“Books are the window to the world if you want to see how people live. Books give you different perspectives about life, history, and can open your eyes to lives that are different than your own”, said Ms. Odate, our dedicated librarian who will be retiring this year. Over the past decade, she has come up with many activities and ideas that sparked creativity, imagination, and created new opportunities for every student through her love of literature.
Before her role at St. Mary’s, she worked as both a teacher and librarian at Seisen International School from 1985. She came to St. Mary’s as a librarian in 2015 after getting an email from Mr.Kagei, the head of school.”One of the reasons I stayed was because I felt that people were very welcoming and kind. There are some very nice students here.” When asked about what she was impressed the most about the students, she explained that she was impressed by how studious the students were. While many libraries offer extra activities after school for students, she said that many of our students come to study. She also expressed her love towards the library itself; she particularly loves the big windows and the great view. She also likes the big space in the library, which allows multiple activities to happen simultaneously.
Ms.Odate has also made various contributions. She started the library council, a club encouraging reading and hosting fundraisers to give more learning opportunities for those in need. She also encouraged everyone to read through the Book Battle, which is a trivia game about Sakura Medal books for grades 6 and 7. She also expressed her hopes for the future of the library. “I hope that it can continue to serve the students and the teachers. I have a good feeling about the future of this library. I hope the Sakura Medal program and Book Battle will continue. I also hope that more schools will participate in Book Battle.” The retirement of Ms.Odate will be deeply missed by everyone, but her legacy and impact will continue to shape the future of the library.
