DoWEA Rings in the New School Year at CFAY

YOKOSUKA, Japan— Excitement filled the air across Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) as military-connected youth returned to the classroom for the start of the 2026–2027 Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) school year.

The first day was supported by weeks of preparation on both sides of the schoolhouse door. On base, that included the CFAY Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Back-to-School Bash, youth safety courses with local police and the annual MWR Night Run. Inside the schools, DoWEA teachers, staff and administrators spent the summer readying classrooms and planning lessons to welcome students back.

That momentum carried straight into opening day across all CFAY DoWEA campuses, including Ikego Elementary School, Sullivans Elementary School, Yokosuka Primary School, Yokosuka Middle School, and Nile C. Kinnick High School.

At Ikego Elementary School, installation leadership and CFAY mascot Yoko-Pon greeted students before the school’s traditional first-day bell-ringing ceremony.

Bells have kept the rhythm of Navy life for centuries - struck to mark the watches at sea, sounded in fog and rung to announce the arrival of a commanding officer or honored guest aboard ship. Ringing students into a new school year carries that tradition ashore, welcoming the fleet’s youngest family members the way the Navy has always marked an arrival.

Capt. Jonathan Hopkins, commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, joined Josh Adams, the Ikego Elementary School principal, to address the returning "Fireflies," sharing that his own children also began their education at Ikego. "This is one of the great privileges I have as base commander, I get to do fun events like this," Hopkins said before inviting a student volunteer to help ring the bell. "My charge to all the students this year: have fun, ask questions and encourage one another," he said. "Thank you for all the support in the community and from all the parents out there. We appreciate your continued support of both the base and the schools here."

Similar traditions echoed across Sullivans, Yokosuka Primary, Yokosuka Middle and Kinnick High as educators and command representatives welcomed military families into the new academic year. Moments like the first-day bell are brief, but they put the partnership between CFAY and DoWEA on full display. Military kids handle more change than most, from new duty stations and new schools to a parent out to sea, and DoWEA teachers and staff are experts at helping them land on their feet. When families see the whole community show up on day one, they know their children are in good hands, and that peace of mind lets them focus on the mission. With routines now underway, that partnership of leadership, educators and families pulling in the same direction has CFAY’s students set up for a strong year ahead.

For more information on DoWEA schools, homeschooling and other educational opportunities for children, contact the MWR School Liaison Officer at 046-816-5542 ormailto:mwr_yokosuka_school_liaison@us.navy.mil.

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