workshops. As the months went by, our Fridays became more exciting. We had workshops like The Secret Billionaire, the $10,000 Tournament, and A Stairway Challenge. Students practiced STEAM ideas through games and challenges. Each workshop was full of laughter, problem-solving, and teamwork. It was nice to see students apply what they learned in class in such a natural and fun way.

The Secret Billionaire

The $10,000 Tournament

A Stairway Challenge

Lastly, IELTS Workshops. By the second semester, our focus shifted to IELTS preparation, as students were preparing to take the IELTS exam. The atmosphere became quieter and more focused. We practiced speaking, writing, listening, and reading in a safe and encouraging environment so they could feel ready. Over time, the students who attended grew more confident in using English, their hesitation faded and was replaced by a willingness to try.

Looking back, I think what made these optional workshops special was the simple mix of structure and fun. Students kept coming back because they wanted to be there, not because they had to. For me, these Fridays became special moments of growth for both the students and us Learning Mentors.

Sharmee Abuan

Hello. I’m Meguru Ito, the chairperson of the Platinum Festival Executive Committee. I would like to write about the Platinum Festival (Hakkinsai School Festival) held on Sunday, February 22nd, 2026. The content of the festival has also been featured before in Topics, so please take a look there as well.

This year, we welcomed a record high 114 visitors. We had a wonderfully diverse group of attendees, including the families of current students, local elementary and junior high school students, and alumni. It was encouraging to see the recognition of the Platinum Festival steadily growing. I hope to continue developing the event into something even more appealing so that more people can enjoy it in the coming years.

One of the biggest highlights this year was the large number of new projects introduced compared with previous years. For the first time, we held a baked sweet potato sale using Kosen Beni Haruka, as well as a game corner where visitors could try out student made games. Both projects were very well received, based on visitor surveys and student feedback, and they generated a lot of excitement. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the students who worked hard to plan these activities, and to the faculty members who supported them.
In addition, the festival’s traditional main attraction, the on-campus robot contest and the piano performances, where students showcased the results of their practice, were also very successful. On the other hand, it was unfortunate that there were no band performance this year. I hope they will return next year.

Due to the end-of-term examinations being pushed back by one week this year, the preparation period between the exams and the festival was shorter than usual. February’s extracurricular period was also packed with other activities besides the festival, and the students worked on preparations despite being extremely busy. This experience made me realize the importance of establishing a more efficient preparation process going forward.

There were also some last-minute issues, such as members of the executive committee falling ill right before the event, which kept us busy up until the start. However, we were able to bring the festival to a successful close. I hope the students on the committee will carry both the successes and the lessons learned from this experience into their student life next year.

Meguru Ito

Hello. This is Meguru Ito, the physics instructor. Today, I’d like to write about the illustration workshop held on February 16th and 18th, 2026.
At the Hakusanroku Campus, February marks the start of the extracurricular activity period. This is a time when various workshops and special extracurricular activities are planned and offered by different faculty members. These workshop and special extracurricular activities are not offered in regular classes.

This year marked the third Illustration Workshop. Following last year, we once again invited illustrator Ibuki rev to lead the sessions (Ibuki rev, thank you very much again!). The theme this time was “Let’s create a sticker pack.” Using Akane Kurihara, an original character created during the first illustration workshop two years ago, each student designed a set of stickers. 
On the first day, Ibuki rev gave a lecture on the profession of being an illustrator, as well as how to draw characters and chibi-style characters. After that, each participating student created their own illustration. On the second day, the illustrations were put together into printable data, printed out sheet of illustrations, and the cutting work began. Students left a margin around the illustrations and then carefully cut the sheets with scissors and finally packaged them into sets. Although it was a bit challenging, they produced sticker packs of impressively high quality.
We also had the chance to hear from a professional about topics such as how to work with AI and how to handle copyright. These insights from someone active in the field, were extremely interesting. The students actively participated in the workshop and asked many questions about illustration techniques and the illustrator profession.
Many of the students who participated already enjoyed drawing, so they seemed to really appreciate the process of seeing their own illustrations become actual stickers. I personally don’t draw, but seeing their eyes sparkle made me feel that organizing this workshop was truly worthwhile.

Finally, I’d like to thank Ibuki rev for the two day lecture! We are very grateful for the thoughtful, entertaining, and informative slides, as well as the kind guidance throughout. We would be delighted to welcome you again to ICT next year!

Day1

Day2

Meguru Ito

Hello. This is Domyson Abuan, one of the Learning Mentors at ICT Hakusanroku.
On March 17th, 2026, in partnership with Hakusan City, students and teachers from Hakusanroku Campus participated in a snow-walking excursion at the Nature House Chugu Onsen Ski Area. The trip was guided by our very own Philip Cadzow sensei and the ever-energetic Mr. Aikawa, who told us to call him Ai-chan from the Hakusanroku Youth Nature Hous.

We took a short bus ride, during which Ai-chan entertained us with fascinating stories about the mountain village until we arrived. Although the ski area is no longer in operation, it is still carefully maintained. A tiny clock tower greeted us at the entrance. The slopes were flat and quiet, as if resting. We were led to the cafeteria, which—despite being unused—still had neatly arranged pots and tables. There, we learned about the site and how to wear kanjiki (traditional snowshoes). Ai-chan’s lively storytelling quickly became the highlight. He shared how young couples once skied and snowboarded at night while watching fireworks. He also told a funny story about an elderly couple reminiscing about watching fireworks in their youth, only for everyone to realize that only one of them had actually been there.

Once our kanjiki were securely fastened, we were ready to begin. It was a short hike up a gentle slope. The weather was sunny, birds were chirping in the distance, and we all took in the peaceful scenery. Along the way, we found old animal tracks, and Ai-chan taught us how to identify the animals that made them. We then moved into a small forest area with a narrow stream, trekking down carefully under Philip sensei’s guidance. The students were buzzing with excitement—giggles, “oohs,” and “aahs” filling the air. Following the stream, we reached a small waterfall, where a few brave students touched the water and immediately realized how freezing it was.

After hiking back up, we returned to the main slope. This time, we faced a different direction, and the mountain view surprised us. From the top, the mountains looked like a towering painted wall, brushed in shades of gray and white. After some playful snowball fights, “snowball cannons,” and sliding around, we gathered to take a group photo—engineering-style. We attempted a human pyramid and, after a few tries, managed to get the shot.

Lunch followed: a delicious set of onigiri, miso soup, and tea. Re-energized, we moved on to the afternoon activity—snow sledding. For two nonstop hours, the slope turned into a highway of laughter. Each student held a sled, and the tour guides even built a small launching platform for those eager to try a gentle sled jump.

At the end, all the students lined up at the top, sleds in hand, and raced down the slope together. Once everyone reached the bottom, we wrapped up the day, thanked Ai-chan and the Hakusan City officials, and left with a simple reminder: in nature, we don’t need gadgets—just our senses to take in its beauty.

Domyson Abuan

Hello. My name is Kaishu Ishiharada, and I am a 2nd year student at ICT. I want to talk about our class, "Engineering Design II." In this class, we have two teams. The Agri-Business team grows "KOSEN Beniharuka" sweet potatoes to make a profit. The Tech team uses technology to protect the farm from wild animals like monkeys. I am a member of the Tech Team.

The Tech group has three teams: IoT, Drone, and Rover. We want to make a system to protect the farm. First, the IoT system watches for monkeys. Then, it sends a message to the user’s phone. After that, we use a drone to drive the animals away. If it is raining and the drone cannot fly, we use a robot called Rover.

IoT team

The IoT team makes the communication system. This year, they changed to a new message service because the old message service went out of service. They built the new system, but next year they need to test it more to see if it is useful in daily life.

 

 

 

Drone team

The Drone team uses drones to stop the animals. This year, they changed some parts on the drone. The old parts were difficult to program, so they put in new parts that were easier to program to better control the drone. In the future, they want the drone to fly and use its camera.

 

 

 

 

Rover team

The Rover team started last year. We use the rover when the weather is bad. This year, we improved the rover using what we learned in math and physics classes. In the second semester, we made a waterproof cover for the rain. It was a new challenge and very difficult, but we made a prototype after talking with our teachers and classmates.

I was a member of the Rover team and helped design the reduction gear. The old rover was too fast, and the vibration loosened the screws. So, I designed gears to make the motor slower. I am usually on the Robocon team and work on electronics, so mechanical design was hard for me. I had to choose the right gears and think about the velocity. It was difficult, but I learned the basics of mechanical design. I want to use this experience in my future work.

I hope the next students will continue our work and complete the system. Thank you for reading.

Kaishu Ishiharada