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 BETH
Name of the school: Casa de Ninos Montessori International Preschool
Ages of Your Kid(s) in this School: 3
Where is this school located? Off of 85 between route 24 and the intersection of 23 & 85
Contact Information: Mr. Ted 098-930-0607
Admissions/Enrollment:
What is the maximum number of students that your school has? Not sure what the maximum number they can accommodate is
What is the current number of students? 11
Is enrollment open/year-round enrollment or per semester? year round
Does my child have to be potty-trained to attend? no
Can I bring my child in for a pre-enrollment visit? Yes. They encourage it.
Days and hours:
What are the school’s hours? The school is open from 6am-6pm
Is the school on a Japanese or American schedule? American
How flexible is the school with pickup and drop-off times? very flexible
Costs:
What are the registration fees? Annual fee of 5,000 Yen
What are the tuition fees? They have monthly tuition rates and are as follows: 5 full days, 39,000 Yen; 5 half days: 30,000 Yen; 3 full days: 29,000 Yen; 3 half days: 20,000 Yen (though the latter 3 are limited to 2 & 3 year olds).
If any, what are the assessment and school supplies fees? A yearly supply fee of 15,000 Yen, but depending on when the child starts they will prorate the fee.
Are any discounts offered for referrals, siblings, volunteering, working there, etc.? There are discounts for having more than one child enrolled full-time. Not sure about the half day/partial schedule. The registration fee is also discounted for additional children.
Is there a late-pickup fee? They say there is a fee of 100 Yen per minute late, but I have never been charged for picking up my child late.
How and when does the school require payment (in yen, dollars, etc.)? Payment is in yen and due between the 1st & 5th of each month.
Parent Involvement and Interaction:
Does the school encourage spontaneous visits from parents? They don’t discourage it and never seem to mind when I’ve shown up early for pick up.
How do you communicate with parents? Generally in the mornings when dropping off or during pick up.
Is there a daily report or other process for informing parents of what children did during the day (naps, BMs, snacks, etc.)? Parents receive a note at the end of each day stating things like the child’s mood, how much they ate, napped, etc. The note also gives basic health info for the day (BM, fever, etc) and tells the parents what their child did that day.
Are there parent/teacher conferences? Yes. Once a year.
Classroom Structure and Size:
How are the kids grouped? Mixed ages / grouped by age?Right now they are mixed ages. When we first enrolled they were grouped by age. I think it depends on how many children are enrolled.
What’s the teacher-child ratio in each group? There is one teacher and one TA for my child’s class.
How many full-time teachers do you have? How many assistants? See above.
What is the school’s educational philosophy? Is the school program developmentally-based or does it have an academic focus? It is a mixture. They focus on both academics and development. They learn basics like numbers, alphabet and such and work on manners, hygiene, etc.
Is there a playground for the children to play on? There is a small play area outside.
What do the children do on any given day? The lessons depend on the day but they basically follow the schedule of circle time, montessori lesson, potty time, activity of the day (letters, numbers, arts & craft, show & tell), lunch, potty time, nap time, story or montessori lesson then pick up.
Are there extracurricular activities or field trips? Not many that I know of but they have taken trips to nearby parks.
How does the school discipline children? time outs.
How does the school comfort children? They’re very comforting and give hugs and reassurance.
Final Comments or Observations about the School:
We love this school. It’s a very small, quiet, structured atmosphere. We looked at quite a few schools and were very impressed by this school’s curriculum, structure, interaction with the children. It is definitely not a daycare by any means and they really do learn a lot.