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Meet the Kids
Tokamachi Elementary
School
Coping with the Snow
Tokamachi Elementary School has implemented a lot of ideas so that the students and teachers can get through the snow-filled winter in comfort. Four kids from the student council showed us around the school and explained these ideas.
Snow Guards
At the first sign of winter, each of the trees around the school is enclosed with wooden posts several centimeters thick. These are called snow guards and serve to prevent the trees' branches snapping under the weight of the snow.
The Gym Roof
When several meters of snow piles up on the roof of a building, it can sometimes cause the building to collapse. But the Tokamachi gymnasium is safe because it has a special curved roof that allows snow to fall off naturally.
Snow Brushes
Next to the school entrance hang several 15-centimer-long "snow brushes" for brushing off snow that has collected on your body and clothes. When they arrive in the morning, the kids brush their heads, backs, and shoulders with the snow brushes before going into the building.
Window Protectors
In late November the first-floor windows on the gym side of the school are covered with planks of wood. This prevents the windows from breaking when the deep winter snow piles up against them.