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 the 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 MAE MARTIN
Name of the school: Educare Montessori International Preschool
Address: 1427 Adaniya, Kitnakaguzuku, Nakagami-gun Okinawa Japan 901-2316
GPS Coordinates: 26.2934764, 127.78885650000007
Directions: It is 5 minutes from the Camp Foster Legion gate. When you come out from the Legion gate, go straight through the first stoplight. You will pass two more traffic lights and then the preschool will be on the right after the Panda Chinese restaurant.
Phone: 098-927-3076
Email: educaremontessoriokinawa@yahoo.com
Website: www.educaremontessorijp.com
Ages Accepted: 6 months to 5 years
Ages of Your Kid(s) in this School: Two Years
Admissions/Enrollment
What is the current number of students? 23
Is enrollment open/year-round enrollment or per semester? Enrollment is all year-round
Does my child have to be potty-trained to attend? No. When my son started at the school, he wasn’t potty trained. The school was very helpful and helped me when it came time to potty train, my son. They start potty training kids at the age of 2 at the school.
Can I bring my child in for a pre-enrollment visit? Yes. The staff is very friendly and informative. I visited the school multiple times before I enrolled my son in the class.
Days and Hours
Is the school on a Japanese or American schedule? The school observes American holidays.
How flexible is the school with pickup and drop-off times? They prefer kids to be dropped off and picked up during the schedule kids are enrolled in, although they are flexible with parents’ schedules. They prefer to be informed about changes to schedule ahead of time. From my experience, they are always available and willing to work around my schedule.
Costs
What are the registration fees?
One – time payment of ¥ 5,000 for the registration
What are the tuition fees?
They are currently ruining a promotion which will continue until the class size has reached 30.
(Full Time) Promo Price Regular
Plan A 6AM – 6PM ¥ 40,000 ¥ 47,000
Plan B 7AM – 5PM ¥ 38,000 ¥ 45,000
Plan C 9AM – 3PM ¥ 28,000 ¥ 35,000
(Part Time- 3 days a week)
Plan A 6AM – 6PM ¥ 30,000 ¥ 36,000
Plan B 7AM – 5PM ¥ 28,000 ¥ 34,000
Plan C 6AM – 3PM ¥ 25,000 ¥ 30,000
If any, what are the assessment and school supplies fees?
Baby Class (Happy Class) – Free supply fee
Toddler Class (Faith Class) – Full-time ¥ 15,000 Part-time, ¥ 10,000
Preschool 1 and 2 (Hope and Love Class) – Full-time ¥ 20,000, Part-time ¥ 16,000
Are any discounts offered for referrals, siblings, volunteering, working there, etc.? They give discounts on siblings and referrals. Also I know that staff and teachers are given discounts for their children.
Is there a late-pickup fee? 15 minutes beyond your contract time will be a charge of ¥ 500.
How and when does the school require payment (in yen, dollars, etc.)? Payments are made in yen; however, dollars are also acceptable. The dollar amount depends on the exchange rate on the day tuition is paid. Tuition is due between the 1st – 5th of the month.
Parent Involvement and Interaction
Does the school encourage spontaneous visits from parents? Yes.
How do you communicate with parents? They provide daily report diary, weekly behavioral management report, and monthly calendar of activities. They encourage a dialogue between parents and teachers upon parents’ preferable time.
Is there a daily report or other process for informing parents of what children did during the day (naps, BMs, snacks, etc.)? Yes. The daily report diary is included activities, notes for parents, potty time schedule, meal record, and more.
Are there parent/teacher conferences? Yes. They always give a notification and an update one month before the conference, but they are available for one on one meetings. They are very good with communication. I always talk to teachers every day when I pick my son up. They make us feel like a family.
Classroom Structure and Size
How are the kids grouped? Kids are grouped according to their age.
What’s the teacher-child ratio in each group?
Baby room (Happy Room): 6 children to 1 teacher/ 1 assistant
Toddler room (Faith Room): 12 children to 1 teacher/ 1 assistant
Preschool 1 (Hope Room): 16 children to 1 teacher/ 1 assistant
Preschool 2 (Love Room): 20 children to 1 teacher/ 1 assistant (soon to open)
How many full-time teachers do you have? How many assistants? Currently, they have 4 full time teachers and 3 assistants.
What is the school’s educational philosophy? Educare Montessori International Preschool provides a home-like setting and learning environment filled with developmentally appropriate materials to provide experience that contributes to the growth of self-motivated, independent learners.
Is the school program developmentally-based or does it have an academic focus? Montessori based curriculum is provided; however, children are given diverse activities where they may explore and learn.
Is there a playground for the children to play on? The big vacant blue room is their playroom, but there is a playground behind the school building where they hold their Friday Fun-day at the park.
Are there extracurricular activities or field trips? Yes. They offer varieties of activities for parents to choose from. This month, they offer a swimming program which I signed my son up for. For this year’s summer program, they provided activities such as karate class and Eisa dance class.
How does the school discipline children? Children are free to do anything appropriate within the ground rules of the school community, but are redirected promptly and firmly if they cross over the line. Adult intervention is done immediately and they remove the child from the situation. If the child is out of control and is unable to respond to redirection, the teacher chooses to have the child to sit quietly in “time-out” which does not last more than 5 minutes. Maximum punishment for misdemeanor is a “NO PLAYROOM/ NO PARK” policy.
How does the school comfort children? They give a lot of hugs, talk to the child, and give children eye-to-eye contact to regain self-esteem. Another unique approach is making the child a classroom helper for the day.
Final Comments or Observations about the School:
Since my son has started going to Educare Montessori International Preschool, we have seen a lot of improvement. He now wants to help with chores and shows me new skills he’s learned from the school. Every time we drive past the school, he will ask if he can go. I am thankful my son enjoys his time at the school and I also like how the teachers and staff communicate with parents. They listen to my needs and requests and they always fulfill them. I am fully satisfied with the care my son receives. Most importantly, they never make me feel like I have missed out on my son’s daily activities.
Directions: It is 5 minutes from the Camp Foster Legion gate. When you come out from the Legion gate, go straight through the first stoplight. You will pass two more traffic lights and then the preschool will be on the right after the Panda Chinese restaurant.
Address: 1427 Adaniya, Kitnakaguzuku, Nakagami-gun Okinawa Japan 901-2316.