We wish you a Happy New Year!!

  I hope you had a reinvigorating and relaxing New Year's vacation! I certainly did! It was nice to stay in Japan and not travel abroad to the U.S. this year. I miss my family in America, but I don't miss spending a lot of time at airports and in airplanes. It was nice to just relax at home. I also enjoyed going ice-skating with my kids and playing some cards games with the family. I feel refreshed and ready for another great year. What did you do during winter vacation? Were you able to recharge? Are you ready for another year?

  Thank you to everyone who joined our Xmas Party last month. We hope you had an amazing time at the party, enjoyed meeting Santa and took home some time presents. We were thankful that Santa took the time out of his busy schedule to visit us again last month. We were also lucky to have some amazing volunteers last month helping us out! Thank you so much for your help!!

  One thing on my mind this month is the presidential inauguration and the start of Donald Trump's 2nd term in office. As I have said before, America is very divided. I worry that there may be even more division when Trump is in office, and I hope that America remains peaceful and there are no major catastrophes!

  Good luck to all you test takers this month! You can do it!! We are cheering for you!

　明けましておめでとうございます。今年もよろしくお願いします！

　新年のお休みはリフレッシュして、のんびり過ごせましたか？私はゆっくりできて、とても充実したお正月でした！今年はアメリカへ帰国せず、日本で過ごしました。アメリカの家族に会えなくて寂しい気持ちもありますが、空港や飛行機で長い時間を過ごさなくてよかったです。家でリラックスしたり、子どもたちと一緒にアイススケートに行ったり、家族でカードゲームを楽しんだりしました。本当にリフレッシュできたので、新しい年を迎える準備は万全です！

　先月のクリスマスパーティーに参加してくださった皆さん、本当にありがとうございました！楽しい時間を過ごしていただけましたか？サンタさんに会ったり、プレゼントをもらったたりして、素敵な思い出ができたなら嬉しいです。先月もサンタさんが忙しい中で時間を作ってくれて感謝しています。そして、先月も素晴らしいボランティアの方々に助けていただき、とても幸運でした。本当にありがとうございました！

　今月、アメリカでの大統領就任式と、ドナルド・トランプ氏の2期目のスタートです。以前にもお話ししましたが、アメリカはとても分断されています。トランプ氏が再び大統領になることでさらに分断が進むのではないかと心配しています。アメリカが平和を保ち、大きな混乱が起きないことを願っています。

　最後に、今月受験がある皆さん、頑張ってください！きっとできると信じています。私たちも皆さんを応援していますよ！

Have you heard this?

  When winter arrives, we all look for ways to stay warm and relax. One great English expression that fits this season is “chill out,” which means to relax and unwind. It’s funny because “chill” also means to feel cold, but in this phrase, it’s all about calming down. For example, after a busy holiday season, you might say, “I need to chill out with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa.” Another popular phrase is “ring in the new year,” which means to celebrate the start of the new year, often with friends, family, or a special event. How do you plan to ring in the new year? I hope you have plenty of time to chill out during New Year's!!!