INQUIRY FORM

Sunnyside International Kindergarten サニーサイドインターナショナルキンダーガーテン

About Us

Our Mission

The heart of J PREP’s mission lies in building the foundations for our students to bring about change in Japan and the world, in every area of the human experience.

Respecting and actively valuing their passions and interests, we cultivate in our students the necessary qualities and skills to recognize their role in society and work with strength, devotion and humility.
Join us in developing the leaders of tomorrow.

Our Philosophy

We believe all children are capable of excellence.
They simply require a stimulating environment and the proper encouragement. Young children learn best by doing things on their own, through exploration and inquiry guided by professional educators. Music and movement are both powerful learning tools that aid children in their intellectual development.

Equally important are strong literacy skills, which we foster in our students from an early age.
Sunnyside International Kindergarten offers a place for students to acquire new knowledge effectively by providing them with the right tools and by cultivating and nurturing in each child a love for learning.

The Sunnyside difference

Sunnyside prides itself in offering a unique approach to early childhood education which encompasses the different domains in a child’s development: physical, emotional, social and academic.

Our curriculum integrates several approaches to learning while putting emphasis on literacy. We align our curriculum with the core principles of several world’s most highly respected philosophies in early education.

A professional team of educators

A good early education is not possible without the leadership of talented and dedicated educators. At Sunnyside, we believe that teachers wear different hats to make sure that children can reach their maximum potential.

To begin with, Teachers are mentors: they direct the children’s learning from the perspective of someone who knows the child intimately.Teaches are role models: they demonstrate behaviors that are acceptable in the school and in the community. Teachers are inquisitors: they pose questions that help children think outside the box and develop critical thinking and creativity.

Teachers are co-learners, some of the lessons are decided together with the children. Our teachers are all carefully chosen for their professional experience in early education, their love of children and dedication to nurturing in each child a passion for learning.

Early Years Education is vitally important. The very foundation of who we become as adults is laid down in our earliest years, therefore it is essential that we provide our children with the best learning opportunities possible.

At Sunnyside, we endeavour to be the best at what we do. Our teaching staff are all dedicated professionals and we work hard to maintain the very highest standards of care and education. More importantly, perhaps, this school is staffed by people who love what they do and it is that love that is passed onto the children every day. Sunnyside is a place where children can feel safe and secure in the knowledge that their learning is supported by people who will love and support them all the way!

School Founder

Jun Saito

Jun Saito is the founder and President of J PREP.

After earning his Ph.D. in Political Science at Yale University, he has held faculty positions at Wesleyan University and Franklin and Marshall College before returning to Yale as a assistant professor in 2008. He remained at Yale until he returned to Japan in 2012. He is also the best-selling author of three books on educational policy and language acquisition.

Jun grew up in Yamagata prefecture, where he holds an English camp for children each summer.