Hello. This is Nagwa Fekri Rashed from Egypt, one of the chemistry course professors at ICT.

There are experiences in teaching that you can anticipate—and others that quietly transform you. Becoming a homeroom advisor at ICT Hakusanroku Campus in the 2025 academic year was one of the latter. Coming from outside the Japanese education system, I had always observed the homeroom system with curiosity. It is deeply rooted in the culture of education in Japan, present from the earliest years of schooling all the way through higher education. Before stepping into the role myself, I had already interacted closely with omeroom advisors as a course professor—particularly when discussing students’ academic progress in my chemistry classes. I had also served as a sub-homeroom advisor for S1 alongside Professor Kihara, which gave me a glimpse into the rhythm and responsibilities of the role. 
From these experiences, I thought I understood what it meant to be a homeroom advisor.

What I Thought the Role Was

When I was formally assigned the role, I was introduced to its structure: schedules, responsibilities, timelines, and expectations.
There were administrative duties—attendance checks, paperwork, coordination with course instructors, and guardians. There were important milestones throughout the year—PTA meetings, parent-teacher interviews, reports, and records. There was also a strong support system: office staff, dormitory residential assistants, nurses, the Dean of Students, Department Chair, and my sub-homeroom advisor, Professor Kuroda. Everything was clear. Everything was organized. And I remember thinking: I know what this job is.

What the Role Actually Became

But then a different question came to mind—one that was not part of any official description: What do I want to leave behind for my students? 
Not in terms of grades. Not in terms of reports. But something that stays. Something that matters. I have always believed that impact does not have to be grand to be meaningful. Sometimes, it is as simple as a kind word, a moment of encouragement, or a sincere smile. But this time, I realized I had something more powerful than a moment—I had a full year to be part of my students’ lives. Not only in academics, but in their daily routines, their challenges, their friendships, and even their future decisions. That felt… significant. And honestly, a little overwhelming.

New Perspectives

My instinct was to approach this the way I approach everything else—as a scientist and engineer. I began thinking in terms of factors, conditions, and outcomes. What are the inputs that lead to success? What environment ensures the best results? But very quickly, I stopped. Because this was not a system. This was not a laboratory. This was not a process to optimize. These were people. And people are not factors—they are actors. They think, they feel, they choose. And that is when I arrived at a realization that shaped everything that followed: What truly defines a person’s life is not what happens to them—but the choices they make.
Parents, teachers, schools, friends—we all play a role. We provide experiences, knowledge, and guidance. But in the end, each individual decides which path to take.

The Idea That Changed Everything

That realization led me to a simple but powerful idea: Each student is the main character in their own story. And more importantly—they are also the writer.
If that is true, then the most important question is not “What should they do?”

The First Homeroom: A Beginning

During the orientation period, I decided to turn this idea into something tangible.
　・Large letters: I – C – T
　・And above them: “We are ICTs.”
Then I gave each student star-shaped sticky notes.
I asked them to think of themselves—not as students, not as grades, but as the main character of their own story.
　・The “I” stood for self—their identity, their agency, their ability to choose.
　・ The “C” and “T” stood for character traits. 
I asked them to write:
　・ And above them: “We are ICTs.” 
　・ Three adjectives starting with T 
These were not just words. These were declarations. These were the traits they chose for themselves. And then something beautiful happened.
The board filled with color—stars in orange, yellow, green, pink—each carrying a piece of who they are or wanted to become. The variety, the thoughtfulness, the honesty in their choices surprised me. In that moment, our class philosophy was born. Not imposed. Not instructed.
But created—together.

Watching the Story Unfold

As the year progressed, I began to see something shift. Academically, they worked hard—and I am proud to say that all students successfully passed their courses and achieved their desired goals. But what moved me most was everything beyond academics.
They explored. They tried new things. They challenged themselves.
They:
　・ Joined clubs—art, sports, robotics, programming
　・ Learned instruments and even composed music
　・ Improved their IELTS scores 
　・ Supported junior students 
　・ Took part in dance and cultural activities
　・ Climbed mountains and went skiing
　・ Designed creative projects
　・ Participated in startup competitions
　・ Organized and led ICT festivals
　・ Ran for student council positions
　・ Spoke up—about what should change, and how to make it better
And slowly, something changed in their mindset. They stopped waiting. They started acting.
They stopped complaining. They started building.

A Quiet Transformation

At some point, without any formal announcement, the school became theirs. Not just a place they attended—but a place they cared about. They began to understand something essential: Life does not improve by chance. It improves by choice.
They learned that change requires:
　・ Voice
　・ Initiative
　・ Responsibility
And perhaps most importantly, they learned the value of surrounding themselves with people who care about them and support their growth.

The End of a Chapter

Last March, they left Hakusanroku Campus. And just like that, the chapter ended.
Today, they are on their way to New Zealand—beginning a new chapter, in a new place, with new experiences waiting for them.
And I find myself thinking…
What a privilege it was to witness this part of their story.

To My 2025 S2 Students

I will miss you. More than you know.
You have written this chapter beautifully—not perfectly, but authentically, courageously, and with growth.
As you move forward, remember:
You are the main character.
You are the writer.
And every choice you make adds a new line to your story.
Make it meaningful. Make it yours.
I look forward to seeing how your story continues.

1st Semester: Mission Accomplished!

2nd Semester: Mission Accomplished!

Nagwa Fekri Rashed

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. My name is Seiya Fujiwara, and I’m a 2nd year student at the ICT living on the Hakusanroku Campus. Compared to last year, there is less snow in Hakusanroku  (Foothills of Mt. Hakusan), but Mt. Hakusan is still completely white. Every morning when I wake up and look out the window, I can feel both the harshness of winter and the beauty of nature. My daily life usually consists of going back and forth between the dormitory and the campus, but I feel lucky to be able to enjoy the snowy scenery we can only see in Hakusanroku (Foothills of Mt. Hakusan) during this season.

On February 14th, 2026, I went to Hakusan Ichirino Onsen Ski Resort. I didn’t go last year, so the last time I experienced winter sports in Hakusan for the first time. I have skied before, so this time I decided to try snowboarding. At first, I was worried about whether I could snowboard well, but with the help of my friends and by practicing many times, I was able to learn how to turn smoothly by noon.

After that, I tried an intermediate course. However, I couldn’t turn well on the steep slope and fell many times. Still, I didn’t give up and kept trying. Gradually, I got used to the snowboard and felt that I was improving. In the afternoon, After that, I tried an intermediate course. However, I couldn’t turn well on the steep slope and fell many times. Still, I didn’t give up and kept trying. Gradually, I got used to the snowboard and felt that I was improving. In the afternoon,

There were also many skilled people at the ski resort, and some of them were doing tricks like jumps and spins. My friends and I tried to copy them, but at first, we couldn’t do it well. However, as we kept practicing, we slowly got better. Although I’m still not very stable, I can now do simple jumps and spins. It was very fun to be able to do things that I couldn’t do before, and I became so focused that I forgot about time. It also reminded me of my usual club activities and independent badminton practice, and I once again realized the importance of continuing to practice. If I have another chance to go, I would like to try more difficult tricks.

Seiya Fujiwara

Hello! This is Sade Moore, one of the Learning Mentors at ICT’s Hakusanroku Campus. For this Hakusanroku Journal entry, I want to talk about the End of the Year Party for the students, faculty, and staff at Hakusanroku Campus that the Learning Mentors organized. This year, the party took place on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026. The reason this date was chosen was because, by this time, all of the exams for the second semester had officially concluded and the results passed back. Due to this what better way to celebrate and unwind for both students and teachers, than to have a party where everyone could play board games, eat, and have fun together.

Many of the students were the first to show up and you could feel the excitement coming off of them. The End of the Year Party is one of the events that the students look forward to the most, I think, and this year was no exception. They all swarmed around the snacks and couldn’t wait to eat them. We also brought out plenty of board games and card games for everyone to enjoy and also had students and teachers sing some karaoke songs. It was really nice to see the students having fun with the teachers in a more relaxed setting and seeing everyone smiling and happy after such a stressful exam time.

Also, during the party the winner of the House Cup between the 4 separate Houses received their prize for collecting the most House Points throughout the year. The House System was built in order to build teamwork amongst the students, and they can collect points throughout the semester for completing their homework or assignments, attending workshops that the Learning Mentors conduct for them, cleaning up after themselves and others around campus, amongst other merits. The house with the most points wins at the end of the semester, and each of the 4 Houses wins a special treat for the End of the Year Party. All of the students seemed to really enjoy their special treats.

As the party drew to a close, a lot of the students kept asking if there was more and if they could stay longer because they wanted to play more games and sing more songs. Unfortunately though, with the teachers needing to get off work soon, it wasn’t possible. However, it was a great feeling to know that they enjoyed themselves and to see all of the students and other teachers’ smiling faces made all of the hard work for this semester and the past year at ICT completely worth it!

Sade Moore