Tokyo, Japan Report of what it's like to live there - 08/16/15
Personal Experiences from Tokyo, Japan
School Name:
Yokohama International School
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent.
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
First and second grade.
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2014, 2015, 2016.
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Government.
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
Learning assistance specialists, administration responsiveness, inquiry-based IB-PYP program, and proximity to work.
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
A.
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
A
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
Child-focused, inquiry based cirriculum with a learning support division that is available to monitor or offer services to children with already-identified or emerging special needs. Welcoming, broadly international to include European nations, Australia and New Zealand, USA and Canada, and other East Asian nations.
2. For the following attributes, down to the next blank box, grade your experience at the school on a scale of A (excellent) to F (unacceptable/terrible) and provide comments:<br><br>Overall fair and equitable treatment of all students and families:
A
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
A.
4. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
Not hidden per se. Lunch costs extra, as do field trips. YIS is open about these items on invoices.
5. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
A. One of the few schools in the greater Tokyo area which offers services, is not afraid of applicants who may have special needs, and has held training seminars for teachers from other international schools to help them bolster their own ability to assist students.
6. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
A.
7. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
A.
8. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
A. For elementary students, homework is limited. Most learning takes place during the school day with an emphasis on parents doing shared activities at home, such as reading together.
9. Administration-parent communication:
A. Top notch.
10. Teacher-student communication:
A.
11. Academics, answer the following questions "yes" or "no" with an explanation if appropriate:<br><br>Are there any classes or subjects where students are not appropriately challenged?
No.
12. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:
Yes and no. Our student is on monitor-status and is evaluated periodically due to possible emerging needs.
13. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:
Yes. The structure and staff are obviously present, active, engaged, and aware of our student's issues, even though our student is currently on monitor-only status.
14. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:
Yes.
15. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes. Music, drama, art, Japanese language, PE.
16. Please describe any classes or programs that you believe are missing:
None.
17. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
Yes, but limited for elementary.
18. What activities do you feel are missing?
None at this time.
19. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes.
20. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
Yes. PTA, teachers, and admin are all engaged.
21. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
Not observed yet.
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
A. Especially the learning support division for elementary students.
2. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
A.
3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
A.
4. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
B+. Gym and field facilities are available, but relatively constrained due to location.
5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
A. Seems to be as low as 15 to 1, or maybe up to 20 to 1.
6. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
A... YIS has been noted as implementing IB fully, not just in name.
7. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Yes.
8. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
A
9. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes.
10. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
Yes, but I would qualify the statement by saying that the inquiry-based model of IB PYP instruction allows students time to advance at their own pace during free-inquiry portions of the schedule.
11. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
Yes.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
Yes.
2. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
Not observed yet.
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
Engaged administration, engaged learning support division, inquiry based IB PYP cirriculum for elementary students.
2. Greatest challenge?
From downtown Tokyo the commute is about 40-60 minutes. However, it must be stated that this is comparable and similar to (if not shorter than) other major international schools we considered.
3. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Yes, absolutely. There was and is a welcoming spirit at this school for elementary students, especially when those students may have a special need. Other schools made us, as applicants, feel like we needed to wait, or wait in a second or third tier for admission. YIS allowed us to openly discuss our needs from a learning support division and proceed without any hidden issues.
