Donguri Kai – Big Kids Classes

Donguri Kai – Big Kids Classes

Donguri Kai – Big Kids Classes

For students in 3rd – 5th grade who are learning Japanese for the first time or who are continuing their studies.

Big Kids Class Offerings, Summer 2026

Big Kids Beginner I – In Person

Saturday, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm (Central Time)

This class is for students in 3rd-5th grade who are continuing to learn Japanese. Students learn Japanese vocabulary, phrases, and simple sentence structure. They will also learn to identify and read the Japanese alphabets of Hiragana. Class is taught both in English and in Japanese.

Format: In Person at JASC (5700 N Lincoln Ave)

Class Dates – 7/11, 7/18, 7/25, 8/8, 8/15  (No class on 8/1)

Class size: 6 students maximum

Instructor: Tomoko Hanna

Fees: $125 for Members and $175 for Non-members

Big Kids Beginner II – Online

Thursdays, 4:30 – 5:30 PM (Central Time)

This class is for students in 3rd-5th grade who are continuing to learn Japanese. Students learn Japanese vocabulary, phrases, and simple sentence structure. They will also learn to identify and read the Japanese alphabets of Hiragana and Katakana. They will work on building vocabulary, sentence structure, and grammar with verb conjugations, adjectives, Wh** Questions, and more. Class is taught both in English and in Japanese.

Format: Online (Google Meet)

Class Dates – Thursdays: 7/16, 7/23, 7/30, 8/6, 8/13

Class size: 6 students maximum

Instructor: Tomoko Hanna

Fees: $125 for Members and $175 for Non-members

Big Kids Intermediate – In Person – Pop-up Workshop

This class is designed for students in 3rd – 5th grade and has an intermediate background of Japanese Language and Kanji. If you have questions please direct them to Tomoko Sensei at dongurikai@jasc-chicago.org.

Saturdays, 10:00 am -11:30 am (Central Time)

Format: In Person @ JASC (5700 N. Lincoln Ave.)

Class Dates: 8/8, 8/15, 8/22

Class size: 6 students maximum

Instructor: Aiko Brodecki

Fees: $135 for Members and $165 for Non-members

Please contact Tomoko Hanna, Donguri Kai Coordinator, dongurikai@jasc-chicago.org to inquire about registering your child.

Meet Our Teachers

teacher-tomo
Tomoko Hanna (ハンナ朋子)

I have been teaching English and Japanese to adults and children since 1995. As a mother of two who speaks the two languages, I deeply understand the need for bilingual education in the U.S. Currently, I sub Tampopo class, and teach Baby Tampopo class and Japanese program at Banner Preschool.

Yuki Kotake (小竹由起)
Yuki Kotake is a trilingual educator and mother of two, speaking English, Spanish, and Japanese. She holds master’s degrees in architecture and business, and has experience teaching Japanese to both children and adults in schools and private settings. She has also worked in educational design for executive learners at Fortune 500 companies. As a parent raising multilingual children—who now speak four languages—she understands the joys and challenges of language learning in multicultural families.
Aiko Brodecki (ブロデッキイ藍子)
Bio coming soon!