Students raising funds for Japan trip

FUNDRAISING: Heading to Japan on an exchange trip are Masterton Intermediate School teacher Juliet Olson (left) and students Paige Bodle, 12, and Rosa Day, 11, who are fundraising along with 21 other students this weekend to help pay for the trip. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

With a trusty language dictionary in their travel bag students Rosa Day and Paige Bodle are looking forward to heading to Japan later this year.

The Masterton Intermediate School friends and leaders along with 21 other students from their school are busy fundraising for a two-week exchange trip with the school's sister school in Osaka, Shijonwate Gakuen Junior High School, in September.

They are hosting a "mega-boot sale" at the school tomorrow morning from 8am selling everything from household appliances and toys to clothing and gardening gear.

Rosa, 11, said she was looking forward to the trip of a lifetime.

"I'm so looking forward to the experience. It's good to learn about different lifestyles, different cultures and how they live and the different food.

"It's going to be so much fun."

As for the language, she and Paige, 12, had been practising every chance they got and had a Japanese/English dictionary to help them, Rosa said.

"We'll have a book in our bag ready to help us if we need it."

Paige is hoping to catch up with a young Japanese girl, Kaoru, whom her family hosted in Masterton two years ago when her sister Holly was involved with the exchange.

"I'd really like to see her again," she said.

Teacher Juliet Olson said the exchange was the longest running one in New Zealand with Japanese students being hosted by the school for 19 years and Masterton students reciprocating for the past 13 years.

"It's a cultural experience with our sister school. The kids love it and the teachers love it."

Children at the school applied to go and if chosen had to each raise $3200.

The school helped by arranging events like a golf tournament, quiz night, sausage sizzles and the car boot sale and each of the 23 chosen to go arranged their own fundraising ventures like selling pumpkins, sheep manure and other things, Ms Olson said.

"Some of them already have $2000," she said. "It's up to each individual. They sell everything and anything."