At Ohana International School, our Tokyo Preschool, we bring unparalleled passion and commitment to your child’s education everyday. Owner, Shelley Sacks brings more than 48 years of experience in early childhood education, and each of our teaching staff is experienced, qualified, and tenured.
At Ohana International School Tokyo we: 1) Respect the fact that all children are individuals. 2) Aim to nurture each child’s unique individuality and honor their differences. 3) Ensure that every child in our care is valued, respected, and given the opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning. 4) Aim to support the learning, development and well-being…
At Ohana International School in Tokyo, we aim to teach the children in our care how to live in the community, embrace difference, and be honorable citizens in the global world. We all have the ability to achieve academically. Combining this with love, respect, honesty, and the ability to express ones thoughts openly and truthfully, we are certain that we have the right ingredients…
Play and learning at Ohana International School in Tokyo are inseparable. In the early years, children are learning more and at a faster rate than at any other time in their lives. It is through their active engagement in shared play and learning experiences that they develop a sense of individual identity, awareness of others and the skills needed to participate…
Ohana International School in Tokyo is an active participant in volunteer and community building events in disaster affected areas such as Tohoku and Tibet, and poverty affected areas such as Cambodia in Southeast Asia.
Ohana International School in Tokyo is a member of The Tokyo Association of International Preschools (TAIP). Through our TAIP membership, we attend workshops for parents and teachers..
Ohana International School in Tokyo is an English language preschool for children aged 15 months to 5 1/2 years old. Our aim is to provide innovative teaching practices and concepts in a loving and…
16 years.
Respect the fact that all children are individuals.
Aim: to nurture each child’s individuality and honour his/her differences.
Ensure that every child in our care is valued, respected, and allowed to take responsibility for their own learning.
Aim: to support the learning, development, and well-being of young children.
Promote learning, not only for children but also for everyone associated with our school.
Believe that parents, family, and teachers are the most important people in a child’s life, and the
biggest influence on his/her learning.
See our role as supporting the relationship between each child and his or her family by working
in partnership with them. We work together to achieve the best possible outcomes for our children.
Believe very strongly that we are part of a greater community which includes the children, their families, the neighborhood, the city we live in and the places that we come from.
Believe that fundraising is for others and seek to support organisations in Japan and around the world that promote support for children, socially and in education, as well as those who have suffered from natural disasters.
Believe that we are part of a global community and can all make a difference in protecting our Earth, taking care of the environment, giving to those in need, and making the world a better place for everyone.
We visit the local Retirement Home monthly with certain classes. We visit the fire station, police station, and post office during the Japanese Thanksgiving holiday.
We have an “Ohana Matusuri” with our own portable home-made mikoshi, and we walk through our neighbourhood once a year. We invite parents and community workers into the school to share their skills and teach us about various cultural festivals.
We celebrate International Months every February and March. We work with a company that grows orchids in Chiba, which teaches children how to care for orchids and gives each child in the older class a plant to take care of. We have an exercise program every week run by a local gym.
Ohana International School differentiates itself through its inclusive admission policy for children of all nationalities and those with special needs, its deeply integrated eco-friendly practices, such as Zero Plastic Fridays, and a play-based, holistic curriculum that emphasizes emotional and social development alongside academics. The school also focuses on teaching children to live in community, embrace differences, and become honorable global citizens, supported by highly qualified teachers who nurture individuality and foster compassion.
We are unique in our teaching approach, as we incorporate aspects of various Early Childhood philosophies and theorists. We incorporate aspects of Reggio Emilia, Play-Based learning, the Integrative Learning Themes of the IB, Emergent Curriculum, which is the mainstay of our program, as well as values-based learning. Social Responsibility and environmental care are key to our teachings. Art is a massive part of our curriculum.
We are a global community, and we believe that children can learn in many ways. We allow the children to guide us in their learning and give them ownership of what we do in the classroom, while being there to support and guide them as well. We work cooperatively with the children rather than taking a top-down approach. We trust the children in our care and are a community of learners, together with their parents and other family members. An alumni parent, when asked what made her choose Ohana International School over other schools in the neighbourhood, replied, “Ohana is the only International Preschool with a heart.” Young children in our care are nurtured and given wings so that they can fly.
We work closely with two other preschools in Japan – Asahi Yochien in Minamisanriku and OGA in Aomori. Our triangular relationship enables us to connect with children in different areas of Japan.
Our Ohana Parent-Teacher Organisation is active throughout the year, and we support organisations worldwide through our fundraising projects. Certain classes have programs that are unique to them – e.g, the older class visited the local retirement home every month this past year.
OHANA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
3-12-36 Motoazabu
Minato-ku Tokyo 106-0046 JAPAN
