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Preschool Education
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Yamano-O gakuen Juo kindergarten is located near JR Juo station in a quiet
neighborhood, surrounded by the fields and private residences. It began in
April 1970. Juo cho was the southern tip of Joban coal complex around that
time. There were no kindergartens around Juo area. The founders Mr. and
Mrs. Kashimura thought children of the people who worked for the complex
needed educational opportunity, so they built a kindergarten house in
their paulownia tree field in front of their house. It was a tiny
kindergarten with a total of 30 children, and at that time most of the
children attended only one year before entering an elementary school.The name “Yamano-o gakuen” was named by the present principle Mrs. Masako Kashimura, whose husband is a son of the founders. This name originated from the castle “Yamano-o Jo” which used to exist around the premises of the present Juo junior high school from 1371 to the early Edo period. Mrs. Kashimura wishes that people would not forget the history. She also hopes that the children would acquire the attitude to be good leaders like the lord of a castle. Presently, there are 270 children and a staff of 29 in this kindergarten, and it is possible for children to go to kindergarten for three years before entering an elementary school. The kindergarten has clean and lovely classrooms, and spacious garden with trees and flowers of the season so that children can enjoy playing there. The educational goals of the kindergarten are to educate students to be as follows: 1) Children who can think and act by themselves, 2) Spiritually rich, cheerful children who can be moved and have a sense of love and gratitude 3) Healthy children in both body and soul. The usual curriculum of education are playing freely in the yard, applying activities that uses the educational materials called “SI” (structure of intellect) based on Dr. Guilford’s theory. Students take part in physical education, receive lessons on drumming and keyboard playing. They have a chance to learn from native speakers of English while enjoying English games. Tea ceremony activities are taught under the tuition of qualified teachers from Urasenke school in a serene teahouse. In addition to the above activities, there are various seasonal events. The main events are the athletic festival and the performance for Christmas, in which all the children cooperate and feel a sense of accomplishment. Parents help make costumes before these events. Other events are excursions, bamboo shoots gathering, potato digging, and mandarin picking. It sounds like hard work to carry out all those curriculum and events, but the teachers work with zest whenever they are in the kindergarten. Juo kindergarten has recently introduced “kyushoku”, lunch service by the meal center, as a part of food education. As part of the child support program in Hitachi City, Juo kindergarten takes care of children after classes until 6:00pm for parents who are busy with work. They hold pre-kindergarten playrooms three times a month, and also provide telephone consultation service on raising children for parents in the neighborhood. It is very convenient that various extracurricular activities such as music class, soccer club, gymnastics club and more (which needs tuition fee) are available to join inside or near the kindergarten. Juo kindergarten always tries to take in the latest idea for the benefit of the children, and on the other hand it also maintains an atmosphere of rich nature that has been unchanged since olden times. |
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