Art and the Environment

For the first two days, students participated in environmental studies and created a story book using marbled paper created in art. Students had a great time making their very own story books.

What the students said:

I enjoyed story writing because I think my story was well done. I had fun in environmental studies. I went into the forest and had fun. I liked art too. We had a good time.

I enjoyed art because I liked marbling the color paper. I wish I could do more art. I liked the watermelon and I want to play and learn more English.

What the parents said:

Making stories must have been a nice experience. The books turned out so well.

Theatre Lessons

For the following three days, teachers from the Youth Theatre Japan came and introduced students to theatre and drama lesson. On the third day students performed a short piece from the popular movie and theatre production – High School Musical. Even though they only practice for two and a half days, the students put on an impressive performance.

What the students said:

I enjoyed the drama. Dancing was fun. I love the bit where in the end everybody screamed and sang. The teachers were so great! I wish I could do the play again!

I did my best. I had little mistakes in the dance but it was fun. Teachers were fantastic. I learned many things from them. It was a short time but it was very fun.

What the parents said:

In such a short space of time I was really surprised at how well they all did. Great enthusiasm by all and I’m sure they all learned a lot about themselves and their friends.

Thank you for your hard work helping with this program. I think it is a great way to get the children to engage with the English language in a way that they can get motivated. It was also a good introduction to theatre and dance. If only there were more time to work on this performance

Overall, the students had a very fulfilling time. They experienced English through drama and creativity. They impressed both teachers and parents with their performance. Most importantly, they strengthened bonds and made new friendships. We are looking forward to participating in the 2011 Summer Program next year!

Tsukuba International School is a *candidate school for the Middle Years Programme (MYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB). We are pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy – a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Tsukuba International School believes is important for our students.

Here at Tsukuba International School, the middle school has been granted ‘Candidate Status’ for its first year of operation. The 2010/2011 academic year has begun with a Grade 7/8 class working on the new curriculum. This means that students will be receiving a new style of report card geared to the objectives of the Middle Years Programme.

In each subject students will receive a level of achievement for the assessment criteria which will then be collated to determine the final grade. Each subject has different criteria and grade boundaries. Please refer to Assessment in the Middle School for specific details including the ‘General Grade Descriptors’.

Prospective parents are encouraged to click the admission procedures tab above, attend an open school day, or contact us for more information about the school and its programmes. Our MYP Coordinator, Mr. Shaun Beilby, will be happy to answer your questions.

See also: Tsukuba International School to Launch Middle School in September 2010

*Note: Only schools authorized by the IB organization can offer any of its three academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), or the Diploma Programme (DP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit the International Baccalaureate website.

August 27 (Friday): Parent Orientation Meeting (2pm)
August 31: (Tuesday) First Day of School

September 15 (Wednesday): Open School Day
September 18 (Saturday): Kamiyamori Concert
September 20 (Monday): School Holiday
September 23 (Thursday): School Holiday
September 27 to October 1 (Mon-Fri): Parent-Teacher Conferences

The Open School Day for September 2010 will be held on
Wednesday, September 15, 2010.

Schedule

9:30am: Introduction to Tsukuba International School
10:00am: Visit Language Arts Class
10:30am: Talk to off-duty teachers during recess time
11:00am: Visit Science or Social Studies Class
11:30am: Finish

Reservation

If you are interested in attending one of our Open School Days, please fill out this form to make a reservation. Or, if you would like to see the school, but you are not available on any of these days, you can use the form to request a private tour on another date.

Future Dates

• Tuesday, October 5, 2010
• Wednesday, November 10, 2010
• Tuesday, December 7, 2010
• Wednesday, January 12, 2011
• Tuesday, February 8, 2011
• Wednesday, March 16, 2011
• Tuesday, April 12, 2011
• Wednesday, May 18, 2011
• Tuesday, June 7, 2011

These dates can also be seen on our school calendar.

Open School Days in 2010-11

• Wednesday, September 15, 2010
• Tuesday, October 5, 2010
• Wednesday, November 10, 2010
• Tuesday, December 7, 2010
• Wednesday, January 12, 2011
• Tuesday, February 8, 2011
• Wednesday, March 16, 2011
• Tuesday, April 12, 2011
• Wednesday, May 18, 2011
• Tuesday, June 7, 2011

These dates can also be seen on our blog and on our school calendar.

Schedule

9:30am: Introduction to Tsukuba International School
10:00am: Visit Language Arts Class
10:30am: Talk to off-duty teachers during recess time
11:00am: Visit Science or Social Studies Class
11:30am: Finish

Reservation

If you are interested in attending one of our Open School Days, please fill out this form to make a reservation. Also, if you would like to see the school, but you are not available on any of these days, you can use the form to request a private tour on another date.

Tsukuba International School develops critical thinkers and lifelong learners by providing opportunities for inquiry, creativity, and discovery, where respect for self, others and the environment is a core value.

Tsukuba International School (TIS) is currently accepting applications for students to start in September 2010.

TIS is located in the western area of Tsukuba, in a forested area which lets the natural environment become a part of the classroom. The school is a 15-minute drive from the center of Tsukuba, a nine minute drive from Kenkyu Gakuen Station (site of the new Tsukuba City Hall government building), and a seven minute drive from Banpaku Kinen Koen Station. We offer bus services from various locations in Tsukuba, including Banpaku Kinen Koen Station on the Tsukuba Express Line and Arakawaoki Station on the Joban Line. Please inquire for more details.

TIS is a full-time elementary school (Grades 1 to 6) and junior high school (Grade 7) for children of all nationalities. We will introduce a Grade 8 class in September 2012 and eventually offer up to Grade 10. The school was founded in 1992 in response to the need for an English-based educational opportunity for students in the Tsukuba area.

All of our homeroom teachers are native English speakers who are certified teachers in their countries of origin. Our staff consists of six homeroom teachers (from Australia, Canada, and the US), six part-time teachers (from Japan and the US), one school administrator (from Canada), and a principal (from Japan).

We are currently a candidate school for both the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the Middle Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate (IB) and we are developing a curriculum that follows the standards and practices of the IB PYP and MYP. (Please note that our candidate status does not imply that we will automatically receive authorization from the IB.)

Please see the tuition page on our website for information about our fees. Also, if your children are in need of a scholarship to support their studies, please contact us to discuss your options.

If you are interested in learning more about Tsukuba International School, please have a look at our website or contact the school directly. We also have open school days (reservation necessary) once a month where you can observe the school in action.

Thank you for your interest in our school and we look forward to your visit!

Jun 1 (Tuesday) – Open School Day
Jun 3 (Thurs) – PYP Exhibition
Jun 17-18 (Thurs/Fri) – International Baccalaureate Pre-Authorization Visit
Jun 20 (Sun) – Kamiyamori Concert
Jun 23 (Wed) – Last Day of Classes
Jun 24 (Thurs) – Summer Break, Parent-Teacher Conferences

Copies of the monthly newsletters are distributed to our students every month. Extra copies are available at Tsukuba International School and online (click here to download the latest issue as a pdf file).

Date: Saturday, May 15, 2010
Time: 3:30pm to 5:00pm
Place: Tsukuba City Hall (meeting room 3 on the second floor of the new building near Kenkyu Gakuen Station) — (map)

A spelling bee is a competition where students are given words to spell and they stay in the competition as long as they continue to spell words correctly. These kinds of events are very popular in classrooms in Canada and the United States, and there are even some very prestigious national-level competitions in some countries. (Japan recently held its first spelling bee thanks to the Japan Times. Two students from Tsukuba International School participated in the Japan Times Bee which was held in Tokyo in March.)

At the Tsukuba Spelling Bee, students from Tsukuba International School will compete together with students from other elementary schools in Tsukuba. Prizes will be awarded for participation and merit. If your child is interested in participating, please contact the Tsukuba International Association (029-869-9675, inter[at]tsukubacity.or.jp) to sign up.

Download the word list.

Words on this list have been divided into four categories:
Great Speller
Super Speller
Fantastic Speller
Champion Speller

The Tsukuba Spelling Bee will start with the words in the “Great Speller” list and gradually get harder. In general, words in the spelling bee will be chosen from this list, but the judges may also decide to use words chosen from an English dictionary if the students’ spelling ability surpasses the words on the list and there is no other way to determine a champion.

May 3 (Mon) – Golden Week Break (school closed to 7th)
May 9 (Sun) – Kamiyamori Concert
May 10 (Mon) – Classes Resume
May 15 (Sat) – Spelling Bee at new City Hall building
May 19 (Wed) – Open School Day
May 22 (Sat) – Kamiyamori Concert
Jun 3 (Thurs) – PYP Exhibition

Please note that the school’s Golden Week break is slightly different from the regular national holidays. May 6 and 7 are school holidays.

Also, here are some important dates that are coming up in June.

Jun 1 (Tuesday) – Open School Day
Jun 3 (Thurs) – PYP Exhibition
Jun 17-18 (Thurs/Fri) – International Baccalaureate Pre-Authorization Visit
Jun 20 (Sun) – Kamiyamori Concert
Jun 23 (Wed) – Last Day of Classes
Jun 24 (Thurs) – Summer Break, Parent-Teacher Conferences