Each Child is Unique
A Love of Learning
Child-Centered Inquiry
Project-Based Discovery
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Each Child is Unique
Each child in our learning community has their own individual personality which comes with strengths, interests, and a unique learning style. We strive to create an environment that appeals to all styles of learning and allows each individual to shine in their own way.
Children who feel appreciated and understand their potential develop the confidence which builds the core of their future success. -
A Love of Learning
Children who enjoy school and contribute to the process are able to develop an emotional connection to learning, which allows them to understand the reason for (and rewards of) learning. Children who develop this will be successful in their schooling experiences and approach life with a constant desire to discover and explore.
Inside our community everyone loves to learn. -
Child-Centered Inquiry
At RST our teachers function as facilitators and traveling companions on the children’s journey of discovery. Our curriculum flows from the children’s questions and inquiries. As teachers work alongside the students they witness the spark of discovery and are in a constant process of modifying what is offered to support the children’s discoveries. Through shaping the direction and content of their own education children develop a positive relationship with learning which leaves them motivated to continue exploring.
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Project-Based Discovery
Through inquiries projects often develop.
Projects are in-depth and multi-disciplinary studies that allow children to become involved in learning on a grander scale.
Through projects children can form a hypothesis, learn the importance of research, and test their ideas in a way that leads to deeper learning. During projects children work together to create their own representation of the world as they make important discoveries.
From A Small Village to the Tokyo Community
At RST we are strongly influenced by the educational pedagogy developed in the village of Reggio Emilia, Italy. A Reggio-inspired school should grow into a unique environment suited to meet the needs of its learning community. By following our initial spark of inspiration we have grown to develop our own approach suited to the needs of students, teachers, and families here in Tokyo.
A great program doesn’t simply cut-and-paste what they see in the village, but evolves into its own unique educational entity.
With this we have worked to maintain a dialogue with and even host educators from the village as art of an ongoing collaboration project between RST and the Reggio Emilia.
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Purposeful Learning Centers
Working with Atelieristas
Community Learning
Documentation
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Purposeful Learning Centers
The environment has an important role to play in a child’s learning. We regard the classroom environment as another one of the student’s teachers. We prepare an organic exploratory environment that works like a dispenser for new discoveries. With this it is also important to understand that just like adults, children have every right to work and play in an environment that makes them feel comfortable and inspired. Through design-forward thinking we strive to create a polysensory environment that becomes a real life children’s museum and invites children to explore.
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Working with Atelieristas
It is important for children to work with educators who have the experience, skills, and passion to help them explore and develop their ideas into reality. As a part of our team, we work with atelieristas, educators with a dual background in the arts. Professional creators work alongside the children to help them experience joy of creativity, learn how to work with various materials, and to provide new and exciting provocations inviting our students to create and express themselves. By providing our students with a dynamic studio environment and real artists to work alongside, they are able to become comfortable expressing their ideas in a wide variety of ways.
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Community Learning
We believe that children have a great deal to learn from real experiences and interacting with members of the community. Our dedication to community learning has allowed our students to experience an array of exciting activities such as sumo wrestlers visiting our school, hosting guests from countries like Tanzania, Brazil, and India, and special classes from local community members like dentists, musicians, and fire fighters. Additionally, through our frequent art trips we have developed special relationships with museums and galleries who often invite us for special viewings, and even host activities with exhibiting artists.
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Documentation
At RST the children’s ideas, quotes, and works have a great influence on our classroom environment.
Additionally, each day we add to a Daily Journal filled with thematic designs, pictures, quotes, notes, and teacher comments; it is the story of your child’s life at RST. This individual hardbound book is a document that will not only allow you and your child to remember their educational journey for the rest of your lives, but also provides an excellent resource for detailed discussion with your child.
Additionally, we share a monthly video blog entry for each class. Families can log-in to watch and discuss a detailed video of each month’s studies.