M.C. Perry Schools start new school year

Photo By Sgt. Stephen Campbell | Children attend class during their first day of the 2018-19 school year at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Aug. 27, 2018. This is the second year that the Matthew C. Perry Schools and facilities have been available to service members’ children on the air station. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Stephen Campbell)  

MCAS IWAKUNI, YAMAGUCHI, JAPAN

08.30.2018

Story by Lance Cpl. Stephen Campbell 

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

Teachers and students attended their first day of the 2018-19 school year at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Aug. 27, 2018.

This is the second year that the new Matthew C. Perry Schools and facilities have been available to service members’ children on the air station.

“Our mission for the school is to empower students and achieve excellence in scholarship, character, and citizenship through collaborative and independent lifelong learning in a global community,” said Kylie Mosshart, the office clerk for M.C. Perry Elementary School. “More importantly we want to foster an environment where they feel comfortable, safe and enjoy coming to school every morning.”

Mosshart also mentioned that the schools have made many improvements since opening last year.

“We have installed an amazing security system where I am able to lock and unlock every door in this building with a simple click of a mouse,” said Mosshart. “We’ve also made some upgrades cosmetically to the school and changed some classrooms around to create more space for the children. The upstairs garden and landscape area will be also open for the students to use this year.”

While the schools may have upgraded cosmetically and logistically, the schools have also prepared for the air station’s growing population.

“We have definitely been able to grow with the community as more people come in,” said Mosshart.

The elementary, middle and high schools are all on Powahatan Street and the Provost Marshal’s Office will have traffic guards to provide the children with the opportunity to cross the roads safely.

“The traffic guards will also be at traffic control points to promote a steady flow of traffic and prevent jams or accidents,” said Lance Cpl. Justin Ayers, a military policeman with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron.

Ayers also said that motor vehicle operators should pay attention to the difference between green and white crosswalks located around base.

“The main difference between the green crosswalks and the rest of the crosswalks is that the green ones show the children the most direct route to school if they walk,” said Ayers.

All air station residents should show their children the proper way to cross a crosswalk such as, “Look right, left, right again,” before crossing. If children ride their bicycles, they must dismount the bicycle and walk it across the crosswalk.

• Date Taken: 08.30.2018
• Date Posted: 08.30.2018 00:40
• Story ID: 290847
• Location: MCAS IWAKUNI, YAMAGUCHI, JP