It was an incredibly momentous morning at Singleton High School celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Singleton and Takahata sister school friendship.
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On Friday August 5, in celebration of the long lasting friendship between the two sister schools, staff and students from Singleton High, Takahata High and members of Singleton Council got their hands dirty planting a series of cherry blossom trees to mark the special milestone.
The cherry blossom trees were generously given from a range of individuals, families, organisations and businesses while star pickets and tree guards were kindly donated from Singleton Bunnings and Singleton Council.
The cherry blossom planting ceremony showcased a range of Singleton’s cultural values and talents including a fantastic performance from the Banda-Ra dance group, a cover of ‘Lean on Me’ from the CAPA faculty and a creative Takahata-Singleton hat dance to Waltzing Matilda, which got the crowd up on their feet.
Former Singleton High School Japanese teacher Desley Pfeffer also shared her knowledge of the Takahata- Singleton relationship with the guests. Desley was the first ever Japanese language teacher at Singleton High and presented a brilliant speech partially in Japanese before translating to English.
Principal Jo Gray told guests in her address that the planted cherry blossom trees were not only a symbol of Japan, but a reminder of the longevity and continual growth of the Takahata and Singleton friendship.
Similarly, a Takahata representative said that she hoped the relationship would continue to grow strong, just as the cherry blossoms will.
The 20th anniversary celebration also coincided with the Takahata exchange student’s arrival in Singleton. On August 2, the group of 15 students and four staff members from Takahata High arrived and will spend the coming week at Singleton High School.
While in Singleton, the Takahata exchange group will also enjoy a tree top adventure walk and a vineyard trip.
The cherry blossom planting ceremony was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the 20 years of friendship, reciprocal visits and mutual learning through cultural exchange with the people of Takahata.