I am interested in finding more information regarding Kubasaki vs Kadena. I have a 15 year old daughter who will be in the 10th grade. Initial research is pointing me in the direction of Kubasaki for the mere fact that a comparison of SAT scores for the 08-09 school year were WAY better at Kubasaki than Kadena. Thoughts?
I didn’t realize you actually had a choice of where you went – I always assumed it was based on which one you were closer too. I am partial to Kadena High – I graduated there many years back, my sister graduated from there, and my parents taught at Kadena for over 15 years. I have nothing but fond memories of the school – it was always well-kept and clean and everyone got along. Even though there were cliques there was never any rivalry or animosity, as far as I saw. Go Panthers 🙂
I’m miles from thinking high school with our kids but I really appreciate your input here. The insider perspective and your diplomatic peek into each school will certainly help people out! Thanks for taking the time to share all this!
I left Okinawa at the end of the ’05-’06 school year. I was a DoDDS teacher at Kadena High for 3 years. Before that, I was at Lester Middle School, which feeds into Kubasaki. DoDDS schools are incredibly good schools, and they are at their strongest in Okinawa. So you’re going to a good place.
I’ve seen amazing talent in the faculties of both schools. Both schools have involved families, though I was shocked at how few parents attended back to school night. No idea if Kubasaki saw the same parental apathy for that event. I do know it was packed with parents when I taught at Lester.
I think the counseling is stronger at Kadena. I know the scoop better at Kadena, and I have heard that all the new teachers who came after I left (replacing quite a few retirees as well as those of us who PCS’d) are all strong. Both have strengths. I found all the administrators at Kadena excellent, both from the teachers and the parents’ standpoint. I would work for Jeff (P) or Joyce (VP) again in a heartbeat. If Connie Turner is still at Kubasaki as VP, she’s awesome too.
Last I knew, there were still a few “deadbeat” teachers at Kubasaki (aka sitting around waiting to retire and not doing much for the kids). Kubasaki has more of a “rapper culture”…I don’t think that’s necessarily bad, but it could make some kids uncomfortable. Both have diverse students and lots of resources for after school activities. Both are award winners.
As for anecdotal evidence, the Kadena student body feels a tad more wholesome to me, but that leaves me stumped as to why Kadena has a higher teen pregnancy rate than Kubasaki. Also, I lived in a neighborhood where kids liked to hang out at the seawall. Nine times out of ten, if I ran into drunk teens, they were from Kubasaki. That’s not to say it doesn’t go on at Kadena, because it does. The name of the game is parental supervision and accountability.
Also, I haven’t seen numbers, but I think there’s a higher number of college-bound students at Kadena.
Truly, your student will get a great education at either. I’m impressed with the technology available to students at both schools. I believe it’s geographical boundaries that dictate where your student goes, so you will want to get a map before house hunting.
Just a heads-up, budgets are tight in the schools right now as the military is spending most of it’s money on those in Iraq. Still, you’ll probably find better funded schools than you will in the public schools in the States.
I am interested in finding more information regarding Kubasaki vs Kadena. I have a 15 year old daughter who will be in the 10th grade. Initial research is pointing me in the direction of Kubasaki for the mere fact that a comparison of SAT scores for the 08-09 school year were WAY better at Kubasaki than Kadena. Thoughts?
I didn’t realize you actually had a choice of where you went – I always assumed it was based on which one you were closer too. I am partial to Kadena High – I graduated there many years back, my sister graduated from there, and my parents taught at Kadena for over 15 years. I have nothing but fond memories of the school – it was always well-kept and clean and everyone got along. Even though there were cliques there was never any rivalry or animosity, as far as I saw. Go Panthers 🙂
No opinion here just FYI:
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=55106&archive=true
I’m miles from thinking high school with our kids but I really appreciate your input here. The insider perspective and your diplomatic peek into each school will certainly help people out! Thanks for taking the time to share all this!
I left Okinawa at the end of the ’05-’06 school year. I was a DoDDS teacher at Kadena High for 3 years. Before that, I was at Lester Middle School, which feeds into Kubasaki. DoDDS schools are incredibly good schools, and they are at their strongest in Okinawa. So you’re going to a good place.
I’ve seen amazing talent in the faculties of both schools. Both schools have involved families, though I was shocked at how few parents attended back to school night. No idea if Kubasaki saw the same parental apathy for that event. I do know it was packed with parents when I taught at Lester.
I think the counseling is stronger at Kadena. I know the scoop better at Kadena, and I have heard that all the new teachers who came after I left (replacing quite a few retirees as well as those of us who PCS’d) are all strong. Both have strengths. I found all the administrators at Kadena excellent, both from the teachers and the parents’ standpoint. I would work for Jeff (P) or Joyce (VP) again in a heartbeat. If Connie Turner is still at Kubasaki as VP, she’s awesome too.
Last I knew, there were still a few “deadbeat” teachers at Kubasaki (aka sitting around waiting to retire and not doing much for the kids). Kubasaki has more of a “rapper culture”…I don’t think that’s necessarily bad, but it could make some kids uncomfortable. Both have diverse students and lots of resources for after school activities. Both are award winners.
As for anecdotal evidence, the Kadena student body feels a tad more wholesome to me, but that leaves me stumped as to why Kadena has a higher teen pregnancy rate than Kubasaki. Also, I lived in a neighborhood where kids liked to hang out at the seawall. Nine times out of ten, if I ran into drunk teens, they were from Kubasaki. That’s not to say it doesn’t go on at Kadena, because it does. The name of the game is parental supervision and accountability.
Also, I haven’t seen numbers, but I think there’s a higher number of college-bound students at Kadena.
Truly, your student will get a great education at either. I’m impressed with the technology available to students at both schools. I believe it’s geographical boundaries that dictate where your student goes, so you will want to get a map before house hunting.
Just a heads-up, budgets are tight in the schools right now as the military is spending most of it’s money on those in Iraq. Still, you’ll probably find better funded schools than you will in the public schools in the States.