CGK Times
Maximizing your opportunities for happiness
in an increasingly global world
April 2025
Contents
Preschool
And This Is a New Year
Welcome to the 2025/26 school year at CGK International School! We are happy to start our tenth year as we continue to grow as a school and community. Last year was our very first year as an IB World School reflecting and continuing our growth. The learning will continue this year as well since one of the great things about IB is that it enables lifelong learning. As the children grow, so do we as a school and as a community.
Another major part of IB focuses on collaboration and respect. These are qualities that are highly valued regardless of culture or background. These qualities help us to foster a collaborative, respectful, and open environment for all members of our school community: be it our staff, or the children and their families.
We have a lot planned for this school year which you can find conveniently listed in the yearly calendar in Toddle. The first event for the year is Park Day and it will held on Sunday May 18* at Honmoku Sancho Park. More information about Park Day will be posted later. We hope it will be a great day full of fun and games but also a chance to meet some new faces and catch up with some old ones.
* Please check the yearly calendar for the Park Day backup days.
The Book Club is Coming
It's that time again when the super exciting Book Club rolls into CGK. If this is your first Book Club or it's been a while, Book Club is a great way to purchase a wide variety and carefully chosen array of children’s books at a great price. As well, CGK will receive funds from the Book Club orders for us to purchase books for the school: win-win! There are many voracious readers at CGK so this is a fantastic opportunity to expand your personal library or the school’s.
The Book Club catalogue will be sent home mid-May so be sure not to miss it!
Sky A (5-year-olds)
The Sky Class Garden of Good Choices
Hello and welcome to the new school year!
To begin the year in Sky Class, we have been exploring our UOI Who We Are. We chose to start with this unit so we could get to know the individuals in our class and establish shared expectations—helping us all learn, grow, and develop together in a harmonious environment.
As part of this introduction, we've been discussing the importance of making balanced and thoughtful choices, and how our decisions affect ourselves, those around us, and our environment. In Sky Class, we strive to create a positive and inclusive space where each individual takes shared responsibility for making mindful choices that consider others.
To make this concept of balanced choices and their consequences more visual and meaningful, we collaboratively created a display called our “Garden of Good Choices.”
We began by setting the criteria for what we believed to be positive actions and decisions that could help shape a kind and respectful classroom.
Once we agreed on these values, our Sky A students began designing the background of our garden, along with individual drawings and other creative elements they felt were important. The background was completed beautifully—but there was just one thing missing: flowers.
Fear not: our garden is steadily growing! Each day, with every positive action or choice made in the classroom, a flower is added to the display. What was once a barren and flowerless garden is now blossoming into a vibrant, colorful reflection of all the wonderful choices our students have made. It’s also a symbol of the caring and thoughtful environment they are helping to shape through their decisions.
As our Sky students are in their final year of kindergarten, we are helping them build a strong sense of responsibility to prepare for their transition into elementary school. Since the creation of our garden, students have been reflecting not only on their own actions but also on those of their peers! It’s one thing to recognize our own positive choices, but it's equally powerful to see students acknowledging and celebrating the actions of their classmates by awarding them flowers to add to the garden.
We will continue to reflect on our Garden of Good Choices during English Circle Time, awarding flowers, and encouraging our students to do the same for one another. At this rate, our only challenge might be running out of space for all the flowers!
Sky A Class: Starting with “Let’s Create It Ourselves”
Welcome to Sky A Class!
My name is Ms. Maya, and I’ll be the homeroom teacher for Sky A this year. I hope to make this a fun and fulfilling year full of learning, where every child feels safe and confident in expressing themselves. I look forward to spending each memorable day with the children, sharing lots of smiles together. Thank you very much for your support throughout the year!
As the new school year began, the children who moved up to Sky A started with creating our Essential Agreement—a set of important class promises made by everyone together. Rather than the teacher deciding all the rules, this activity allowed the children to discuss their ideas and reach a shared agreement. By doing so, they gain a stronger sense of responsibility and ownership, truly feeling that "these are our rules."
Through discussions during our UOI (Units of Inquiry) in both English and Japanese, we talked about what kind of class we want Sky A to be. After many thoughtful conversations, we decided on five key promises we want to treasure throughout the year:
1. Care for Mountain (Take care of our Mountain class friends)
2. Share (Use things together)
3. Make Progress (Improve little by little)
4. Play with Everyone (Play together with everyone)
5. Be Kind to Everybody (Be kind to everyone)
Then came the next challenge: “How can we make sure we never forget these promises?” The children started sharing creative ideas—
“How about putting up a poster where we can always see it?”
“I want to draw the poster myself!”
“What should the design look like?”
Children in charge of writing worked hard to write in large, neat letters so it could be seen from far away. The design team discussed, “How can we make it easy for people to understand?” and cooperated to complete the layout. With everyone’s creativity and teamwork, we completed a one-of-a-kind Essential Agreement poster made entirely by the children.
As we all looked at the finished poster together, the children’s faces lit up with pride and joy as they said, “We did it!” Everyone signed their names on the poster, filled with the shared commitment: “Let’s cherish these promises and enjoy our year in Sky A together.”
This first month has already been a wonderful start, packed with initiative, teamwork, and creativity.
Throughout the year, we’ll continue to celebrate growth and challenges together, and I hope to provide many chances for the children to experience the joy of saying “I did it!”
Thank you again for your continued support through to graduation.
Sky B
(5-year-olds)
Welcoming a Wonderful New Year in Sky B
We’re so excited to kick off a brand new school year in Sky B Class! It’s been a wonderful start as we dive into our first UOI: Who We Are and How We Express Ourselves.
As we begin our journey together, we’ve been spending time getting to know one another and building a strong, respectful classroom community. One of our first big accomplishments was creating an Essential Agreement: a special set of ideas that reflect how we want our classroom to feel and function. This agreement helps guide us in treating each other with kindness, responsibility, and mutual respect, making our classroom a place where everyone feels safe, valued, and heard.
We’ve also been busy working on personal portfolios as a fun and meaningful way to introduce ourselves to our classmates. These portfolios are filled with things that make each of us unique, and they’ve sparked lots of great conversations and connections among the students.
In our How We Express Ourselves unit, we’ve been exploring the many different ways stories can be told. From traditional storytelling and drawing to role-play and creative arts, students in Sky B are discovering how powerful and fun it can be to share ideas and experiences in different ways. Through hands-on activities, we’re bringing stories to life and developing our communication and creative thinking skills.
It’s been a joyful and inspiring start to the year, and we can’t wait to see how our Sky B learners continue to grow, explore, and express themselves as the year unfolds!
Let’s Discover and Think Together!
Welcome to Sky B Class!
My name is Nahoko, and I will be the homeroom teacher for Sky B this year. I’m very excited to support the children through their final year of preschool, and I’ll do my best to ensure it’s filled with smiles and joyful memories.
As the year begins, our journey as the Sky class is already underway, and we’ve started exploring two Units of Inquiry: Who We Are and How We Express Ourselves.
During Japanese time, when working on Who We Are, we focused on the central idea of “balance.”
To help the children understand not just the meaning of the word, but also the concept behind it, we incorporated many hands-on experiences to deepen their learning. The word balance is already quite familiar to many of the children. When I asked, “What do you think of when you hear the word ‘balance’?”, many excitedly raised their hands.
“Balance means eating vegetables!”
“It’s when your body stands straight and still.”
“(Extending arms to the sides) It’s when you stand like this!”
Inspired by these responses, we chose to focus especially on two ideas: physical balance and nutritional balance.
After experiencing body balance through fun balancing games, we learned about nutrition and how it relates to a healthy body. Using toy food items in a pretend-play setting, the children selected their favorite foods, and then, through slides and discussions, we learned about different nutrients. In groups, they worked together to create well-balanced meals. Through these playful and interactive activities, the children gained a better understanding of the importance of eating a variety of foods and how it helps keep their bodies healthy.
We also made time for discussion, encouraging students to identify their questions and share them with friends to broaden their curiosity and interests. While expressing one’s ideas verbally can be challenging at times, through repeated experiences, the children will come to discover the joy of inquiry and the value of expressing their thoughts.
We look forward to seeing how the children of Sky B continue to think, explore, and grow throughout the year.
Mountain
(4-year-olds)
Becoming Mountain Friends!
Welcome to the big campus, new Mountain class! I'm sure that many students were a little nervous to start the the new school year in a new classroom with new teachers, new lunches, new classmates, and new routines. To help Mountain students adjust, our Who We Are UOI is all about social-emotional learning and skills. We are exploring how our words and actions can help us build healthy relationships, and how to be caring friends and empathetic communicators. Part of this exploration has been discussing how to be a good listener and problem solver.
In these first few weeks of school, we have focused on listening skills. We played many games to practice listening to directions, as well as began Sharing Time during Circle Time to give each student a chance to talk about their feelings while their classmates listened politely.
In Mountain class, students are beginning to take more responsibility for themselves and their interactions. We have been looking at pictures, puppets, as well as using situations that happen in the classroom to come up with suggestions together for strategies on how to play together kindly and inclusively.
As we learn listening strategies and social skills, Mountain class friends have been practicing working together in small groups. To interact with many different classmates, we made Mountain animal teams! By having teams, students can get a chance to interact with many friends during learning and play or work together at centers and during lunch, and practice taking care of each other. We will change the teams each month so that all students can learn about new friends and build skills together.
We will continue our social-emotional unit by learning more about our feelings and how to be good friends in class. As we learn more about each other, we can have even more fun!
Looking Forward to a Wonderful Year Together! ♪
Welcome to the Mountain Class!
My name is Mariko, and I’ll be the homeroom teacher for Mountain Class this year.
I’m very excited to spend this year with your children and thank you in advance for your continued support.
With new teachers and a new campus, many of the Mountain students felt a little nervous during the first few days of April. But by the end of the first week, those nerves had turned into smiles, and now they come to school full of energy each day!
In conversation, we’ve heard so many encouraging and confident voices:
“Now that I’m in Mountain class, I can do my best!”
“Kannai Campus is for the big kids!”
Their words show how eager and motivated they are to take on new challenges.
In Japanese class, we’ve been learning about birthdays!
The children are fascinated by the many different ways birthdays are celebrated around the world and the cultural traditions that come with them. Right now, we’re making a traditional Mexican piñata!
Once they’re finished, we’ll have a fun time breaking them open together!
What’s inside...? You’ll have to wait and see!
Jungle A
(3-year-olds)
Welcome to the Jungle!
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Welcome families, old and new to the 2025/26 school year! It has been wonderful getting to know the children this past month, seeing them form new friendships and challenge themselves in new and exciting ways as Jungle friends. As they have settled in so well, we have been able to make a flying start with our first UOI which explores 'Who We Are'. We have already seen the children consider their emotions, discuss their likes and dislikes, and most importantly express themselves! As this unit and the year progresses, we hope to help the children feel curious, and confident enough to ask questions and consider new perspectives! Each child will approach our activities in their own way and at their own pace; where they lead we follow, and we cannot wait to see how this manifests itself! We hope to be as informative as possible in what we do as a class this year, allowing you to hopefully gain a better understanding of the IB way of teaching and how we implement this. We look forward to working with you over the coming year and cannot wait to tell you about all of our new adventures in Jungle A!
So Many Firsts!
After advancing to a new grade or joining CGK for the first time, the children have now become members of Jungle A class.
With a growing sense of pride in being the “big brothers and sisters” of the Jungle classes, they are gradually getting used to their new lives with their teachers and friends.
This month has been filled with many first-time experiences.
From meeting new friends and teachers, to using their very own clay and glue for the first time, and even trying out their very first swimming class—every day has been fresh and full of excitement.
Even in the midst of all these new experiences, the children showed a wonderful sense of curiosity and excitement as they actively tried new things. I truly feel that many of our Jungle A students are embodying the IB Learner Profile of the Risk-taker.
One moment where this really stands out is lunchtime. Sometimes, their bento contains food they’re not very fond of. But instead of giving up, they raise their hand and call out, “Help please!” and come up with their own strategies:
“I think I can eat this much!”
“I’m going to finish all my carrots today!”
They are learning to push themselves just the right amount—and when they do finish their lunch, they beam with pride and excitement as they show us their empty containers. 🙂
I hope they continue to take on new challenges with that same spirit, grow through many rich experiences, and blossom more and more throughout the year.
Jungle B
(3-year-olds)
Welcome to Jungle B!
The start of the school year has been full of excitement, creativity, and exploration for our lively three-year-olds in Jungle B at CGK. During their very first month, the classroom buzzed with color and imagination as our little learners dove into fun hands-on activities. They made bright handprint art, squished and molded clay into all sorts of imaginative shapes, and enjoyed the freedom of expression through coloring with crayons. Each activity helped the children develop fine motor skills while allowing their personalities to shine. We even had some messy spring-themed crafts and an Spring Egg Hunt!
Beyond the classroom walls, Jungle B students took their curiosity outdoors and explored different parks nearby. These park adventures became more than just a chance to play—they offered opportunities to discover nature, run freely, and engage in physical activity that supports growing bodies and minds. Whether it was climbing, chasing, or simply marveling at leaves and bugs, our young explorers soaked up every moment with wonder and joy.
Most importantly, this first month has been about building the foundation for something truly special—friendship and communication. From learning to ask for turns to sharing laughs over story time, the children have already made meaningful connections with one another. At CGK, we focus on nurturing not only academic growth but also emotional and social development, and it has been heartwarming to see Jungle B begin to form their own little community. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the year holds!
Dear Jungle B families♪
Welcome to Jungle B Class!
My name is Miyu, and I will be the homeroom teacher for Jungle B this year. I hope to create a year full of smiles, where each and every child feels safe and can enjoy each day with curiosity and a love of discovery. I look forward to working with you all over the coming year.
It’s hard to believe that a whole month has already passed since the start of the school year. For the children, everything was new—teachers, classmates, and even the classroom itself. With so many unfamiliar things, some felt uneasy and cried out, “I want my mommy or daddy…!” Others were quietly affected by seeing their friends in tears.
Even so, the children have already started to enjoy connecting with their teachers and classmates through play, and we’re seeing more and more smiles each day. While verbal communication can still be challenging at times, they’re finding ways to connect—discovering shared interests like “We both like the same thing!” or simply laughing together. These shared experiences help them express themselves more comfortably and naturally.
They’ve also started getting used to the daily routines in Jungle B and are beginning to carry out tasks like getting ready on their own, with growing confidence. After Golden Week, it’s possible that some children may feel unsettled again, but we will continue to support each one with care and attention, always respecting their individual pace.
Ages 3 to 4 are such an important stage of development—children begin doing more on their own while also becoming more aware of and interested in the people and events around them. We will work to create an environment where they can enjoy spending time with friends and teachers, feel the joy of working together, and grow while being respected for their unique personalities.
Once again, thank you for your support over the year. I look forward to growing together with your wonderful children.
Ocean
(2-year-olds)
A Big Warm Welcome to Our New Ocean Friends!
Starting school for the first time can be a big and sometimes overwhelming experience, and we understand that it may come with many anxieties. At CGK, we strive to create a warm and welcoming environment, prioritizing our students' comfort.
This year, however, the teachers in Ocean class have been blown away by the maturity and sense of community that our newest students have instinctively shown. From day one, they’ve been committed to helping one another: they’ve helped each other put on shoes, helped the teachers sweep the floor, and even taken the initiative to try and put the beds away after nap time!
One of the IB learner profiles we are focusing on this year is risk-taker. Children are natural risk-takers (much to the worry of many parents!), and while the term can sometimes carry negative connotations, we see it as a strength. By taking risks in safe, supportive environments, our students can grow into confident and decisive individuals. So far, the risks they’ve taken may seem small to adults - washing their hands alongside the older Jungle students or calling out their favorite color when asked. But to them, these are big steps. And they’ve taken them in stride! They’re quickly becoming experts at their daily routine and face new responsibilities and challenges with open minds and eager hearts.
We are already anticipating great things from these growing buds, and we know they’ll soon bloom into a gorgeous bouquet of personalities!
Welcome to the CGK Family!
A New Beginning in Ocean Class
This spring, new friends joined the CGK community in Ocean Class. For our youngest students, spending time at school away from their families was likely filled with both excitement and a little nervousness at first.
However, thanks to the gentle encouragement of their teachers and the warm interactions with classmates, we’ve already begun to see more and more smiles. Even their expressions during drop-off are starting to show a sense of comfort and ease. Seeing that the children are beginning to feel, “This is a safe place,” brings us the greatest joy.
Every day in Ocean Class is full of firsts.
From learning the rhythm and routines of school life to participating in activities step by step, the children are right in the middle of discovering and experiencing everything for the first time.
They look forward to walks, lunchtime, and snack time with excitement. They explore freely with paint and crayons, shape clay into new forms, and light up with joy as they move their bodies to music or run around during physical activities. Through all of these experiences, their eyes shine with curiosity and wonder.
Each child is starting to discover what they enjoy and where their strengths lie—at their own pace and in their own way. Even though only a short time has passed since the school year began, we can already see the early signs of tremendous growth.
Looking ahead, we will continue to support the children in developing greater independence—practicing how to take care of their belongings, exploring their interests more deeply, and learning how to build positive relationships with friends.
We will continue to create a warm, safe environment where each child’s feelings are honored, and where they can grow confidently and comfortably. We truly appreciate your continued support and encouragement at home as we walk together through this exciting journey.
Elementary School
Welcome to CGK New G1’s!!
In April the new grade one classes began! CGK welcomed twenty-three new grade one students, some of which were Sky friends but many who had joined CGK for the first time.
Over the past few weeks the new grade one students have been settling in and getting to know their teachers and new classmates. For the new class, there is so much to learn! Where is the library? Where are the toilets? What is everyone’s name? And, most importantly, what time is lunch?
While there were a few tears, there was also lots of laughter and fun as we got to know our new friends. We’re all looking forward to having a great time learning together this year!
Afterschool
Wilderness Survival: Building Our Own Shelter - Class B
Each week in Afterschool the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade explorers in the Afterschool Class B take on the challenge of answering one big question: “How can we survive in the wild?” From brainstorming wild animal encounters to learning how to find food or make tools, these curious minds have been diving into the many parts of wilderness survival. And this week… we tackled one of the most important parts of all—building a shelter!
In our previous class, the students had a lively discussion about what they wanted to learn more about. The winning idea? “Let’s build a house!” And so, we kicked off this week’s session by zooming out and asking the big question: Why do we have houses? The kids shared some wonderful answers: “To sleep!” “To keep warm.” “So bears don’t come in.” (All very valid points.) We talked about how homes keep us safe, dry, and comfortable, and how different life would be without one. That naturally led us to our challenge of the day: What if we were lost in the wild with no house at all? Could we make one from scratch?
To bring the lesson to life, we pretended that we were stranded in the wilderness. Our supplies? Not much—just a tarp and some tape. The students were immediately up for the challenge. First, they brainstormed ways to use the tarp to create a shelter. Then came the fun part—hands-on experimentation. We gave the kids a real tarp, and off they went! They worked together as one big survival team, searching around the classroom for anything they could use as pretend wilderness supplies. In no time, they had transformed our classroom into a bustling forest floor. A large paper roll became a sturdy tree branch. Some tape turned into handy wooden stakes. Chairs, tables, and classroom corners became rocks, trees, and cliffs for anchoring our tarp. Trial and error led to some very clever discoveries. After some experimenting, the group realized that if you secure two corners of the tarp and then bring the opposite ends together, it creates just enough lift to form a peak. Add in a tall “branch” (our paper roll), and suddenly—we had a working tent! And not just any tent. This one was large enough to fit a few students inside at once. There were cheers, giggles, and a round of celebratory “wilderness dancing” when we saw it standing tall on its own.
From there, the class split into smaller teams and each group created their own unique versions of the shelter. Some went minimalist; others added flair. A few even tried creating entryways and windows. The room was filled with laughter, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. This activity wasn’t just about building a tent—it was about building teamwork, resilience, and imagination. The kids had to listen to each other’s ideas, test them out, and make adjustments as they went. They learned that success sometimes comes after a few flops (like when the tarp kept sliding down mid-construction!)—and that’s okay.
We ended the day not just with a classroom full of tents, but with students who were proud, empowered, and maybe just a little more ready to take on the wilderness—or at least their next team challenge. We can’t wait to see what kind of survival skills they develop next week.
CGK Extra
Website Updates
CosmoBridge and Kikagaku Form Business Partnership in AI and Data Science
Currently recruiting participants for study abroad programs
【May 12 (Mon)】Australian Parent-Child Study Abroad Info Session
"Parents attend a language school, children go to daycare"
A new style of study abroad where both can learn and grow!
This summer, 12 CGK families are planning to study abroad in a variety of ways.
This time, Eileen—our local coordinator who manages multiple childcare centers and language schools in Australia—will visit CGK to share real, firsthand information directly.
◎ May 12 (Mon), 3:00 PM @ CGK Kannai Campus
◎ For CGK students aged 3–5 and their parents
◎ All families welcome, even if you’re not planning to join this year!
◎ Register here (just 1 minute!)
https://forms.gle/9S9WdCJ628Gmj8728
- Throughout the year (on weekends or during long breaks, either for day trips or overnight stays)
- You can experience a homestay with a foreign family residing in Japan.
- Deadline: Approximately one month prior to your desired dates
- For details/application, please contact Mayu at the Office.
Accepting short-term international students from overseas - Wanted host families
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CGK has a positive stance on accepting international students from abroad with a view to encouraging multicultural cooperation. Students from different cultures and backgrounds can interact with and help each other at CGK, bringing rich diversity to the classroom. This environment of diversity provides each student with a valuable opportunity to learn different viewpoints and increase mutual understanding.
At CGK, we believe that diversity improves educational development. By learning and working together, students from different backgrounds will grow into leaders with global perspective. In addition, experiencing diverse opinions and values will help them develop tolerance and empathy.
In order to create an environment conducive to hosting short-term students, we are looking for host families; if you are a CGK family interested in registering as a host family, please contact Mayu at the Office (Toddle is OK).
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