School Calendar

I finally received my July mailing from SYA today! Since almost everybody in the SYA Japan facebook group received there's last week, it felt like I had to wait forever!
So, I got lots of new info, and am excited to share it with you now! :)
Roster: I received a roster with the names of everyone doing SYA Japan this coming school year, and promptly looked them all up on facebook (once again, since basically everyone got their mailing before me, most of them had already added me...). Also, I learned that there are only 25 people in our class.
In addition, I have learned that I won't find out who my host family is until I am in LA, which means I will find out who they are the day before I meet them... :( this makes buying gifts a little more difficult....
The most exciting thing for me to have received in this mailing was definitely the school calendar, so exciting, in fact, that I will now reproduce it for you here! (omitting college board tests etc.)
August
25 Depart from Los Angeles (LAX)
26 Arrive Narita; bus to Ichinomiya
26-27 first two nights with host family
28-31 Orientation retreat, Administration and Placement Tests
31 Back with host family
September
1 First day of school
18 Host family picnic
20 Respect for Elders day
23 Autumn Equinox Celebration
October
11 Sports day
19-22 Fall study trip to Kyoto, Nara
November
3 Culture day
17-20 Fall study trip to Kamakura
23 Labor Thanksgiving day
December
16 Rotary club gagaku event
22 Last day of classes; first semester ends; party for visiting U.S. families
23-jan 10 Winter vacation
January
10 Becoming of Age day
11 classes resume
February
11 National Founding Day
12-16 Winter Interim trip
March
21-31 Spring Holiday
April
20-23 Trip to Tokyo
29 Showa day
May
3-5 Golden week holiday
20 last day of classes; second semester ends; Year-end banquet with host families
24 Nagoya-Narita, Narita-LAX

It looks like an exciting year! I can't wait!!!