I am pleased to share that on November 22, at the ACTFL conference in New Orleans, I received the 2025 Outstanding Teacher Award (K–12 Category) from the American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ). List of recipients: https://aatj.org/awards/aatj-teacher-awards/aatj-teacher-award-recipients-2025/ I am deeply honored to receive this award, and I am sincerely grateful for your encouragement and continued support over the years. I will continue to work hard to contribute to the advancement of Japanese language education in Florida and across the United States. Thank you very much, and I look forward to continuing our work together. Mieko Avello
On August 29, we held a meeting and reception with the Consul General in Miami. Twelve AFTJ members participated, along with Professor Ryo Nakayama from the University of Pennsylvania, who also served as the keynote speaker at the following day’s Articulation Day. Together, we discussed the current state and challenges of Japanese language education in Florida.
🌸 05/26/2025 🌸 全国高校生日本語スピーチコンテストにおいて、West Boca Raton Community High School の2名の生徒が素晴らしい成果を収めました! 🥈 アリアナ・クルーズさん 「教科書を超えた学び」 — 第2位 🥉 イサベル・リベラさん 「禅が私に教えてくれたこと」 — 第3位 お二人の発表は、言語を超えて聞く人の心に響くものでした。 この素晴らしい成果は、指導された Satoko Nourishirazi先生 の熱意と努力の賜物でもあります。心より敬意を表します。 生徒たちの挑戦と成長をたたえ、今後のさらなる活躍を応援しています!
Two students from West Boca Raton Community High School proudly represented Florida in the National Japanese Speech Contest for High School Students, and we are thrilled to share their outstanding results! 🥈 Ariana Cruz – "Lessons Beyond the Textbook" – 2nd Place 🥉 Isabel Rivera – "What Zen Has Taught Me" – 3rd Place Their speeches moved the audience beyond words and showcased the depth of their learning. We also extend our heartfelt congratulations to their dedicated teacher, Satoko Nourishirazi, whose guidance and support helped bring out the very best in her students. Let us all celebrate their accomplishments and cheer them on for continued success!