Summer holiday homework at Japanese primary school

The hot summer is here in Japan.
It is bright and humid.
It was the last of the first term at most of the Japanese schools and the children brought back a lot of summer holiday homework today.

Because summer holiday takes place in the middle of the Japanese school year rather than in between each grade, it is treated as an important time to review what the children learnt since April.
It is truly a big headache for both parents and children to battle over piles of piles of homework.

Here are 11 assignments for Year 3 students.

1. One line diary ('ichigyou nikki' 一行日記) ... Every day for 6 weeks
2. Book report ('dokusho kansou bun'　読書感想文) ... 1200 words
3. Research project (’jiyu kenkyu' 自由研究)
4. Plants observation log ('kansatsu card' 観察カード)
5. Picture diary ('e nikki' 絵日記)
6. Workbook for literacy, math, science and social science ('natsuyasumi doriru' 夏休みドリル)
7. Poster drawing ('zukou no poster' 図工のポスター)
8. Recorder and melodica practice ('ongaku' 音楽)
9. Short book reviews ('dokusho card' 読書カード)
10. Sending summer greetings cards to the class teacher ('shochu mimai' 暑中見舞い)
11. Picture diary for ecology (エコ絵日記)

(Above picture is for the 'plant observation diary' assignment. My daughter somehow decided to grow 'okura'. We cannot let it die until we complete the assignment.)
The amount of each assignments is not that great but it requires the everyday's efforts, wherever, however the children are.

There is always a reminder in the school newsletter to keep up the healthy daily routine during six weeks summer holiday.　
早寝早起き、規則正しい生活を送りましょう。
'Early to bed and early to rise, and keep up a healthy lifestyle during holidays'.

The long and busy summer holiday has started.
Y★