New International School of Japan

We are multiage and dual language by design, and we are free from the rigidity and standardization of the age-grade system. Our students are remarkably engaged as we provide a multitude of resources and a positive ethos that is hard to duplicate in traditional school settings. *Mastery* motivation is usual, as we do not make children feel good or bad by virtue of their comparison with others, instead respecting their readiness and timing for learning. The style largely breaks the so-called *cycle of predictability" as the children experience being younger or older, more proficient or less proficient, over time, in their classes. They develop social, communication, and presentation skills as well as academic skills as an inherent part of their school experience. Whereas one of the classroom teachers may communicate and *teach* in English and the other in Japanese, the children are welcome and encouraged to use and develop all of their language proficiencies. We view them all as emerging bilinguals or multilinguals. This is a *translanguaging* context-based approach as opposed to a fundamentally monolingual rule-oriented approach to language acquisition and use. Parents are advised to check the mission on our website, as it does describe what we do, and to attend an orientation and tour as part of the application process.