The DoDEA Student Information System (DSIS) Family Portal will be unavailable from Wednesday, June 25 at 2:00 pm ET until Thursday, July 10 at 2:00 pm ET. Parents and students will not be able to access the system or register students during this time. Registration will resume when the system is reopened on July 10.
YOKOTA, JAPAN – Mendel Elementary School’s Information Center sent a special invitation to “stuffies” looking for an adventure – spend the night in the Information Center for a night of fun amongst the books!
As students visited the cozy Information Center on a cold February evening, they were able to browse, check-out books, check-in their stuffies for the night, and read with their families. They were also able to sign up for the Spring Family Book Club featuring Margi Preus’ “Heart of a Samurai,” the story of Manjiro, a poor fisherman, later honored as a Samurai and credited with opening Isolationist Japan to foreign trade in the late 1800s.
On May 29, 2025, more than 40 families attended with books in hand, potluck snacks to share, ready for an evening of connecting through conversation, crafting, and eating.
“It was fun to have thoughtful discussions at home with my own child and then hear my students share their own insights at book club,” shared second grade teacher and parent Whitney Elmer. “I loved seeing everyone engage in meaningful conversations and watching that love for reading grow in our students.”
The event, partly inspired by Sarah Mackenzie’s book “The Read Aloud Family,” whose tagline is making meaningful connections, also inspired the choice of “Heart of a Samurai” to not only highlight the connection between America and Japan, but also connect families through reading together.
“Our children range from 1st-10th grade, and we all enjoyed gathering around ‘Heart of a Samurai,’” parent Stephanie Saylor said. “It can be difficult to find activities that we all enjoy, but reading together is one of them!”
Reading the fictional, yet historical account of Manjiro, Mendel families delved into how the friendship our nations share today began almost two hundred years ago with the friendship of Captain Whitfield and Manjiro.
“Living in Japan provided even more context to the story [and]…we are also looking forward to visiting the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House when we move to New England this summer,” Saylor also noted.
Family Book Club was hosted by the Information Center with support from Administrators Dr. Kathleen Smith and Dr. Kimberly Johnson, Mendel’s PTO (providing fifty copies of “Heart of a Samurai” and event night pizza), Library Technician Madalyn Hubbard, Host Nation teachers Miwako Nakagawa and Susumu Sunaga, Art Teacher Takako Kawamura, Literacy Specialists Charmaine Cruz and Zoraima Hidalgo, Educational Technologist Wynter Williams, Classroom teachers Danielle Bowles, Whitney Elmer, and Amy Higgins.
With Yokota’s Summer Reading Kick-off Event just a few days later, several Mendel families were able to enjoy the fun games and activities. prizes, and food at the event.
For Mendel families, the summer of 2025 is shaping up to be one filled with books – continuing to build a culture of connection through reading – reading at school, reading at home, reading with community.
