“My name is Takako Tajiri. I am the assistant to the middle school and the high school principals. So I support the two principals everyday and the running of the school. My main job is attendance — as you know, since I’m often walking around school to locate students.

I was hired by the school in 1995, so it’s been 27 years! I started in the KJS office, which was in the current nurse’s office. I think since I’ve been here for 27 years my memory could be incorrect, but I worked in the KJS for around 10 years, and after that I worked for a year and half in the workroom and as a grade 1 assistant.

After I returned from maternity leave, I started on the PR team, promoting the school, so I was making posters and publishing the weekly principal’s newsletter. I also updated the school website and took photos for social network sites. At the same time I was the K-12 registrar, and I prepared school documents for the students, parents, and alumni. This is where I was able to learn how the school runs.

I became interested in my current position after reading the articles about what was happening in the middle and high school as I was publishing the newsletters. I found what students and teachers were doing here very amazing, and I wanted to work closely with them.

My favorite part of this job is seeing students being active in supporting many charities around the world and raising awareness for diversity, equality, and inclusion. I take care of the money that students raise for their charities. There are so many councils, clubs, and grade levels too. I have to make sure that I keep the money separate and deposit it in the correct bank account. I have to be careful not to mix them up! Sometimes students donate money overseas, and you have to be very careful filling the remittance form out for that because the handling charge is very expensive. So if there’s an error they may return it to us and we have to pay it again.

At home, I have a 14 year old son and I often tell him what the students are doing at Sacred Heart and how much they contribute to the community and to the world. For example, since last school year, the high school students started supporting the Buddy Walk Charity to raise awareness for people with Down syndrome. I have a niece with Down syndrome, and she’s 17 years old. She has so much to offer, even though verbally she doesn’t communicate well. I always felt that they are valuable members of our community, so I was so excited to hear that students at Sacred Heart are supporting them as well.

During the first wave of the pandemic, we closed the school for a couple months. When the students returned I was happy to see everyone. At the end of the first day back, as I was working here in my office, I overheard three girls walking by and saying, “(in Japanese) mata issho ni kaereru ne (we can go home together again)!” That made me realize how important school is for young people and I am grateful for the opportunity to see everyone everyday since then.” — Ms. Tajiri