（日本語は後半にあります）
【English】
Today I went to an orientation for the junior high school my elder son will be attending this April.
Parents had an orientation in the gymnasium, while the children took an academic test in their respective classrooms.
I had inadvertently forgotten that it costs money again to enter junior high school for uniforms, gym clothes, school bags, and so on😅
However, I was surprised to learn that uniforms such as blazers and slacks can be washed in a home washing machine. In my own junior high and high school days, uniforms could not be washed at home and had to be sent to the dry cleaners. I was worried that the uniforms would smell sweaty, especially for junior high school boys, and that it would be both time-consuming and expensive to send them to the cleaners so often, so I was relieved.
The information session was surprisingly welcoming and the school rules (hair style, dress code, etc.) were not as strict as I had expected, which gave me a good impression of the school. My son seemed to enjoy talking with elementary school friends he knew, and it seemed like he would be able to start his junior high school life happily.
Since there was no occasion to take pictures, I will post a picture of the soybean flour dumplings I ate yesterday. Tomorrow is the interview at the juku, and the day after tomorrow is the orientation for elementary school admissions.
I have been busy for a while and have been posting short posts, but I hope to return to longer posts once things settle down.
【Japanese】
今日は中学校の説明会に行ってきました。
保護者は体育館で説明会、児童たちは各教室で学力テストを受けます。
そういえば制服や体育着、通学バックなど、入学にはまたお金が掛かるのですねー。
ただ、制服（ブレザー、スラックスなど）が洗濯機で洗えるというのには驚きました。私自身の中学・高校時代は、制服は家庭洗濯ができるものではなく、クリーニングに出さなければなりませんでした。特に中学生男子なんて汗臭いだろうし、でもそんなに頻繁にクリーニングに出すのは手間的にも費用的にも大変だし、どうするんだろう…？と心配していたところだったので安心しました。
説明会は意外とウェルカムな雰囲気で、校則（髪型や服装など）も思っていたほど厳しくはなく、学校の印象は良かったです。長男も、見知った小学校の友達と楽しそうに話していて、楽しく中学校生活を始められそうな雰囲気でした。早くも気持ちを切り替えられているようでホッとしました。
写真を撮るような場面もなかったので、昨日食べたきなこ団子の写真を貼っておきます。明日は塾での面談、明後日は小学校の入学説明会です。
しばらくバタバタのため短め投稿が続いていますが、落ち着いたらちゃんと投稿に戻りたいです✐
