Summer 2008 Overview
Two Tracks, English Immersion and Japanese Immersion will be offered throughout the summer. For details, dates, tuition and other details, please click below.
Continue reading "Summer 2008 Overview"
Posted by mika at 20:17
Category:News
/Summer 2008 Overview
Summer 2008 Application Form
Posted by mika at 18:20
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Category:News
/Summer Application Form
New Teachers and staff
I am very happy to introduce to you the Dream Team of GKA of teaching and administrative staff. Here are the four new members: Maki, Hojo sensei, Haru and Marie.
Continue reading "New Teachers and staff"
Posted by mika at 18:09
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/Our Teachers and Founder
Mika-sensei heads to Harvard Graduate School of Education this Fall
I am pleased to announce that I am going back to school to learn more about school leadership and school development. For nine months starting September 2008, I will be enrolled in the School Leadership Program at the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.
Continue reading "Mika-sensei heads to Harvard Graduate School of Education this Fall"
Posted by mika at 13:43
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Category:News
Japanese Immersion Summer Program 2008
This year, we are extending the Japanese Immersion program and offering it throughout the summer, from June 16 to August 29. Whether the objective is to learn ab initio, catch-up or review, we are ready to meet the needs of students. Our immersion program exposes the students to many fun cultural activities.
Continue reading "Japanese Immersion Summer Program 2008"
Posted by mika at 12:44
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English Immersion Summer Program 2008
If you want to enjoy interesting field trips and fun activities in Tokyo this summer, Global Kids Academy is the place to be. From June 16 to August 29, we will welcome kids from all over the world. In the past few years, we have had participants from St. Petersburg, Washington, D.C., Washington State, Boston, Seoul, Bangkok and all over Japan. English is spoken among the students and teachers of this program.
Academics, adventures, art and activities are available throughout the day. Although there is no "typical" day, we generally spend about two hours on projects that involve reading and writing. The rest of the day fills up with all kinds of excitement: outdoor fun, indoor games, crafts, lunch-time movies and Adventures in Tokyo!
Continue reading "English Immersion Summer Program 2008"
Posted by mika at 12:41
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Category:English Immersion
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Global Approach to International Education- GKA Featured in Japan Times International Schools Directory
On October 1, 2007, an article on Global Kids Academy appeared in the International Schools Directory section of the Japan Times. Please follow the link for more details.
Posted by mika at 12:30
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Category:In the Press
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Celebrating Cultural Diversity - GKA kids featured in the Weekender
Once again, GKA's approach to global citizenship was taken up by the press. The Weekender's feature story "Celebrating Cultural Diversity" in the early September edition included a piece about Global Kids Academy students establishing and continuing a pen pal relationship with children in Cambodia. Please click below to see the article.
Continue reading "Celebrating Cultural Diversity - GKA kids featured in the Weekender"
Posted by mika at 11:55
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New Faculty Members
I am very pleased to introduce two new teachers, Carl Crawley and Tomokazu Kaneko. Carl is from Washington, D.C. and has a B.A. from University of Pennsylvania and two M.S. degrees from Georgetown University. He is a linguistics specialist who has mastered Japanese, Korean and Chinese in addition to Latin and Spanish. He has been an English language instructor or 19 years. Carl enjoys tutoring children and young adults in many subjects: math and science, English vocabulary and grammar, Latin, SSAT and SAT preparation, and general homework help including improvement of study skills. Tomokazu is a candidate of a masters in education at Temple University. Tomokazu has been a soccer coach as well as a pre-school teacher. He attended an international school in Japan and is completely bilingual.
Our Teachers and Founder
Posted by mika at 17:53
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School Placement and Counseling
Our students have been successful in applying to the following international schools:
Nishimachi International School, ASIJ, St. Mary's International School, International School of Sacred Heart, Tokyo International School, Seisen International School and Yokohama International School.
This year, we are supporting applications to several secondary boarding schools (prep schools) in the U.S. We have also supported applications to attend summer programs abroad, such as Cardigan Mountain School's. As we head into the application season, please read our recommendation policy carefully by following this link.
Continue reading "School Placement and Counseling"
Posted by mika at 17:33
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/Policies
Summer Programs 2007 Update - Midsummer weeks are full!
The Mid-Summer weeks are full! Some space available in the first few and last few weeks of summer.
This summer promises to be another fun-filled season at Global Kids Academy. As of May 28, we have started waiting lists for the following weeks: July 9-13, 16-20, 23-27, 30- August 3, 6-10, 13-17. We will continue to accept application forms and contact students as soon as we can make room for them. We still have space in the early weeks of Session 1 and the last two weeks of Session 2.
For more details, please see the Summer Programs section.
Posted by mika at 12:58
Category:News
/Summer 2008 Overview
/Summer Programs
Global Kids Speak Out on Global Warming
We are very proud to let you know that two of our senior students, Rena and Michael (both age 13) had their essays on Global Warming published in the Weekender magazine! Both students have been deeply interested in the topic since taking up the theme in our summer program last year. The essays are in the May 18-31 issue. Please follow the link to read their essays.
Continue reading "Global Kids Speak Out on Global Warming"
Posted by mika at 12:38
Category:In the Press
/Michael and Rena's Journal
/News
Global Kids Academy students are featured in the Weekender
Read all about it in the March 16 edition of the Weekender magazine! On the cover, you will find the headline "A Taste of Success - Global Kids Academy visits Kidzania" along with a picture of Bobby Valentine. Our story is on pages 14 and 15 under the heading "Global Kids Academy tries Kidzania Careers". As many of you know, the Winter Program participants went to Kidzania in December.
Continue reading "Global Kids Academy students are featured in the Weekender"
Posted by mika at 21:01
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Category:GKA Blogs
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Birthday Parties at GKA!
Be the lucky bidder in the Nishimachi Auction
Global Kids Academy is making a donation of a "Birthday Party to Remember" to Nishimachi International School. The item will be available through an on-line silent auction in April. We do not have the bidding procedure details yet but we will post them once they are available. Below is the description of the auction donation we have made. We hope you take part in the auction for a chance to give your child a most memorable birthday party! Even if you are not the lucky winner, you will have an opportunity to take advantage of this offer from July 2007 when we launch this service on a regular basis.
Continue reading "Birthday Parties at GKA!"
Posted by mika at 21:32
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Accepting Summer 2007 Applications
We are now accepting 2007 summer applications
The summer programs will be offered for 12 weeks from June 11 to August 31. This year, we are offering the Japanese immersion option all throughout the summer. Please see the program details and the summer journals from the past few summers.
Posted by mika at 18:08
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Summer Camp Advisory Service
This year, we are offering an advisory service to students and families interested in academic summer camps in the U.S. We will help you identify U.S. summer programs that are a good "fit" for your child. Must be in 3rd grade or above.
Continue reading "Summer Camp Advisory Service"
Posted by mika at 18:03
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/Summer Camps Abroad
Summer 2007 Teachers and Counselors
Who are the teachers and counselors of the summer programs at GKA? The teachers of GKA are highly trained and are passionate about teaching. Each summer, we are also joined by counselors who are great role models for the children. In past summers, we have had counselors who are graduates and students from the following schools: Nishimachi International School, Phillips Academy Andover, St. Paul's School, Taft School, TASIS, ASIJ, ISSH, Brown University, Wellesley College, Claremont McKenna College, Smith College, Boston University, Indiana University, George Washington University, and many more. The Japanese teaching staff are students and graduates from Waseda University (M.A. in teaching Japanese), Meiji University, the University of the Sacred Heart, Sophia University and others. Together, we will provide the best summer experience for the children joining us this summer!
Posted by mika at 17:45
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Category:News
/Our Teachers and Founder
Happy New Year!
Classes resumed on January 8th. On the same evening, we held our Housewarming/New Year party. We are looking forward to a wonderful year in our new building.
Posted by mika at 09:07
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Category:News
Special Winter Program Dec 18-22 featuring Kidzania
This year, we are offering a special Winter Program from December 18-22, featuring a trip to Kidzania.
Dates: December 18-22
Hours: 9:00am to 3:00pm with extension options
Programs: English Immersion and Japanese Immersion
Age: 4-12 (please enquire if your child falls just outside the age range, especially siblings of participants)
(Registration has closed.)
Continue reading "Special Winter Program Dec 18-22 featuring Kidzania"
Posted by mika at 13:12
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Winter Term News
Thanks to everyone's support and understanding, we are settling well into the new building.
The Winter Term begins on November 27th. We will welcome a number of new students in the English Immersion class. Over the next few weeks, we will work on expanding the Japanese and tutorial programs. We hope to have room for all the students waiting for Japanese classes and private/semi-private lessons by January.
Our holiday party for current students will take place on Saturday, December 9th. We will send out details to the current students soon.
The official opening party will be in early January. Details will be sent to friends of Global Kids Academy soon.
Continue reading "Winter Term News"
Posted by mika at 12:56
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Category:News
We have moved to Moto Azabu! 引っ越しのお知らせ 2006
We are very pleased to announce that we have successfully moved to Moto Azabu! All classes are now up and running. The new building will reduce the
waiting list and allow us to offer new enrichment
programs and provide more learning resources in a
comfortable environment.
New Address:
2-13-9 Moto Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
〒106-0046
Telephone number: 03-5419-8277
Fax Number: 03-5419-8278
Director’s line: 090-5512-1324
Continue reading "We have moved to Moto Azabu! 引っ越しのお知らせ 2006"
Posted by mika at 13:59
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Fall Term Registration
Summer Greetings from Global Kids Academy! Whether you have traveled far or stayed at home this summer, I hope you are enjoying the summer.
Fall Term Registration has started. We have posted our 2006-2007 calendar on our website. This year, each of the three terms (Fall, Winter and Spring) is 12 weeks in duration. The Fall Term will begin on September 4 and end on November 25.
English Immersion
If your child participated in the Spring or Early Summer Term of the After School Program, we will assume that the student will continue with the same schedule unless we hear otherwise. Please let us know as soon as possible whether you expect the student’s schedule to change. We will start sending invoices in the week of August 21 but please note that we would be pleased to make scheduling adjustments for the first few weeks of September.
Japanese Immersion
We are increasing the number of classes this fall. We will be in touch with you over the next few weeks if you had already made scheduling requests or were enrolled in the Spring or Early Summer Term to confirm.
Private, semi-private and small group lessons
As usual, we will offer various math and literacy workshops for elementary school students. In addition, we will offer various tutorials, workshops and clubs for middle school students. If you are a current student, please let us know if you expect your schedule to be different from previous terms. If you are interested in a new class, please drop us a line and we will set up a class that is appropriate for your child’s needs.
Posted by mika at 22:27
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2006-2007 Calendar
Please click here for the 2006-2007 Calendar
Posted by mika at 16:50
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Category:Calendar
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Session 2 field trips
July 24
This is Mika Fukutomi. I returned from a two-week trip to the U.S. and was very pleased to come back to GKA, full of happy children. It is a lively week with many returning students as well as new students.
This week, Nao Karita is leading the effort to get children to think about Endangered Species on our planet, supported by Ikuko and Rina. The children have been researching about animals such as the Pink Dolphin, the Giant Panda and Golden Monkeys. Some of our older children (Katya, Rena, Ryotaro and Joe) are exploring beyond the animal kingdom and rising to the challenge of inventing new products that are good for the environment. (By the way, projects by GKA children were once again featured in the Weekender’s writing competition. We will tell you more about that in our next newsletter.)
This week, our field trip involves going to see the movie “White Planet”. Tomorrow, we will go to Roppongi Hills’ Toho Virgin Cinemas. We expect that the children will find the movie very relevant because of the work they have done throughout this week.
Continue reading "Session 2 field trips"
Posted by mika at 11:46
Category:News
/Summer Journals
Summer Programs 2006
We are having a fantastic summer at Global Kids Academy. The childre are having tons of fun while learning and thinking about the big issues that affect us all. In recent weeks, the children have studied topics such as Endangered Species (focusing on animals living in the Arctic region) and Extinct Animals (focusing on the Dodo Bird and the reasons for its extinction). Everyday, friendships are being formed and children are improving their language skills in very visible ways! Please see articles below under GKA news and GKA articles to find out what the children have been up to this summer and click below to find out more information about the summer program. We are full this week but may have an extra space or two in the final weeks of Session 2 so please check with us if you are interested!
Continue reading "Summer Programs 2006"
Posted by mika at 12:15
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/Summer Programs
Session 1 field trip announcements
July 5
Global Kids Academy is a very lively place this week! School is out for just about all international school children so both English and Japanese immersion classes are full.
This week, the children are exploring the theme of Pixar animation. Children in English Immersion have been writing character webs and story plots. Some have invented entirely new characters, describing their features and even how they transform. I am always impressed by the children’s ability to express their creativity through writing and drawing!
Continue reading "Session 1 field trip announcements"
Posted by mika at 11:40
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Category:News
Cambodia Mosquito Net Donation Box
Did you know that malaria is the number 1 cause of death in Cambodia? Did you know that 600 yen would buy a mosquito net that can save 3 lives from malaria? As announced in our April interim newsletter, following Michael and Mika-sensei's trip to Cambodia, we have placed a donation box at the entrance of GKA. The proceeds will be used to purchase mosquito nets and the results will be reported in the Cambodia Daily and the save3lives.com website. As of May 21, we have collected and sent to Cambodia Yen 9412 plus about Yen 300 worth in other currencies. That means so far, we have contributed to save 16 lives. We are very proud of and grateful for the contributions that GKA families have made. Let's continue to make a difference! Many thanks to Debbie Krisher and her family for showing us how we can make a difference.
Posted by mika at 17:57
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Category:News
Book Donations
We are very grateful for the book donations we received from the Rothberg and Tamenaga families. The Rothbergs donated over one hundred English books, ranging in level from toddlers' to teenagers'. The Tamenaga family donated many Japanese books, mainly non-fiction books such as biographies and enclyclopedias. A warm thank you from GKA to both families for their generosity!
Posted by mika at 16:54
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Category:News
Participating in Project Zero Classroom 2006
This summer, Mika Fukutomi will attend an institute at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education: Project Zero Classroom 2006. She is looking forward to meeting Professor Howard Gardner and examining concepts such as Teaching for Understanding and the theory of multiple intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily
kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal
and naturalistic intelligence.
Continue reading "Participating in Project Zero Classroom 2006"
Posted by mika at 18:06
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Category:News
March Newsletter
GKA has sent out an email of our March Newsletter to all our students and friends. It is filled with interesting topics of our Summer Programs, new teachers and classes, writing contests, a movie review, and other interesting events. If you have not yet seen the newsletter, please download the March newsletter by clicking below.
Posted by mika at 11:32
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Category:News
Important Dates in Spring & Summer 2006
Important Dates in Spring and Summer 2006
March 21 GKA is closed
March 25 Last day of Winter Term
March 27 Spring Term tuition due
March 27 - April 1 GKA Spring Holiday
April 3 - June 17 Spring Term
May 3-6 GKA is closed for Golden Week
June 19 - July 22 Early Summer Term
June 19 - July 21 Summer Program Session 1
July 24 - August 25 Summer Program Session 2
日本語のお知らせは下のリンクからアクセスできます。
Continue reading "Important Dates in Spring & Summer 2006"
Posted by mika at 12:14
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Category:News
Spring 2006 Teachers and Programs 教師陣とプログラム
We have two visiting staff members this Spring: Lori Ellis and Andrew O'Brien-Penney. Lori is with us from February to April to help with our English immersion program. Lori had spent last year living in Germany and will return to North Carolina this summer to earn an M.A. in education, concentrating on teaching English as a second language. Although it is only for a short time, we feel very lucky to have Lori with us. Andrew is a Georgetown University student who is spending his year abroad at Waseda University. Andrew will work on the redevelopment of the GKA website this spring.
この続き及び日本語のお知らせは下のリンクからアクセスできます。
Continue reading "Spring 2006 Teachers and Programs 教師陣とプログラム"
Posted by mika at 12:11
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Category:News
Welcome and Congratulations!
Welcome to the new students who joined us during the Winter Term: Seimon, Casey, Rhen, Sophia, Steve, Henry, Saskia, Pascale and Anisa!
Congratulations to the children who were accepted into their kindergartens and schools of choice. This fall, GKA students will start attending Nishimachi International School, the American School in Japan and the International School of Sacred Heart.
日本語のお知らせは、下のリンクからアクセスできます。
Continue reading "Welcome and Congratulations!"
Posted by mika at 12:10
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Category:News
Happy New Year!
We wish you and your family happiness, health and prosperity in 2006.
Thanks to your support, 2005 was a fantastic year for Global Kids Academy. This month, we are launching our newsletter and will soon make some important announcements about our plans in 2006. Please sign up for the newsletter to receive not only information about Global Kids Academy but also insights on international education and dual language immersion programs.
明けましておめでとうございます。皆様のサポートのおかげで大変充実した２００５年を過ごすことができました。２００６年もGKAを更に発展させる計画がありますので今月よりe-mail ニュースレターを開始いたします。GKAに関するお知らせ、インターナショナルスクールでの教育、デュアルランゲージイマージョンに関する情報などを載せますので、ご希望の方は右のボックスよりご登録お願いいたします。
Posted by mika at 15:01
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Category:News
Winter Update
The Winter Term started on November 28. You can read all about the exciting Fall Term in our blog. Recently posted items include November,GKA goes to Tateyama, Chiba,Global Kids go to D-Haus,Halloween 2005,October and September
Important dates in the Winter Term are:
December 19-January 8 Winter Break. Happy Holidays!
January 9 Classes resume
March 25 Last Day of Winter Term
Posted by mika at 14:17
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Category:News
New Japanese Classes
I am very pleased to announce that we will add more Japanese immersion classes and private lessons starting November.
We are very fortunate to have two highly experienced Japanese teachers, Eri Ogawa and Reiko Sakata.
Continue reading "New Japanese Classes"
Posted by mika at 12:00
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Category:Japanese Programs
/News
/Our Teachers and Founder
Fall/Winter Update
October 29 Halloween Event in Shoto
Week of November 7 Winter Term invoices issued
November 19-20 Weekend outing to Chiba.
November 23 GKA is closed
November 26 last day of Fall Term
November 28 first day of Winter Term (14 weeks)
December 19-January 6 Winter Break
January 9 classes resume
March 25 last day of Winter Term
Posted by mika at 12:12
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Category:News
Important Dates in Fall 2005
September 23 GKA is closed
October 1 Nishimachi International School Orientation Day
October 2 Pre-school and Kindergarten Information Day at Tokyo American Club
October 15 NIS Food Fair
October 29* Trick-or-treating in Shoto**. Please note *new date and **venue.
November 19-20 Weekend outing in Chiba for older kids
November 23 GKA is closed
November 26 last day of Fall Term
November 28 first day of Winter Term
December 19 winter holiday begins
Continue reading "Important Dates in Fall 2005"
Posted by mika at 10:15
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Category:News
Articles in Japan Times September 29 and Weekender Japan Sep 2 issue
Global Kids Academy was featured in the International Schools Directory 2005 which appeared in the Japan Times on September 29th. The generous article appeared in the Enrichment section of the Directory. The Directory is a good source of information for anyone interested in international education, from pre-schools to post-secondary education.
Global Kids Academy was also featured in the Weekender magazine. The article is about the exciting events children enjoyed during the summer. Here is an excerpt from the article. View image
Continue reading "Articles in Japan Times September 29 and Weekender Japan Sep 2 issue"
Posted by mika at 23:28
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Category:In the Press
/News
/Summer Journals
/Summer Programs
Fall Term Begins/ New Saturday Classes
Welcome back to the returning students! Welcome to our new students! The Fall Term began on September 5.
Please be sure to check our 2005-6 Calendar for school holidays.
Students are enjoying our new location. Please see directions and map.
We are pleased to announce the launch of Saturday English Immersion classes. Starting September 10, classes will run from 10am to 12pm. One section is for pre-schoolers and the other section is for lower elementary grades. Many people have expressed interest and it is already full. If it continues to be popular, we will start a waiting list and eventually increase classes on Saturdays. Depending on your feedback, we may also start an afternoon section. Please use the enquiry form to let us know.
Posted by mika at 17:42
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Category:News
Summer 2005 Teachers and Counselors
We are pleased to announce that Ogawa Eri Sensei will lead our Japanese Immersion Program. Ogawa Sensei started teaching Japanese at Nishimachi International School when I was a student in the 1970’s. Many of my non-Japanese classmates are fluent in Japanese and use their language skills in their professions, thanks to Ogawa Sensei. We are very fortunate to have someone with such wealth of experience join our faculty this summer.
Continue reading "Summer 2005 Teachers and Counselors"
Posted by mika at 12:47
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Category:GKA Blogs
/News
/Our Teachers and Founder
/Summer Programs
GKA's Location
GKA Location from November 13th 2006
The address is:
〒106-0046
2-13-9 Moto Azabu
Minato-ku, Tokyo
Posted by mika at 18:27
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Category:News
/The Location, Facilities & Corporate Information
Spring Term - Golden Week holiday in May
Our Spring Term will start on April 4 and end on June 10 (please note that we are closed for Spring Holiday from March 28-April 1). We will be closed during Golden week (April 29-May 6).
Continue reading "Spring Term - Golden Week holiday in May"
Posted by mika at 09:02
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Category:News
GKA Summer Programs 2005 - ｻﾏｰﾌﾟﾛｸﾞﾗﾑ 2005
This is Mika. It is never too early to start planning for the summer. This summer, GKA will offer exciting programs for children in Tokyo and North America! Alison Roberts (my Nishimachi classmate) and I are collaborating again this summer. This time, we will kick off in late June with GKA Camp Washington, a fun camp and home-stay program outside Seattle. In Tokyo, we will run half and full day programs in June/July and Summer Day Camp in late July and August. Make sure you look at the students' photo journals from last summer! Watch this space for details! Click below for the Japanese version.
Continue reading "GKA Summer Programs 2005 - ｻﾏｰﾌﾟﾛｸﾞﾗﾑ 2005"
Posted by mika at 23:14
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Category:GKA Blogs
/News
Website Renewal
We are very pleased to announce the launch of our new blog-format website! Using the Movable Type Publishing Platform, we will keep you up to date on the latest news from GKA and share with you our thoughts on international education. A heartfelt thank you goes to Lucy who spent countless hours helping us move to this new format!
Mika GKA
Posted by mika at 20:45
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Category:News
Spring Holiday from March 28 to April 1
This is a reminder that Global Kids Academy is closed for Spring Break from March 28 to April 1. The Spring Term starts on April 4th and ends on June 10th. As announced before, we are closed from April 29 to May 6. Please check our Calendar for the term schedule.
Posted by mika at 16:14
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Category:News
