Search the Community

Children who are physically and mentally sound will become pioneers of the 21st century. We are committed to nurturing children filled with such potential. Katoh Kindergarten offers education to develop the unlimited potential of each child by providing an environment tailored to his/her needs. Furthermore, we recognize the importance of English as a lingua franca for their future. By identifying the trend of the times, we have developed our distinctive educational program by enriching early English education. We will continue to offer better child-care to every child to achieve a balanced personal development through moral, intellectual, and physical education. By providing children with various activities which elicit their interest and spontaneity, the Regular Course offers child-care which aims to raise “children who can spontaneously engage in activities.” Katoh Kindergarten also provides an open child-care program by using an open space where the walls of the nursery room are taken down. By taking down the walls, we employ a variety of activities beyond classes and grades. Not only homeroom teachers but also other care providers who are in the same space can watch each child, become involved with him/her from various perspectives, and develop a greater understanding of each child. There are various playing corners in the classroom. Children can choose their favorite corners and play there. Each corner is organized based on one theme. In addition, there are seasonal corners. Activities are developed based upon a particular theme. Themes are various such as “All about me”, “Animals”, and “World.” Students will engage in various activities based on a theme. Depending on the activities, children go outside children have school lunch on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and bring their lunch box on Tuesday and Thursday. After lunch, they play outside on the playground. In summer, they play in the pool. Children enjoy outdoor activities. Children change to their uniforms and get ready to go home. Then, teachers read picture books or picture-story shows and talk about the next day’s activity. This is the end of an enjoyable day. There are various play corners in the classroom. Children can choose their favorite corners and play there. Each corner is organized based on one theme. In addition, there are seasonal corners. Katoh Kindergarten established a child-raising circle to alleviate parent’s anxiety regarding child-care and to support them by providing an “opportunity” for 0-3 years old children and their parents to meet casually and exchange their concerns. Katoh Kindergarten staff introduces various activities that parents and children can enjoy together. Activities will be planned according to the age group. Katoh Kindergarten provides school bus transportation for students. Five red buses operate on ten different routes to ensure that children can get to the school and back safely and comfortably. Unfortunately, the environment surrounding children has become increasingly dangerous. At Katoh Kindergarten, to prevent suspicious individuals from entering the premises, we are asking parents to wear their parents’ tags when they come to school. Katoh Kindergarten organizes soccer and rhythmic gymnastics classes in response to the parent’s request to provide their children with more full-scale physical activities after school. Furthermore, we provide violin classes in aiming for the further enrichment of aesthetic appreciation in children as well as intelligence and physical abilities. The Immersion Course is one form of bilingual education, which is designed to enable children to acquire English naturally by being immersed in an English environment just as Japanese children acquire the Japanese language. At Katoh Kindergarten Immersion Program, 50% or more of a school day is conducted in English. Principally, if the morning activities are conducted in English, the afternoon activities are in Japanese. Native English-speaking teachers and Japanese teachers collaboratively bring up children. By continuing every day’s activities in the kindergarten, children will rapidly acquire English necessary for their life. They can learn English in the same way they learned Japanese, soaking it in naturally as if it was their native tongue. View full school

The IB offers an education for students from age 3 to 19, comprising of four programs that focus on teaching students to think critically and independently, and how to inquire with care and logic. The IB prepares students to succeed in a world where facts and fiction merge in the news, and where asking the right questions is a crucial skill that will allow them to flourish long after they’ve left our programs. We are supported by IB teachers and coordinators who develop and promote the IB’s curriculums in almost 5,000 schools globally every day, in over 150 countries around the world. Continuity in a child’s education is extremely important. By taking advantage of the continuity of Katoh School’s K-12 English Immersion / Bilingual Program children can build upon the skills and abilities established in earlier years. Students develop full mother tongue (first language) proficiency in Japanese and Japanese cultural identity and, over time, add native-like English proficiency, and a global mindset with the understanding, skills, and attributes necessary of a global citizen. Parents considering general admission or transfer should note that admission procedures vary according to age level. We advise parents to utilize all available opportunities to become familiar with our school by attending our school explanation sessions, class observations, as well as open school days. The screening evaluations for general admission or transfer for older students (grade two and above) focus on English and Japanese literacy skills, academic ability, and personal maturity. Since lessons are conducted in both English and Japanese, students are expected to possess a certain level of proficiency in both languages appropriate to their grade levels requirements. In subjects taught in English, a reasonable command of English is essential. On the other hand, Japanese ability is indispensable for subjects taught in Japanese. Please refer to the latest information of the relevant school for further admission/transfer details. Since a transfer application is considered only if there are vacancies, please direct your inquiries to each school to determine if applications are being accepted. In principle, we do NOT accept transfers into grade 6, grade 9 (Junior High School 3rd year), and Grade 11 (Senior High School 2nd year) after the start of DP. The Bilingual Course uses the MYP assessment framework established by the IBO when evaluating assessments and assigning grades. At the end of each year, teachers award a grade called the MYP grade on a scale of 1-7 (7 being the highest). Since the Bilingual Course follows the guidelines from the Mombukagakusho (MEXT) and the assessment policy of the Gyoshu Junior High School, students also receive a Gyoshu grade. Gyoshu grades are awarded on a scale of 1 – 10 (with 10 being the highest). The Gyoshu grade for students in the Bilingual Course comes from the application of the MYP criteria and the effort grade. Written reports of student progress are sent to parents in July, December and March. Parent-student-teacher conferences are scheduled in mid-July and mid-December. Written reports include student’s performance level for every criterion in each subject, MYP subject grade, effort grade, Gyoshu grade, subject teacher’s comments, school-wide examinations, reading grade, and other tests such as the Kanji test and English vocabulary test. The written reports are presented and explained by the homeroom teacher during the parent-student-teacher conferences. Each grade level visits a place outside of Numazu for a day. Teachers and students usually meet at the north side of Numazu station to take either a bus or a train. The students and teachers gather at the gym for an assembly. An alumnus is invited to give a speech. East-West Student Meeting: The students are divided into two teams- east and west. Each team will assign members to compete in the different events on Sports Day. A series of health examinations are organized in April and May by the school nurse. Some examinations include an eye check, a urine test, and an internal test. Other countries might call this an intramural event. The Cultural Day is a day where students are the main organizers of events. On this day, students will set up diverse booths, run a variety show displaying Gyoshu talent, Brass Band concerts, Music concerts, and others. The Sports Day consists of numerous unique games participated by both students and teachers. Other highlights of this day are the girls’ Cheering Dance and boys’ Drumming Dance by the East and West teams. The two days are open to the community. DP Mock Examination: This is for Grade 12 students and is done towards the end of term 1. Students will spend several days where they will take past paper DP examinations. This is divided into two parts. The first part of the summer school is typically done after the closing ceremony in July. Senior high classes are organized on these days. The second part is done in the last week of August. The MYP students (grades 9 & 10) have a summer camp where activities are organized to focus on the five Areas of Interaction in the MYP! View full school