KIST's mission is to provide academically motivated children from diverse cultural and social backgrounds with a high-quality education in a safe and supportive environment in order to develop competent, academic individuals with high moral character who make meaningful contributions to our global community.
As our Guiding Beliefs, K. International School Tokyo believes that:
*Being a member of the school community requires a belief in and a commitment to uphold the school's mission and vision as well as a dedication to its guiding beliefs.
*A safe and supportive environment is one which encourages respect, responsibility, tolerance and compassion.
*A high-quality education is defined as promoting academic excellence, international understanding, moral character and lifelong learning.
*Education is a shared partnership of mutual cooperation between students, parents/caregivers and the school.
*Cultural diversity enhances our school community as well as our understanding of the world.
*Central to being internationally minded is recognizing that diverse, rich cultures exist in all regions of the world, and demonstrating a tolerance for the varied beliefs and traditions of these cultures.
*The language, customs, traditions and cultural beliefs of our host country, Japan, serve as an important resource in enriching the learning experience.
*A regularly reviewed, comprehensive international curriculum that is linked across the school, is essential in preparing students for their future lives.
*Being a global citizen requires knowledge and skills in the use of technology; however, the ability to function independently and act promptly in the real world also requires core knowledge and skills independent of technology.
*Special emphasis should be placed on development of skills in language and mathematics as essential learning tools.
*Setting high academic expectations supports the development of strong academic skills which increase the chances for future academic success.
*Students learning through a second language require more learning time and a greater degree of effort and support than those learning through their first language.
*Native language development and maintenance is important in developing identity, self-esteem and cognitive ability, and ultimately contributes to academic success.
*Maintaining a safe and collaborative learning environment free from bullying and harassment requires the support of the school community as a whole in taking appropriate action when necessary.
*Reinforcing appropriate dress and behavior standards promotes a respectful, responsible and safe school environment.
*The accessibility of educational opportunities at the school is dependent on the establishment and sustainment of as affordable a fee structure as possible and efficient financial management.
Our Mission and Guiding Beliefs serve as the rationale for all school decisions.
More information about our guiding statements can be found on our website at https://www.kist.ed.jp/node/7.

The American School in Japan ASIJ is a non-profit, independent, co-educational day school that offers an American-style college preparatory education.

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.

Columbia International School offers motivated students a safe and healthy learning environment where in small classes each individual student is actively engaged in their learning process. In technology and resource rich classrooms, dynamic and highly qualified teachers support and challenge students to understand the changing world around them.

TIS strives to successfully combine contemporary, yet rigorous teaching, learning and assessment practices, with important, family-like relationships which exist between teachers, students and parents.

As an international school in Japan, we aim to develop:
Global Leaders
Global leadership is a mindset that enables us to initiate, lead, and participate in socially responsible actions. Global leaders take action through a holistic, balanced, and reflective framework. They lead with an understanding of multiple perspectives related to physical, managerial, psychological, political, cultural, and spiritual domains
Entrepreneurs and Innovators
Entrepreneurship and innovation are core to social responsibility. They involve the discovery and application of knowledge and ideas to improve the human condition. Entrepreneurs innovate by generating and applying new ideas designed to impact the world in positive ways.
Effective Communicators
Effective communication involves both imparting and exchanging ideas in a clear and concise way to produce desired results. Effective communicators are active thinkers and attentive listeners who offer ideas openly and weigh them against the thoughts and ideas of others with their integrity maintained.
Wise Risk Takers
Wise risk takers have the courage to attempt new and untested things in order to achieve their goals. They use discerning and analytical thinking to identify potential and manage risk. They see solutions instead of problems, possibilities instead of obstacles, and probabilities instead of futility.
Effective Problem Solvers
Effective problem solvers are open-minded and see problems from multiple perspectives. They can analyze problems in order to understand, assess, and identify possible solutions. They act on solutions that are designed to make the world a better place to live.

The entire school curriculum is divided into 7 subsets
1. Academics
2. Performing Arts
3. Fine Arts
4. Club activities
5. Free Play
6. Intra-class competitions
7. External competitions