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Watson Elementary welcomes visitor from Japan
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Neighbors | Submitted.Visitor Keiko-san Okabe (far left) observed reading specialist Bonnie Sovik as she taught a group of Watson students. Okabe is a teacher in Japan and wanted to observe how American students learn how to read.
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Neighbors | Submitted.During her visit to Watson, Keiko-san Okabe learned from the American students as well as the Austintown students learning from her experiences as well. Kindergarten teacher Trish Reider (back left), Shelia Palombo, Okabe (back right) smiled with Reider's kindergarten class after a day of mutual discovery.
By SARAH FOOR
Watson Elementary School recently welcomed a visitor from halfway around the world.
Keiko-san Okabe, from Kariya City, Japan, was interested in observing the ways life is different in the United States than in Japan.
Okabe was invited to Watson by second-grade teacher Trish Reider. Okabe’s husband works for Delphi in Japan and was visiting America to tour Delphi’s Ohio operations in Warren, where Reider’s husband also works.
In her native Japan, Okabe is a teacher.
During her visit to Watson, Okabe visited Trish Reider’s kindergartner classroom to observe how reading was taught in an American classroom.
Okabe gathered a wealth of information in observations of classes throughout Watson.
Okabe also visited Debbie Calcagni’s kindergarten class, watched reading specialist Bonnie Sovik at work, observed first- and second-grade students, and checked in on the class of technology teacher T.J. Parker.
Okabe said that she was impressed with Watson, and very appreciative that school principal Sheila Palombo allowed her to visit the various classrooms during her first trip to the United States.