Volume 62, No. 31 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, September 16,1993
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Japanese teachers visit Perquimans Schools
By SUSAN R. HARMS
Egjor
It was a week neither Sid and
Candy Eley nor Fumio Munakata
will ewer forget. For one week, the
Eleys opened their doors to Mu
nakata. It was an experience all
three will hold in their hearts for
a lifetime.
“It’s been wonderful.” Sid
said of having Munakata stay in
his home. “He has fit in. He's
been one of the family."
Candy was equally pleased
with the host experience.
“His generosity has just over
whelmed us. and he's been so
easy to please.” Candy said.
“I feel like we were very fortu
nate (to have hosted Munakata).
I just feel like we had one of the
best."
Munakata returned the El
eys' compliments.
“I really enjoyed it," he said.
Munakata came to Perqui
mans through the Japanese En
glish Teacher's Project, a cultural
exchange program sponsored by
the N.C. Center for International
Understanding, the Council on
International Educational Ex
change and the Japanese Min
v Istiy of Education.
He was one of 10 Japanese
English teachers who spent last
week in the county. The guests
were housed by Perquimans
County teachers, and spent their
days in the local school system
and their free time learning more
about life in America.
The Eleys took Munakata to
the Outer Banks, football games,
and around the county, and in
troduced him to a lot of new ex
periences - not the least oLwhich -
was American food. His favorite
culinary treats were seafood, es
pecially soft-shell crabs, pork
barbecue and hush puppies.
The famous turtles on the lew
in the Perquimans River just on
the causeway reminded Muna
kata of home. In Japan, turtles
are a symbol of longevity. Turtles
are said to live 10.000 years.
Cranes are a second Japa
nese symbole of long life, and are
also a symbole of good wishes.
Paper cranes might be sent to
someone to wish him a speedy
recovery from Illness or could be
fashioned into a mobile to wish a
sports team luck.
Munakata is skilled at ori
gami. paper art. He made about
100 cranes while here, and
shared the art with students at
, Perquimans Middle School.
The educator was impressed
with the closeness of the resi
- dents of Perquimans.
“Everyone is very nice to
Japanese English teachers visited Perquimans County last
. week as .part of .an educational cultural exchange program. The
group of visitors and hosts gathered Saturday at Perquimans
High School for a traditional southern pork and chicken barbe
cue. Enjoying the meal are (left to right) Satoko Tsunabachi,
Kathy Ansink, Masao Kondo, Linda Long and Ervin Long. After
the terbecuer the-group moved-to 1812 on the Perquimans,
where they enjoyed tea on the lawn and listened to the sounds
of the Claymon Sawyer family. (Photo by Susan Harris)
each other,” he said. “You know
each other very well."
In his hometown of over 1
million. Munakata said he knows
few families in his neighborhood.
Another difference in Japa
nese and American life in the
Americans' greater amount of lei
sure time. The Japanese work
longer hours. For example.
Candy said Munakata told her it
is not unusual for a Japanese
teacher to get home from work at
9 p.m. v
It is also more expensive to
live in Japan than in America.
The biggest , expense in Japan is
housing. Munakata said his
house, a two-story structure on a
30-by-30-foot lot. would sell for
at least $300,000 in today's mar
ket. That price could easily esca
late to $1 million in Tokyo, where
land is hard to find.
One cup of coffee sells for $5
7 in Japan. A canned soft drink
is $1. And the ice cream Muna
kata said he enjoyed at Wood
ard’s Pharmacy for' about 75
cents would run about, $3 in his
native land.
Munakata said he was
amazed at the prices of Japanese
products sold in the U.S. Before
leaving to come here, Munakata
said he bought a camera, a Pen
tax ESP 10115. for about $460.
He found it in this country for
around $250. On the whole, Mu
nakata found Japanese products
to cost twice as much in Japan
as in America.
Students were one thing Mu
nakata found to be the same on
both sides of the world. He said
some talk in class and must be
called down in both systems.
“It’s the same everywhere,”
he said.
He was impressed with Sid’s
ability to control his students.
“Mr. Eley often says, 'Excuse me,
excuse me,’ and ms students get
quiet,” Munakata said. “The dis
cipline here is good.”
Students are rarely sent to
the principal’s office in Japan.
Munakata said principals ba
sically supervise teachers, and
are only called in as a last resort
in discipline matters. Japanese
teachers try to resolve behavior
problems on the classroom level
first. If that Is not successful, the
offending student’s homeroom
teacher or grade level chairman
is called in. Parents are also noti
fied and are expected to put a
stop to the unsatisfactory behav
ior.
There are about 20 junior
high schools, serving 7th, 8th
and 9th graders, in Munakata’s
hometown. He teaches English in
a three-story facility housing
about 500 students. The school
years runs from April through
March.
Japanese students take nine
subjects in junior high school.
Considered the core subjects are
Japanese language, social stud
ies, math, science and English
language. Students are tested in
those five before moving on to se
nior high school. Students also
take music, fine arts, homemak
ing and industrial arts and phys
leal education. Each week
students have one hour of moral
education, a subject Candy said
she'd like to see introduced in
American schools. Also offered
are club activities, sports and
cultural classes, such as the
proper way to conduct a Japa
nese tea ceremony.
Students in Japan attend
schools Monday-Friday and on
Saturday mornings.
The Eleys said they learned
to appreciate Perquimans
County and many things about
the local school system through
their visit with Munakata.
“His visit has made us real
ize how lucky we are to be
here,” Candy said.
The local couple said they
were a little apprehensive about
hosting an exchange teacher,
but Munakata put them so
much at ease they hated to see
him leave. Their guest shared
the sentiment.
“I really hate to say good
bye,” he said.
Munakata told the Eleys be
fore leaving Sunday that he
wants to come back to the
United States. While he doesn’t
think he’ll ever be chosen again
for the cultural exchange pro
gram, he told the Eleys he will
retire in seven years, and plans
to come back for another visit.
Munakata said so much of
his visit was positive, it was dif
ficult to say what he liked best
about the United States. “Every
thing was interesting," he said.
“It’s hard to say which was the
most interesting.
"I enjoyed the life here
most," Munakata finally said.
Perquimans teachers who
hosted Japanese teachers in
cluded the Eleys, Georgia Stal
lings - Koii Miyazaki, Freda
Nelson - Toshiaki Takahara,
Hollis Williams - Hiroyuki Toyo
naga, Maureen Pasternak - Ta
kaka Chamoto, Randall Henion -
Makota Ino, Edna Wolberton,
Katsunori Furumae, Kathy An
sink -Satoko Tsunaduchi, Linda
Long - Masao Kondo, and Art
Simmons - Kokei Nabeshima.
Pasquotank and Camden coun
ties also hosted exchange teach
ers.
While here, the teachers
taught classes, observed classes,
learned about the history of the
county, enjoyed a traditional
southern pork barbecue at the
high school, and were served tea
on the lawn of 1812 on the Per
quimans complete with music by
the Claymon Sawyer family.
Artists Four showcases local talent
v' ^ :r
By SUSAN R. HARMS
; Editor
Worts took a back seat to an to the Perqui
mans County Ubraty Monday evening, whan
Ms ftur opened with raws reviews.
Over 130 guests attended the opening, which
featured works by Becky France, Jknmye Heyes.
Jesse Parker Perry and Dale Ban. The artists
sold about a dozen works valued at about
12,300, 30 percent of which will go to the b
s brary for Improventsiss In computer resources ■,
and purchasing audkwlaual and print mated Ms.
, A* artists soh worn.
S' ‘1 think It superceded everybody's expects-'
Sons," Ranee said. *T just fMl so successful
, that we wets able to do this."
Renee said the comments made to the artists
and those who hefoad with the show wera over
mantary telephone calls Tueattey morning.
The art show and aale ooncapt was concekred
by Ranee. The show is an effort to create,
awareness of and appreciation for art. show
case the talent of local artists, participate in
tM ram aunwiwr rwiw mo i
' for the library. ^
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' W
CO^
SPECIAL
INDIAN
SUMMER
EDITION
Next Week
23rd
“I think it
Rebecca France
' Local artist
rrr
■ ft-:
Dm show's opening drew people from ad
•cross the Albemarle area.
franoe Is a watercolorist who takes ordinary
subjects and brings them to lite on canvass.
She strives for design, color, atmosphere and
enecutkx) in her work. Her paintings have been
shown in the Pasquotank Arts Council Gallery,
In a juried natkmat show in Goldsboro and In
Charleston. S.C.
Hayes has always been interested in art She
uses vivid color and mixed-meda to create bold
worts. Nature Is her favorite subject. Her work
has been dhplayed at community art festivals.
An artist and sculptor for 40 years. Perry pre
fers wood as Ns media and Impressionistic
whdkfe as his subjects. Perry's work is thought
ful and thought-provoking, as he often uses Ns
commitment to the environment as the theme
for Ns creations. His work has been shown to
Elizabeth City. Nags Head and New York City.
Bad. a resident of Moyock. has been drawing
aim* she was a child, and recently earned aV
bachelor of arts to fine arts from Elizabeth City
State University. She Is a very versatile artisi,
working in pen and ink, pencil, oils and water
ook?;. Her subjects are most often birds, plants
and smad still Utes of feetyday objects. Her
work has been shewn from Kitty Hawk to Ha
Contributions were received from Centura Bank.
Brian Canter/Kertford. Albemarle Plantation.
Carden Printing Company and the Perquimans
County Extension Homemakers. The library
board and vototeere put in many hours orga
nWng and promoting the show.
The art show and ssie wiB continue thro'jgn the
tsxJisri Sommer Festival. Sept. 25, Pieces pur
chased may be picked up iruro die library on
fcSoextey. Sept 27. Thirty percent of the pur
chase price is Ux deductible. '• .
■ $
Perquimans sculptor Jesse Parker Perry makes a statement
about environmental concerns with this piece on display now
at the Perquimans County Library’s first Artists Four art show
laid sals. The show opened to rave reviews Monday evening.
itwiN run through Sept 25.{Photo by Susan Harris
A
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Schools save bucks with
audit recommendations
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor__
The Perquimans County
School system will save about
$50,000 this fiscal year be
cause several suggestions
made in a June 1992 state au
dit report have been imple
mented.
Schools superintendent
Randall L. Henion said re
cently that the major savings
have come from administrative
reorganization at the middle
school and placing transporta
tion and maintenance under a
single supervisor.
At the time of the audit,
Perquimans Middle School was
served by co-principals, syph
oning over $10,(XX) of local
funds because the state funds
a principal and an assistant
principal. The county had to
kick in the difference in the
salary and benefits of a princi
pal and assistant principal.
During the audit, the
maintenance and transporta
tion departments each had a
supervisor. When transporta
tion director Lloyd "Pete" Rid
dick retired, maintenance
director Richard O’Neal was
assigned to supervise both de
partments.
Other recommendations of
the audit dealt with the super
intendent's wide span of con
trol, unclear lines of authority,
staff reporting responsibilities,
lack of a staff organizational
chart developing written poll
cies and procedures, docu
menting employee work loads,
developing job descriptions
and better credit card control.
Henion said all those issues
have been addressed since the
system received the audit re
port.
The audit also stated that
the schools overspent on
workshop meals and refresh
ments, and should move in
line with state limits. Henion
said that, too, has been done,
and spending is carefully mon
itored.
Henion said there have
been Improvements made in
completing and submitting
vouchers.
Six other audit recommen
dations are presently being ad
dressed, Henion said. The
suggestions include:
*cross-trainlng staff mem
bers:
’developing performance
evaluations and making sure
employees are evaluated;
’providing assistance for
employees performing below
par and inplemendng proce
dures for removal;
•lack of communication;
•requiring instructional su
pervisory staff to set school
visitation schedules and re
spond to requests for help;
and
•improving Ineffective time
management in die mainte
nance department. -
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Vi' sih'i&'Xks *