The 10 Best International Schools in Japan 2019

VOL 6 JUNE - 2019

ISSUE-2

10 Best International The

Schools in Japan 2019

CLARENCE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Where Art Blends with Learning

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NOWLED GEREVIEW Education. Innovation. Success Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Senior Editor Anish Miller Managing Editor Crescent CU

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SME-SMO Executives Uma, Gemson, Manoj Research Analyst Eric Smith Circulation Manager Tanaji sales@insightssuccess.com

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CLARENCE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL WHERE ART BLENDS WITH LEARNING

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EDITOR’S PICK ACHIEVING ACADEMIC SUCCESS BY OVERHAULING HOMEWORK STRESS

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English-led Courses, International Dormitories for Students, Increased Government Support, What More do you Need?

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y 2020, the government in Japan will be able to achieve its objective of 300,000 foreign students, representing 10% of the total population of students. This percentage would take the country nearer to other non-English-speaking countries.

Japanese universities are expanding and are focusing more on attracting more learners from Europe and the United States. Universities are increasing their online and oine involvement with overseas learners. This implies extending the assistance of international student services. Consequently, these institutions are helping them with health insurance, opening bank accounts, having degrees in English, sharing information from alumni, and so on. Adding to that, the Universities are providing adequate campus life to the foreign students alongside building international dorms. And most importantly, the language barrier seems to be getting thinner and thinner with the universities reforming their curriculum.

Japanese universities are developing classes, summer courses, and even full degrees of English with the aim of attracting a wider range of learners both from the ďŹ elds of science and humanities.

Recognizing this immense growth towards the foreign audience, The Knowledge Review presents,"The 10 Best International Schools in Japan 2019". On the cover of the issue we have featured, Clarence international School, this school blends art with education. Along with oering a world-class education the school also nourishes its students creativity. MEES International School, Joy to the World American International School, Seta International School, Cambridge International School, Columbia International School in Japan, Tathva International School, Ohana International School, Star Kids International Preschool, Shinagawa International School are the other schools featured in this issue.

We hope that through this issue, the commuting and local communities of Japan get a detailed insight into the educational system of the country.

Happy Reading!

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Cover Story

Clarence International

School Where Art Blends

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Learning

“When art touches the human mind, it catalyzes a union of creativity and the normal.”

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ontemporary education has always been an open ground for experimentation and progressive innovation. Inclusion and implementation of various reformative teaching techniques and learning methods, which of course don’t completely defy the norms of traditional education, have been evident and significant.

Art based learning is one of the aforementioned methods, laden with benefits for students and teachers likewise. It delivers innovative education with enhanced effectiveness in contrast to the traditional norms, improves classroom atmosphere, enriches quality of teaching, escalates interests and motivation, and develops imagination and creativity.

Clarence International School (CIS), Omotesando, Tokyo, is a prominent name amongst a plethoric number of schools which have

adopted art based learning. The school was established in 2016 by two founders Ayahi Suda and Fei Fei Hu, both of whom have a background in the arts and international education. Their key inspiration came from the charity work of HRH Prince Charles, whom they were fortunate to know through Fei Fei’s close work with him in assisting with international outreach programmes.

The founders aimed of creating a unique arts based curriculum combined with the key fundamentals of British education and the inspiration from the initiatives of ‘Children and the Arts’ (CATA) and thus CIS was born.

At the Helm of Progress CIS was evidently the brainchild of Ayahi and Fei Fei, both of whom have a background in the arts and international education. Ayahi originally studied Art in London. She previously spearheaded a highly successful preschool and kindergarten in Tokyo for several

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years. The success of this establishment could be seen not just in the number of students who attended the school but also in the fact that pupils leaving the school were confident, independent learners, prepared for the challenges of the modern world. Her visionary input led to the development of CIS's educational system of putting music, art and even poetry at the heart of learning, whereby children are taught through games and play.

Meanwhile, Fei Fei is a renowned British-Chinese entrepreneur, whose love of learning has been fostered by a personal and wide-ranging experience of education, culminating in studying for a degree in Anthropology at Waseda University, Tokyo followed by postgraduate studies at Oxford University. Once Fei Fei moved to London he was able to develop his love of the Arts by working on the Prince's Charity Foundation as assistant to Prince Charles.

The founders have a deep commitment to the artistic expression

of their educational credo and a personal interest as parents in the day-to-day functioning of CIS. Their daily presence and careful scrutiny testifies to a great personal investment in the school’s successful operation.

A Day in School A day in the life of a pupil at Clarence International School begins at 9 a.m. During the course of the day the students embark on a journey where they are immersed in the activities of the monthly theme, from topics as diverse as ‘The Ocean’, ‘My Body’ and ‘Dinosaurs’.

To give an example of the life of one of CIS’s ‘Little Stars’ (children from 18 months to 3 years): At 9.00 they are welcomed into class. The morning starts with a class circle time where the children enjoy singing nursery rhymes, seasonal songs and take part in a variety of warm up activities. Students then take part in the school's art based activities, where they are allowed to express their own inventiveness and

THE LEARNING GROUND At Clarence, students from the ages of 18 months up to 6 years take their rst steps in education. The school’s programme focuses on developing and enriching children's academic experience by using art based activities to develop a freedom of expression and a passion for the classroom. The school curriculum is authored with input and ideas from its teaching and management but also benets from its very own Clarence Lab – a team of curriculum developers who work to give lessons a completely personalised approach.

CIS is in a very fortunate position of having a truly unique style in how they teach and the creative exibility to design the lessons around its diverse monthly class themes. The school's curriculum also benets from following the British Early Years foundation stage, meaning that it is one of the very few schools in Japan which are able to offer students the opportunity of an arts focused learning experience with the foundation of a British education.

produce something to take home to parents.

their well-being and academic and personal development.

Outdoor play is also a key element of CIS's curriculum as it believes fresh air is tantamount to good health.

Students are encouraged to immerse themselves in nature, and develop an understanding of the beauty of their surroundings.

Epitomising Distinction

After lunch break, comes the afternoon activity where children are introduced, in an exciting and stimulating way, to numeracy and vocabulary – exciting and stimulating because these themes are expressed through dance, movement, drama and stories. The day then concludes, with a final goodbye circle time at the end of the day after relaxation, with a story. All of CIS’s students find the school, a nurturing and friendly environment where every member of staff is focused on

One of Clarence International School’s main areas of exploration is the engagement of every child’s creativity. To that end, the school embraces innovative programmes such as its live music lessons with trained musicians and the introduction of Bee-bot robots. CIS also does not place heavy emphasis on using iPads in the classroom as it believes, contrary to many mainstream schools, that technology can stifle the imagination of children.

“We are innovators in the field of harnessing a child's natural talent and attributes before we turn to machines: there is plenty of time for that in later life!”

CIS's main channel of expression is harvesting every child’s imaginative capacity. Thus the school believes it is immaterial what cultural, national or indeed linguistic background the children may be from. To date CIS has a body of students of 32 different nationalities and they all contribute to a harmonious and artistic atmosphere. Parents approach CIS in search of a holistic education and appreciating the wholesome learning environment it provides.

Going the Extra Mile Clarence International School is aware of the need for those special experiences, and to cater to this need, it offers a full range of trips and activities for its young alumni. These range from trips to zoos and aquariums, to visits to some of Tokyo’s many parks and greenspaces for a synaesthetic exploration of life.

The school’s children are well supervised and all their needs are tended to during these educational voyages.

CIS also feels that it’s vital to involve the entire school body including parents at school events and thus it hosts a number of family events throughout the course of the school year including sports day and Christmas and Summer gatherings.

In addition to this, CIS offers other activities and classes for students. The list includes Japanese lessons and extra-curricular English lessons which can be taken by children or by children from other learning environments, and annual holiday school programmes during summer, winter and spring where a full programme of artistic, linguistic and environmental activities are offered.

Assuring Excellence “Having visited more than 30 international schools, we couldn’t find anything that suited, until we found Clarence. After the first trial lesson, we decided to sign up immediately; our daughter had previously refused to go to her pre-school for months, but here she had fun from the very first day. We’re very fortunate to have found a school which meets all of our expectations. It’s based on a brilliant educational concept, and in a rich school environment, with top-class teachers. My daughter is now attending summer school, and we’re looking forward to her full-time enrolment in September.”

“At her previous pre-school, our daughter took 6 months to stop crying, and a year to smile when saying ‘goodbye’ each morning. She’s a sweet and shy girl, so we thought it would be hard for her to move to a new environment. From the first day, she was smiling, singing and dancing with the teachers; we were surprised and thrilled to see her so delighted and enjoying the class so much.

The teachers truly care about the children and clearly enjoy teaching! The classrooms are very well designed – inspiring, even! We look forward to seeing our daughter grow up in this school.”

In conclusion, Clarence International School's ethos is evident in its belief that art develops the individual. In the words of Edward de Bono: ‘Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way’.

“We believe we are educating children for the future and flexibility of thought and creativity lie at the very heart of our future.” T R

"We believe we are educating children for the future and exibility of thought and creativity lie at the very heart of our future."

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Cambridge International School

Propagating the Love towards Knowledge

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Today’s children are tomorrow’s movers and shakers. This has been a belief central to the ideology of Cambridge International School since its inception in 2012. Sought to provide a world-leading education, Cambridge International School spreads across two campuses at Shinmachi and Komazawa Daigakuku (both near Shibuya in central Tokyo). It is a private school envisioned to providing high quality educational programs to children of Pre-school age (age 1-3) through to Elementary School.

Expanding Horizons of Knowledge Being a young school has not stopped Cambridge International School from excelling in offering the finest education and earning a reputation for quality education programs and teaching. Keeping in mind the inclusive development of children, the school's course focuses on developing students both educationally and psychologically through its distinguishing learning strategies and scaffolding.

• All children, regardless of nationality, will have access to a safe, highquality program with knowledgeable and well-trained staff and educators.

• A wide variety of materials with which children can play and experiment; • Children making choices about activities’; • Each child’s interests and abilities considered in the teacher’s plans so that each child can experience success and joy in learning; • Interaction and communication during task activity to provide a meaningful, context-based rationale; • Children’s health, nutrition, and social well-being, in an environment that respects and supports diversity.

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The aforesaid are the school’s indicators of an appropriate early childhood program.

Children who enroll in schools are looking for great visions, visions that would complete their life and give them a purpose. The Cambridge International School delivers that wholeness and vision. Many of the difficulties in the world are the outcome of attitudes and beliefs that education for our modern times needs to examine. Cambridge School is one such place where both the teacher and the child explore not only the outer world, the world of knowledge but also our own thinking and behavior. Its philosophy, therefore, is “where one learns about the totality, the wholeness of life”.

All the aspects of the school’s curriculum embody its philosophy to foster critical reasoning and discussion in key discourses while at the same time establishing a critical awareness of the activities that it is engaged in.

This underlying framework provides a means to establish not only a mastery of the principles and practice of rigorous and logically informed reasoning in the individual disciplines themselves but is part of an inquiry that extends beyond the mastery of the technical skills required of today’s world to an intelligence born of the observation and self-knowing.

Refurbishing Education with Novel Approach As a student at Cambridge International School children is automatically enrolled in the school’s Jolly Phonics programme. Jolly Phonics is the primary literacy program used at Cambridge and is a thorough foundation for reading and

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ge d i br ol m a C cho f o t nal S c e it atio h c Ar tern In Florence Lam Principal Florence Lam is the Principal at Cambridge International School. She has lived in Japan for 7 years and speaks Japanese fluently. She has previously worked for the Nagasaki City Board of Education where she taught English in junior high schools and elementary schools as well as being a kindergarten teacher in an international school prior to becoming principal.

One of her key beliefs is in developing and forging close rela onships in the community and with parents. She has made it an important part of her job to communicate with the parents not only about developments in the school but to take me to speak with all the parents on a regular basis about their child’s development in the school. “I think it is important that in order to develop children’s behaviour it is necessary to explain and help children come to terms in understanding the social aspects of communication as well as learning English in an international environment.

That their general behaviour and own actions are part of this communication; part of the culture of sharing with others.

Since the school is currently going through a process of evaluation by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health and Education, we have to focus on a balance of Japanese and international culture that all the children are a part of”. She adds “By working closely with the parents helps foster a kindred spirit and mutual affection for the children. Children, teachers, and families join together to continually improve the system that supports our school community and so I think Cambridge will continue to expand.”

writing. It uses the synthetic phonics method of teaching the letter sounds in a way that is fun and multi-sensory.

The program features direct, daily, systematic teaching, and children learn how to use the letter-sounds to read and write words. The program covers letter–sound correspondences, blending for reading, segmenting for writing, letter formation, and tricky words.

Synthetic-phonics begins by teaching letters and their corresponding sounds and each phoneme, each letter, is important in this process. Once the child has learned a few of these then they begin to sound out the letters of a word and blend or synthesise these together in a sequence. By doing so,

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the child pronounces the word and this synthesising is essential for working out unknown words and to be able to read. Once students have blended a few times they can be read on sight.

Simultaneously, the school also emphasises on developing students skills to break words down into individual sounds. For example, if any learner wants to spell and write the word run, they break the word into its component sounds – r, u, and n. To spell or write a word it is necessary to know the letter(s) corresponding to the sound of the word. “I want to spell run, what sounds (phonemes) can I hear, and what letters (graphemes) are those sounds represented by?” This involves the breaking down of words

into their constituent sounds (segmenting) in order to spell and write the word and is the reverse phonic skill to blending. Thus, children learn that the alphabetic code is reversible, if you can read a word you can spell it.

The Legacy of Imparting Quality Education Standing above in its approach of nurturing students as independent learners and inquirers, Cambridge’s teaching philosophy is to develop learning and thinking skills in students.

A very good example of this is its unique approach to help second language learners, predominately Japanese children to a point where they have native-like fluency in English. To

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achieve this, the school relies heavily on specially scaffold tasks designed to engage children in activities that promote the use of authentic English.

Rather than engaging students in limited or memory-based practices that produce artificial responses, Cambridge ensures that children can clarify learning targets for themselves by sharing the criteria for success based upon student individual goals.

Additionally, teachers also work on engineering effective questions leading to rich classroom discussion that further escalates the learning process.

Cambridge international school believe in developing a growth mindset in students, given that students receive descriptive feedback for their effort.

The end result of this being students engaging themselves and processing their mistakes learn from them and creating a positively re-enforced cycle of back and forth communication.

With all this in place, the school aims to get students to act as instructional resources for one another. This would help in bringing a deeper understanding of learned material as children discuss and explain to each other and as a result raising learning to meta-level.

Montessori Method Focusing on child-centered education and guided by the Montessori Method of Education, Cambridge International School zealously emphasis on the independence, freedom, and respect for a child’s natural, psychological, physical, and social development.

Putting this in other words, Cambridge’s goal is not to just fill the child solely with facts from a prescribed course of studies, but, rather guide and cultivate the child’s natural desire to learn.

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Dr. Maria Montessori had suggested that the optimal functioning of the child occurs through work within a prepared environment of five main areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language, and Cultural (which includes subjects such as geography, science, history, art, music, and physical education). Propelling the belief that the space within the school or the environment is considered the third teacher, the Cambridge International School has been designed in such a way that it supports all the educational needs and escalates the holistic development of its students. At Cambridge, the faculties too have a key role to play. In order to achieve the school’s mission they intentionally organize, support and plan for various spaces for children. The school’s daily schedules are planned to ensure that there is a balance between individual, small and large group activities, childdirected, and teacher-initiated activity and inside as well as outside experiences.

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omework is an essential part of any student’s academic life. However, it brings along stress and work pressure.

It becomes difficult to avoid homework stress, especially when a major exam or the deadline of an important assignment is nearing by. At times, students can become overwhelmed and frustrated, which can have negative effect on their ability to focus on studies and retain information. As a result, they may delay completing the homework, which may contribute in increase of stress. It may all end up in poor class performance and lower grades of the students. For these mentioned reasons, it is of utmost importance for students to overcome stress related to homework.

Effects of Homework Stress on Students Sometimes students worry too much about homework, which may lead to higher levels of stress and frustration. This, in turn, may negatively affect their results, social life, and mental and physical health. It may not only affect them, but their family as well– leading to quarrels with family members, when students feel frustrated about the inability to complete the assignment. Most parents realize that homework is part and parcel of their child’s educational life. But, they should make sure that it does not become a burden on them.

Strategies to Efficiently Deal with Homework Stress Completing homework can be difficult, and at times, stressful for students. Maintaining a positive attitude and sticking to the schedule can help in tackling distractions and completing the designated work properly. The below mentioned techniques can help both the students and their parents in overcoming stress related to homework.

Maintaining a Schedule Parents should assist their children to organize and dedicate proper time for homework, chores, extra-curricular activities, and sleep. This schedule will give students a proper idea of what activity to carry out and when. It also 22

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Editor’s Pick

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assists students to maintain a routine lifestyle which is beneficial from an academic and career standpoint.

struggling with homework and studies, they can make a list of questions and interact with the teachers to help the children understand the assignment properly.

Practicing Good Time Management Organizing Homework Groups The proverb ‘time and tide wait for none’ holds true for every individual. Students should pay attention on the importance of time, as it will help them to pave a path towards a bright career. Parents should make sure that their children are focused on the task at hand and complete their homework and assignments well in time. Removing distractions like cell phones and television is a prerequisite to make sure that the student completes the homework properly and pursues their studies with utmost dedication.

Parents can encourage their children to engage in group studies. This will make assignments less overwhelming, as students will be able to discuss about the subject matter with their classmates. By group studying, students will be able to share each other’s ideas and better understand the topic. Working as a team, they will understand the subject matter and complete homework easily.

Taking Breaks can be Helpful

It is Important to Start Early Parents should spend some time with their children every day and help them in completing the homework assignments for each subject. Students can prioritize their homework by listing them and can start ahead of the time.

If they start with their homework later in the evening, they will have less time and energy to complete the same in time. This will result in more pressure for both students and parents.

Regular Review of Agenda Students should maintain a regular note of all the homework assignments that need to be completed during the given time limit. Parents should supervise their children and should make sure that their children regularly review the agenda. This will ensure that students complete the given assignments in time.

Organizing for Better Outcomes Arranging the study room and other related study materials properly is important to ensure that students complete the homework with utmost dedication. An unorganized study room can be distracting. Both parents and students should make sure that the study room is tidy. Parents should provide students with all the materials that are needed to complete the homework, including pencils, papers, textbooks, and other stationary materials.

If the students feel frustrated by going through difficult homework questions, parents can encourage them to take a break and come back to it later. This will give them some time to clear their mind and refocus on the homework. In fact, even while working on other things, the child’s brain will be working on completing the assignment in the background. Parents should also allow their wards to engage in fun and extra-curricular activities. They should also encourage their children to take some time off for exercise and outdoor games. This will help them to take a break from stress, and at the same time, engage in healthy activities.

A Good Night’s Sleep is Essential Every parent should make sure that their child follows a regular sleep routine. This will boost their memory, lift their mood, and provide them with the required energy to carry out curricular and extra-curricular activities. Proper sleep will also prepare students to tackle all the study-related challenges and accomplish their homework with a game face on.

Completing homework assignments in time along with preparing well for the sessions is not a difficult task.

Developing techniques to tackle stress will help students to accomplish designated tasks and cultivate better learning habits. With proper planning, dedication, and support from friends and family, students can overcome frustration and complete their homework and assignments confidently. T R

Engaging the Teachers Parents are always eager to help their wards with their education; but the study materials and courses have evolved over the years. If they realize that their children are 24

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Columbia

International School of Japan Fostering Education in a Hi-tech Learning Environment

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he school strives to develop powers of critical and creative thought, preparing students both for demands of post-secondary education in North America’s finest universities and life as international people.

Columbia International School of Japan was founded in 1988 as a high school to provide a preparatory program for students planning to attend universities and colleges in North America. During its more than three decades of journey, the school has grown leaps and bounds into one of the premier day and boarding schools in Asia. The school’s goal is to create a fun, challenging, and supportive lifelong learning community that allow its students to develop the learning, communication and social skills to be successful global citizens in today’s world. Columbia International School opens pathways for graduates who go on to attend top universities in Japan, Canada and throughout the Englishspeaking world.

Wide Campus with Diverse Students The campus of Columbia International School stretches over a nature-rich suburban area which is 20kms to the north-west of Shinjuku, the hub of Tokyo. Currently, we have 3 buildings filled with the youthful energy of our students. The enriching campus of the school has 2 gymnasiums, a playing field, computer and sciences labs art rooms.

Columbia International School currently enrolls 250 students in Kindergarten through grade 12.

Columbia possesses a diverse student body with presently more than 21 different nationalities, many returnees, and dual ethnicity children. Many of the students come from other areas of Asia as local or on student visas and the school provides them with its excellent dormitory. Many of its students though are Japanese some

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entering at the kindergarten level or join us at grade 1 from other international kindergartens. Also, many students come from the regular Japanese system at various grades supported by our excellent ESL program. This multicultural mix of students brings different cultural, religious, and life experiences which provides an excellent environment for fostering a sense of global interdependence and responsibility.

The Columbia International School dormitory that was built in March 2000 is located about an 8-minute walk from the campus. The dorm offers boarding students’ both girls/boys with safe and comfortable living experience. The modern three-story building was built with keeping comfort and safety in mind. It provides an excellent environment for students to study and share their school experience.

About the Leading Light of the School Greeting students with a cheerful smile every morning as they enter the school gate is our Principal Mr. Barrie McCliggott. Mr. McCliggott an Ontario certified Principal has been at Columbia since 1995 and Head of the school for 18 years. He has been an intricate part of the growth and the success of the school. The wellbeing of all students has always been at his center. He had a goal to create a fun, challenging and supportive lifelong learning environment that allowed students to develop the knowledge and skills to be successful global citizens in the 21st century. Along with the supportive board and a talented team of administrators and teachers, he sets out to provide the infrastructure, programs and environment where happy students feel inspired and empowered to reach their full potential.

“I am very fortunate to work with a group of passionate educators and supportive parents who are all here to

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Mr. B. McCliggott Principal

Columbia International School shares few of the testimonials.

“When I entered Columbia two and a half years ago, I was a shy boy who couldn't speak English very well, and I was afraid of talking to people. I joined the basketball team, and made many friends; and practiced both Japanese and English by communicating with my schoolmates. As a result, of my effort, I could speak English and Japanese besides Mandarin, and I made a lot of friends at the school. I learned in the process that there is no fear of challenge as long as I make strenuous attempts to overcome it.

In the end, I really want to thank all the teachers, staff and classmates for giving me such a wonderful high school life.”

– Yuto Fukushima “My school life at CIS (Columbia International School) was the best when compared to the other schools I have attended and experienced. Since I was young, I had moved back and forth from Hong Kong to Japan numerous times and as a result experienced many schools. I appreciated the teachers and staff, who cared about students when we had our ups and downs in life and school. After graduating from CIS, I moved to Canada to a small city called Calgary in Alberta.

I am currently in my senior year in a 4-year program at the Alberta College of Art and Design. In relation to the experiences in CIS, the classes that the school provided helped me build an understanding and a variety of knowledge that supported me and helped me understand my expectations in college. Columbia International School is a school every student should get a chance to experience because they won't regret it. I never have.”

– Momo Bando

provide an excellent educational environment for our students,” says Mr. McCliggott.

World Class Courses Offered Since the foundation of the school, Columbia International School offers its students one of the most challenging and globally-recognized courses of study based on the Ontario (Canada) curriculum. The reason being, Ontario is consistently at the top in reading, math, and science. Besides, 91% of Ontario Grade 10 students met or exceeded the critical science benchmark in the most recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study.

Based on this model, Columbia International School follows a common and rigorous curriculum from kindergarten to Grade 12. The Ontario curriculum implemented at Columbia

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is recognized as a world-class curriculum and is extensively used throughout the world in part due to its excellent framework for incorporating a theme of internationalism into the curriculum.

Columbia curriculum offers both Japanese and international students the opportunity to interact with ideas from around the world. Also, it provides them a robust platform to confidently share their culture and expand their communities. The school’s focus has always been on increasing students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills; hence preparing its students to be global thinkers for the 21st Century!

Providing Top Career Exposures and Opportunities Columbia International School offers students in small classes, a safe and

supportive learning environment, where highly trained teachers guide students through an exploration of the world around them. In its technologyrich environment, students become highly computer literate an essential skill in the modern work environment.

Columbia International School graduates possess the knowledge and skills required to be successful studying at leading universities throughout the world and to become leaders in today’s global work environment. The school believes that students learning in a multicultural environment develop an understanding and appreciations for other cultures that help make them comfortable working in the global scene here in Asia or abroad in western cultures.

Education at Columbia’s opens the door to the world and provides

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pathways to a variety of opportunities.

Columbia graduates’ study at the world's finest universities and are regularly recruited by famous global companies. The schools’ effective and enhanced frameworks, regular Canadian and WASC Certification processes and tremendous support from parent’s organization ensure ongoing development as a learning community. Its wireless one-to-one laptop environment allows both teachers and students to access the latest information and learning strategies.

Everyone right from the administration, teachers, and staff are involved in continuous learning through Columbia International School’s professional learning circles.

Also, Columbia teachers and administrators are regular participants or presenters at conferences throughout Asia.

“My school life at CIS (Columbia International School) was the best when compared to the other schools I have attended and experienced. Since I was young, I had moved back and forth from Hong Kong to Japan numerous times and as a result experienced many schools. I appreciated the teachers and staff, who cared about students when we had our ups and downs in life and school. After graduating from CIS, I moved to Canada to a small city called Calgary in Alberta.

I am currently in my senior year in a 4year program at the Alberta College of Art and Design. In relation to the experiences in CIS, the classes that the school provided helped me build an understanding and a variety of knowledge that supported me and helped me understand my expectations in college. Columbia International School is a school every student should get a chance to experience because they won’t regret it. I never have.”

- Momo Bando

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Enhanced Programs and Activities At Columbia, students are required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer community service as a graduation requirement. Community service builds a feeling for human interdependence and a proactive sense of social responsibility in the heart. Community service starts in kindergarten at Columbia with students regularly cleaning up the local park through the ‘Columbia Cares’ program. The Kindergartens are also active gardeners in the school garden recently growing popping corn that they later sold at its sports day with the proceeds going to charity.

The Elementary students regularly clean up the local area and grow and sell vegetables to the local community to support charities like ‘Habitat for Humanity’. The junior and senior students connect with the communities directly by leading activities and performances at local retirement centers and organizing activities for local kindergartens. The residence of the retirement home enjoys the interaction and the opportunity to share their life experiences with its students.

Through Habitat for Humanity, the school challenges its students to extend those boundaries by visiting areas in Asia such as Mongolia, Cambodia and Sri Lanka, that need support and building houses for those in need in these community.

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Joy to

the World A Trusted Institution for Young Learners

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he school works towards promoting the concept of Ohana while creating awareness among the students about the world abroad and the importance of connections with people as well as themselves.

In 1999, Joy of the World was established as an English school and came into existence two years later when it opened its first school as a multi-age daycare center. The founder Mr. Jerry Hanus is the individual who decided to bring out this venture and ensured that the pace was towards a productive learning environment. He made sure that when the surrounding required a universal style preschool, he delivered. It is also an added advantage that Joy to the World is located in the safest neighborhood in Tokyo alongside two beautiful parks.

It is known to be a staple in the community as a trusted institution for young learners.

Academic Provisions Joy to the World is a school that believes in giving its students equal treatment and ensures a diverse environment for it. They accept students who belong from various parts of the world such as America, England, China, France, Italy, India, Australia, Korea, Hawaii, Canada, and Japan. There are morning and afternoon programs to provide a fun,

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creative, immersion English learning.

Kids between the ages 1.5 to 6 years are provided classes in various timings from 9:20 – 2:00 and these include special classes such as Joy Tots Class (1.5-2), Pre K (2-3), K1 (3-4), K2 (4-5) and K3 (5-6). The faculty is well trained in early age learning and along with having multiple years of experience in various fields of education. They also belong to diverse backgrounds so that the students can relate to in the classroom which in turn makes them feel like they are home. The staff is also adept at attending and speaking at various conferences in Japan and all around the world in an attempt to broaden and improve the overall curriculum.

The institute also offers cooking classes which can be opted for as electives and ensures that the students develop an interest in culinary skills as well as build a new relationship towards good food.

Japanese classes are also conducted to help academic skills flourish with Japanese being the medium through which the curriculum is taught. Joy also provides afternoon programs which contain the Afterschool Kindergarten for ages 3 to 6 and Afterschool Elementary Classes.

The kindergarten program focuses on building phonics and critical thinking but keeping in mind a welcoming and looser approach that the children

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Jerry Hanus Founder

The Alumni of Joy to the World even after graduating are treated with immense respect and the ones who have completed junior high school are allowed to return to assist with the special school programs. The alumni constantly continue to express their appreciation while reminiscing about their fond memories at the institute. Students have gone on to express how the school has been a signicant inuence on how much they have improved personally as well as educationally.

Nana Ichinose states – “I remember having a great time dancing and singing with my friends and teachers. I remember practicing and practicing again and again. I was excited to show my parents the performance every time. I used the English skills that I learned from Joy to the World and moved to Hong Kong when I was 6. I have seen that most of the kids in Joy to the World are very bright and outgoing. I have seen many changes since I graduated from Joy to the World. However, I have seen some memories that have been here since I was there. I am delighted that I was able to spend time at Joy to the World. Thank you, Jerry, for this opportunity.”

will be able to adapt and focus on more. The elementary program also offers the same but works on building up the academic skills of the older learners along with reading in the lowest level class. The institute also offers special programs all year round such as the winter, spring and Summer Fun Programs as well as the Hawaii Summer Program. This is where they implement crafts, games, and songs into the English learning process. The Hawaii Summer program specifically is offered to the families who are on vacation in Honolulu intending to spread the spirit of ‘Ohana.’ They are taken on a tour of the island and can participate in various fun activities while taking in the beauty and culture of Hawaii.

An Effective Teaching Methodology The institute mainly focuses on promoting learning and development by involving the students in creative activities which help in building up their fundamental skills, especially critical thinking. Multiple sets of guidelines along with some goals and activities make up the core curriculum of Joy to the World which covers all the aspects of learning. The teaching methodology has been developed according to the directives of the NAEYC and also the strategies listed by Oxford University.

Behind the Brilliant Structure of Joy Jerry Hanus is an individual who has always been fueled by his vision and determination. He belongs to

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Honolulu, Hawaii and credits his qualification to the University Of Hawaii. His immense interest and passion towards the field of business have helped in fueling the progression and expansion of the school. He also puts in a constant stream of effort to make sure that the school curriculum is designed to be original along with the materials.

Hanus is also well experienced with childhood development and curriculum development.

An Overview of Career Opportunities Joy to the World works on inspiring the new generation of students towards education by creating new and innovative programs. The students also are known to go beyond expectations of various other elementary schools they apply to and also find themselves being accepted to any school of their choosing. It enlightens them about the world and its realities upon graduating while inspiring them to learn better. Upon graduating, every student gains immense confidence and love for themselves which is a result of the completely friendly nature which also encourages them to prepare for their future ambitions.

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MEES International School Imparting Knowledge Powered by Technology 38

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he book, ‘Evolution of Education Theory’ authored by John Adams defines education as a bipolar process in which one personality acts upon another to modify the development of other personality. The educator and educand are the two people involved in this process. Educators seek the overall development of the student by not only through imparting the knowledge skill but also through directly influencing the educand’s personality. MEES International School is one such school that focuses on developing the personality of its students while giving equal importance to their academic performance. At MEES International School, the child develops not only academic skills but also gain a positive attitude towards learning. The school empowers students to pursue their passion and surpass all the restrictions along with ensuring their holistic development.

The Visionary School Changing Lives “Education is what survives when what has been learned as been forgotten” – B.F Skinner Following the aforesaid principle, MEES’s vision is to nurture its students to be the rightfully educated citizens of the world. Any student, who graduates from MEES, demonstrates all those skills that help them to face challenges throughout their life.

To propel this vision of its, MEES trains its students starting right from kindergarten. Realizing the importance of technology and leveraging its pervasive power, MEES perceives digital awareness as a language. It believes that exposing students to the technology at a young age will equip them with the technical skills and

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prepare them for the future lying ahead. MEES believes that technology already influences the lives of many and it will continue to do so. A good example of this how the invention of smartphones, of AI (Artificial Intelligence), has already changed the world. The yet to be introduced technologies like quantum computers will change the world furthermore and skills expected from workers will change.

Cultivating the future-needed skills in students is what distinguishes MEES from other schools. At the school’s heart lies its values of confidence building, responsibility, risk-taking skills, social development and most of all enjoy learning. Guided by these core values, MEES International School has adopted a progressive approach to its educational programs.

Galvanized by the ‘The Montessori Method of Education’, MEES combines technology into its academics by thus introducing students to the real world and help them evolve as respected individual learners.

Classrooms equipped with projectors, instilling Google home devices in classrooms, and being able to connect with other students through video calls exemplifies, some of the advanced techniques used at this school.

Moving at par with the technology trends is one of the distinguishing features of this school. However, technology is only a tool used by the school to achieve its goal; the inclusive excellence of students. It also focuses on cultivating skills such as creativity and critical thinking.

MEES epitomizes the fact that ‘learning is a two-way process’. It encourages its faculties to use

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Euft van den Berg Principal

“Our daughter joined MEES when she was one and a half years old. We were just back in Japan after a few years of life in California where we heard about American preschools and kindergartens from our friends who raised their kids there. We were looking for a school which would give our daughter exibility. When we rst met the principal of MEES, we thought this would be the one.

Now, my daughter turned 4, and we are very happy and fortunate that she has been with MEES. She has been exposed to a lot of artistic activities such as painting, music, and dancing. She writes letters to her friends to show a close friendship. Through digital learning, she learned how to communicate with her father through Skype when he was away.

She even teaches us English at home as if she were a teacher.

Most importantly, we feel she has been loved by her teachers and friends, and she is comfortable being herself. This self-esteem is now deeply embedded in her and we are certain she will continue to grow up as an independent and compassionate person.”

Anna's Father “Our daughter Sai has been going to MEES from when she was 1 year old. We are a mixed family, her father is Israeli and I am Japanese. At home, we speak both Hebrew and Japanese. We chose MEES for our daughter because of the international character. Sai is now 2 years old already understanding 3 languages and started to speak them too. We support the Montessori ideology and often Sai mentions older students names, it is clear that she looks up to them and likes to copy them. We would like her to be independent and creative, therefore we are happy we found MEES.” Sai's Mother

technology too. Students observe teachers; hence, it is necessary that they put their words into action. The easiest way to encourage students to use technology is when they witness teachers using modern technologies in the classrooms. This ignites their minds and increases their curiosity; as a result, they ask questions and try to learn more. Teachers learn about the latest technologies and help students attain the necessary skills for tomorrow.

Laudable Learning Experience MEES International School has distinguished themselves for its unique and advanced approach towards education. Education in Japan has its roots in a traditional foundation,

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conservative, and is much focused on functioning and learning in groups.

However, Japanese parents who often visit or have lived abroad have decided to move out from the conventional educational methods, seeking for more.

MEES offers a student-centric academic culture; this approach by the school has helped students to evolve as independent learners, which goes beyond the conventional norms of Japanese education. This is one of the reasons why parents pick- out MEES International School as the ideal school for their offspring. With its innovative teaching method, the school believes that education should be seen as a platform that eliminates the differences between local and international school education. Focusing on sensory

learning, MEES’ prime aim to provide a welcoming environment where students can express freely.

Teachers are the catalysts of this school. In spite of being a new school, the faculties of the school are skilled and experts in their respective field.

With all that in place, the students can benefit from this expert pool of teachers and choose their field of interest from an early stage itself, getting personalized training as well.

The teachers work as one team and coordinate with other teams and make it easy for children to switch between projects. While working in small groups, the school followed the Reggio Emilia approach, in which children coconstruct, and take ownership over the

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direction of work or the project.

Focusing on educating both the international and national students, MEES' principles are built on the quote, “Educate the masses and then only a nation is possible”.

Zealous Scholar and Educationalist This elite school is spearheaded by its Principal, Euft van den Berg. Prior to founding MEES International School, Euft served as the principal of an International School in Tokyo. It was during his tenure in this school that he observed that children around him wanted something more than the conventional Japanese education system. He also observed that the schools were mostly focusing on helping students attain good grades.

His zeal to change this approach towards education motivated him to lay the foundation stone of MEES International School.

Armed with a Master degree in Fine Arts (MFA), he completed his schooling from Montessori High School (Montessori Lyceum, Amsterdam). Being a student of ‘The Montessori Method of Education’ himself; Euft believes that applying this theory to education will aid students in accomplishing their fullest potential while also becoming selflearners. Adapting the same approach in MEES, Euft envisions providing one such environment to his students where they are free to learn and pursue any passion, given that the school has a child-centric curriculum.

“The teachers in MEES have a unique character and a sense of arts. We feel the atmosphere as if going abroad like Europe or the United States whenever we enter the school. Since MEES adopts Montessori educational system,

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children are centered in the school. My daughter has learned her daily routines through her school life and been getting to do them by herself. Moreover, elder children look after little children in MEES. I believe that this helps children be considerate of others.

There are a lot of programs to cultivate creativity and a sense of music and arts.

Surprisingly, children become able to identify each face of famous music composers and their music. The teachers take children to a park near MEES twice a day every day in order to let them play. By virtue of this, I think that the ability to exercise is developed.

My daughter went to another nursery school once, but she wanted to go back to MEES soon after going to this school because she liked the atmosphere of MEES and missed MEES very much. When she came back to MEES, all of the teachers kindly welcomed her. Now, she is enjoying her school life with her nice friends and excellent teachers again!”

Aine’s daddy

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Seta International School Building Tomorrow's World with Today's Children

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ur goal is to provide children a balanced and complete educational program in a family-like and well-equipped environment” Seta International School was founded in 2001 on the ideals of a mother who believed that children need an enriching balance of body and mind in order to be fully competent in the 21st Century. The school welcomes children ages 18 months to 6 years old, in a cozy family house style facility. It relies on the support and communication between teachers, students, and parents to foster students’ growth.

The school provides practical education which focuses on balancing the mind and body for the child's current developmental needs through its unique curriculum. The mission of the school is based on what all parents wish for their children, to foster a strong sense of balance between children's physical, emotional, social and academic well-being.

Story behind the Inception The journey during the establishment started when the Founder of the school searched for a kindergarten for her son back in the day. The only choice she had was to take admission in either an academic-based kindergarten or in a play-based kindergarten. Hence, she decided to create a school with the motto, “play well and learn well”.

Throughout these years, she has seen that this spirit has lived on to till date.

Since the establishment of the school, she believed that it has been made possible only because of the strong team of professional teachers keep in mind to be aware of the children’s needs at all times, following the spirit.

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Enriched Curriculum of Seta Seta’s program is designed to nurture children of all linguistic backgrounds through an appropriate program tailored to the particular stage of each child's development. The curriculum of Seta focuses on the physical, cognitive, emotional, social and creative needs of each child. Seta International School is a place where children are given the opportunity to learn and grow as whole individuals.

The school activities address the needs of the total child. It believes that social, physical, emotional, and cognitive growth is interrelated and is of equal value. The school is designed to encourage and guide children in the development of self-discovery, individual responsibility and intellectual growth. It believes that children can reach their full potential if they are able to develop a positive selfimage. To emphasize this goal, the school offers healthy environment in which they can learn to choose their activities, cooperate, share and form friendships with peers. Seta emphasizes helpfulness, fairness, willingness to use one’s abilities for the benefit of others, and the importance of being a global citizen who cares for the environment and other cultures.

With the changing years, the curriculum of Seta also gets upgrade.

However, the curriculum always includes the following parameters: • Cultural and historical events and world holidays • Monthly or Seasonal Events • Theme-based activities • Language arts • Math and Critical Thinking Skills • Development of large and fine motor skills • Science through experiments and

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The school encourages developing and maintaining a strong balance between body and mind. It believes that giving children a variety of activities targeted specically to their own age group is of the utmost importance. As parents, we tend to focus heavily on the academic development of our children. However, among those children who only excel in language or math studies, few may actually grow up to become high-level achievers. Moreover, what is important at this stage of their childhood is enhancing the child's emotional, physical, and social aptitudes, and enabling them to have a curriculum that is specically suited to match their age group. Children are like different owers about to bloom; When they will fully blossom depends on their own developmental pace.

hands-on activities • Social Studies • Japanese Culture • Music & Art Health & Safety at a Priority Health and safety has the topmost importance at Seta. The school specifically enlightens the importance of health during its annual health weeks when the dentist and nurse visits them. Having lived in a highly seismic country, the school also conducts evacuation drills.

Seta is more concerned for the growing food allergies in school and around the world. As the school values cooking activities, it tries best to keep the food allergy-free in the activities. To provide everyone with a safe environment, the school policy may ask children not to bring certain foods to school or school events. The Staff members at Seta are trained in CPR and first-aid equipment is also available at school. A local hospital is situated at 5-minute away from the school campus where serious injuries are treated.

In terms of safety, a field trip to the local fire station is the pivotal factor in Seta’s safety learning. This gives children an opportunity to meet the fire fighters, see the fire engines and ambulance closely along with trying out their uniform and the equipment.

Alumni Seta’s graduates continue their education at international elementary schools, Japanese elementary schools or elementary schools abroad. The students of the inaugural class have just graduated from their universities in the recent years. Seta International School has received many exciting and proud updates that the alumni earned their degrees from esteemed universities, and have ventured out in the world.

Every student who has attended Seta, be it for one year or five, has becomes a crucial member of the Seta’s Alumni Family.

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• “I would like to thank the Staff, Teachers, parents and families of Seta International pre-school for welcoming us into their community over the past 12 months. Moving to a foreign country is in itself a daunting prospect, but one which is particularly more profound when you don’t speak the language. I would like to thank the staff and teachers of Seta International pre-school for helping us cope in our transition, and the on-going helpfulness in settling us into life in Japan. Our family experience at Seta International was a thoroughly enjoyable one. The personal care and attention our children received from the caring International teaching staff was excellent, and more importantly our children enjoyed and looked forward to pre-school each day. The friends we have made through the school over the past 12 months have made of lives here in Japan a great deal easier and enjoyable; especially given the absence of friends, family and support back home. I would welcome and recommend foreign families to Seta International preschool and hope that you too, enjoy the same experience we have shared.”

-G. & R.P., Australia • “Our son started with the age of two at SIS. The warm atmosphere, the small classes as well as the mixture of nationalities convinced us from the beginning. But also the planned activities and the educational program was a strong factor for our decision. In the meantime our son has made many friends, and he likes to go to SIS every morning. He is communicating easy in English with his Japanese & international friends and mates. The field trips

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are always interesting and exciting for him. It was a good decision to go to SIS.” -M. & B.H., Germany • “My son, who will turn four soon, has been a student at Seta International School now for one year, and I can say that the time at the school has shaped his character and behavior very well. The teachers of the school have a very professional attitude and educate the children in a way that allows them to learn about their environment and themselves, and gives them room to grow and prosper. The Social as well as academic curriculum is well thought through, and also the effective treatment of the kids is tailored to their individual needs. My son will stay in the school and I am looking forward to seeing him thrive and grow. I can certainly recommend the school to other parents who want their kids to develop their character and skills in a healthy environment.

-B.&C.W., Austria 47