About OLIVE
About OLIVE
Olive Kindergarten prepares children for the global society of the 21st century by offering bilingual education (Japanese-English) from an early age. Our comprehensive English program includes diverse activities and learning content throughout the school years. Rooted in Montessori education, we aim to foster children's independence and unlock their potential. Our holistic approach nurtures not only academic skills but also the development of a healthy mind and body.
Origin of the School Name
The name "Olive" is inspired by the Bible, where a dove sent out from Noah's Ark carried back an olive leaf. We chose this name to reflect God's message of love, life, and peace in our kindergarten.
Message
Message from the Headmistress
International Montessori Olive Kindergarten was established with Christian principles at the core of its educational philosophy, aiming to provide the most crucial early childhood education that forms the foundation of human development. Our education is based on four pillars: Montessori education, bilingual education, comprehensive education (body, mind, and art), and education through Biblical teachings. We strive to offer the highest quality education in the best environment.
Through Montessori education, we draw out each child’s latent potential, enhancing their ability to think, judge, and act independently. Our deep and comprehensive approach includes life skills, sensory development, language, mathematics, and cultural education, laying a strong foundation for living skills and knowledge.
Bilingual education ensures that children not only master correct Japanese but also learn English, fostering a global perspective suited for an international society.
Furthermore, education based on Biblical teachings aims to develop a strong sense of ethics and morality, guiding character formation.
We place a strong emphasis on bilingual education, with dedicated English instructors interacting with children exclusively in English throughout the entire childcare process. This creates a complete bilingual environment and provides diverse activities and learning experiences daily. To ensure this thorough education, we are committed to maintaining small, mixed-age groups, allowing us to provide holistic education that nurtures not only academic skills but also healthy minds and bodies for each precious child.
Headmistress
Nana Goto
Mission
Educational Philosophy
Early Childhood Education Based on the Bible
"Living by the Three Loves"
The entire Bible can be summarized as living through three loves: love for oneself, love for one's neighbor, and love for the true God. We are all born to be loved and to love. Therefore, our goal is to educate children according to the Bible's three loves: loving oneself, loving others, and loving God.
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Loving Oneself
Loving oneself means accepting oneself. We all have feelings of inferiority and self-hatred, which differ for each person—whether it's about our appearance, family, abilities, or past failures. Loving oneself starts by not running away from these feelings but accepting ourselves as we are. The key to this acceptance is knowing that the true God loves us.
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Loving Others
Our happiness lies in loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. Humans find immense fulfillment in living earnestly for others. Our neighbors are our family, friends, and those who appear before us in need. God helps us and gives us love, enabling us to direct our love toward our neighbors.
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Loving the True God
This is the key. Loving God allows us to love ourselves and, subsequently, our neighbors. This sequence is crucial. Loving God is the secret to a happy life of loving oneself and others. It starts with accepting God. The Bible’s core message is that God loves us. Knowing and accepting this love enables us to love God in return.
*At our school, we emphasize Biblical ethics and moral education based on Christian teachings.
However, we do not engage in any form of religious proselytism.
OLIVE Experience
Features of Olive Kindertarten
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Rich Interaction with Children Through Small, Mixed-Age Groups (2-5 years old)
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We have a rich selection of Montessori materials that help foster manners, independence, and concentration through various activities.
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Children naturally acquire two languages (Japanese and English) through daily bilingual education. The curriculum includes daily English lessons and skills (reading/writing) lessons with a native English teacher.
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Through rhythmic classes, dance, and music lessons, children move their bodies, enjoy music, and develop rich expressive abilities.
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Specialized art classes with a dedicated art teacher introduce children to the world of art, allowing them to develop their ability to express themselves freely through painting and creation activities.
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In addition to physical education classes with a dedicated PE teacher, we utilize our environment with a park and gymnasium right in front of the school for various activities (physical activities on the playground, sledding, etc.).
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Dance classes introduce children to hip-hop dance, contemporary dance and dance from many different cultures allowing them to experience the fun of moving their bodies to music. They will showcase their practice results at the Christmas concert.
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We offer comprehensive education that maximizes the potential of both the right and left brain, including music, physical education, and intellectual development (IQ), focusing on "Body, Mind, and Art" education.
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The school and families work together to support the child's growth. Weekly newsletters keep parents informed about their child's activities.
Faculty & Staff
School Staff
In our English education program, a native English teacher interacts with the children daily, incorporating English into their daily lives and exposing them to more authentic English through lessons. For physical education, we have a specialist instructor who comes to teach activities ranging from basic physical fitness to gymnastics, including the horizontal bar, mat exercises, and vaulting.
In preparation for the Christmas concert held every December, we also have weekly dance lessons. Additionally, we focus on specialized art activities with the help of a professional art teacher. The children not only enjoy and freely engage in painting and craft activities but also, especially for the older classes, have opportunities to explore specialized techniques, diverse production activities, and even create more sophisticated art pieces.