Philosophy
Awashima Kindergarten is built on the grounds of a Jodoshu temple. It is surrounded by flowers, gardens and many many trees, some of which are more than 400 years old. In addition to the regular kindergarten curriculum, children learn basic elements of Buddhism and nature.
| – Appreciation | Through the traditional events of Japan and Buddhism, children nurture curiosity and naturally come to appreciate life. |
| – Peace and Social Development | By observing and caring for other forms of life in the kindergarten, children learn to coexist peacefully with those around them. |
| – Art and Development | Experiencing various types of music, drawing, crafts, and other forms of fine art stimulates learning in all areas. The arts build self esteem, imagination, and help emotional development. |
| – Individuality and Positive Self Concept | Interacting and cooperating with their friends, children learn to understand themselves and how they might differ from others. Encouragement in a supportive environment develops positive self image, helping them to become more successful learners later in life. |
History
Awashima Kindergarten is located on the grounds of Shinganji, a temple of Jodoshu, which was established in 1608. The Kindergarten is named Awashima, after a god worshipped in the temple. The temple is famous for moxa cautery, a famous healing technique. Many people used to visit the temple to get “Awashima no Kyu(Moxa Cautery)”. This Kindergarten was, at first, started as a Sunday school by a priest in 1926. Awashima has more than 4,500 graduates.
English
Awashima is a special bilingual English/Japanese environment. Awashima has a native English teacher in every class as well as a Japanese teacher, and children are in communication with the English teacher all day. Most of the daily routines are led by the English teacher. In addition to that the English teacher leads morning circle time and also teaches a 20 minute English class every day. 3-4 year old class: Children first learn greetings and the names of objects around them. They soon learn phrases related to daily life(eg. let’s line up, it’s time to clean up, please wash your hands etc..). They enjoy English through songs and dances. They are taught basic simple sentences and question patterns(Do you like orange juice? Yes, I do/No, I don’t). Also we begin to teach phonics(letter sounds) at this age. 4-5 year old class: Children are are comfortable in the bilingual environment. They continue to learn useful expressions through songs, dances, and theme based activities. In morning circle time we use the abacus in English to become familiar with numbers and patterns. In this year there is more focus on “output” of English. Second year students are ready for more output(speaking) based lessons. 5 -6 year old class: Children continue to accumulate vocabulary and build on sentence structures. They build confidence in their basic English ability, and try to express themselves through communication in the theme based activities.
<Programs for Regular Age Group (3 year old-6 year old)>
School Hours
| Monday ～ Friday | 8:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m |
Extended Child Care Service is available.
After School Program
To expand on children’s natural desire to learn, Awashima has various after school programs.
For pre-school children: Art, Physical Coordination, Ballet, Soccer, Tennis, and Violin
For school children: Art, Ballet, Soccer, Tennis, and Violin