Global Kids Academy

Global Kids Academy States Goals for 2008

Have you made your new year's resolution for this year? The students at GKA have and they were featured in the Dec 21-Jan 3 issue of the Weekender magazine! Eiichiro, Jason, Jun, Kenichi, Kent, Kitty, Michael, Momoko, Riku and Sarah share their goals like trying to help out around the house more and devoting more time to community service. GKA students have a variety of exciting goals and it looks like we are having a great year ahead of us!

To see the article, click Weekender Article Dec 21 issue

]]> Below is the text that appeared in the Weekender magazine.
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Many people set up their New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of the year. At Global Kids Academy, both students and teachers are busy thinking about what they want to accomplish in the Year of the Mouse.

Below and to the right are some of the students’ illustrated New Year’s resolutions. Kitty will practice the violin so that she can play well in performances. Eiichiro wants to learn to skate and to write kanji. Riku says he will help his mom with chores. Kenichi resolves to be nice to his younger brother this year. Kent will join the baseball or rugby team and lead it to victory. Jun will make a calendar so that he can keep track of all of his resolutions!

Global Kids Academy’s teenage students have very specific goals for 2008. Some are applying to boarding schools in the U.S. and hope to find the ideal setting in which to spend their high school years. Jason will take his basketball skills to the next level and hopes to be a star player at his new school. Sarah looks forward to taking on leadership roles in theater while continuing her equestrian pursuits. Michael is committed to doing community service projects to help children in Southeast Asia and is taking tangible steps to improve literacy and computer skills in the region. He hopes to join an international affairs club, write for the newspaper at his new school and continue his non-sibi projects to benefit both children in Asia and those in the local community of his new school.

Global Kids Academy’s resolution is to stay true to its mission: to provide a rich and nurturing environment for language acquisition and development so that our children have the tools to make a difference in tomorrow’s world. This year, we will expand the tutorial capacity so that we can meet the diverse needs of students learning both English and Japanese.

A longer-term goal (that goes beyond the year 2008) for Global Kids Academy is to make a bigger impact on the education scene in Japan. The founder will pursue a further degree in School Leadership and School Development, showing that passion for learning never dies. She is looking forward to applying the knowledge gained to expand Global Kids Academy into a school that can make large-scale impact on the way children learn languages in Japan.

The students and teachers of Global Kids Academy hope the year 2008 is a year of Peace and Prosperity for all the children on the planet.

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.

]]> Dates
Summer Session 1 (9:00 - 15:00)
Week 1 June 16 to June 20
Week 2 June 23 to June 27
Week 3 June 30 to July 4
Week 4 July 7 to July 11
Week 5 July 14 to July 18

Summer Session 2 (9:00 - 15:00)
Week 1 July 21 to July 25
Week 2 July 28 to August 1
Week 3 August 4 to August 8
Week 4 August 11 to August 15
Week 5 August 18 to August 22
Week 6 August 25 to August 29

Rates
Session Fee per week Yen 70,000 per week
*Please note that this year, there is no difference in rate between Session 1 and Session 2.

Extension per week

15:00 - 17:00 Yen 15,000 per week
15:00 - 18:30 Yen 25,000 per week

Volume Discount:
This year, we are introducing a new discount for students who sign up for four weeks or more. Please see the rates below. We will continue to give sibling discounts by taking the total number of weeks of participation by all siblings to derive the rate to be applied to each child.
1 - 3 weeks Yen 70,000
4 - 6 weeks Yen 65,000
7 - 11 weeks Yen 60,000

In addition, a 5% discount will be applied if registration is completed before March 31.

To sign up, and find out about registration procedures and the cancellation policy, please read sign-up and cancellation policy.

Summer 2008 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.

]]> First, I would like to introduce Maki Suzuki, the new Assistant Head of Global Kids Academy effective July 2008. Maki is a fellow Nishimachi alumna and is very involved as a Director and Secretary of Nishimachi-Kai (alumni association). After attending Nishimachi and Yokohama International School, Maki went to Sentinel Secondary School and British Columbia University. She has worked for many years as an administrator at two international schools in Japan. She is also the proud mother of GKA student Koko.

Our teaching team will be bolstered by the addition of several teachers. First, we are very fortunate to have Hojo sensei who started her teaching career as the first Japanese language teacher at Nishimachi many decades ago. She has always specialized in teaching native speakers of Japanese and in fact was my teacher when I was a child. She is our senior Japanese teacher along with Ogawa-sensei, who has vast experience as a Japanese teacher to non-native speakers of Japanese. Hojo-sensei and Ogawa-sensei will concentrate on expanding our Japanese programs.

Many of the students of GKA may be following the footsteps of Harukako Ikeura who grew up in Tokyo and graduated from Nishimachi International School and the International School of the Sacred Heart. She received a B.A. in Economics and International Relations from Boston Univeristy. Haru has prepared many teens and young adults for study abroad programs. For the past three summers Haru has taken groups of 80 middle school students and teachers from Japanese schools to Eton College in England. Recently, Haru returned to Boston to obtain a certificate to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL) from the Boston Academy of English. Although Haru's formal teaching experience has been with older students, we are finding that Haru connects instantly with the youngest of our students at GKA.

Marie Kobayashi was born and raised in Los Angeles and moved to Japan when she was 14 where she attended and graduated from Sacred Heart. She received a B.A. in Japanese Language/Literature and International Relations from the George Washington University. While living in Washington D.C. she volunteered for a program called Japan-in-a-suitcase of the Japan America Society where she went to various public elementary schools and taught children Japanese and about Japanese culture. The experience has inspired her to become a teacher and cultural ambassador. Recently, Marie taught Japanese language and culture as a guest teacher at MS45 in the Bronx where she reached out to children who had not ventured out of their own city. Marie will specialize in one-on-one lessons and will lead initiatives such as GKA student participation in Room-to-Read, showing by example how to be a great global citizen.

GKAドリームチーム結成！

私の留学を機にGKAの発展と向上を目指し、新しいスタッフを集め、ドリームチームを結成いたしました。まずは、２００８年７月からグローバルキッズアカデミーのアシスタントヘッドを勤めます、鈴木まきさんをご紹介したいと思います。まきさんは私と同じ、西町インターナショナルスクールの同窓生でもあり、とても積極的に西町会（西町同窓会）のディレクターと秘書として活躍しています。西町（初等部）、横浜インターナショナルスクール（中等部）、カナダのセンティネルセカンダリースクールとブリティッシュコロンビア大学を卒業しました。彼女は日本のインターナショナルスクール２校で事務職・管理者として働いてきました。現在GKAに通っているKokoちゃんのお母さんでもあります。

次にご存知の方も多いかと思いますが、昨年末からGKAを暖かくサポートしてくださっている北條先生をご紹介いたします。北條先生は、小川先生同様、数十年のキャリアを極めた西町インターナショナルスクールの元日本語教師です。日本語を母国語として勉強する子供たちを専門に教えてきました。私が西町に通っていた頃にもお世話になっていました。日本語を第二言語として勉強する子供たちを専門とする小川先生と連携して、日本語プログラムを強化していきます。

池浦春香子先生は東京で生まれ育ち、西町インターナショナルスクールに通い、聖心インターナショナルスクールの高校を卒業しました。ボストン大学で経済学と国際関係論を勉強し、ここ数年、中学生や高校生の留学サポートにも携わってきました。約８０人の生徒と教師をイギリスのイートン校に案内することもありました。また、最近では教育を追求するために、英語を外国語として教える資格(TEFL)も習得しました。GKAの年少の子供たちとも相性がぴったりです。

小林マリー先生はロサンゼルス生まれ、二世のマリーは14才の時に来日しました。聖心インターナショナルスクールの高校を卒業し、アメリカのジョージワシントン大学で日本語言語/文学、そして国際関係を学びました。ワシントンDC在住時には日本語や日本の文化を現地の子供に教えるボランティア活動も行った経験があります。これらの素晴らしい経験を積み、教師そして文化指導者になりたいと決心したそうです。今年の初めにマリーはニューヨークのブロンクス地区MS４５校で客員教師を勤め、日本を知らない子供たちに日本の文化を教えました。マリーは主にプライベートレッスンを担当し、GKAのボランティアプロジェクトをリードします。

Winter Program 2007

The special winter program was packed with joyful projects like plate making and kyoketsuzome (Japanese paper dyeing). We also went on a scavenger hunt to look for all the festive decorations around the city. We wrapped up the program with a winter concert full of holiday music and a play!

]]> We started off the week with a fun event of plate painting, with the help of professional ceramic painting artist, Yoko Okazaki and her daughter. The children made beautiful drawings with the holiday theme. Throughout the week, the children prepared for the winter concert. The younger group prepared head bands of reindeers, with spirited songs to go with it. The older group prepared a short skit about anxious children delivering their letters to Santa Claus. The second event, kyoketsuzome was organized by Ogawa sensei. Children dyed washi-paper and made wrapping paper and holiday cards. The field trip took place in Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi. The children were divided up into groups and were asked to find festive ornaments within the facility. The children found more decorations than we had expected! The last day was concluded with a successful concert, featuring songs, a play and brief presentations about other winter celebrations. The non-stop action was a great way to start off the holiday season.

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.

]]> My specialization will be in School Development, which is for people who want to develop schools from a non-traditional vantage point. I am looking forward to working with colleagues who are similarly committed to think outside-the-box to provide great learning environments for children. I intend to have conferences with parents before and after I return and will also fly back twice during the 9-month period. I have complete confidence that the Dream Team I have assembled can not only continue the day-to-day operation o GKA but also make improvements every day to better serve the needs of the children!

私は、学校という教育の場においての指導やプログラム開発についてさらに知識を身につけるために、今年の９月からハーバード教育大学院に通うことになりました。修士号課程のスクールリーダーシッププログラムの中で学校開発(School Development)を専門とします。学校のあり方、発展と向上、また、従来の視点にとらわれない、新しい教育の場を築くための研究をします。世界各国から集まる教育者とともに、新しい発想で子供たちに素晴らしい教育の環境をどう提供できるかを追求するのが楽しみです。９ヶ月間留学しますがご心配なく！渡米する前後、更に留学期間にも２回ほど一時帰国し、保護者の方々と面談したいと考えております。また、GKAの教職員のドリームチームを結成しました。私が不在の間もGKAのスタッフと連携し、子供たちのクラスを通常通り行い、更に子供たちのニーズに応えられるよう、日々努力をいたしますので、ご安心ください。GKAをよりよい教育の場にしていきたいと思います。これからも応援よろしくお願い申し上げます。

Takako Yamasaki Violin Performance and Darius Exhibition on Feb 2

We are pleased to let you know that Ogawa sensei and her sister, Madame Miho Hecq-Cauquil, are hosting an art and music event this weekend at the Penthouse Gallery of Global Kids Academy.

When: Saturday, February 2 from 13:00 to 15:30
Special violin performance from 14:00
Where: Penthouse Gallery of Global Kids Academy building

Featured Violinist: Takako Yamasaki

]]> Takako Yamasaki began playing the violin at the age of five. She studied under Professor Kazuki Sawa at the Tokyo Geidai (Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music), and at the Musikhochshule Winterthur-Zurich under Professor Gyorgy Pauk. She has won many prizes at home and abroad. She has made concert appearances with orchestra in Japan, Switzerland and Burgaria, and given solo recitals and chamber concerts in Japan, Italy, Switzerland and Britain. Takako was awarded a 2001-2003 Fellowship by the Japanese Government Overseas Study Programme for Artists, in order to pursue advanced study under Professor Pauk in London. She now lives in Tokyo, and has been appointed to a prestigious teaching post in the renowned Geidai school.

Featured Artist: Darius

Darius’ mother was a protégé of Marc Chagall and from an early age, Darius was surrounded by leading artists of the time, including Chagall and Picasso. Taking the colors and sights of Corsica as inspiration, Darius creates beautiful dream-like oil paintings. Darius’ art has been on display at places such as Fond National d’Art Contemporain, Paris and Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris. In Japan, he has been showing his work at such venues as Nagai Gallery and the Art Gallery of Isetan Department Store.

GKA保護者の皆さま

小川先生とお姉様の美穂さんが主催する音楽と芸術のイベントのお知らせです。ダリウスさんの絵画を楽しみながら、山崎貴子さんによるヴァイオリンの演奏を楽しんでいただきたいと思います。是非お立ち寄りください。

日時：　２月２日土曜日　13：00　〜　15：30
ヴァイオリン演奏は14：00予定
場所：　グローバルキッズアカデミー　ペントハウス　（P階）

山崎　貴子　(ヴァイオリン)
東京藝術大学音楽学部附属音楽高等学校、同大学、および大学院修士課程を経て、ヴィ
ンタートゥーア・チューリッヒ音楽大学に留学、ジョルジュ・パウク氏のもとゾリステン・ディプロムを取得。その後、ロンドンに拠点を移し、2001−03年は、文化庁在外芸術派遣制度の助成を得、研鑚を積む。約8年に及ぶ留学の後、2004年に帰国。国内外のコンクールにて数々の賞を受賞。これまでに、ヴァイオリンを、数住岸子、澤和樹、ジェラール・ジャリ、ジョルジ・パウクの各氏に、室内楽を、菅沼準二氏、カルミナ弦楽四重奏団メンバーに師事。現在、東京藝術大学および同大学附属高校にて後進の指導にあたる。

ダリウス
フランス・パリ在住の画家ダリウスは1950年、画家である両親のもとに生まれた。母は世界的に有名なタピスリー作家として
知られるイヴェット・コキール・プランス。イヴェットと親交が深かったピカソ、シャガール、エルンスト等、巨匠と呼ばれる
芸術家たちの強い影響を受け幼少の頃から画家への道を歩んで来た。自然をこよなく愛するダリウスはパリのみならず地中海
コルシカ島にアトリエを構え、この地で日々想像を飛翔させ、絵筆をとり神話や森羅万象の生命を描き続けている。アンティーブ　のピカソ、ニースのマチス、ヴァンスのシャガール、ヴィルフランシュのコクトーら、光と自然と神話の宝庫南フランスに場を得　て名画を残した20世紀の巨匠たちに連なるコルシカのダリウスは21世紀の巨匠への期待大であると油絵の鑑定士として知られる
永井画廊の永井氏も絶賛されて居られる。ポンピドー・センター10周年に於いてフランスを代表する１５人の画家の一人として選　出された実力派である。日本では、永井画廊、伊勢丹デパート・アートギャラリー等で過去１２回個展が開催された。

Spring/Summer 2008 Calendar

Please click here for the Spring and Summer 2008

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.

]]> Academics, adventures, art and activities are available throughout the day. There will normally be two hours of classroom time where children will focus on reading, writing and speaking skills. For the rest of the day, they are immersed in social or cultural activities. There will be time to interract with native Japanese speakers playing games like Hanaichi Monme, Kagome and Karuta. Cultural activities like Japanese calligraphy and Kyoketsuzome (paper dyeing technique) are introduced. Students in both Japanese and English immersion participate in Adventure in Tokyo. In the past, students have taken cultural field trips to: an authentic Urasenke tea house for tea ceremony, Ghibli Museum to study Japanese animation, a rooftop rice paddy in Roppongi Hills along with a tour of the Toho Cinemas movie theatre, the Edo Museum and much more.

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!

]]> Adventures in Tokyo is our signature program in which all kids in English Immersion and Japanese Immersion participate. Each week, we will take up a different theme and go on a field trip. These are true learning experiences for the children. The hands-on learning and documentation (e.g. writing articles, conducting surveys, making a digital video, making a Powerpoint presentation, etc.) deepend the children's understanding of the world around them. Many kids sharpen their language arts skills while spending the summer with us.
To see what the children did in past summers, please see Summer Journal

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.

]]> From The Japan Times October 1, 2007 International Schools Directory 2007-2008

GLOBAL APPROACH TO INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
By James Yellowlees Ph.D.

Mika Fukutomi is a true believer in taking a global approach to international education. A product of Nishimachi International School (grades 2-8) and the American School in Japan (ASIJ) (grades 9-12), she established Global Kids Academy (GKA) as a dual language after school program to provide students with an enriching learning environment in English and Japanese.
“As a parent of a child who is growing up bilingual, I know that the quality of time spent after school is important,” she said. “Children need a safe, nurturing and friendly environment that allows them to develop their linguistic, communication and academic skills while parents need to be reassured that the children are getting high quality instructions from teachers who can be their role models.”
GKA is conveniently located in Moto Azabu, right across from the main entrance gate to Nishimachi International School so Fukutomi feels right at home. “From the time the idea was conceived, former teachers and school mates have all been very supportive. It is great to be able to tap into the alumni network for input.”
Global Kids Academy opened its doors five years ago with four students from Nishimachi . Since then, GKA has expanded its range of students and student numbers. Today, students range in age from 4 to mid-teens and come from diverse backgrounds, representing both local Japanese and international schools.
“Whichever type of school they attend, many of our students are already bilingual and have lived overseas. The parents, whether they are Japanese or English speakers, see the importance of the role language plays in helping their children become global citizens.,” Fukutomi said. Japanese and English immersion courses as well as private lessons and workshops targeting specific areas are offered throughout the year. GKA is also flexible in terms of offering focused, every day programs in summer and winter that are based on the needs of the children (and their parents).
“I have been pleasantly surprised at the great response to our summer programs,” Fukutomi noted. “This past summer, we welcomed one hundred students to our program. The students included, not only Japan residents of various nationalities, but also visitors from places like the U.S., Russia and Taiwan. Often, their parents are visiting scholars or researchers who are in Japan for extended periods in the summer.”
Global Kids Academy also affords its young students with as many life experiences as possible,. The theme-based learning approach has covered subjects from global warming to mapping out the future of the world. “Our mission statement is to ‘provide a rich and nurturing environment for language acquisition and development so that our children have the tools to make a difference in tomorrow's world,” Fukutomi said. “We want to help the children to acquire the tools they need to become future global leaders who have a real understanding of issues that affect the world.”
One of the most meaningful projects GKA and Fukutomi undertook was a visit to schools in Cambodia, in which the GKA students started an e-mail pen pal relationship with local school children.” Children are the first overcome the digital divide and can learn so much from each other, whether they are from a developed or developing nation,” she noted.
Fukutomi herself is conscious of the need for continuing development as an educator and plans to spend a year at Harvard University to obtain a further degree in school leadership and development.
“We have to set a good example and keep growing,” she said.
For more information, please visit the Global Kids Academy Website at http://www.globalkidsacademy.com.

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.

]]> Excerpt from September 1 edition of Weekender Japan article "Celebrating Cultural Diversity"

Global Kids Academy

The future of the world depends on the education of our children. Global Kids Academy's mission is to provide a rich and nurturing environment for language acquisition and development so that our children have the tools to make a difference in tomorrow's world.

Ransho (seven) and Vary are asking each other about family. Joe (nine) and Soben are talking about sports. Kira (six) and Yorn are exchanging information about school. Ransho, Joe, and Kira are students in the after school program of Global Kids Academy (GKA). Vary, Soben, and Yorn are students of a rural school in Cambodia. Though separated by thousands of miles and vast differences in circumstance, they are able to communicate and share so much. The children are email pen pals, thanks to an internet connection via satellite.

It all started when Michael (13) went to Cambodia over spring break.

He traveled to a school over 200km from the capital by jeep, taking video messages and letters from GKA students. When they returned, emails arrived and the pen pal system came to life. The interaction has made the GKA kids aware of issues like malaria and lack of books. Money has been raised for mosquito nets and now, the kids are planning a readathon to help raise money for a library. “Understanding others” is something that the children at GKA do everyday. To find out more about Global Kids Academy see: www.globalkidsacademy

The Next Generation Speaks Out on the Environment

Following the successful publication of Rena and Michael's essays in the May issue of the Weekender, we received letters from other teens in Tokyo expressing interest in the cause and asking questions about how they can help stop global warming. Excerpts of letters to Michael and Rena and their counter reponses have now been featured in the August 17-September 6 issue under the heading "In the Eyes of Tomorrow's Generation - Kids discuss environmental issues with words and pictures". We are very proud that Rena and Michael's initiatives drew such a response and started an on-going discussion among teens in Tokyo!

To see the original essays, please go to this: link

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

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.

]]> Our recommendation policy is as follows: upon request, we will provide one letter of recommendation per current student per year without charge provided that the student has been enrolled for more than three months. With respect to kindergarten applicants, we will normally wait until late in the application process to write the recommendation in order to provide the most up-to-date information for the school. The objective is to ensure that we know each child very well prior to providing a letter. We will need at least one month's advance notice before the deadline.