A: I am Kaiyaki Kisu (K). The principal at Matsuiwa Junior High School.

I am Mikiko Mori (M). The homeroom teacher for group three of the first-year students at Matsuiwa Junior High School. I am a home economics teacher.

 

A: K- I was in the same position.

M- I was a third grade homeroom teacher at the time of the earthquake. Those students have graduated so I am now a first grade homeroom teacher. 

 

A: K- For a time, this school was used as a temporary shelter for a large number of parents and people in the surrounding area. 

 

A: K- This school fulfilled the role of temporary shelter for a period of time. When the earthquake happened, people came here for shelter. However, because the school is not equipped with facilities for lodging, the evacuees could not stay here for long. Though many people stayed here on the night of the earthquake, by the next day they moved on to a second evacuation shelter. By the second day, almost everyone had moved and started sheltering in a separate place, so there weren't people sheltering here for a long period of time. In Kesennuma city, there were several schools used as secondary shelters. Those schools have stores of blankets, food, and other supplies. At places like those, it is possible to have evacuees stay and shelter. This school wasn't appropriate for that type of role, so after initial sheltering from the disaster and the safety of the evacuees was confirmed, they were moved to a second shelter. In this regard, I think we did a good job in fulfilling our role. 

 

A: M- There were no evacuees in the gym, however, it became a support center so we were unable to use it. After that, temporary housing was built on the school grounds so students could not carry on with club activities. The school buildings were relatively undamaged, so once classes restarted things have gone relatively smooth. One unfortunate thing was that the third graders' graduation ceremony was no able to be held as it has been in the past. As their homeroom teacher, I thought that was very unfortunate since I wanted them to have a proper graduation. 

 

A: K- The thing that I thought was most important was to reopen school as soon as possible. Until school reopened, the students were in their respective homes and unable to have contact with each other. In those conditions, they were anxious and in despair. I wanted to gather the students at school as soon as possible and reassure them. Also, I wanted to resume classes as fast as I could to create a place where students could feel reassured. We had various problems, but I think carying on school activities as they were before was very important. 

M- The fact that the school is really the center of the community was reconfirmed for me. People gather and bring information, they come to shelter, and children come to learn at school. It also serves as part of the community for the temporary shelters built on its grounds and plays a large role in the region. 

 

A: K- We reopened the school two weeks later than normal. When school reopened, the students expressed great joy. They were happy to met their friends and come to school. Looking at their expressions, there weren't any students who looked gloomy or depressed. They were all talking with each other and we didn't see a student that looked depressed or made us worry. But there were student who had lost their mother or father. At the time, they were happy, but I think that was a particular mental state experienced from being reunited with each other. I thought they weren't seeing reality and the difficult conditions that lay ahead. I thought it important to provide counseling and mental care over an extended period of time. This wasn't an issue of one or two students. Rather, there were many students with various reactions to the disaster. I used a counseling system that could take measures to address all these issues. 

 

A: M- In my class, there is a student whose mother is missing and her house was completely destroyed. She had to transfer to this school because she couldn't be in her previous district. Every day she completes 4 or 5 pages in her study note. She is living with a relative now and says she is having a lot of fun, but I think the reason she studies so hard is to not have free time. She is trying her hardest at school and club activities and has never said a word about it being painful or difficult. Even in the results of our surveys, she says she is having fun too. I am very worried that eventually her strained feelings will break. On the other hand, there were students who were relatively unaffected by the disaster. When the temporary housing was built in the schoolyard, they complained that they couldn't have club activities anymore. I thought there was some ill will. I think there is a big gap between the students who were directly affected and those who were not. Also, students who I didn't think were deeply affected, because their homes handn't sustained any damage, had the experience of, for example, losing a relative, which was painful and deeply affected them. They don't express it, but in counseling or surveys it comes out that they can't sleep at night or that going near the ocean is scary. I feel that we can't just judge students externally. Internally each of them has complicated feelings concerning the disaster that are still undigested. 

 

A: K- As a principal, I depend on the homeroom teacher as the first line of support. The homeroom teacher pays attention to the students and interacts with them carefully. At the same time, the school nurse is also interacting with the students. There is also a school counselor who counsels specific students on painful or worrying issues, and works to relieve those feelings. 

M- As a homeroom teacher, I think staying close to the students and sympathizing with their feelings is the most important. My own house was destroyed, but I didn't lose anyone. Compared to what happened to the students, my own situation isn't that horrible. However, I want to use my own experience to help sympathize with the students. I also want to coordinate a school where students can relax and be their true selves in their class. 

 

A: M- By talking with students about little things and working to return to normal, little by little normalcy returns and I feel mentally supported. When the disaster happened, I couldn't return home for a time and stayed at the school for about two weeks. During that time, my co-teachers, their funny stories, our mutual encouragement, and the realization that I am not alone gave me courage. My family also helped me. My father was a civil servant and always told me that when something happens, civil servants work for the people. Because of this, I felt it natural that school should take priority over my own house. So I left my house to my family and decided to put all my efforts into my work. I was just selected for temporary housing two days ago and I am still staying at a relative's house, where I need to be considerate, so I don't think I can say I have relaxed in the true sense of the word. When I went to America on a Fulbright scholarship, seeing Japan from the outside was very beneficial for me. At that time, I wondered if it was really OK for me to go, but I am glad that I did.

 

A: M- On the surface, there hasn't been a big change in the relationships between the students. There are students who suffered from the disaster and those who didn't, but their relationships haven't changed. However, from listening to parents who didn't suffer any tragedies,  they feel the students who suffered from and overcame the disaster have really grown up. Comparatively, their own children haven't changed at all. On that issue, those with and those without a tragic experience, even in the same town, has infuenced the character of the children according to these parents. From my position close to the students, I don't feel there has been much of a change. 

K- From my vantage point, the children enjoy coming to school and meeting their friends. I feel like it is the first time they realized coming to school was this fun. There are students who were and were not affected by the disaster, but even the students who were affected, from my perspective, aren't morose. When they return to their shelters or temporary housing, they may be more depressed and gloomy, but I think being able to practice and do activities with other students raises their spirits. That is why I thought I must quickly reopen the school, gather the students, and restart regular school activities. 

 

A: K- I opened the school when facilities were broken and unrepaired and there wasn't sufficient electricity or water. During that period, the most beneficial thing was the teachers' bright attitude, positive thinking, and enthusiasm for the students. The conditions weren't easy, but I felt that each teacher's passion for education was vitally important. I asked the teachers to convey that passion to the students. I think this was the most important thing. 

M- I feel the same way. In the days after the disaster, things have been cleaned up and put back together, but the mental care of the students is truly a long process. We must not rush it. Also, it is important for us to teach students various things when educating them, but from my experience, it is important to give the students not just an understanding of, but rather a preparation for them to have humanity and the strength to act.