International Schools Directory International

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011
明治30年3月22日第３種郵便物認可
International
Schools
Directory
115 TH YEAR NO. 40,372
ISSN 0289-1956
©THE JAPAN TIMES, LTD., 2011
2011~2012 Edition
Digital Vision
B2 The Japan Times MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011
(1) 第３種郵便物認可
Moving ahead — international schools in Japan
By James Yellowlees Ph.D.
D
espite the temporary setback
that began on March 11, 2011,
international schools in Japan
are bouncing back stronger than ever.
Vision, unity, long-term strategies and
determination have all been important
qualities that have emerged at a crucial
time. Many of the leading international
schools are moving ahead with new
investments, expansions, school openings and new models that address the
changing needs for international education in Japan.
“We have worked hard for many
years to invest in and better develop our
infrastructure, and it has come out beautifully and at a very good time,” said
Brother Michel Jutras, headmaster of St.
Mary’s International School in Tokyo.
Indeed, the campus is now well-connected and functional, and the IT infrastructure has been greatly improved.
Nearby, Seisen International School,
like St. Mary’s, offers the IB diploma and
has a very popular coed Montessori kindergarten. Seisen has worked hard to continually improve its academic levels and
to maintain quality faculty members.
“This has really paid off,” said Seisen
official Ninette Trout. “We think the
parents and students are really understanding the value of what is offered at
Seisen.”
Science-related classes make use of 3-D technology at the International School of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo.
International School of the Sacred
Heart (ISSH) in Tokyo has implemented
the innovative approach of having 3-D
technology available to students in science-related classes and this is proving
to be very popular with the students.
“Students who previously weren’t so
interested have found themselves drawn
deeper into the class contents,” said
Mary Hisaoka, development coordinator at ISSH.
Columbia International School (CIS)
in Saitama has developed a solid foundation of family support for education
in cooperation with the school. An
active PTSA (Parent-Teacher-Student/
Staff Association) works to support
this focus.
“The PTSA decided that it needed a
clear understanding of the current needs
of students, parents, teachers and staff
in order to properly fulfill its mandate
of enhancing the students’ school experience,” said Natalia Morrison, the CIS
PTSA communications coordinator.
As a result, the PTSA conducted a
CIS communitywide assessment to
identify priority needs. A hard copy
survey was distributed and the resulting
data was entered and analyzed. The
teamwork, attention to detail, hard work
and persistence were rewarded with a
solid foundation from which to identify
priorities.
“A renewed and unified sense of
direction developed,” Morrison said.
K. International School in Tokyo has
added a new after-school program
called LEAP (Learning Enrichment
Academic Program).
“This program is both for our students
who need some extra work and for students from the community, who are welcome to participate,” said Craig Larsen,
director of admissions and personnel.
“We have also remodeled and added to
our library and this has been especially
beneficial for the younger students.”
In Kansai, Doshisha International
School, Kyoto (DISK) opened its
brand-new, purpose-built campus in
September. Located in southern Kyoto,
the DISK campus is central to the
Kansai business centers of Kyoto,
Osaka and Nara.
“The most unique feature of the
school is that DISK actually has two
schools within our facilities,” said
Jeffrey Jones, the principal. “In addition
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
The Japan Times MOnday, OCTOber 3, 2011 B3
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Tips for selecting an
international school
Here is a comprehensive list of important points to consider when making a decision on what international
school would be most suitable for your child.
1) Have you fully weighed the advantages
and disadvantages of placing your child
in an international school in Japan? It is
difficult to go back and forth to the
Japanese system and it will affect higher education choices.
2)Location: Is the school conveniently
located and does it have good drop off
and/or parking areas? This is especially
important for preschools and kindergartens.
3)Vision: What is the vision that is
expressed by the school head or officials? Can anyone attest to whether it
is consistent with the actual operation
of the school?
4)Environment: Does the school have an
environment that is conducive to
learning?
5)Transportation: Does the school have
a reliable bus or transportation system that includes proper supervision?
6)Is the school religious or secular? It is
wise to ensure that, to the extent
possible, the school provides education that is consistent with your beliefs
and expectations.
7)Does the school feature a curriculum
that is consistent with your future
plans (in particular for post-secondary
education)? This is important even at
the preschool level.
8)How well is the school linked to
schools at the next level of instruction
(i.e., does the preschool/kindergarten
have a good track record in preparing
children for successful entry into the
first grade at international schools)?
9)Does the school have a clear primary
language of instruction? In most international schools, the primary language
of instruction is English (although
there are French, German and other
primary-language focused schools) but
it is best to confirm this (especially at
the preschool and kindergarten level).
10)Is the school accredited? If so, by what
international and local bodies?
11) Are the teachers fully qualified? This is
not a concern with the mainstream
international schools but can be a concern with some newer schools. This is
especially important at the preschool
and kindergarten levels.
12) Is the school parent-friendly? It is very
important that the schools communicate well with parents in order to
keep them abreast of school policies,
events and other developments. If one
of the parents is Japanese, it is helpful
if someone on the staff can communicate well in Japanese.
13) Does the school provide assistance
for parents who are not native speakers of English? This is very important
for interaction between the parents
and the school administration and
teachers.
14) Is the school coed or for boys or girls
only? This is simply a matter of preference.
15) What facilities, sports and activities
does the school offer? Space is an
issue in the larger urban centers.
What has the school done to compensate for this? Are schools outside of
Tokyo a better option in this area?
16) Have the teachers been trained in first
aid and emergency measures? Given
the events of March 11, quick and
appropriate responses to situations
can save lives. Given that Japan is in a
major earthquake/tsunami zone, it is
extremely important that international school teachers, especially if they
are new to Japan, be trained in earthquake, fire and evacuation procedures.
17)Does the school have clearly defined
philosophies, goals and objectives?
18)Does the school feature enriched or
International Baccalaureate programs
that will allow ambitious and able children to grow at a comfortable and
challenging pace?
19) Does the school have a comfortable
learning environment? Do the children
seem happy? Are other parents satisfied?
20)Does the school have a proper Web
and IT infrastructure? This is impor-
tant for both teachers and students to
be able to quickly access information
from the Internet and other sources.
Progressive schools are providing personal PCs and wireless/high-speed
access.
21) Does the school properly deal with
disciplinary problems? Some schools,
unfortunately, are lax on discipline and
problem children.
22)Does the school have proper security?
This should include security personnel
(for larger schools), locks on doors,
codes for entry, registration and badges for visitors, and pickup policies for
younger children (i.e., nannies or
home helpers).
23)Does the school facilitate learning
about Japan (the host country)? This
may seem obvious, but some international schools make inadequate efforts
in this area.
24)Does the school provide or have
access to qualified teachers who cater
to students with special needs?
Fortunately, the options for adequate
support and positive learning environments are increasing.
25)Does the school offer a balanced
approach to academic curriculum,
physical activity and the arts?
26)For high schools, are there Advanced
Placement , IB or other enriched
options?
27)Does the school encourage voluntary
activities and interaction with the
community?
28)Does the school provide good access
to qualified academic and health counselors?
(J.Y.)
B4 The Japan Times MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011
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第３種郵便物認可 (1)
The Japan Times MOnday, OCTOber 3, 2011 B5
B6 The Japan Times MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011
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Reaching out and enriching in Yokohama
Y
okohama International School
(YIS) has implemented progressive programs that both
enrich the current curriculum and offer
outreach to the local community. The
YIS Global Citizen Diploma (GCD) is
a new, unique diploma that complements the IB diploma and is aimed at
developing globally aware and responsible students.
Head of School James MacDonald
said, “Starting with the requirements
of the IB Diploma Program as its academic foundation, the GCD incorporates a range of other important criteria designed to help the students to
develop.”
GCD consists of a Global Citizen
Certificate, a Global Citizen Diploma
and a Global Citizen Diploma with
Distinction so students can select the
level of enrichment they feel capable
of handling. GCD program activities
and achievements are incorporated into
each student’s digital portfolio. This is
an online space that the student, teachers and parents can use to monitor the
student’s progress and is one feature of
the progress YIS has made in IT infrastructure.
The Connected Learning Community
is another innovation that provides a
seamless link between PC and Internet
connectivity. Every middle and high
school student at YIS is provided with a
laptop PC with standardized software
that they are able to use at home as well
as at school.
“We are confident that providing this
platform will bring many benefits,
including helping with the continuity of
learning at school and at home,”
MacDonald said.
Fueling these innovative efforts on a
day-to-day basis is a brand-new menu in
the school cafeteria.
“Proper nutrition, or lack thereof, in
school cafeterias has become more of an
issue in education,” MacDonald noted.
“We want to ensure that our students are
fed well so they have the proper health
and energy to engage in their studies and
other activities.”
The International Center for Japanese
Culture at YIS is designed to make tra-
Japanese cultural classes, such as koto lessons, are offered at the Yokohama International School.
ditional and modern Japanese arts and
culture more accessible to YIS students.
The center features information on education, arts and culture, and hosts cultural programs, special guest lectures,
and performances. It includes a performance/lecture space, Japanese tearoom,
Japanese traditional music room and a
multimedia resource facility.
“We feel it is important for the YIS
students to know more about traditional
Japanese culture as it is all around them
outside the school,” MacDonald said.
“International schools should not be
islands, separate from the rest of the
community.”
Finally, the YIS Visiting Scholars
Program invites those who are conducting research on international schools to
do so at YIS for up to one month. The
school provides accommodations,
round-trip airfare and a modest stipend
to cover living costs.
It is encouraging to see these new
initiatives being implemented to create
progressive international schools.(J.Y.)
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
to our grade 1-12 international
school, DISK’s campus is also home
to Doshisha International Elementary
School, a Japanese private elementary school offering a bilingual
Japanese/English, inquiry-based curriculum that fulfills the Japanese
national curriculum requirements.
This initiative brings students from
both schools together at timetabled
and extracurricular times for collaborative learning, thus allowing for
authentic exchange and the mutual
development of international understanding,” he said.
This shared campus and resources
concept was initiated in the Kansai
area by Osaka International School
(OIS). OIS has been co-located with
the private Senri High School in
Osaka for many years and established a new partnership with the
progressive Kwansei Gakuin education group in 2010.
“The relationship with Kwansei
Gakuin has proven to be very beneficial in many ways,” said John
Serle, the OIS head of school. “We
have been able to get much better
access to both financial and intellectual resources. We have also been
able to help with the internationalization or globalization of Kwansei
Gakuin, from a non-Japanese perspective.
“We are at a very interesting
crossroads in international school
education, and it is being referred to
in some circles as post-international
education,” Serle noted. “As the
number of expats becomes fewer and
international marriages, professionals coming to Japan and returnees
increases, the need to be responsive
in both local and global ways
becomes more necessary.”
Options for MBA programs
T
he number of options for MBA
programs increases each year.
Selecting the right program
requires a great deal of time, information gathering, analysis and preparation.
Let’s look at some interesting examples
that are all accessible from Japan.
The Hitotsubashi University ICS program is conducted in the heart of Tokyo
and has both one-year and two-year
options. The program is led by Dean
Christina Ahmadjian, who did her
MBA at Stanford, doctoral work at the
Haas School at the University of
California, Berkeley, and taught at
Columbia University’s business school.
“I am very pleased with how locally
and globally connected our programs
have become,” she said.
Participants in the two-year program
have the option to do study terms at
leading overseas programs such as the
Anderson School at UCLA and the
London Business School, and to participate in meaningful internships in Japan
and overseas.
The International University of Japan
(IUJ) offers a two-year MBA program
that includes internships and exchange
options and the opportunity to develop
a substantial network with the program’s other participants, who hail
from more than 20 different countries.
The peaceful, yet well-resourced setting
in Niigata, north of Tokyo, provides
program participants with a good study
environment but also good access to the
capital via the shinkansen bullet train.
The Master of E-Business
Management at IUJ is a unique one-year
program that encompasses all leading IT
formats, along with the Internet, mobile,
and other connectivity technologies.
IUJ professor Philip Sugai said: “We
are addressing the need for professionally
trained managers in e-business, who
understand traditional business processes,
the convergence of technology and business, new innovations in technology, and
who can help new and existing businesses
to seamlessly integrate e-business and
technology initiatives to create value.”
Another option is the Ivey Business
School Asia MBA program that is based
in Hong Kong. It is an affiliate of the
leading-edge Ivey School at the
University of Western Ontario in Canada.
It is a globally top-30 ranked executive MBA program that is run on weekends, so it is possible for participants to
continue to work in Japan and commute
to Hong Kong for the classes.
“Our program features the case-study
method and we are the leading publisher of Asia-based case studies in the
world,” said program representative
Amelia Chan.
“I really benefited from this program
in terms of both my career development
and the network I was able to create of
business leaders in Hong Kong, China
and the region,” said program alumnus
Yasuo Ohara.
In order to select and prepare for
MBA programs, Global Daigaku.com is
providing free information and counseling services on its site and at its Tokyo
and Kansai offices. For more information, please visit the site at www.globaldaigaku.com
(J.Y.)
The Japan Times MOnday, OCTOber 3, 2011 B7
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Community and educational
leadership in Kobe
S
ince he arrived in Kobe to
become head of school for St.
Michael’s International School,
Paul Grisewood has worked hard to be
innovative and to increase community
involvement at St. Michael’s.
“If we are not careful, international
schools in Japan can become islands to
themselves,” Grisewood said. “It is better for all concerned if international
schools such as ours can help with the
internationalization of the community
around us.”
Under Grisewood’s leadership, St.
Michael’s has become more involved in
the Foreign Schools Association of
Hyogo Prefecture. It is a unique organization that includes all of the international schools in and around Kobe and
is supported by both the city of Kobe
and Hyogo Prefecture.
“We are very fortunate to have the
support of both the city and the prefecture,” Grisewood said. “It is a very
good example of cooperation between
local governments and the international
school community, and it encourages
and enables us to reach out to the community at large to support projects that
are helping with the internationalization
of Japan.”
St. Michael’s is also very involved
in participating in and helping to organize some of the many international
events in and around Kobe that have
been initiated by the city. St. Michael’s
also opens its doors to the local community with open houses, events and
ongoing English language and other
classes.
In 2009, Grisewood decided to take
St. Michael’s headmaster Paul Grisewood
advantage of an opportunity that would
allow students, many of whom were
planning to become teachers, from
nearby Kobe Shoin Women’s
University to participate as teaching
assistants in regular classes at St.
Michael’s. The concept would afford
the university students an opportunity
to experience classrooms firsthand, to
assist the native English-speaking
teachers and to interact with elementary
school pupils.
For both St. Michael’s International
School and Kobe Shoin Women’s
University, this was a first. In fact, it
was the first time it had been formally
done in Japan.
“I think we were able to succeed
Education updates
The
Tokyo
Association
of
International Preschools (TAIP) continues to thrive under the leadership of
Christopher Holland. TAIP and its member
schools are showing a clear indication of
commitment to continued learning and
improvement. www.tokyopreschools.org
Early childhood enrichment provider
Baby Loves Disco will host a Halloween
Boogie at Omotesando Hills on Oct. 16
from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., and will host a
Christmas event at the ANA Crowne Plaza
Hotel in Kobe on Dec. 20.
www.babylovesdisco.co.jp
Hiroo Gakuen provides excellent programs for junior and senior high school
returnees and students who wish to plan
to study in English at the post-secondary
level. The balanced curriculum allows for
easy entry to Japanese universities as
well. www.hiroogakuen.ed.jp
Ohana International School in Tokyo
provides a warm and caring environment
for children ages 18 months to 5 years
old. www.school-in-tokyo.com
At Joy to the World American
International School the office, pre-kindergarten, “Joy Tots,” kindergarten and
with this plan because we are in
Kobe,” said Kobe Shoin Women’s
University spokesperson Toshiko
Sakurai. “Kobe is a very international
city and we are all striving to become
more international.”
After the concept’s inception in
2009, the next year, a second group,
of eight students, was divided into
two sections and performed actual
teaching assistant duties over a threeday period. Later, they all wrote
reports on their experiences, which
they shared with other students at the
“afterschool” are all under one big roof!
www.joytotheworld.info
Makuhari International School continues to develop leading-edge infrastructure
and international links under headmaster
Paul Rogers. www.mis.ed.jp
Nishimachi International School has
entered its 61st year of operation under
the leadership of headmaster Terence
Christian. www.nishimachi.ac.jp
Gregg International School has regular events for children ages 1 to 6 and
their parents. www.gis-j.com
KAIS International School provides
scholarships for students who meet the
requirements. www.kaischool.com
AXIS International School has a very
small student-teacher ratio and provides
each student with lots of care.
www.axisk.com
Tokyo YMCA International School
offers excellent after-school programs
including sports, art, music and other
activities. http://tokyo.ymca.or.jp/tyis
Lakeland College Japan Campus has
regular academic and topical lectures that
are open to the general public.
www.japan.lakeland.edu/e
university.
“It has become an incentive for the
better students to be selected for this
‘Study Abroad in Kobe’ experience,”
said Sakurai.
“We will take it up to the next level
in 2011,” noted Grisewood. “We will
give the students the opportunity to do
some actual teaching.”
“This program is a fine example of
community cooperation in education
that we can all be proud of,” said Takao
Gunji, president of Kobe Shoin
Women’s University. (J.Y.)
B8 The Japan Times MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011
(1) 第３種郵便物認可