Learning Tree International School - Kiba

We feel that it is most important for a child to understand how special they are. We help them do this by showering them sincerely with love in the same way that we shower them with English, in a safe and secure environment. We believe that this is the first step in helping them to recognize how precious their family, friends, teachers and the whole of nature are. We feel that by finding out about the customs and cultures of other countries and trying to understand and accept differences, they come to know the wonderfulness of their own country and also develop a global attitude. English is an essential part of this, providing a tool to express their feelings and thoughts. Throughout their education at learning tree, we want them to courageously engage in any situation while still enjoying themselves. By keeping a positive mind and remembering to be kind to others, we hope to further expand their endeavors and sustain their pure-hearted dreams.

Here at Learning Tree, we believe that the time before your child starts attending school, while his or her mind and personality are already rapidly developing, is extremely important. We aim to provide a thorough, attentive, "at home"-style environment with a low student-to-teacher ratio, that will foster not only the assertiveness and self-expression often associated with Western education systems, but also the manners, modesty and gentleness of Japanese society. Moreover, we aim to create an environment that thoroughly advances your child's speaking ability, with the goal of making your child functionally bilingual.

Here at Learning Tree, in order to make parents, students, staff and teachers into a community that helps and supports one another, we have adopted the following guidelines as part of our school policy.We believe in the importance of only accepting families who are satisfied with and approve of our school policies, and whose own family policies are in agreement with ours. This way we believe we can build a trustworthy relationship with each family in our community. Every term we hold parent-teacher conferences, which are our best chance to talk about the children's achievements, attitude, level of understanding and future goals. Our schedule, detailed curricula for each class, class and event photos, and school letters are conveniently placed on our school's web page. Any important information about what is happening at school is placed there for easy viewing, and is updated regularly. For a better appreciation and understanding of the children's progress in class, we hold an "Open Class" once a term, we give each child a progress test at the end of each term, and we write and present report cards. Learning Tree's "Family Support System" is available. This system is aimed at people who, due to other commitments, cannot take their children to an event, or to or from school on time. Joining and using the system is purely voluntary, however, as more people join we hope to create a more positive and helping community for everyone.' As always, thank you for your continued support of Learning Tree. Your support keeps our school improving.

While we rely on our teachers to provide for the well-being of our students, we do understand that there are times when we must consult a professional. We care about the progress of our children whether it is their emotional or physical progress. If a situation arises where we feel that an expert must be consulted, we have an on-call school counselor that can provide assistance.

Learning Tree is starting an exciting new program to continue your child’s international education. We understand that some families have an interest in attending Japanese elementary schools, but hope that their child will maintain and improve their English level. We also know that there are families that value our style of education and would like an opportunity to continue with us after kindergarten. In April 2015, we started an elementary education program designed to work alongside your child’s elementary school. The curriculum will be based around the new Common Core standards used by schools in the United States. At the conclusion of the Academic year, each student will be given an officially proctored exam that shows that they have achieved national standards for that grade level. We will be using a standardized test that is commonly taken by American private school, public school, and even home schooled children.

We also hold After School and Summer School English classes in order to provide further English education into the future. Primarily aimed (but not limited to) at elementary or middle school students, we hold a variety of classes tailored to your child's English ability, including science class, current events and newspaper classes to name just a few. By focusing on skills such as presentation, discussion and essay writing, students are able to develop their English ability and can aim for a proficiency close to that of Eiken level 2 by the end of their first year of elementary school, and level Pre-1 by the time of graduation, which is extremely beneficial for their school entrance exams!