Shorecrest Japanese teacher receives state award

Sachiko Smith
Photo courtesy Shorelne Schools

Sachiko Smith, Japanese teacher at Shorecrest High School, has been awarded the 2015 Leslie Birkland Award for Leadership and Excellence in Japanese education. This award is presented to one member of the Japanese teaching community in Washington state each year.

“Sachiko is known for her dedication to teaching Japanese, her passion for working with students, and her exceptional ability to lead the Japanese teaching community,” said Yoshitaka Inoue, president of the Washington Association of Teachers of Japanese (WATJ).

Smith, who has taught at Shorecrest for 12 years, has worked with her colleagues to develop a Japanese Immersion Camp, the Hyogo Business and Cultural Center-sponsored Speech and Skit Contest and led student trips to Japan. She is a board member of the Washington Association of Foreign Language Teachers and for WATJ.