Support the Japanese Research Residency

Support the Japanese Research Residency

Dear Oya No Kai families,

As you know, children who are enrolled in one of the Dual Language Immersion programs have been expecting a culminating project in 8th grade as part of the curriculum design. There are many names for this: “Research Residency”, “Capstone Project”, and “8th grade trip (to Japan, China or Vietnam)”.

The Capstone Project this Spring 2024 and all future Capstone trips are in danger of being curtailed and we need your help NOW as well as over the next few months to advocate for our kids’ curriculum. In doing so we can ensure the decades long precedent and proven Research Residency culminates with this opportunity in going to the country associated with their language program. Even if your child is not a current 8th grader, we are appealing to the families of all DLI program students – past, present, and future – for help.

Earlier this month, we received disturbing news that certain PPS administrators decided the capstone project is not a “very exceptional case.” Wording is important because this designation of NOT being a “very exceptional case” does not allow students to be in the country for over 5 days, according to a strict interpretation of the current PPS policy.

This designation undermines the educational curriculum that our students have been preparing for since Kindergarten. These programs are exceptional and represent the culmination of nine years of devotion of our students, teachers, interns, administrators, families, and community members who have been coordinating and conducting these exchanges for over 20 years. These Research Residency projects will be inoperable under this new designation.

We need PPS to hear your voice and your story in encouraging the administration to reverse this decision and make the Capstone Project a ‘very exceptional case’ again.

Please write directly to Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero and cc the following PPS administrators using the template attached here. Personalize your email and share your unique perspective, in the areas highlighted in yellow. Please be sure to cc the school’s DLI Capstone leaders as well.

Thanks in advance for being fierce in your advocacy for kids to remain in this very exceptional project the way it was intended.

Download the email template

NOTE: This version of the template, originally designed for all 8th grade DLI families to use, has been slightly altered to allow non-8th-grade families to easily adapt it to their own situation. Please personalize as appropriate!