Every year, the last Saturday of October, is the Annual School Festival. It runs from about 11:00 - 15:00 and everyone is welcome. There is a bazaar/flea market, international foods, games and staged performances.

K. International School
tel: 03-5632-8714 (English), 03-5632-8711 (Japanese)
Fax: 03-5632-8715
3-31-5 Higashisuna, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, Japan 136-0074
http://www.kist.ed.jp/

We would be moving to Tokyo in a few months, and are looking for schools for our 2nd Grader. Can anyone please share their experiences about K International and YMCA international schools in Koto ku area. Any information appreciated. Please email.
thanks, Mina

Hello everybody! Like Mina who posted above, I would also like to ask if there are some parents out there who may have the experience of sending their children at K. International school in Koto-Ku. Any input that they may have from someone they know (friends or acquaintance) that can give me/us some information or feedback regarding this school would be greatly appreciated. I've browsed and read their website and found out that they are offering the IB programme which I really like. Aside from that, their tuition fee is I guess the lowest among the International Schools in Tokyo (If I'm not mistaken) which gives the average earning families in Tokyo the opportunity to send their children to an international school. I hope I can get some feedback about this school through your help.

I also hope that all the parents out there should try to come out in the open to let other parents know about their own experiences in a particular school where their children are currently attending or had been there in the past so that we can get some if not all information with regards to the particular school of your choice to learn more about the school through word of mouth. So please let's help one another in sharing info, insights and even personal opinions about these existing international schools. Thank you all in advance! Have a great Weekend! arlene[at]clio.gr.jp

I don't have specific information about K International to add, but I would like to remind everyone to take any word-of-mouth comments very cautiously. Especially hearing information from people you do not know personally, or from people who you know you share some common values, there is a danger in being misled by the natural variations in perception.

I am continually amazed at how differently people can feel about the same place. Many are happy where I have been dismayed.

Use what you hear as a hint for areas to check on with your own observations.

For What It's Worth...
Scott

Have you tried going to www.globaldaigaku.com? They check out all interested schools and post them on their websites if they feel they meet high enough standards, and they post descriptions of the schools, their philosophy, curriculum, etc. as well as links to the schools website. You can also go to a link called counselling, and contact a Global Daigaku staff member, and they will advise you as to which school might best serve your needs. If you haven't tried it, it might be an idea for you.

I just wanted to say that globaldaigaku.com is not an impartial site. They do charge schools for listing in thier site. I think that they provide name and addresses of most schools, but the listing order and profiles are only provided to schools who pay a pretty hefty fee. Thier site may be useful for a listing of schools, but I would be wary of any recommendations as they are not providing an impartial opinion. I think the most comprehensive listing is the one provided here at Tokyo with kid. This site is also not trying to sell you something. The best way to choose a school is to do your own research and observe. See the school in action. Every school has its own philosophy and if it doesn't agree with your own feelings about education you are not going to be happy.

I totally agree with Karyn Robson. I've heard of so much about Global Daigaku. And knowing a person that worked for this company is very ashamed of the company. That person can't even say where she used to work. The best way is to look for yourself.

Both my husband and myself are Singaporeans and we would like to put our 4 year old boy in K international school next Sept. However we are now staying in Ouji Kita ku so it is better to move to a place where the school bus route runs. Can parents who have kids in K internatinal share with us where would be a nice place to move to which is convenient for marketing and bringing up kids. We are also thinking of Hirou because there is a big foreign community and a primary school *Kougai* in case we want to quit international school in the future. Any comments about the school will also be appreciated. Thanks!

Check for details of the Information day at K.'s website. 2004 October 16 English 10:00 - 12:00 and Japanese 1:30 - 3:30. They request that you tell them you are coming! http://www.kist.ed.jp/

I have met several families that are very happy with K International. They tend to live east of Ginza (for example near to Kinshicho or Kameido which are both very nice areas). One outstanding feature at K I've heard is their lending library. But I would also love to hear more from parents who already have children attending there.

yes cornelia,
you have certainly met several families from KIST!! :)

my kids go there this is first year for us and we are really really happy to have made the decision to send the kids here. I am not saying anything against another school or comparing here, but we are really happy.

Apart from their library their cafe is also too good! We wait for a chance to be able to grab a lunch there. They have an option where your child can eat food served by the cafe every day or specific days of the week for additional charge. Both my kids eat there and i am very happy with the variety, quality and the quantity of food provided to the kids... if i was to pack their lunch i am sure i could not do so much!! moreover they use only organic foods so no probs about the related allergies...

they do have enough playing space in the school for all the kids... and they are located on the banks of arakawa river so the kids have the unique advantage of going on the river bank for a few games really often... as they mention on their site they have an indoor swimming pool so thru-out the year all the kids are swimming once a week... and twice if you enroll them for the after school club...

now the teachers, they are excellent... i have been interacting with only a few but who ever i have come across so far know what they are doing... and are really very supportive and understanding...

they follow IBO curriculum and kids feel they are not studying or working!! they come back home really tired which again shows their intensive work hours during the school... they really work hard for the kids... more so in earlier years... my daughter is in KS1 and i know the amount of work the teachers put in... as my daughter has matured in more then one way... you can see her developement very well...

i also think KIST is one of the oldest or THE oldest school following IBO standards in tokyo.

they often hold an explanation evening for the parents where you can ask the teachers questions about the IBO system as well as understand how and what is this way of teaching... and how your kids will fit in tomorrow's world.

yet another advantage of the school is it is right from KS1 to 12th grade and co-ed and on the same campus... so both my kids irrispective of their gender difference will go to the same place all the time...

please ask me more questions if you have. i would be more then happy to answer them if i know and if i do not kow i will surely ask one of the school authorities and get and answer for you... :)

is anything missing cornelia?

...just two weeks ago KIST had their 2005 concert, and i was really pleased to see non-native (indian) kids speaking fluent japanese for their momo-taro dance and drama performance. They were so good that it was difficult to decipher who was native and who was non-native!

i will add more if i remember anything.

...the students i mentioned above were just 2nd graders.

note from admin: IBO = International Baccalaureate Organization http://www.ibo.org/

For those parents with children at KIST, please post more info!! We are moving to Tokyo this summer and researching schools for our 8 and 11 yr old boys, who are both academically very advanced for their ages. I know from research that the IB program in general is usually a good fit, but would love to hear from parents about their thoughts, experiences, etc. I've asked a contact at the school to connect me with a parent but they seem hesitant to do so. I'm a bit put off by that, but can over-look it if the school will be a good fit for our boys. Please post info!! Thanks!

Julie, Yokohama International School is one of the top IB schools. You really should take a closer look at it. Originally our plan was to move to Tokyo but after we visited YIS we knew it was the right choice. We chose to live in Yokohama.(that was 5 years ago!)
Here is the link, http://www.yis.ac.jp. With the new train station close to school, (the MM21 Motomachi station) many families decide to live in Yokohama even if one or both spouses work in Tokyo. Please feel free to e-mail me for any information about the school or Yokohama.

Julie,

As you might have noticed I am a parent at KIST... and i have already posted a small writeup about K. International School... if you have some specific questions please ask them openly... i do not mind trying to clear them for you... if you want to write to me privately my email address is: truptigandhi@yahoo.com

And some info that I have learned in the meanwhile... KIST is the only school in Tokyo right now which has their Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma all three programmes certified by IBO...

when i went to the school office to fill a form for my son, i saw some certificates saying the school also trains teachers... i do not know much about it or understand it well... but will surely find more info on that aspect and post it here...

i do not think i mentioned anything about the school buses in my last post... they have good routes for their buses... and for the smallies a volunteer parent or an adult is on the bus for their safety.... and the adult asssits the kids to get on and off the bus... the buses as per japan standards are never late... they are infact most of the time ahead of time...

they also have many afterschool school clubs for all the levels... and some of the clubs are headed by the princi himself!!

they also have before and after school care option... good for working parents... i do not know if all the schools have it here!!

please do email me if you or anyone needs to know more about the school...

K International School Tokyo's biggest annual event, KIST school festival will be held on the 27th October (Sat) this year.
This year, We will be celebrating our 10th anniversary on our new school site in Kiyosumi Shirakawa.
If you are interested in our school, this festival would be a good opportunity to see the atmosphere of our school.
For inquiries: kistpa@yahoo.com

K INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TOKYO
1-5-15 Shirakawa, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0021
Telephone (English) 03 3642 9993; (Japanese) 03 3642 9992 & Fax Number 03 3642 9994
Email Address info@kist.ed.jp & School web-site http://www.kist.ed.jp