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Japan Talk is a Japanese culture and travel guide. We love Japan more than 3 meals a day.

Publications of the Japan Association for Language Teaching

JALT has a rich history of publishing material on all aspects of language teaching and learning, as well as of supporting writers in this field. In addition to our three flagship publications below, JALT's special interest groups and chapters offer many journals specific to their fields. A full listing is available here.

Fun, engaging methods to track students' progress and/or participation in class (i.e., usually via a sticker or stamp point system card).

Example downloadable reward systems.

This is a guide to articulating the position of certain sounds in the English lesson.

When learning pronunciation of a new language it's important to be able to identify the differences in sound-making; i.e. the position of the articulators: lips, teeth, and tongue.

The language is aimed at the native speaker.

I hope this helps you if you're trying to get students comfortable with the differences in Japanese and English sounds.

The Agenda:

A. Sick Leave (9 points)

B. Short Contract/ Leavers (3 points)

C. Future Changes (2 points)

D. Misc./ Other (4 points) 

Please note that this document is meant to serve as a summary of the meeting between Mr. Matsuura, Mr. McCarthy, and Ms. Tomcal with the express purpose of informing the Kobe ALT cohort regarding concerns presented by the community to the ALT leader. Sharing of this file outside of the intended audience is discouraged and done at personal liability. 

A. Sick Leave 

1. explanation of circumstances/ decision 

The decision to redistribute sick leave from paid leave to unpaid leave was made in order to join in a national effort to bring all civil servants regardless of full time/ part time/ other status under the same law. This law can be found in the 国家公務員の非常勤講師等の休暇 (kokka koumuin no hijoukinkoushi tou no kyuuka) on page 106. The access to this file is unknown for ALTs, but this is what was told to the folks at the BoE. Under this law, sick leave/byokyuu is categorized as unpaid leave/mukyuu. While CLAIR was able to ensure that our salaries as JETs will not change/be reduced, things like vacation leave/nenkyuu, sick leave/byokyuu, rental assistance, etc. are changing all over the country. 

To understand why ALTs will also be subject to this rule from April, even though our contracts are supposed to be from summer to summer, it was discovered that from this year (2019-2020), the government (?) decided that ALTs, whose term of employment is from summer to summer, need to be treated as Japanese fiscal year/ April to April employees. If I understand correctly, due to this change of categorization, the government/BoE is allowed to change the aforementioned paid/unpaid leave days. So, ALTs will fall in with every other civil servant/koumuin and no longer be able to use sick leave/ byokyuu as paid leave/yuukyuu starting April 2020. 

This brings up the question of why ALTs were not made aware that the way we would be categorized (from summer~summer to April~April) would be 

changed, essentially changing the way we would be treated mid-contract. While the cessation of our paid sick leave is a shock, it is this prior change that allows it to be enacted. In terms of a violation of contract, this re-categorization may be at the heart of the matter. Please contact Tiffany regarding any thoughts/ concerns about this new information. 

2. When will ALTs receive this explanation (officially) in writing? 

The BoE is now working on sending out an email with the English translation of the Japanese explanation. 

3. Why elimination instead of reduction? 

Because the Kobe city legal department and elected officials decided to match every civil servant/koumuin under the federal law, on a city-wide scale, and the federal law says sick leave/byokyuu is unpaid leave/mukyuu. 

4. What will byokyu be called now? 

Sick leave/ byokyuu is still called "byokyuu" however, its status will change from paid leave/ yuukyuu to unpaid leave/ mukyuu 

5. How will the procedure for taking sick leave change? 

At this time there is no planned change to how sick leave/ byokyuu will be taken. If a large amount of days are taken at once you may be suggested by your school/ the guidance division to take paid vacation leave/nenkyuu instead of your unpaid sick leave/ byokyuu. Should you choose to take the unpaid sick leave/ byokyuu, a payment plan will be decided and the amount "owed" will be deducted from future paycheck(s). For those that are still uncertain, the BoE will be sending out some information to make it clearer. 

6. When will this take effect for ALTs? 

ALTs, and every other civil servant/koumuin, will no longer be able to use sick leave/ byokyuu as paid leave/yuukyuu starting April 1, 2020 (Unfortunately this is no April Fool's joke). And, in accordance with this change, the proof of employment/ ishokujo (the certificate with your name, the BoE's stamp, remuneration, and dates of employment) will be reissued from April as well. 

7. What about pregnancy? Freak car accidents? Developing a disease that requires constant routine checks?

For large medical bills there is always the JET insurance remuneration process. 

However, to my understanding, this doesn't change that either paid vacation leave/ nenkyuu, or unpaid sick leave/byokyuu, will have to be used for the days not attended at work. 

8. What is the chain of command on this? Who can we write to directly about this matter?

The people who made the final decision on this matter were the Kobe legal department and Kobe's elected officials. However, Mr. Matsuura and others will have a meeting about this matter sometime between December 16~20 so if you'd like to have your opinion expressed by him, please write a brief letter with your thoughts/ concerns and have them to Daniel/Priyanka no later than 5pm December 15th. It will be good for the committee to see a physical representation of our voices. 

9. The people's voices 

• This decision shows a lack of respect for employees as human beings. 
• This decision penalizes those who care for their health & their community by making doing the right thing (staying home when one is sick) a personal financial hit. 
• This decision penalizes those who may get sick more often by making them choose between a financial hit (taking unpaid sick leave) or less vacation time (taking paid vacation days instead). 
• For ALTs, this decision goes beyond basic job conditions and into cultural differences. Are you prepared for many ALTs to take their remaining sick leave days all at once in the coming months? (P.S. The answer was no, and the BoE did not even consider this point because it's so different from Japanese workforce common sense.) 
• Besides cultural differences, this goes into the cultural conditioning side of things as well; especially for American ALTs, vacation days are not taken in lieu of sick days. And if sick days are unpaid they will go to work, even under dire situations. Not only does this make everyone sicker overall/transfers disease much more easily, this will inevitably lead to ALTs burning out faster & not staying as long. 
• The city/government wants us to stay, to be loyal, to work hard, but then also wants to take away all the things that make this job special and competitive compared to our home-country options. With this decision, the JET program is becoming more like any other job and both the numbers of those choosing to stay & those making the choice to go in the first place will decrease. 

B. Short Contract 

1. What does summer leave and nenkyu look like for the extension members? 

An official/final decision hasn't been made, but if the formula for the regular contract is followed, short term contractees will receive 5 days of summer leave, and 2-3 days of paid vacation leave (depending on their initial start date). 

2. What does the end of contract look like re: last day, new ALT procedures, etc.? 

There will be some overlap between the new ALTs and leaving ALTs. Because of this, and the perceived difficulty of getting permission for working ALTs to receive shuccho, short contract ALTs will be expected to help with Neighborhood Days. However, the last official day of work is forecasted to be September 25th, with the remaining days as special leave in order for leavers to take care of personal things regarding their return home/their next destination. 

3. Leavers & Residency Taxes 

All leavers be forewarned that your monthly paycheck will change in the last few months to account for the residency tax you must pay before leaving the country. This is forecasted to be about 2man less than usual, but will depend on other factors and for which the details will be given in the upcoming leavers meetings. 

C. Future Changes 

1. How does the summer event schedule look? 

Job Training will be cancelled/postponed due to there being no first years to train, however this does not necessarily mean that there will be no work event for the 2-5th years during the regular job training time (which is usually the Obon period). Summer school will proceed as planned from August 18-21, with the 18th being the prep day. Neighborhood Days will be moved to September, when the new ALTs arrive and be primarily carried out by leaving ALTs. 

2. With the new curriculum requirements & increase in ALTs, what changes to the ALT division of labor will there be?

It is expected that the number of schools one has will change (for example, if you have 1 JHS and 3 ES, you might change to having 1 JHS and only 1 or 2 ES), but whether there will be more full time JHS or full time ES positions remains to be decided. The BoE is currently deliberating what would the best for Kobe city overall, so if you have ideas or suggestions now is the time to send them in (to your leaders or the CIRs). 

D. Misc./ Other 

1. Re-contracting information, deadlines, etc. a bit unclear 

Thanks for the feedback, they'll try to make it more concise next year. 

2. Emailed essay instructions but have to mail in physical copy 

Even if y'all emailed the essay to the CIRs, they'd still have to print them out so it doesn't save paper in the long run. 

3. Feedback forms/access 

We are currently deliberating a better way to provide access to your school's feedback forms, in addition to providing more regular opportunities for feedback from ALTs as well. If you have ideas/ suggestions please message Tiffany. 

4. Info about interviews 

• Please be honest about whether you want to change schools 
• It's ok to bring up ideas or suggestions you have for Kobe city/ ALT work- life/ etc. at this time 
• It is alright for you to bring a list/notecard with things you want to make sure to tell the interviewers/ Mr. Matsuura/ Daniel or Priyanka in with you to the interview 
• If you have anything you'd like your leaders to bring up on your/the community's behalf, please let them know beforehand 

For any of the above points, please let Tiffany know if you have any further questions, concerns, ideas, or suggestions.

Join the KobeJET website team!

Interested in becoming a contributor to our lessons one of our other resources? Helping with content moderation or translation? These are great opportunities to practice your editing or translation skills, and add professional, visible real-world experience to your resume.

Interested in marketing? We also need help expanding upon and building new English language and living in Japan partnerships, including backlinks and the option for building an ads component to help fund the site.

Are you a pro at social media engagement? Help us build KobeJET's social network presence on Facebook, Twitter, and others - getting the word out about our extensive collection of lessons and resources for the greater Japan ALT community and beyond!

If you're a current JET and would like to become involved with the site administration, responsibilities can be broken into a few categories.

1. Content Contributor
   • Add new lessons, songs and lyrics, recommended locations and more
   • Translate lessons, etc. to Japanese to help these resources reach non-native English speakers
2. General administration
   • Approve or remove new account requests
   • Let new JETs know about the site and how to set up an account/become involved
   • Update current JET/school lists as necessary
     • For JETs who have left, change role from "ALT" to "RALT" (Returned ALT)
     • Add/edit/remove any schools or school information that may have changed
3. Content moderation
   • Manage (create/remove) announcements on the homepage with relevant news
   • Promote new lesson submissions among JETs and teachers
   • Encourage translation of lesson submissions to Japanese to help native Japanese teachers better access and use the resources.
4. Longterm sustainability
   • Promote and manage the site and its resources on social media - Facebook, Twitter, etc.
   • Discuss what is needed to remove KobeJET from the blocked sites list for KIIFs and school internet - https://www.kobejet.com/announcement/open-letter-kec-and-school-education-division
   • Assess ongoing tickets and work with site administrator (David Dowell) to get them resolved

Send us an email and get involved!

 admin@kobejet.com

For JET Participant Use

2019 JET Programme Reappointment Procedures

ALTs & CIRs from English-Speaking Countries

SEAs ・ ALTs & CIRs from countries with a small number of participants

     These procedures confirm the intent of the Contracting Organisation (hereinafter, CO) and the JET Programme participant (hereinafter, Participant) regarding reappointment for the 2019/2020 JET Programme year. Please note that reappointment deadlines are different for English-speaking countries, SEAs, and countries with a small number of participants (hereinafter, Minority Countries).

1 Reappointment Outline

1.1 Reappointment asreferred to in these proceduresisthe renewal of the period of participation of a Participant in the JET Programme for an additional year. Furthermore, multiple appointment procedures may be required within the period of participation in the case where a Participant’s CO is a local authority.

1.2 In principle, the period of participation on the JET Programme is for one year. However, if a participant’s work performance is of the required standard as deemed by his/her contracting organisation, it may be possible for the participant to renew the period of participation for an additional year. (For participants from English- speaking countries who arrived in April, the first reappointment period will be roughly 4 months.)
Furthermore, it is generally possible to renew participation up to a total of 3 years (3 years and 4 months for April arrivals) on the Programme.
However, if the participant’s work performance, level of experience, and ability are deemed to be of an exceptionally high standard by his/her contracting organisation, it is possible to renew participation up to a total of 5 years (5 years and 4 months for April arrivals) on the Programme.

1.3 In principle, if reappointed, you will remain in the same CO in the same job-type.

1.4 Some COs may be unable to reappoint their Participants due to policy changes or budgetary reasons. Please discussreappointment with your CO supervisor as early as possible,regardless of the deadlinesforsubmission. If necessary, please also consult with your host prefecture/designated city office.

1.5 As reappointment of SEAs from China requires discussion with the Chinese government, even if the
Participant and the CO agree on reappointment, there may be cases where reappointment cannot occur.

2 Reappointment Procedures

You may not withdraw your intent to accept or not accept reappointment after completion of the reappointment procedures. If a participant who indicated the intent to reappoint then rescinds his/her decision, the CO may be left without a JET participant for the next year, hindering organisational management. Therefore, if you are considering returning to school or seeking other employment, please do not accept an offer to be reappointed casually, but give the matter careful thought before making a final decision.

2.1 If you are given the CO Intent to Reappoint/Participant Intent as to Reappointment (Form A-1), please carefully review the terms and conditions and other provisions of your next appointment and indicate if you will accept or decline reappointment by signing and dating the appropriate section and returning it to your
CO.

[ALTs & CIRs from English-Speaking Countries Due date: Friday, 11 January, 2019]
[SEAs ・ ALTs & CIRs from Minority Countries Due date: Wednesday, 28 November, 2018]

2.2 If you are given the Notice of Reappointment Decision (Form A-2), you unfortunately will not be reappointed. Please review the reasons for not being offered reappointment by your CO and sign and date the form. If you have any questions regarding the reasons indicated on the form, please consult directly with your CO
supervisor.

[ALTs & CIRs from English-Speaking Countries Due date: Friday, 11 January, 2019]
[SEAs ・ ALTs & CIRs from Minority Countries Due date: Wednesday, 28 November, 2018]

3 Job-type Changes and Changes/Transfers of the CO (exceptional cases)

As Job-type changes are considered to be exceptional cases, there are not many opportunities for Participants to do so. Job-type changes are only possible when COs recognise a need for such a change. Furthermore, job-type changes are only permitted during the reappointment of a Participant to the same CO, or in the case a Participant will transfer to a CO in the same host prefecture/designated city they are currently in. As such, job-change transfers will not be recognised in the case of a participant transferring to a CO in a different host prefecture/designated city. Furthermore, as SEAs are invited to Japan asspecialistsports assistants, they are unable to request job-type changes.

Changes/Transfers of the CO are also considered to be exceptional cases and are therefore only permitted in cases due to truly inevitable reasons. Please consult with your supervisor upon receiving these reappointment procedures if you need to request a transfer to a different CO for personal reasons or due to reasons of your CO.

[Cases where reappointment cannot occur due to policy or budget changes of the CO]

In these cases, a CO may recommend the transfer of a Participant to another CO if there are no problems with work performance and the Participant agrees. A transfer will initially be attempted within the current host prefecture. If that is not possible, a transfer will be attempted to a different host prefecture/designated city. In this case, you may indicate up to 3 host prefectures/designated cities as preferences (listed on the last page of this document). Please
note that preferences cannot be guaranteed.

[Cases where a change/transfer of the CO is required for reasons of the Participant]

3.1 Transfers to a different CO within your current host prefecture

• Documents to be submitted: Transfer Request (Form A-3)
• To be submitted to: Your current CO supervisor
• Due date for submission: Friday, 12 October, 2018

Transfers within the same host prefecture are considered and implemented by the host prefecture. Please communicate the need for a transfer of the CO upon receiving these reappointment procedures and submit the Transfer Request(Form A-3). Asthe decision to grant a transfer within your current host prefecture depends on conditions set by the host prefecture and the discretion of the CO that you are requesting to be transferred to, there is no guarantee your transfer will be granted.

3.2 Transfers to a CO in a different host prefecture/designated city
Documents to be submitted:

1. Transfer Request (Form A-3)
2. Documents to support the reason for transfer

(Refer to Acceptable Reasons for a Participant to Request a Transfer to a Different Host Prefecture/Designated City (below))

To be submitted to: Your current CO supervisor
Due date for submission: Friday, 12 October, 2018

Please communicate the need for a transfer to a different host prefecture/designated city upon receiving these reappointment procedures and submit the Transfer Request (Form A-3) as well other necessary documents to support the reason for transfer. CLAIR will send an inquiry to the COs and nearby COs of those
indicated by the Participant and negotiate/coordinate a transfer of the CO only in cases where the current CO of the Participant deems him/her fit for recommendation to a CO in a different host prefecture/designated city based on the Participant’s work attitude etc., and the Participant’s reason for transfer falls under one of the reasons listed below. Furthermore, a transfer will only occur at the discretion of the CO that you are
requesting to be transferred to, and as such there is no guarantee your transfer will be granted.

In principle, there are few cases of transfers being acknowledged for Participants who will be entering their 5th year. Even after completion of all the necessary procedures, if the criteria listed below are not met, or previously undisclosed facts arise that render you unsuitable, the transfer may be revoked.

[Acceptable Reasons for a Participant to Request a Transfer to a Different Host Prefecture/Designated City]

Please submit documentation where the necessity for a transfer of the CO, situation and circumstances etc. can be confirmed to support the reason for transfer
a. Marriage: Cases where a transfer to a different host prefecture/designated city is inevitable due to marriage (you must first confirm whether your spouse can move to where you currently live or not).

• Example 1: You are unable to live with your spouse because of your placement.
• Example 2: You would be unable to live with your spouse because of your spouse’s employment (excluding part-time or temporary work).
• Example 3: You intend to marry soon (during your next appointment) and would be unable to live with your spouse because of your current placement.

Supporting documents to submit:
Document(s) proving your marriage such as a marriage certificate or statement from you and your fiancé(e)/spouse indicating your date of marriage.
Documents proving your spouse’s employment or work transfer (work transfer notices, employment verification documents, etc).
Declaration from you and your fiancé(e) of intent to marry with the expected date indicated Etc.

b. Nursing Care: Cases where a transfer to a different host prefecture/designated city is inevitable in order for the Participant to provide care for a parent or child.

• Example 1: Your parent(s) etc. require you to move in with them in the near future to provide nursing care etc. and your parent(s) is/are unable to move to where you currently live.
• Example 2: You must provide care for your sick child and would be unable to do so where you currently live if you reappointed with your current CO.

Supporting documents to submit:
Medical certificate of the person needing care.
Document(s) proving relationship between you and the person needing care. Etc.

c. Health: Cases where a transfer to a different host prefecture/designated city is inevitable due to health- related reasons.

• Example 1: You are currently suffering from an illness and the only hospital that can provide treatment is within a different host prefecture/designated city.
• Example 2: The only solution to your health problems, such as severe allergies, is to relocate.

Supporting documents to submit:
Medical certificate Etc.

Note 1: Gathering and providing documents to support the reason(s) for transfer is the responsibility of the Participant.
Note 2: The following are examples of reasons that are inadmissible when requesting a transfer to a CO in a different host prefecture/designated city.

• I want to move to XYZ Prefecture because I requested it when I applied.
• My abilities are not being utilised in my current workplace.
• I want to live in a city with a Japanese language school in order to improve my Japanese.
• My current workplace relations are poor.
• Any other personal reason not attributable to the situations described above in a, b, or c.

3.3 When a transfer request is unsuccessful
Transfer requests are only successful if the new CO agrees to accept you. Therefore, it is possible that a transferrequest be unsuccessful despite meeting the above criteria. In such situations, your choices are either to complete your appointment with your current CO and finish your tenure on the Programme, or to request
to be reappointed by your current CO. If both you and your current CO are in agreement, they may reappointment you for an additional one-year period. Please discuss the possibility of your transfer request being unsuccessful with your supervisor in advance before making a transfer request.

4 Schedule (dates are to be strictly observed)

5 Form explanations

5.1 Form A-1: CO Intent to Reappoint/Participant Intent as to Reappointment

• 5.1.1 The purpose of this form is for your CO to indicate its intend to reappoint you.
• 5.1.2 Please indicate your intent to accept reappointment by signing and dating the upper portion, or your intent to decline reappointment by signing and dating the lower portion of the space provided.

5.2 Form A-2: Notice of Reappointment Decision

• 5.2.1 The purpose of this form is for your CO is indicate its intent not to reappoint you.
• 5.2.2 Please review the reasons for not being offered reappointment by your CO and sign and date the form.
• 5.2.3 If you have any questions regarding the reasons indicated on this form, please consult directly with your CO supervisor.

5.3 Form A-3: Transfer Request

• 5.3.1 Thisform isto be submitted to your current CO in the case where a change/transfer of the CO is required for reasons of the Participant.
• 5.3.2 Please write in detail the reason(s) a transfer is necessary and up to three transfer preferences (COs).
• 5.3.3 If you are requesting a transfer to a CO in a different host prefecture/designated city, please submit documentation where the necessity for a transfer of the CO, situation and circumstances etc. can be confirmed to support the reason for transfer together when you submit this form.

Thank you for visiting English Web Book. Here you will find many free activities for teachers teaching communicative English.

This is an archive of my lesson planning and ideas for your future classroom projects. Please use this site, primarily, as a way to make new ideas for your own way of teaching. If there is an activity you like the look of, I urge you to adapt it and make a more personal personal version for youself and the way you teach. If you want to copy it exactly, that’s good too but please don’t ask me to alter it and remove my details from the material… that’s your job. 

ALT English lesson games, activities and more for teaching in Japan.

The goal of this site is to help ALTs teaching English in Japan.

We do this by sharing helpful, insightful, educational, or inspiring information.

We hope this is done in an open and collaborative way where everyone feels welcome to contribute.

Welcome to the Mie Guidebook!

The internet's most comprehensive English-language guide to living in Mie Prefecture

Find activities, games, and worksheets to use in your English classes. Share your ideas and help your fellow teachers make their classes awesome!

The Best Websites & Resources for Teaching English in Japan

Planning on teaching English in Japan?

Wondering where you should start?

Well you are in the right place. Here you will find a number of resources and websites on: where to look for a teaching job and where to find out more about living and teaching English in Japan.

The Inside Scoop On Teaching English In East Asia

KYOTO JETS is a website run by the current PAs in Kyoto City and Kyoto Prefecture for the purpose of distributing information and providing support.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact one of the Kyoto PAs at any time!

Chiba AJET is a social community for JETs, WI-ALTS, and anyone who wants an opportunity to get together, have fun and support each other while promoting international culture exchange in Chiba Prefecture. Membership is free and anybody with ideas for events can submit a proposal to our council.

Our goal is to foster a sense of international community in Chiba by providing a means to share resources and organizing social events throughout Chiba Prefecture.

Shimane AJET is a group that is run by JETs, for JETs. We are not run by the PAs or any BoE but are 100% volunteer run and funded.  We are affiliated with, though not directly run by, National AJET.

Tofugu started out as a college course project in 2008. It was rooted as a Japanese language blog for English speakers. Over the years Tofugu began to find its niche and evolved into a full-time business.

Today there are two facets of Tofugu: the blog and the company.

BLOG

Most people are familiar with our wonky Japanese language and culture blog, which is what you are seeing at this very moment.

We write about Japanese topics we're passionate about, so hopefully you like the same things we like. We also write about our travels in Japan, do reviews on products, write guides to help you with Japanese, and make videos too.

COMPANY

The other face of Tofugu is the company. We design Japanese language learning tools to tackle specific areas where people have difficulty.

Download, print, and photocopy our beautifully designed, well-planned English lessons and flashcards to help you teach a better class.

There are many options to exchange money in and out of Japan. Better rates can usually be found upon arriving in a destination country when traveling. Airport rates can also usually be worse than exchanges one your pass through immigration, but this can depend upon the country and situation.

Feel free to include your personal experience with any countries you've travelled in!

A popular news source in Japan provided in English

Let me introduce the Triage Triangle. This is a helpful tool in helping you decide who to ask for help. Don't be afraid to ever seek support, but it's important to be mindful of the people you are asking!

Public transportation in Japan is infamous for its punctuality and customer service. However, thanks to Murphy's law a number of factors can cause delays or even complete suspension, such as natural disasters, "human accidents" (either someone fell on the tracks or jumped), malfunctions, or bad luck. 

If your bus/train is delayed or running so late that you can't get to work on time, please be sure to do the three following things: 

1. Call your workplace and tell them that you will be late/won't be coming in to work. (This will apply as Special Leave.)
2. Go to the stationmaster and ask for a Delay Certificate (電車遅延証明書, densha chien shoumei sho).
3. If you choose to take a different train line/bus from your usual route, be sure to write it down on your Transport Reimbursement Form.

Here are links to service information for public transportation in Kobe (some might be in Japanese only):
JR West: 

• https://trafficinfo.westjr.co.jp/list.html (general info)
• https://www.train-guide.westjr.co.jp/kobesanyo.html (clickable interactive diagram that shows the locations and delays of each train)
• https://trafficinfo.westjr.co.jp/kinki.html (clickable Kinki Region diagram)

Hankyu: http://s.hankyu.co.jp/index.html
Hanshin: http://rail.hanshin.co.jp/ (home page w/ latest info) and http://rail.hanshin.co.jp/railinfo/ (more details)
Sanyo: http://www.sanyo-railway.co.jp/railway/info.html
Kobe City Bus: https://kobe.jcld.jp/KobeCityTransport/Notification/ (you are expected to call them...)
Kobe City Subway: http://kobe-tp.city.kobe.lg.jp/subway/info.html
Kobe Electric Railway: http://www.shintetsu.co.jp/cgi-bin/railinfo/unkou.cgi
Hokushin Kyuukou (Shin-Kobe to Tanigami tunnel): http://www.hokushinkyuko.co.jp/railinfo/unkou.cgi
Portliner: http://www.knt-liner.co.jp/portlinerinfo/
Rokko Liner: http://www.knt-liner.co.jp/rokkolinerinfo/

Keywords: 
平常どおり運行　service will operate as usual
運行しておりますが、service is still in operation, however...
見合わせ　suspended until further notice
ダイヤ乱れ／ダイヤが乱れ　service disruptions
遅れ　delay
____分以上の遅れはございません　There are no delays over ___ minutes
____により　Due to ____

This is the PowerPoint from my spring seminar presentation about current best practices in education. This PowerPoint is meant to go with the presentation so it only contains a kernel of the information we went through, but there are two pages of sources at the end that should be useful.

Here are some examples of how schedule changes are often written! For more details and a comprehensive glossary, take a look at the attached Word doc.

Some examples of how schedule changes are written:

To show a Prezi presentation offline, you simply need to open and fully load in a browser tab the Prezi you wish to present. Then you can disconnect your laptop/KIIF from the internet and still safely play the Prezi within the browser.

Please note:

• If you close the browser or the tab with the loaded Prezi, you will need to reconnect to the internet and load it again before you can play it.
• As always with KIIFs, if you close or allow the laptop to enter sleep mode you will need to reconnect to the internet to log back in.

There are potentially other methods to actually download Prezi digital copies to your computer that you can then show, but I always used the method above without issue and never explored this potential option.

To add a new announcement;

• Simply click "Add" in the main menu > "Announcement"

To manage announcements, including promoting and removing announcements from the front page;

• Go to the Tools icon next to the search bar > Administration > Announcements

Please note, you will need to request a user with CIR, Leader, or Content Editor privileges to approve your announcement to post on the homepage.

Also note, new and updated announcement changes can take up to a few hours to take effect on the homepage. For changes to be immediately displayed, site caches will need to be cleared by an administrator.

Another great source for English lesson activities!

This list is geared towards new JET(s) with little or no Japanese ability. If you print this and keep it at your desk or in your English classroom, it could save you a lot of stress and confusion! Printable version is at the bottom of this page.

Note to future editors: Please do not edit the list if you plan on overcomplicating it with difficult vocabulary! This is a survival guide, not a dictionary.

Places

• Shokuinshitsu: Teacher's Room
• Gakkou: School
• Chugakkou: Junior High School
• Shougakkou: Elementary School
• Budoujou: Training Hall
• Taiikukan: School Gym
• Guraundo: School Grounds
• Toshokan: Library
• Kyoushitsu: Classroom

Teaching/Grades

• Juugyou: Class/lesson
• Sensei/Kyoushi: Teacher
• Soumu: Head Teacher (grade)
• Tantou: Head Teahcer (subject)
• Gakusei: Student
• Nensei: Grade
• Ichinensei 1年生: First Grade
• Ninensei 2年生: Second Grade
• Sannensei 3年生: Third Grade
• Ichi: 1
• Ni: 2
• San: 3
• Yon/Shi: 4
• Go: 5
• Roku: 6
• Ni Jikanme: 2nd Period
• Souji: Cleaning Time
• Hiruyasumi: Lunch Break

Subjects

• Nihongo: Japanese
• Eigo: English
• Kagaku: Science
• Bijutsu: Art
• Taiiku: PE
• Rekishi: History
• Ongaku: Music

Classroom Vocabulary

• Shiken: Test/Exam
• Shukudai: Homework
• Renshuu: Practice
• Renshuu Mondai: Exercises
• Nôto: Notebook
• Kyoukasho: Textbook
• Shiken: Test/Exam
• Jisho: Ditionary
• Pasokon: Laptop
• Tsukue: Desk
• Isu: Chair
• Enpitsu: Pencil
• Pen: Pen

Time/Date

• Kyou: Today
• Ashita: Tomorrow
• Kinou: Yesterday
• Getsuyoubi 月: Monday
• Kayoubi 代: Tuesday
• Suiyoubi 水: Wednesday
• Mokuyoubi 木: Thursday
• Kinyoubi 金: Friday
• Doyoubi 土: Saturday
• Nichiyoubi 日: Sunday
• Ato De: Later
• Ima: Now
• Tsugi: Next
• Tsugi no juugyou: Next lesson
• Itsu desu ka: When?
• Doko desu ka: Where?

School Events

• Nyuugaku Shiki: Entrance Ceremony
• Sotsugyou Shiki: Graduation
• Bunkasai: Cultural Festival
• Undoukai: Sports Day
• Shuugaku Ryokou: School Trip

Miscellaneous

• Shucchou: Work Leave
• Nenkyuu: Paid Leave
• Byoukyuu: Sick Leave
• Bukatsu: School Club
• Nichiban: Student Leader in a class
• Kudasai: Please
• Onegai Shimasu: Please

EXPRESSIONS AND PHRASES

• Ohayo gozaimasu! : Good morning! (Say this every day when you walk into the shokuinshitsu)
• Hajimemashite: How do you do? (Literally "I am meeting you for the first time")
• Yoroshiku onegai shimasu: I am pleased to meet you. (Literally "Please make good relations with me" or "Please be kind to me".)
• Kochira koso: My pleasure / Likewise
• Watashi wa ________desu. : I am _____________.
• (Country) kara kimashita: I came from (Country)
• Konnichiwa: Hello! (say when you are passing teachers in the hall)
• Sumimasen: Excuse me / Sorry
• Gomen nasai: Sorry (more apologetic)
• Shitsurei shimasu: Excuse me (more formal)
• Osakini Shitsureishimasu: Excuse me for leaving before you (Say this every day when you leave school at 4:15!)
• Genki desu ka?: How are you? / Are you well?
• Shuumatsu wa dou deshita ka?: How was your weekend?
• Ii tenki desu ne: Nice weather, isn’t it?
• Itsu desu ka?: When is it?
• Doko desu ka?: Where is it?
• ~~ Chuugakkou de Eigo no kyoushi desu: I am an English teacher at ~~JHS.
• Arigatou gozaimasu: Thank you
• Dou itashimashite: You are welcome / Don't mention it / Not at all
• Omedetou gozaimasu: Congratulations!
• Daijoubu desu ka: Are you OK?
• Douzo: Go ahead / Here you go
• Itadakimasu: You say this to express your gratitude before meals (Elementary school lunch)
• Gochisou sama deshita: You say this to express your gratitude after meals (Elementary school lunch)
• Itterasshai: Take care / Have a nice day / Have a nice time
• Ki o tsukete: Be careful
• Odaiji ni: Take care of your body (say this to a friend who is sick)
• Yonde kudasai: Please read it
• Kaite kudasai: Please write it
• Kiite kudasai: Please listen
• Kurikaeshite kudasai / Repeato kudaisai: Please repeat
• Mou ichido itte kudasai: Please say it again
• Shitsumon wa arimasen ka: Do you have any questions?
• Isoide kudasai: Please hurry up
• Wakarimashita ka: Did you understand?
• Wakarimasen: I don’t understand
• Shitteimasu ka: Do you know it/them?
• Ganbatte kudasai: Please do your best!

Click below for printable version:

Attached  is a  Quick start up guide on how to Open a file in PS, set it up to work with, and save the file after the image is edited.

There is also a brief breakdown of recommended Adobe programs.

This document also contains helpful links to free tutorials and websites that can help you become the PS master you have always wanted to be.

Finally there is a guide on how to download and install custom Actions to your Photoshop program that will enable you to edit your images with a simple click of the mouse.

KobeJET.com announcements

January 27, 2017

Call out for lesson plans!

As we approach the end of the year, you know those awesome lessons you made that the kids loved and really helped them practice their English - while learning about different cultures and being FUN!!

Now is the time to memorialize your awesomeness with the greater Kobe JET community and beyond! Simply go to “Teaching” in the main menu and select “Add lesson” to share your pearl of education.

Housekeeping!

We’re asking any ALTs who have not yet registered their schools or school information to please do so as soon as possible. The list of missing ALTs can be accessed by logging in and accessing the Tools menu in the upper right at:

“Tools” > “Schools” > “Unassigned ALTs”

This is important for KobeJET.com to be the best resource possible – facilitating school event registrations, basic communication between Guidance Division, school staff and ALTs, and upcoming feature support.

What’s new with KobeJET.com?

With many additions to both the behind-the-scenes functionality and user interface, KobeJET.com has a lot to offer!

Now you can:

• Advertise your KICP or DS, locking in those volunteers while making it easier for the CIRs to approve and get everyone’s shuccho forms out early
• Upload and use your favorite songs to teach lyrics and share an immersive, exciting exchange with your students in the original country of karaoke
• Host or explore events happening in and around Kobe
  • You can now set a minimum or maximum number of available spots
• Browse popular and recommended restaurants, sightseeing locations, and more - shout out to Tyler for getting this started!
• Find reward system cards and materials for use in your classes, and add your own
• Ask all your nagging or curiosity questions regarding the mysteries of Kobe JET life;
  • How to fill out forms,  send a furikomi, handle your taxes, or apply for time off
  • Weather warnings, finding a dentist, women’s health information
  • And more!
    • Or submit answers to unanswered questions - by going to “Resources” in the main menu and select “Ask a question!”

How can I help out, and how do I get involved?

There are several ways to get involved with the KobeJET.com website:

• Website development and administration - there will be a meeting in the coming weeks to discuss the development of KobeJET sustainability practices and procedures documentation and select the next site administrators for the website.
• Content management - a small team will be needed to provide content moderation, editing, and maintenance support for the website. Duties will include looking after content for SpeakRaku and the new Songs feature, KICP and DS pages and registration, Information and Glossary, community content, and more.
• Translation - there is already an official KobeJET.com translation team that has been hard at work on the site navigation and content, creating a fully functional Japanese version of the website for use by Kobe City BOE employees, teachers and school staff.

Those interested in website development, administration, and content management can get in touch with David Dowell.

The KobeJET.com translation team points of contact are Bailey Roberts and Isaac Tombleson.

神戸市情報教育基盤サービス　 (こうべしじょうほうきょういくきばんサービス)　Kobe city Information Infrastructure service For education

Travel reimbursement is avaiable for all official shucchou approved by the Guidance Division.

Reimbursement can be recieved by filling out this the attached form and delivering it to the Guidance Division by school mail or in person.

The form is due at the end of every semester on the following dates:

Semester 1 - 31st August
Semester 2 - 25 December
Semester 3 - 25th March

Please read the instructions on the form to make sure you fill it out correctly and there are no problems.

If you take sick leave, this form needs to be stamped by both your Kyoto-sensei and Koucho-sensei before being sent to the Guidance Division.
If you are sick for 5 or more working days (weekends and holidays in between included), you also need to submit a medical certificate. Attached is a pdf of the sick leave form + example of what a medical certificate should look like.

2014 Group B

• August 4 - first official day of work in Kobe

Am I employed by the JET Program... CLAIR... the Kobe School Education Division or BOE......my school?

Your Contracting Organization is the School Education Division of the Kobe City Board of Education. You are allocated by the BOE to work at junior high and elementary schools in the city of Kobe. Neither CLAIR nor the JET Program is your direct employer. For a detailed description of the relationship between CLAIR, the JET Program, Contracting Organizations, and Participants, please refer to Appendix 1 of the General Information Handbook.

Contact information for the School Education Division:

• Kobe City Board of Education, School Education Division, Human Rights and International Education
• 神戸市　教育委員会事務局　学校教育部学校教育課　人権・国際教育担当

• 6-5-1 Kano-cho Chuo-ku, Kobe JAPAN 650-8570
• ６５０－８５７０ 神戸市中央区加納町 ６－５－１

• Located on the 7th floor of building 3 of Kobe City Hall (神戸市役所、３号７F)

Let Sleeping Idioms Lie - a good introduction to popular idioms lessons

1000+ English idioms - a good list categorized by theme

Famous idioms - 50 most useful idioms and their meanings

Idiom site - a comprehensive, multi-page site with many idioms

Wikipedia idiom list - another good list from our friends at wikipedia

The Free Dictionary - idiom of the day, and a good search tool for specific idioms you want to look up

Learn English Today - a good list of idioms organized either alphabetically or by theme

Idioms for kids - a good, short list of idioms

Idioms with pictures - a small, fun site with several idioms and pictures

Bored Panda - strikes again with several idioms with pictures

Today, I am here to discuss something very important to life as a Kobe JET: nenkyuu.

Written as 年休, nenkyuu means “yearly paid leave.” In Kobe, you are granted 20 leave days each year of appointment. These days may be taken in increments of 1 day, 1/2 day (3.5 hours), 2 hours, and 1 hour. Any other increment will be rounded up. Whatever you do not use will roll over to the following year and be added to the base number of 20. However, because the maximum number of leave days is 40, any extra days will not be included in your total nenkyuu count.

Note: nenkyuu is counted separately from summer leave. Even if you have the maximum of 40 days of nenkyuu, you still have 5 days of summer leave in addition to that number.

Depending on the duration and purpose of your nenkyuu, some paperwork must be involved. Which one of the following situations applies to you?

1. I’m taking under 3 days, and I’m not leaving Japan.

No paperwork is necessary. Ask your school staff politely, and make sure that your intended leave does not conflict with any pre-scheduled classes, school events, or Guidance Division-organized events.

2. I’m taking under 3 days, and I’m spending them outside of Japan.

Please submit the Notification of International Travel. You may access a PDF in the Official Document(s) section of the Kobe JET website. Please print this form and fill out all details, including flight and lodging. The form must be stamped by your principal and vice principal before it can be approved by the Guidance Division, and the original copy must be sent to City Hall, no fax.

3. I’m taking over 3 days of leave.

Please submit the Leave of Absence Request Form. You may access a PDF in the Official Document(s) section of the Kobe JET website. If you are traveling internationally, please fill out all details, including flight and lodging. If you are not traveling internationally, please indicate “NA” or “stay at home” in the bottom section. The form must be stamped by your principal and vice principal before it can be approved by the Guidance Division, and the original copy must be sent to City Hall, no fax.

4. I'm taking summer vacation.

In this case, you should probably use summer leave. However, if you intend to use more leave than your remaining summer leave days, see points 1-3.

5. I’m sick.

If you are sick, you do not need to use nenkyuu. You should be using sick leave. （病休）

Before you go, please keep in mind the following two points:

• Do not book travel/lodging until you have received the “okay” from all 3 people – Koucho-sensei (principal), Kyoto-sensei (vice principal), and Guidance Division manager. Please check in with a CIR to confirm that your nenkyuu request has been approved.
• The Guidance Division has the right to reject international travel and/or extended nenkyuu requests if there are conflicts with official ALT training sessions/meetings/events. Please be mindful of the mandatory event schedules sent out by your CIRs.
• Forms must be sent using school mail to the Guidance Division in City Hall. We are not responsible for forms that mistakenly get sent to the KEC. Please confirm that the recipient address is correct when you send your mail.

***The system for this has not been finalized yet, so current submissions will NOT reach your CIRs.

Please send copies of your teiki to the School Education Division via the current CIR's work email. Please send in .pdf or .jpeg format, NOT .html. ***

Once logged in, you can click this link to submit a new teiki.

At any time, you can submit or edit your teikis from your teiki page, which you can find by clicking on the My teikis link under My account in the main navigation menu.

Non-Japanese

• Taylor Swift
• Johnny Depp
• Katy Perry
• Michael Jackson
• Bananaman
• Obama
• Lance Ferguson

Japanese

• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu
• Sho Sakurai
• Haruna Ai
• Maeda Atsuko
• Ichiro
• Matsuko Deluxe
• Tokugawa Ieyasu
• Kimura Takuya
• Crayon Shin Chan

The sun is shining bright, classrooms are heating up, you're melting in your cool biz, and your students have been in their summer uniforms for a while now. You can feel the semester starting to wind down, and it's about time for a vacation. But how do you take summer leave?

"Summer leave?" you ask. "Don't you mean nenkyuu?"

Actually, summer leave is a distinct type of paid special leave. It does not count against nenkyuu. As the name implies, it is granted specifically during the school summer holiday.

Here are the rules:

1) You receive 5 days once per appointment year.**

2) These days may only be used during the holiday period between the last day of Semester 1 (mid-July) and the first day of Semester 2 (September 1). Any vacation taken outside of this period will be counted as nenkyuu.

3) These days do not roll over each year. At the end of the appointment year, whatever summer leave is left unused cannot be saved to be used the following appointment year. Summer leave will simply reset to 5.

4) Same as nenkyuu, be respectful to your school. Ask for permission to take leave in advance, and confirm that taking leave does not interfere with any planned activities.

**It is important to note that the school year is not synonymous with the appointment year. The school year is April 1 - March 31. The appointment year depends on the individual ALT's appointment start date, which is most commonly in April, July, or August.

What does this mean for April JETs?

1st years: Because the 1st appointment year goes from April to April, there is only one summer holiday period within this year. This means that the 5 summer leave days may be used only during that period. Any remaining days are lost.

Short-term appointment between 1st and 2nd year: This appointment goes from April to August. Since there is a summer holiday period in between, summer leave days are granted. However, since the appointment itself is shorter, the total number of days is reduced proportionally.

2nd years: After the short-term appointment, the 2nd appointment year joins the Group B appointment year. Summer leave count resets to 5 days. Refer to the next explanation below!

What does this mean for reappointing Group A and B JETs?

Let's say Person A has their 1st appointment year August 3, 2015 - August 2, 2016. Since the school year is April 10 - March 31 each year, it overlaps in a way that Person A has two summer holiday periods within the same appointment year. This means that the 5 days of summer leave may be used during either of these periods as long as the above three rules are still followed.

For example, Person A uses 3 days of leave during their first summer holiday period (August 3, 2015 - August 31, 2015). They can use the remaining 2 days during the following summer, as long as it is before the end date of their 1st appointment year (mid-July 2016 - August 2, 2016). On August 3, 2016, Person A enters their 2nd appointment year, and the summer leave count resets to 5.

What does this mean for leaving JETs?

During the final year of appointment, leaving JETs are granted a separate type special leave period. This period begins on the day following Semester 1 closing ceremony and continues through the summer holiday period until the final appointment end date. For this reason, remaining summer leave days may not be taken during this time.

To be continued...

This is one of the main events of the Kande Camp, involving the kids trying to accomplish all the location/base/rally-point goals while avoiding the oni(s) who send them back to renew their visas or something and some other stuff.

Purchasing a commuter pass as an employee of Kobe City necessitates a bit of a process. Here's how it's done.

1. If...

a. ...you are a new JET, contact us at the Guidance Division to receive your correct travel route. Just send an email to either of the CIRs, and they will consult with the lovely Mori-san and then get back to you.

b. ...you are a continuing JET and either your home address or school has changed, consult with the Guidance Division for your adjusted travel route.

c. ...you are a continuing JET and nothing has changed, you do not need to do anything until step 5!

This first step is very important. Although fellow JET(s), OTE(s), and other school staff may have input about your route, it is ultimately the Guidance Division that decides how much money you will be reimbursed for commuting to school. Choose any other route than the designated one, and you may be paying more money than you will be reimbursed for.

2. Using the correct travel route, complete the Commute Notification Form, or 通勤届 (tsuukin todoke).

You may write in English. It is on page 21 of the Kobe JET Guidebook, it will be attached below, and it will be uploaded to the "Official Documents" section on this website. You really can't miss it.

3. Make sure the Commute Notification Form gets stamped in the upper left cornder by both your principal (学校長) and vice principal (教頭). Give the form to them, and they will send it to Guidance Division via school mail.

4. If there are still issues, you will be contacted by a CIR.

5. Purchase the pass(es).

Two methods of transportation may be factored into the commute - train and bus. There are several different train and bus lines throughout Kobe. For each different line you transfer to, you will likely have to fill out a separate application. The applications are in Japanese and you will be expected to fill them out in Japanese, but there are some guides attached below. I apologize for the Kita Ward bias, but the information required on these forms hardly changes from region to region!

6. Make a paper copy of each of your commuter passes.

Please, no pictures or LINE/Facebook messages. Again, you may send documents through school mail, and your fellow school staff members will help you navigate this.

7. Repeat whenever something changes with your commute situation, you must submit the commute form within 3 days of the change.

What is a DS?

DS stands for Delivery Service. DS is the same type of program as a KICP, except it is for Elementary school and Kindergarten. Most DS events are based on the theme 英語で遊ぼう (“Let’s Play in English!”), during which ALT(s) present self-introductions to students and teach songs and games from their home countries. Students often prepared their own presentations to show the ALTs as well. Although the title is misleading, ALTs are not actually delivered to the host schools… they are responsible for their own transportation. However, travel reimbursement is usually included.

The DS Planning Process

Links

Events Calendar: http://www.kobejet.com/calendar/month

KICP/DS Registration: http://www.kobejet.com/registration

Paperwork

(For documents, scroll to the bottom)

In general, planning for a DS is very similar to planning for a KICP.

Once the potential dates/times and activities have been discussed with your school, your school must submit a DS proposal form. Same rules apply, but the document is a bit different. The form is called 様式1号「外国人指導助手派遣申込書」.

This time, recruitment is the CIR’s responsibility. First, a general email will be sent out to the Kobe JET Google Group, but if no ALTs volunteer themselves, prepare to be contacted directly at your school. No further steps are required for the ALT of the host school beyond finalizing the activity schedule and sharing that information with ALT volunteers. However, if the ALT and/or host school have ideas of specific participants, please get in touch with Guidance Division about them. After the list is finalized, the CIR will take care of 様式2号.

Once the host school receives 様式2号, they will write up 様式3号ALT派遣依頼 and send a copy to each volunteer's base school.

All that's left to do is enjoy!

What is a KICP?

KICP stands for Kobe International Caravan Program. Kobe ALTs and CIR(s) usually use the acronym KICP to refer to both individual events and the program itself. This is a program through which various Junior High or Senior High schools around Kobe City host activities that focus on English communication and/or cultural exchange, in place of regular classes. The host school invites ALT volunteers to help organize the activities and interact with students in English. Some popular themes for KICPs include “International Day,” which focuses on introducing ALTs from different countries, and “Immersion Lesson,” in which ALTs conduct a class completely in English on a subject other than the English language.

Sounds like fun, right? Here’s how to get started.

The KICP Planning Process

This is a 2017 update of the 2016 update of the “Your Guide to a Stress-Free, Awesome KICP” article originally published on Speak Raku in 2012. In the past five years, some changes have been made to both the process and to the website for Kobe JETs (i.e. it is an entirely new website), so we hope that everyone finds this guide useful.

Links

Events Calendar: http://www.kobejet.com/calendar/month

KICP/DS Registration: http://www.kobejet.com/registration

Paperwork

(For documents, scroll to the bottom)

In principle, the ALT is not responsible for any paperwork. This is the job of the school and OTE(s). However, in the planning stages, you may see a proposal form being passed around. This form is called KICP様式第1号「神戸国際人育成プログラム」実施計画書. It can be found in the KIIF network, and perhaps a teacher or administrator will recognize what and where this document is.

The form has space to indicate the desired number of ALT volunteers and up to 3 preferred dates/times. Please fill in everything, but understand that 1) depending on ALT availability you may not ultimately gather the exact number of volunteers, or 2) depending on other KICPs held around the same time you may not receive your first date/time preference. In most cases, only one KICP may be held per day.

Although the ALT and OTE might brainstorm in English, the form must ultimately be written in Japanese by the OTE. This is not only for comprehension among Japanese staff members, but also for liability reasons since a Japanese teacher must be the one responsible for their students.

Once the form is completed, it must be officially stamped by kocho-sensei, and the original must be sent via school mail to the 学校教育課 (School Education Division). A scan or fax will not be accepted, unless the original is submitted first.

3-4 months prior

• School/OTE/ALT begin discussing the idea of hosting a KICP. At this point, the theme and activities should be decided, and schedules should be checked for possible event dates and times.
• School submits the KICP proposal form（様式第1号）to the School Education Division. KICP dates are decided on a first-come, first-serve basis, so the earlier the better.
• School Education Division receives the proposal form and contacts the host school to confirm date and time.

Only after this follow-up can any other steps be taken in the planning process. Do not recruit volunteers until Form 1 is received by us.

2-3 months prior

• Host school’s ALT begins recruiting volunteers. Volunteer recruitment for KICPs is the responsibility of the ALT. The CIR(s) cannot help with this.

Social media, word of mouth, email, and Kobe JET Google Group are all acceptable methods of communication. To clarify, Kobe JET Google Group is used primarily by CIR(s), but may also be utilized by ALTs for strictly work-related matters. When in doubt, please check with a CIR.

ALTs must absolutely get permission from their school(s) before they can be counted as volunteers.

2-3 weeks prior

• Once the desired number of volunteers has been gathered, host school’s ALT should send a list of participants (names and school names) to a CIR via email.

Notify a CIR immediately if there are any changes to the volunteer list after the initial submission of names.

Very often, ALTs give the list to OTEs expecting them to forward it to the School Education Division. HOWEVER, there is a 99.9% chance that OTEs do not know a CIR's email address, and will not send the list.

• School Education Division sends the host school the official “okay,” by returning a form called 様式第2号「神戸国際人育成プログラム」実施承認書.
• The host school uses that form （様式第2号）to complete 様式第3号, better known as shuccho forms. Yes, that’s right, the shuccho forms don’t actually come from the SED office. It is ultimately the host school’s responsibility to send them out. The full Japanese name of the shuccho form is 様式第3号「神戸国際人育成プログラム」実施に伴う外国人英語指導助手の派遣について（依頼）.

1-2 weeks prior

• Get in touch with ALT volunteers. Make sure everyone knows how to access the school and clarify anything that should be prepared for KICP day (presentations, props, lunch, etc.)

KICP Day

• Enjoy!
• Take plenty of pictures.

Kobe City has specific rules about taking pictures in school:

• Host school’s ALT must be given clear permission by the school to take pictures.
• Pictures must be taken by the school staff (including that school’s ALT) but NOT by ALTs from other schools.
• Pictures must be taken on a camera issued by the school. Host school’s ALT must not use any other device such as mobile phone or personal camera.
• Pictures must be transferred only to school computers using equipment issued by the school. No personal USB drives.

Post-KICP

• The host school sends a report back to School Education Division called 様式第4号「神戸国際人育成プログラム」実施報告書. Please feel free to include any pictures of the event as well!
• The KICP process is officially complete.

Please cooperate with your OTE/school to ensure that these steps are taken in the correct order, and that everyone stays on top of the process so shuccho can be approved in a timely manner. This will certainly make it easier for all involved and significantly reduce miscommunications.

You have 3 options: 

1. Take Byoukyuu (Sick Leave)

2. Take Nenkyuu (Paid Leave)

3. Take Tokkyuu (Special Leave)

Byokyuu (can only be taken in full-day increments)

Call your principal to let them know that you will be taking sick leave. The first day you take leave, go to a clinic/hospital/pharmacy to get a checkup/medicine. Make sure to get a receipt that has both your full name and the date printed on it. When you return, fill out the Sick Leave Form and have it stamped by both your Principal and Vice Principal. Then submit it with your receipt to the Education Division. 

If you are sick for 5 or more days (including weekends and holidays within your sick leave period) within a one-month period, you must get a medical certificate from your doctor and submit that to the Education Division as well. 

Nenkyuu (can be taken in hourly, half-day or full-day increments)

Not recommended, but if you really can't see a doctor to get that receipt, it is possible to use your precious nenkyuu. No paperwork required, just call your school to let your Principal know.

Tokkyuu (can only be taken in half-day or full-day increments)

This type of leave is rare and granted very sparingly. In the case of taking it instead of sick leave, women can take it for menstrual pain as unpaid leave.