Yokohama International School
Encyclopedia
is an international
school
located in Yamate
, Naka-ku, Yokohama
, Kanagawa prefecture
, Japan
catering primarily to the expatriate community in Yokohama.
It consists of a pre-school (Early Learning Centre), a kindergarten
/ elementary school
(grades K-5), a middle school
(6-8) and a high school
(9-12), a total of 13 academic years. Its campus is located in an area known as ‘the Bluff’, next to the Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery. The Bluff area is famous for having its many foreign residents and is also chosen as one of the best 100 towns and cities in Japan, attracting many tourist to the area. Founded in 1924, YIS is the 2nd oldest international school in the world and the school opened only a few weeks after the first international school, International School of Geneva
. The language of instruction is English
though Japanese
, French, Spanish, Chinese and German are also taught. The school offers a wide variety of curricula; it offers the International General Certificate of Secondary Education in its first 2 years of high school and then an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in the latter 2 years of high school. The SAT
is another major external exam offered at this school.
by a group of foreign residences in Yokohama. The first class was held on the 27th of October, 1924 with only 6 students. By 1939, it had 110 students from 21 nationalities, but was forced to close due to World War II
. The original school structures were destroyed during the bombing of Yokohama in World War II. After the war, the school was reopened in 1955 on its original site. The school continued to expand in both facilities and enrolment through the 1960s and 1970s, and initiated its first International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme from 1986. It became fully accredited in 1991 by the European Council of International Schools
(ECIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
(NEASC). The school currently has an enrolment of over 700 students from over 40 nationalities.
History based on article by Dennis Stanworth, the present high school principal is as follows:
"The idea of an international school in Yokohama, Japan, was germinated at a meeting held on September 24th 1924 shortly after the Great Kanto Earthquake. Six founding members pledged moral and financial support to the forming of a new school for foreign students to be named Yokohama International School (YIS). This was only the second school in the modern era to use the word ‘international’ in its name behind the International School of Geneva which opened its doors just weeks before. Morning classes commenced on October 27, 1924 in a rented room at the local YMCA
with an enrolment of six students aged between six and twelve years and a locally employed female teacher. One of the founding members of the school was Paul Nipkow, the family name synonymous with the famous Nipkow disc, an image scanning device used in the mechanical television up until 1932.
In the ensuing years, the number of students attending the school grew and in 1936, it was decided that YIS should open a boarding facility on the Principal’s residence to give more scope to this increasing enrolment. By March 1937, the number of students had reached 102 compared to 52 the year before. Twelve teachers were employed at the time. The YCAC (Yokohama Country and Athletic Club), in the same year agreed to the school using its field on Wednesday afternoons for cricket
and football (soccer). By 1939, YIS had grown to 110 students spanning 21 nationalities. Two years later, due to the pressures of war, constraints were being imposed on the school by the Japanese Government and by December of that year, YIS had closed. Soon after, the site became a refugee
centre for German nationals, and then later an air defense training school. Unfortunately, on May 29, 1945, the school buildings were swept away by an air raid fire leaving only the concrete structures intact.
Under the act of the ‘Restoration of the United Nations Nationality Property in Japan
’, in November 1951, repossession of the land that housed YIS was formally completed. With active support of foreign businesses and an indemnity payment received from the Japan
government, a new building was erected on the original site and the school was reopened on September 15, 1955 with an enrollment of 8 children.
During subsequent years, there was rapid enrolment growth and on March 9, 1958, over 150 foreigners and families of 5 nationalities attended the opening of a second building. With a third building being added in 1962 (known as ‘the Middle Building’), it gave more room for growth and by 1967, the enolment figure had reached a staggering 320 students. The ‘Main Building’ was added in 1969 and in the same year, the school became registered as a ‘School Juridicial Person’, (Gakko Hojin).
The first cohort group of Grade 9 students began classes in the fall of the same year and this group of nine students became the first graduates of the school, the ‘Class of 1973’. In 1986, YIS began its first class for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) dispensing with the British ‘A’ Levels which were, up to that point, offered in the last two years of high school. The school became fully accredited in 1991 by the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Mid 1990’s, the school introduced the IGCSE (the International General Certificate in Secondary Education) in Grades 9 and 10, replacing the GCE’s (General Certificate in Education).
1999 was a year of celebration for the school – its 75th anniversary. A week of celebrations and events attended by dignitaries, former heads, parents, alumni, and the school community at large was organized, culminating in a huge party at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Yokohama with many ambassadors as guests of honour. In the same year the school founded the Schools Building Schools programme (SBS), a project involving the raising of funds to build schools in less fortunate countries around the world.
In 2000, YIS became the first school in Japan to offer the Reggio Emilia programme for the early learners, and a year later became the first school in Japan authorized to offer the Primary Years Programme of the IBO
, the International Baccalaureate Organisation. By 2003, the school’s structure included the Early Learning Centre, (ages 3–5), an Elementary School (K-5), a Middle School, (Grades 6-8) and a High School, (Grades 9-12)
Presently, with a student body of over 700 comprising over 40 nationalities and faculty and staff of over 100 spanning 15 nationalities.
The Cafeteria is 216m2 (18m x 12m) and is able to hold 120 people. There are enough tables and seats for up to 100 people, plus a catering service provided by Cezar's Kitchen, a sound system, pull-down screen and a projector.
Tanner Auditorium
The Tannter Auditorium is 301.95m2 (16.775m x 18m) and is able to hold 250 people. It is equipped with movable bleacher seating for up to 240 people, platform risers for the stage, movable chairs for up to 110 people, tables, a sound system, lighting equipment, concert piano, music stands, pull-down screen and a projector.
Gymnasium
The Gymnasium is 476m2 (28m x 17m) and is equipped with changing rooms, along with basketball, volleyball, badminton, pingpong, dodgeball, and hockey equipment
Dance Studio
The Dance Studio is 116.23m,2 (11.8m x 9.5m) and is able to hold around 40 people. It is equipped with changing rooms, a sound system along with various exercise mats.
Outdoor Turf
The Outdoor Turf is 595m2 (17m x 35m) and is able to hold around 25 people. It is equipped with soccer balls, hockey equipment, portable goals, and a roof netting.
Playground
The Playground is 336m2 (24m x 14m) and is in front of the elementary building and the cafeteria. It is equipped with basketballs, hoops, soccer balls, and a PA System. The elementary building is equipped with shock resistant glass to ensure the safety of elementary students.
International school
An International school is loosely defined as a school that promotes international education, in an international environment, either by adopting an international curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate or Cambridge International Examinations, or by following a national...
school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
located in Yamate
Yamate
is the name of two neighborhoods in Naka-ku, Yokohama. One is the historic Yamate Bluff area, with the Foreigner's Cemetery, many well-preserved residences, two International Schools—Yokohama International School and Saint Maur International School—and the Sacred Heart Cathedral...
, Naka-ku, Yokohama
Naka-ku, Yokohama
is one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 146,563and a density of 7,080 persons per km². The total area was 20.86 km².-Geography:...
, Kanagawa prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
catering primarily to the expatriate community in Yokohama.
It consists of a pre-school (Early Learning Centre), a kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
/ elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
(grades K-5), a middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
(6-8) and a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
(9-12), a total of 13 academic years. Its campus is located in an area known as ‘the Bluff’, next to the Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery. The Bluff area is famous for having its many foreign residents and is also chosen as one of the best 100 towns and cities in Japan, attracting many tourist to the area. Founded in 1924, YIS is the 2nd oldest international school in the world and the school opened only a few weeks after the first international school, International School of Geneva
International School of Geneva
The International School of Geneva , also known as Ecolint, is a private international school based in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the oldest currently operating International School in the world...
. The language of instruction is English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
though Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, French, Spanish, Chinese and German are also taught. The school offers a wide variety of curricula; it offers the International General Certificate of Secondary Education in its first 2 years of high school and then an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in the latter 2 years of high school. The SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
is another major external exam offered at this school.
History
Yokohama International School was established in 1924, shortly after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake1923 Great Kanto earthquake
The struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū at 11:58:44 am JST on September 1, 1923. Varied accounts hold that the duration of the earthquake was between 4 and 10 minutes...
by a group of foreign residences in Yokohama. The first class was held on the 27th of October, 1924 with only 6 students. By 1939, it had 110 students from 21 nationalities, but was forced to close due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The original school structures were destroyed during the bombing of Yokohama in World War II. After the war, the school was reopened in 1955 on its original site. The school continued to expand in both facilities and enrolment through the 1960s and 1970s, and initiated its first International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme from 1986. It became fully accredited in 1991 by the European Council of International Schools
European Council of International Schools
The European Council of International Schools - ECIS is an association of international schools founded in 1965. ECIS is a collaborative network promoting the ideals and best practice of international education....
(ECIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. is the U.S. regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation for all levels of education, from pre-kindergarten to the doctoral level, in the six-state New England region. It also provides accreditation for some...
(NEASC). The school currently has an enrolment of over 700 students from over 40 nationalities.
History based on article by Dennis Stanworth, the present high school principal is as follows:
"The idea of an international school in Yokohama, Japan, was germinated at a meeting held on September 24th 1924 shortly after the Great Kanto Earthquake. Six founding members pledged moral and financial support to the forming of a new school for foreign students to be named Yokohama International School (YIS). This was only the second school in the modern era to use the word ‘international’ in its name behind the International School of Geneva which opened its doors just weeks before. Morning classes commenced on October 27, 1924 in a rented room at the local YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
with an enrolment of six students aged between six and twelve years and a locally employed female teacher. One of the founding members of the school was Paul Nipkow, the family name synonymous with the famous Nipkow disc, an image scanning device used in the mechanical television up until 1932.
In the ensuing years, the number of students attending the school grew and in 1936, it was decided that YIS should open a boarding facility on the Principal’s residence to give more scope to this increasing enrolment. By March 1937, the number of students had reached 102 compared to 52 the year before. Twelve teachers were employed at the time. The YCAC (Yokohama Country and Athletic Club), in the same year agreed to the school using its field on Wednesday afternoons for cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and football (soccer). By 1939, YIS had grown to 110 students spanning 21 nationalities. Two years later, due to the pressures of war, constraints were being imposed on the school by the Japanese Government and by December of that year, YIS had closed. Soon after, the site became a refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
centre for German nationals, and then later an air defense training school. Unfortunately, on May 29, 1945, the school buildings were swept away by an air raid fire leaving only the concrete structures intact.
Under the act of the ‘Restoration of the United Nations Nationality Property in Japan
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
’, in November 1951, repossession of the land that housed YIS was formally completed. With active support of foreign businesses and an indemnity payment received from the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
government, a new building was erected on the original site and the school was reopened on September 15, 1955 with an enrollment of 8 children.
During subsequent years, there was rapid enrolment growth and on March 9, 1958, over 150 foreigners and families of 5 nationalities attended the opening of a second building. With a third building being added in 1962 (known as ‘the Middle Building’), it gave more room for growth and by 1967, the enolment figure had reached a staggering 320 students. The ‘Main Building’ was added in 1969 and in the same year, the school became registered as a ‘School Juridicial Person’, (Gakko Hojin).
The first cohort group of Grade 9 students began classes in the fall of the same year and this group of nine students became the first graduates of the school, the ‘Class of 1973’. In 1986, YIS began its first class for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) dispensing with the British ‘A’ Levels which were, up to that point, offered in the last two years of high school. The school became fully accredited in 1991 by the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Mid 1990’s, the school introduced the IGCSE (the International General Certificate in Secondary Education) in Grades 9 and 10, replacing the GCE’s (General Certificate in Education).
1999 was a year of celebration for the school – its 75th anniversary. A week of celebrations and events attended by dignitaries, former heads, parents, alumni, and the school community at large was organized, culminating in a huge party at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Yokohama with many ambassadors as guests of honour. In the same year the school founded the Schools Building Schools programme (SBS), a project involving the raising of funds to build schools in less fortunate countries around the world.
In 2000, YIS became the first school in Japan to offer the Reggio Emilia programme for the early learners, and a year later became the first school in Japan authorized to offer the Primary Years Programme of the IBO
Ibo
-Alternate spelling:*Ibo or Igbo people, an ethnic group based in West Africa*Ibo or Igbo language, the language of the Igbo people-Abbreviation:IBO can stand for:* Intellectual Property Business Organization...
, the International Baccalaureate Organisation. By 2003, the school’s structure included the Early Learning Centre, (ages 3–5), an Elementary School (K-5), a Middle School, (Grades 6-8) and a High School, (Grades 9-12)
Presently, with a student body of over 700 comprising over 40 nationalities and faculty and staff of over 100 spanning 15 nationalities.
Curriculum
- Early Learning Center (age 3 to 4): Reggio Emilia.
- Elementary School (K to 5): IB Primary Years Program.
- Middle School (Grades 6-8): Humankind Curriculum. Beginning in 2010-2011 academic year, the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) will be phased in for grades 6-10 over a 5-year period.
- High School (Grades 9-12): International General Certificate Secondary Education (IGCSE) and the IB Diploma Programme.
Access
Yokohama International School is located in the heart of the historic foreign residential section of Yokohama, high on a bluff opposite Minato No Mieruoka Kouen (Harborview Park) overlooking the bustle of Japan’s second largest port city. Some of Yokohama's most popular neighborhoods for foreign residents are within walking distance or a short car ride, and there is convenient access to public bus, subway and train service. The Motomachi Chukagai Station of the Minato Mirai Line, a 5-minute walk from the school, connects with Shibuya in the heart of Tokyo in just 35 minutes via Limited Express.Facilities
CafeteriaThe Cafeteria is 216m2 (18m x 12m) and is able to hold 120 people. There are enough tables and seats for up to 100 people, plus a catering service provided by Cezar's Kitchen, a sound system, pull-down screen and a projector.
Tanner Auditorium
The Tannter Auditorium is 301.95m2 (16.775m x 18m) and is able to hold 250 people. It is equipped with movable bleacher seating for up to 240 people, platform risers for the stage, movable chairs for up to 110 people, tables, a sound system, lighting equipment, concert piano, music stands, pull-down screen and a projector.
Gymnasium
The Gymnasium is 476m2 (28m x 17m) and is equipped with changing rooms, along with basketball, volleyball, badminton, pingpong, dodgeball, and hockey equipment
Dance Studio
The Dance Studio is 116.23m,2 (11.8m x 9.5m) and is able to hold around 40 people. It is equipped with changing rooms, a sound system along with various exercise mats.
Outdoor Turf
The Outdoor Turf is 595m2 (17m x 35m) and is able to hold around 25 people. It is equipped with soccer balls, hockey equipment, portable goals, and a roof netting.
Playground
The Playground is 336m2 (24m x 14m) and is in front of the elementary building and the cafeteria. It is equipped with basketballs, hoops, soccer balls, and a PA System. The elementary building is equipped with shock resistant glass to ensure the safety of elementary students.