Hello Jonan Students! Thank you for writing to us. Below, you will find the answers to your questions.

We look forward to meeting you and learning more about Japan! Domo Arigato!

The Lyman Moore group, "Falcons Take Flight"

 

1. No, we don't have a meeting once a month. We have an electronic intercom that the principal and other staff members speak into and say what will happen for the rest of the day. We have homeroom in the beginning of the day to prepare for our classes. Our principal speaks to us in the beginning of the year about being respectful, responsible, and resourceful.

 

2. Lyman Moore does not have a dress uniform. But we do have dress rules. We cannot wear clothes that advertise drugs, alcohol, or other things that are inappropriate for school. Boys and girls cannot wear hats, bandanas, pajamas, spaghetti straps (thin shoulder straps), shirts that show the belly, and miniskirts.
3. We have between five and seven classes per day. Lunch is between 11:00 and 12:30. Our favorite classes are art, lunch, gym, science, and spanish.
4. Lyman Moore starts school at 8:05. School ends at 2:30.
5. We don't have any really important buildings like a shrine near us. We do have stores like Starbucks, Hallmark, Shaws Supermarket, Libs ice cream, and Hollywood Video rental store. Portland does have some old forts on some of its islands. They are fun to walk through.

6. Some classes at Lyman Moore make rock candy. You put sugar in water, then put a string around a pencil and let it hang in the water. Then you leave it for a few days and it will form rock candy. Here's how to make it:

Ingredients: (1 serving) *1 Glass jar or drinking glass *1 Piece of cotton string *1 Pencil or stick *1 Paper clip Food coloring (optional) *1 c Water *2 c Sugar

Instructions:

Tie a short piece of cotton string to the middle of the pencil or stick. Attach a paper clip to the end of the string for a weight. Moisten the string very lightly, and roll in a bit of sugar (this will "attract" the sugar crystals from the syrup to the string). Place the pencil or stick over the top of the glass or jar with the string hanging down inside. Heat the water to boiling, and dissolve the 2 cups of sugar into it. For the biggest crystals FAST, heat the sugar-water solution a SECOND time, and dissolve as much additional sugar as you can into it. Add a few drops of food coloring to the solution if desired. Pour the solution into the prepared glass or jar and leave undisturbed for a couple of days. Depending on how much sugar you were able to dissolve into the water, you should start to see crystals growing in a one day.

 

7. We go to the cafeteria, which is a big room where everyone sits and eats lunch. Our menu includes chicken burger, hamburger, pizza, French fries, potato puffs, salads, and bagels. For dessert we can get ice cream. Some students buy food, but some others bring their own food from home.

 
8. Most of our teachers are very different from each other. We like many of our teachers. Our favorites are Ms. Loring (art teacher), Ms. Agren (Home Economics), Ms. Moran (French), Ms. Ball (English), Ms. Boody (Math) Mr. Aguirre (Special Ed.) and Mr. Orcutt (Special Ed.). We also like Mr. Gray, who has visited Japan many times!

9. After school we have many activities. Sports like field hockey, baseball, track, softball, basketball, soccer, and tennis. We also have yearbook, art, newspaper, math team, knitting, drama, civil rights, and music. Some people stay after for detention.
10. We are trying to learn some Japanese. Kanji is very difficult to learn. We write mostly using pencil or pen during classes. Sometimes we type our work on computers.
11. We have many trees in Portland. The most common tree is the pine tree. We would like to visit Tokyo Tower, shrines, museums, comic book shops, technology shops, and parks (Yoyogi Park).

12. We have a road that leads to our school. It has a sign on the end of the road that gives messages. There is also a parking lot, baseball fields, and an elementary school. It is surrounded by woods. We have gardens, too.
13. Our delicious food from Maine: Lobster, potatoes, blueberries, raspberries, maple syrup, clam cakes, crabs. For dessert we have Maine black bear ice cream, whoopie pies, and angel food cake.
14. We have Portland Arts Technology High School. This school teaches real life skills in culinary arts, engine repair, hotel management, commercial art, fashion merchandising, dance, and welding. You have to be in high school to participate.