EDITOR’S NOTE: We published a newer review of this school on our site in October 2012, with updated information and price schedules. As a result we have closed comments on this post and will be continuing our conversation there. Thank you.
For all you parents looking for a preschool that suits your kids, we’re hoping to add a little something to aid in your search. Parents of children who attend various preschools on island have filled out a series of questions about the schools for the benefit of the rest of us. We welcome more than one voice on each school since everyone has a different experience, so please feel free to add in your two cents in the comments.
If your child attends a school that has not been reviewed on this site, please contact our Submissions Manager for the template.
CONTRIBUTED BY HEIDI
Name of the school: Rainbow Montessori Education Center
Address: 272 Aza Sunabe, Chatan-Cho
Phone: 098-936-2060
Website: www.RainbowMontessoriOkinawa.com
Ages Accepted: birth to 6 years
Ages of Your Kid(s) in this School: I have a 5 year old and a 4 year old at the school
Admissions/Enrollment:
What is the maximum number of students that your school has? About 80 to 100
What is the current number of students? Summer sessions have a lower number than the Academic year due to vacations. So right now there are about 70 students
Is enrollment open/year-round enrollment or per semester? yes
Does my child have to be potty-trained to attend? No
Can I bring my child in for a pre-enrollment visit? Yes
Days and hours:
What are the school’s hours? 6am to 6pm with the school hours being 9am to 3pm and the rest are extended care hours
Is the school on a Japanese or American schedule? American
How flexible is the school with pickup and drop-off times? Pretty flexible because you can use the extended care for 400 yen per child per hour. If you need it on a regular basis you can be in the extend care club and it is cheaper (I think).
Costs:
What are the registration fees? For the Academic year (2008-2009) New Students – 6000 yen and Continuing Students – 4000yen. This is for the 3-6year old rooms. I think it is cheaper for the younger classrooms
What are the tuition fees? This is for the 3-6 year old rooms for the 08-09 academic year One Time payment (5% discount) – 410,000 or 10 installments of 41000.
If any, what are the assessment and school supplies fees? There is a supply fee of 21000
Are any discounts offered for referrals, siblings, volunteering, working there, etc.? There is a 5% discount for siblings.
Is there a late-pickup fee? There is a late fee for after 6pm of 1000 yen per 15 minutes. (I was told this almost never happens).
How and when does the school require payment (in yen, dollars, etc.)? You are given a payment envelope on the 15th of the month and it is due back by the 20th. Payment is in Yen. No credit cards or check.
Parent Involvement and Interaction:
Does the school encourage spontaneous visits from parents? No because they feel this interrupts the Child’s learning time.
How do you communicate with parents? Is there a regular newsletter, or a notice board? There is a monthly newsletter. There is also daily communication with the teachers.
Are there parent/teacher conferences? Yes, they have parent teacher conferences once during the academic year.
Classroom Structure and Size:
How are the kids grouped? Mixed ages / grouped by age? The children are mostly grouped by age.
What’s the teacher-child ratio in each group? There are 3 teachers in each classroom with about 25 students in each class except the babies which has 15 students (I think).
How many full-time teachers do you have? How many assistants? All the teachers are full time. Each room has a head teacher with two assistants.
What is the school’s educational philosophy? Is the school program developmentally-based or does it have an academic focus? This is a Montessori school.
Is there a playground for the children to play on? Yes, it is right out front.
What do the children do on any given day? What’s the general schedule/routine? The schedule is slightly different in each room but here goes: 9am Circle time, Presentation of New Lessons, 10am Working time, 11am outside time, Noon Lunch time, 1pm Story time, Work time, Snack time, 2:30 to 3pm Movement activities and Goodbye Circle. The work time subject changes each day. The subjects include Art and Science, Everyday Living, Geography, Math, Language, Japanese lesson, and Sensorial
Are there extracurricular activities or field trips? Yes, depending on the unit the older two classrooms do go on field trips that relate to the unit. The also take walks to the park near by.
How does the school discipline children? Time out
How does the school comfort children? Lots of hugs and love!!!
Final Comments or Observations about the School:
I have been very happy with this school. My 5 year old has learned so much. He is reading and doing math and writing. I love that the playground is at the school. The teachers are very loving to both of my children. When my middle son started here he was just 3 and not potty trained. The teachers really helped me with this and he was done in a matter of weeks. My boys are always so happy to go to school and just love it here. We also enjoy the many holiday programs the school puts on. My older son will be moving on to kindergarten this next year. The graduation program was wonderful. I just can’t say enough praise for this school.
I will add since there was not a question about this. I do have to provide lunch for my children. They do have a refrigerator and microwave for lunches. Also you are asked to provide snack for your Child’s class once a month.
Also the school does have birthday parties for the children if you would like. You provide the lunch and cake for the class. The other children bring gifts for your child. This was great since you could just have your Child’s party at school with all of his or her friends and then you really don’t have to have one at home too!
Also for children under 3 there is a part time option. Once they are 3 they must go 9 to 3 everyday.
This is a great school. Thank you for letting me talk about it!
I love this school. My son started there in 2006….he was 8 months old. He attended until he started Kindergarten on base. My daughter was born here in Oki and she started at RMEC when she was 6 weeks old. She will stay there until we PCS later this year. Both my children love the staff. My daughter asks about any of the teachers that are gone more than a couple days. She tells me each week that she loves at least one of the teachers. She tells me she is “your girl Mommy and Ms. —–‘s girl” on a regular basis. My son likes to go in and say hi. The first couple weeks of Kindergarten were hard for him…the RMEC teachers gave him pep talks and cheered him on. They love seeing him still. They were both potty trained there. They both learned many other practical self-care skills. Both speak a small amount of Japanese and have learned so many other academic skills. I have two nephews just a couple months younger than my son…he exceeds them in school work!
I will miss the wonderful staff of RMEC. My kids are better for having known them!
I love RMEC as well, my daughter started in the purple room at 10 months and graduated to the blue room and now orange room. One of her teachers is her “ever ever” I’m guessing her best friend forever and loves all the teachers. We talk daily about what she learned in school and she impresses me with her knowledge at only 3. They basically potty trained her as both my husband and I work full time. I just enforced the rules she already knew from ten. It was quite impressive maybe 2 week potty training and very few accidents. She did say once that when she had an accident the teacher put her in a diaper cuz she was acting line a baby and she looked down in shame it broke my heart but we spoke about it and overall I feel as if this is the right fit for us. We will be sad to leave island, the teachers have watched her grow up. I’ve never felt uncomfortable about leaving her there, we talk about her treatment all the time and she can’t wait to tell me how much she loves the teachers. I recommend this school.
I love RMEC! My son, 5 yrs old, has been at Rainbow since we PCS’d to the island in 2006. He has been in the purple room (started there at 8 months old), blue room, orange room, and now he is in the green room. He will start Kindergarten on base in September….ONLY because I want him to get used to the new setting and rules. My daughter has been at RMEC since she was 6 weeks old. She is now 3 and is in the orange room.
The teachers and staff know my children. They know their respective likes and dislikes. They show my children genuine affection. My children, in turn, love their teachers….all of them, regardless of the room the teachers are assigned to work in.
The RMEC staff has helped potty train both my children. They have taught them manners. The staff has taught my children respect for others and for themselves. The staff at RMEC has been wonderful and when it is time for us to leave I will be saddened that my children will not be with such wonderful, caring, and loving people.
I am wondering why some of you chose Rainbow Montessori over the other Montessori Schools on the island? Have any of you had children in the other Montessori Schools before switching them to Rainbow Montessori? My family will be PCSing to the island soon. Is this a traditional Montessori school? Also, does this school provide parent/teacher training; so, the parents develop a greater understanding of the montessori teaching?
Hi! I have enrolled my daughter in this daycare and she will be starting next week. She currently attends the CDC and I am removing her due only to the bad behavior she has picked up and the lack of education that the CDC is allowed to provide. I love the CDC and am upset to leave, but I know I am doing the right thing. I went to another daycare up the street that was recommended to me for my 20month old to attend…I was disappointed and didn’t have the comfortable feeling I had when I went to Rainbow. I was a little taken back at first by the appearance due to them just having had snack..but I remembered I am in Okinawa. I was so impressed with the cleanliness of the Blue Room where my daughter would be attending and the amount of things for my daughter to learn. I went a 2nd time and then I really felt comfortable after learning the education and discipline the school provides. I was and am excited about enrolling my daughter.
After reading some of these negative comments, I have gotten scared. I saw children being firmly spoken to and was told that if children bite, they would pat their mouths. I also heard this from other daycares. The Okinawan’s have different rules than American’s. I have no problem with this because I want my daughter to be well behaved and practice what I do at home. I also need help potty training her due to my husband being gone and me working full time. I would be absolutely heart broken to know my daughter was being punsihed for accidently peeing. I would hope this doesn’t happen but was also told that I can use pullups. I will definately be viewing any videos if I feel suspecious and will pick her up at different times to monitor what is happening for a while as I did with the CDC. I do NOT approve of abuse and would physically handle someone if they were to EVER touch my child in an abusive way, but I strongly feel that this would not happen at this daycare.
I hope that we enjoy this school and will update everyone on our expierence in a few months!
Our daughter has been going to this school for the past year and loves it. All the teacher are very friendly and care about our daughter. We have had her in the CDC back in the states but this school we feel teaches her more. It cost more but our daughter is learning and not just being watched. As for the comment in the pass i feel parents should be active with the teachers. Ask questions when your child up. We always talk to the teachers if we have questions or concerns.
One more thing to note is that we accept newborns to 6 years old for the people who were wondering our age range.
Despite the fact that the negative comments commenced over a year ago, I have only just heard about them myself. I enrolled my daughter in the Green room and have recently become the Associate Director of the school. I cannot confirm nor deny incidents that occurred before my time. What I can tell you is that I spend a lot of time in every room. The children in the Purple room do not spend any time in the strollers, swings or cots unless they are sleeping. They are also monitored very closely on videos. Two staff members also have relatives in this room and I am certain that if they had any concerns they would be raising their issues instantly with us. There are no male staff members and I myself have only met Ms Lorna’s husband one time and that was after the school closed for a meeting. I think with any school there will be parents that have negative experiences and I am sorry for the parents that have not found Rainbow to be everything that they hoped for.I also noticed a comment about prices not being provided over the telephone. This is because of the range of prices depend on the age of the child and the length of care and education they will be receiving. We are totally flexible in terms of part time. Your child can attend any amount of days and even half days in the younger classes. Everyone is more than entitled to their opinions, I only ask you to come and see for yourself. Don’t make an appointment – just drop by so you can see the school for yourself in its true context.
Thank you.
Jody
Jody,
Okinawa Montessori’s phone number is 0989366044. The website is here: http://www.okinawamontessori.com/index.html
I recommend that you make an appointment and visit the school. The staff is dedicated.
It has been very helpful to hear the different opinions on Rainbow Montessori. I am also interested in learning more about Okinawa Montessori. Does anyone have any information or input on this school? Thanks!
My children have attended Rainbow Montessori for 2 1/2 years. They have been in three of the four rooms at this school. My children are very happy and loved at this school. I feel they have learned so much. My older child now attends kindergarten on base and has been in the highest academic group in his class. He was reading and writing well when kindergarten started. This was due to all the hard work done by the staff at Rainbow Montessori. He understands Math and Science concepts well due to the exposure to these subject areas at Rainbow Montessori early on. My other child started out not potty trained and the teachers really helped me with getting this finished up. My children are clean, happy, and very well cared for at this school. If a problem arises I feel the teachers and other staff are very open and easy to talk to and are very willing to correct any problems. I have really enjoyed all the programs this school does for Holidays and the end of the year. The summer program is great with all the special days and field trips. I also find this school to be very safe for my children. There is a playground located at the school which is fenced in. There is a gate to enter the school and the office is located in the building in way that the director or other staff working in there are alerted to someone entering the school. The staff for the entire school make a point to greet all children and adults entering the school. This makes all the staff aware of who belongs and who doesn’t. This school is also located off of the main road which keeps parents and children safe during times of drop off and pick up. I feel I could go on and on about all the things I love about this school. I just know that my children are happy, safe, loved, learning, and very well cared for. Please go and check this school out.
Ummm the room your child was in HAS CAMERAS…why don’t you know that??? when I was checking out schools I asked those sort of questions and they told me what rooms do have cameras and which don’t
As a mom you did the right thing ..you did not feel comfortable with that school and you immediately pulled your child out ..but do not tell me I cannot send my children there because of your bad experience… EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL on this island has people with bad experiences of “neglect”. I’m sorry your child got sick at school and wouldn’t eat… they should have called……. If you want strict guidelines look at on base CDC’s that have to follow guidelines, rules, and standards… Look my kids have gotten bumped and bruised… even bitten ..but guess what- that happened to them back in the states at the CDC on base too…
You child had a miserable experience at Rainbow and thanks for sharing..I hope she is better now and progressing with her development.. due to that experience all you saw was the bad things that happened..almost like you were looking for things that were wrong… at the next place please keep your blinders off and keep an open mind, Okinawa has different standards than the US… I hope you find a center that provides the care you want your child to recieve for the amount of money you are willing to pay..as for my family we will continue to send our children there.. they are old enough to vocalize if anything goes wrong during the day to me and my husband… I feel comfortable with the school and will fight the decision if the base makes this school off limits…this all goes back to research the schools BEFORE you place your children in them –and put them where you feel the most comfortable not which facility has an opening..not everyone will like the same school and thats OK..just do your research first
DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT ENROLL YOUR CHILDREN AT THIS DAYCARE PLEASE!!!
My daughter was being neglected, she was in the purple room. They just left her in a stroller all day, the result is a flat head in the back. I sent her to school in a diaper that I marked with a red dot on the back just to see if they really do change her diaper. Well, I popped up on friday afternoon at 1pm – after I dropped her off at 7am and she was in the same diaper. My usual time to pick her up is at 430pm. My daughter sat in the same diaper for up to 6 hours!!! I sent her with 3 bottles of milk and the milk was untouched. They documented that she vomited early in the day but did not call me about it. They also didnt call me to let me know that she was not eating. Shes only been at the school for 2 weeks and I have pulled her out. Friday, I had to take her to the hospital and she was dehydrated!! She had to be on an IV drip for 2 whole days and her mouth is still dry and so are her eyes. The doctor said this was due to not eating well. My daughter also was very cold in the daycare, they had 3 fans going all day long along with the air conditioner. The daycare smells like diapers all the time, and they dont provide anything for the high costs they charge. They were rude to me when i asked them why hasnt my baby eaten all day, they told me “its the babys fault” – – – how can a baby be at fault? That was just ridiculous. I have talked to the lawyers here on base and hopefully they will ban americans from going to the daycare. I also observed a little girl pee on herself and the daycare provider grabbed her by the arm and started talkin to her very firm and told her that she has no more clothes to change into and shes going to tell her mom to start bringing diapers for her. Thats not very nice to say to a toddler who was not potty trained. My heart went out to the little girl. Theres a table at the entrance of the secretarys office, and the previous evening a little girl spilled orange juice on the table, well the puddle was still there in a dry sticky mess the next morning where the kids were eating at. They didnt wipe off the table and the drips of orange juice were on the floor with a SLOO of ants going at it like thanksgiving….very unsanitary
I have a dehydrated, malnourished child as a result of this daycare. I beg you to get your children out. Theres a daycare which has cameras in it and you can watch your child all day. if you want the name of the daycare just email me
blkbombchelle@gmail.com
Blessings to the kids who will still attend even though i warned you guys
Is there a seperate fee for the summer program? Or is that included in the reg tuition fees?
Hi! I have 2 children that have gone to Rainbow the past 2 years and they LOVE it!! I have never witnessed or heard of any abuse and I have ‘popped’ in numerous times to get my children early without letting them know and have never seen or heard a thing.
I respect the one negative post since EVERY school has positive and negative atributes, but attacking one persons opinion of the school is unacceptable and childish.
Rainbow worked for my family and Yes we also looked around the island at several schools before we made our decision.
My children have thrived in their program and I would recommend it to anyone. I have talked to people who have switched their kids schools.. NO ONE has ever mentioned a thing about abuse or neglect. One or two had personality conflicts with the teachers but you get that at every school… they normally state location, tuition costs, lunch provided, japanese language skills, etc.. as reasons they made the switch.
I recommend to everyone to check out all the schools and get a vibe from each school then make your decision… Come with a list of questions to ask of things that you want in a school… As a parent we know our kids the best and we know what sort of environment our children will succeed in. I feel that next year my oldest will be more than ready to start kindergarten. Good luck to all in your search.
It took me several months to decide to put my son in daycare. After numerous very positive remarks from parents that had children attending Rainbow and my own checking around at other schools, I enrolled my son at Rainbow. I found it to be the best match for my son. He has been attending Rainbow (blue room) for a little over a year now. We love it there. I have found that the teachers care deeply for the children and want the very best for them. It is like taking your kiddos to grandma’s house. Everything has been wonderful in my experience. During holidays they do special presentations, which has allowed me to see my son grow and change dramatically in the past year. All the teachers know the kids even if they are not in their particular room. It shows how much they notice each child. As a parent, you always wonder (with the way society has become) if places are safe for you child. I feel safe having my child there with teachers that love, care, and teach him. I love the school and they have been wonderful with my son. He enjoys his day at school and tells me all about it on the way home. I could not ask for more. Children are different so I encourage any parent to seek out the best match for their child. Rainbow was my family’s match. Good luck to each parent searching for childcare, and hope your search is as successful as ours was.
D,
Please don’t pretend to know me or how I take care of my children and their well being. If you knew anything about me you would know that my kids come before myself. I would give my life for them. So, before you tell me that I put my children in a situation that is harmful to them because I didn’t do enough research, you should think again.
To answer your question, I have never wondered where the older children went. Why would I? Not only is it none of my business, but we are mostly all military and PCS’s happen all year long as well as kids move on to Kindergarten. I don’t take enjoyment on causing drama and spreading rumors. Also, I have never even seen Mrs. Lorna’s husband nor have my children who have attended for 2 years, maybe you have him confused with someone else? Everyone who was there once is not there anymore? What is that supposed to mean? Am I supposed to live my life based on what others do and don’t do? I would like to inform you that I am an educated adult who can make informed decisions for myself.
I am very close with at least 2 of the teachers that are either currently working there or that have left. They care for my children more than you could understand and would alert me of an issue. I actually spoke with a former teacher who worked there for several years just this morning regarding your comment. She has heard all about your from your “friends” at Sunshine. It sounds like you are really making a name for yourself. She assured me that there was never any situations going on at Rainbow like you alleged, reconfirming my choice as Rainbow being a great school. Don’t make accusations that you can not back or let them (RMEC) defend. It’s simply not fair. It sounds like you are spending too much time wrapped up in the politics of other’s lives and should consider spending that quality time with your children.
Please feel free to contact me further should you wish to discuss it as this is not the place for this conversation and I am finished replying to you on this site. My time is much more valuable spent with my children. You have several routes to contact me as I believe I know who is behind this email.
I was very up set when I read the comment s that where made by D. I sure hope that she can back up her statements for you do not make such a nasty statement like that unless you can back it up with proof. I have had NO problem with this school and as for the teachers they are all very caring and loving. My two kids have done nothing but learn and have grown with respect for there teachers and classmates. As far as Ms Laurna’s husband being at the school is when they have a program going on and he has to do the audio connections as far as any other time I have never seen him there. As far as the statment on hitting the childern I can not beleive that for my kids would tell me right away on that matter and they have not done so. So all I have to say is to each there on . Thanks You
D,
Your comment was removed after I was unable to contact you via the e-mail you left with your initial comment regarding this issue.
In fact, your comment was up for a month at least because I was hoping people would step forward to agree or disagree with your assertions. These are extremely heavy assertions and without being able to contact you and ask that you put your name or actual e-mail with them, the conversation stops.
The comment was removed because it violated our comment policy and not because it was negative. Many times I allow anonymous comments because they aren’t accusatory and don’t hold any weight other than the desire of that person to remain anonymous.
In your case, I think it’s dangerous to put this kind of information out there without a way to contact you directly. While all of what you say may be true, when you do not provide a means to get in touch then it takes away from your own credibility and defames a business.
Thanks for your understanding. This is not a light matter and I cannot support these kinds of assertions without providing a way for the community to follow up on them with you.
If you are willing to put your name or at least your contact information out there for someone who wants to have this conversation with you then I will leave your comments. Otherwise, like the first time, I will take them down.
To Bobby, you all did not check enough of this school. Have you ever wondered why kids that were once there when your oldest one went are not there anymore? The director Ms. Lorna is not caring toward the kids, her husband was there NUMEROUS times when my daughter went when he legally should not have been. Kids did NOT like him and feared him for some reason which I fount very odd. My daughter was uncomfortable around him as well. I am just saying be careful, everyone that was once there is not anymore. There is a certain teacher that left REMC and was actually telling moms about the abuse that went on in there. The majority of the teachers that once worked there quit because of Ms.Lorna the director and all that was going on in the school that should not have been. Those teachers are at another Montessori school now down the street from REMC.
It is funny how I put my negative experience with rainbow on here and it got deleted. No wonder why all good feedbacks are posted. Pretty shady to me that no negatives are here. I will state again that I had my daughter attend this school. She told me the assistant teacher in the blue room at the time she went hit kids and sometimes her. They practically force the kids to be potty trained. There was abuse going on in the purple room when she attended there. This is NOT a good school if you want your kids in a safe, nurtured and loving environment
Both of my children attend or have attended Rainbow. My daughter graduated there last year and is now in Kindergarten. My 2 year old attends the part-time preschool in the Blue Room. My husband and I checked out all of the other Montessori schools here on Island and found Rainbow (also called RMEC) to be the best fit for us. My daughter attended a Montessori for 2 years prior to our arrival here, so we were pretty familiar with the ciriculum and methods. We have been extremely happy with Rainbow, the teachers and the office staff. We have never had any reason to have concern for our children being there. My husband checked out every inch of the school before we enrolled her and even questioned each teacher’s background and criminal history. Rainbow only employs female staff and I have never seen a male in the school that didn’t have a good reason for being there. Each teacher has been fully screened and trained. The staff there really cares about our children and has even bought them gifts on their birthdays (from their personal money). Both of my children have learned a great deal from the teachers and the Montessori method. There is good security, cameras in the classrooms and a great sense of family at Rainbow. To say anything bad about our experience with Rainbow would be a lie. I have never met a student or a parent that didn’t enjoy Rainbow. I would reccommend Rainbow to anyone that wants a safe, caring, and reliable preschool experience for thier child.
Ashley,
Regarding Santa Monica Intl Kids School, I would love it if you would submit a full review to this website of your and your child’s experiences with the school. I am looking into SMIKS because it offers a MWF program for 2 year-olds. I would also love it if someone submitted a review of Casa de Ninos, as they too have a MWF program for kids under three years-old. Apparently, some schools are quite different than what they advertise; I want the inside scoop (a parent’s perspective) before I make a decision on a school. Thanks so much for your help!
L.
I think about 40,000 to 50,000 yen a month. Try Santa Monica Intl Kids School, great school, my son graduated kinder there. #936-3656
Anyone know how much it costs per month for the part-time pre-school program (for the under-three crowd)? I called and they said they don’t give out that info on the phone; I would have to come by the school. It is my understanding that two year-olds attend MWF from 0900-1500, and they take naps at some point during the day (thank goodness). I don’t want to drag my child out there unless I know this place is a viable option for us, because my two year-old isn’t wild about field trips!
Thanks!
Hi, The number for Rainbow is 098 936 2060, at least from a cell phone. It might be different from base housing, but I do not really know that.
You just dial 0989362060.
I tried calling the number listed and there wasn’t an answer. Is it 098 then the number or 090?
Not sure. I think it’s 6 weeks to 5 years old.
What is the youngest age that a child can attend this school?
My daughter loves this place. I loved what they did for Mother’s Day, it brought joy to my heart. They keep her busy and I’m very pleased with the curriculum. All the staff are very nice.
Here are directions and the phone number: It is out near Kadena Gate One. When you go out the Gate go to your left. Make the first right at the light. The turn right at the next light with the Coffee Bar on the corner. About half a block down on your left is a small street with some business listed on a sign (Rainbow is one of them). Turn left here and you will see the school to your left.
The phone number is 936-2060
Suzy- preschools in the states are more expensive in a lot of cities – but it really depends on where you live and what you want. I had my daughter in a great preschool program in San Diego, and many of its kind cost about the same at $750/month. $9k per year, plus I made lunches for her. Across the board the preschools out in town here in Okinawa are less expensive than similar schools in the states, with the added bonus that your child is learning about another culture, language, other foods, etc. which is something you couldn’t put a price tag on. I have often said I wish we’d arrived when my daughter still had a year of preschool left here so that we could have had her in school out in town!
While this “Montessori” school seems appealing, please keep in mind that this is NOT an accredited Montessori school and from the information posted it does not follow the foundations of Maria Montessori. If you are interested in the true Montessori approach to learning, do your research!!! Two Montessori accredited schools on Okinawa are Okinawa Montessori School (www.okinawamontessori.com) and East-West Montessori (www.east-west-montessori.co.jp)
It’s located near the Seawall. You turn left out Kadena Gate 1. Turn right at the very first light. I think it’s then the 2nd light on the right? And a left about 2 blocks down. There’s a “dot” for it in the yellow pages maps.
Wow! That school sounds fabulous but is my math right…would it really cost over 6K per year to send a 3 yr old to pre-school out here? Is that usually how much it costs? Does anyone know how much pre-schools in the states charge vs out here? I wish the bases had something other than the “play-based” cirriculum at the CDCs (which in my terms equates nothing more than regular daycare) or there were other affordable education options for toddlers. I think I may be stuck home schooling:(
Where is this school located? Thanks!