GOOD SHEPHERD
MONTESSORI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
LANGUAGE AND ARTS SCHOOL
FUJI, SHIZUOKA
Vision, Mission & Core Values
OUR VISION
A safe, developmentally stimulating and inclusive community where all children feel loved, cared for, respected and encouraged to develop to their full potential.
OUR MISSION
Understanding each child’s uniqueness by upholding the principles of inclusion to allow children to develop their God-designed individuality, explore their potential and fulfill their life's purpose.
OUR VALUES
A shared understanding of HEART (humility, eternity, achievement, responsibility and trust) enables members of GSS community to nurture strong relationships, which is the cornerstone of quality early childhood education and care. Parents are encouraged to take an active part in all aspects of the life of the children, making their association with GSS enjoyable and enriching.
H — HUMILITY
At GSS, we believe that we can and we should do everything to support and nurture the children’s natural desire to be lifelong learners. We can and shall do it with a servant's attitude as exemplified by the Lord Jesus Christ when He came to earth to live with humans – His created beings.
E — ETERNITY
We believe that life here on earth is temporal and fleeting. We set our affections on things that are eternal. Whatever we do at GSS is done with eternity’s motivation.
A — ACHIEVEMENT
We are committed to celebrate each child’s achievements. Each child’s milestone is GSS’s achievement and worth the celebration! All children develop at different speeds, and all that matters is that we celebrate every milestone. Each child at GSS is a little superstar!
R — RESPONSIBILITY
We are committed to prudence and commitment – to making decisions that take into consideration the overall health of GSS in order to meet our goals and objectives. We conduct ourselves in a manner that is professional and according to all practices that are moral, legal and ethical.
T — TRUST
When parents are looking for early learning and childcare program, they need to find someone they can trust. We will continue in our efforts to ensure and continuously improve our services to meet the needs of the children and earn the respect and trust the families and community we serve.
Welcome to Good Shepherd.
It is my joy to welcome you to a community where children are encouraged to discover, explore, wonder, and grow—and where each child is seen as a unique and precious gift from God.
Our name reflects who we are. Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd, who knows, loves, and cares for His sheep. We see every child entrusted to us as one of His precious sheep, and we feel privileged to walk alongside each child and family.
At Good Shepherd, we believe the early years are not simply preparation for “real school.” They are a profoundly important part of life itself. This is why we chose Montessori—an approach that respects each child's natural development and helps children discover, through meaningful experiences, that “I can do it myself.”
But education is about more than independence. It is about character. As a Christian community, we hope to nurture children who grow not only in knowledge and skills, but also in kindness, compassion, responsibility, respect, and faith.
Our vision is to create a safe, developmentally stimulating, and inclusive community where every child feels loved, cared for, respected, and encouraged to reach their full potential. Our mission is to understand each child's uniqueness, nurture their God-designed individuality, and help them explore their potential and discover their life's purpose.
Our Montessori environment, together with English, language, music, and the arts, gives children many ways to learn, communicate, create, and express themselves. English is naturally woven into daily life, while our broader Language & Arts programs extend opportunities for children and young people to develop their gifts and find their voices.All that we do is guided by HEART—Humility, Eternity, Achievement, Responsibility, and Trust. These values shape the way we care for children, work with families, and serve our community.We are not here simply to prepare children for the next grade.We are preparing them for life.If you are looking for a school where your child will be known, loved, respected, challenged, and encouraged to flourish, we warmly invite you to visit us.May God give us the wisdom, patience, and grace to guide every child entrusted to our care.“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6
Liwayway Watanabe
Directress / President
Good Shepherd Montessori International School
A Message from our Directress
STAFF & FACULTY
Each of our Montessori-trained guides has studied both Montessori philosophy and curriculum. All lead Bambino (18 months to 3 years) and Casa (ages 3-6) teachers are trained/certified by Montessori Teacher Preparation of the U.S. (MTP of US), American Montessori Society (AMS), and Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE).
MAY CALIMLIM
CASA Lead Teacher
RHEA MENON
BAMBINO Lead Teacher
YUNA OKADA
Assistant Teacher/Hoikushi
TEACHER CHIHARU
Japanese Assistant Teacher / Hoikushi
TEACHER JONA
ESL Teacher / Marketing Assistant for ESL
TEACHER RINA KANAI
Bambino Assistant Teacher / Nurse
History of GSMIS
形に残るものが多いので、子どもたちに達成感や思い出を与えてくれるので、他のスクールよりも良かったと思います。先生たちが子どもたちと会って意見を聞いてくれるので安心感がありました。 2.自分でできることが増えて、家でもいろいろ試せるのがメリットです。また、一日中英語に触れるので、家でも英語を話すことができ、英語が早く身につきます。 半年間ありがとうございました。子どもはお兄ちゃんと仲良くなれて嬉しそうでした。モンテッソーリスクールならではの体験ができてよかったです。
1.There are many things that remain tangible, so I think it was better than other schools as it gave the children sense of accomplishment and memories. I felt safe because the teachers were able to meet the children and listen to their ideas.
2.The advantage is that you can do more things on your own and you can try things out even at home. Also since you are exposed to English all day long, you can speak English at home, so you can learn English quickly. Thank you very much for half a year. My child seemed happy to be able to become friends with his older brother. I am glad that I was able to experience something unique to Montessori School.
~ Parent from CASA
Words from our Parents:
学校についてどう思いますか？先生方はみんな優しくて安心できます。長所と短所は何ですか？長所は一日中英語に触れられることです
What do you think about the school? The teachers are all nice and I feel at ease. What are the strengths and weaknesses? The strengths are that they are exposed to English all day. ~ Parent from CASA
子どもたちを愛し、子どもたちと向き合う姿勢があるからこそ、良い先生だと思います。モンテッソーリ教育は子どもたちの考える力や手先の器用さを養うなど、子どもたちに良い影響を与えると思います。
I think they are good teachers because they love the children and are willing to face them. I believe Montessori education has a positive effect on children, as it helps them develop the ability to think for them selves and their manual dexterity. ~ Parent from CASA
⭐︎学校についてどう思いますか？ 素晴らしい教育理念で運営されていると思います。先生方も熱心に教えている様子が伺えます。先生方は指導内容に自信を持っています。これは校長先生や私が接した先生方全員に言えることです。私たち親もプロの方針でやっていることが分かるので不安はありません。私たちも安心して子どもと向き合えます。2回の面談では、担任の先生と子どもの信頼関係が伺えました。とても嬉しかったです。毎日根気強く教育してくれていると感じました。特に昨年度の担任の先生方には感謝しています。その時は感謝の気持ちを伝える機会がなかったので、感謝の気持ちを伝えたいと思います。妻も私も子どもの教育はとても難しいと感じていました。どのように教育していいのかわからなかったのです。椅子に座って人の言葉を聞くなど、今の子どものコミュニケーション能力のほとんどは、当時の先生方の努力と忍耐の結果だと思います。愛情たっぷりの指導にとても感謝しています。 ⭐︎良い点
①英語教育
②モンテッソーリ教育
③講師が豊富 ①と②は想像以上。③は完璧に仕上げているのがわかります。
~ Parent from Bambino
Membership
