News and Updates

The comprehensive two-week programs, which run Monday to Friday from June 17 - June 28, are open to international school students from kindergarten age to grade 12. 

Now in its second year, the Spanish Exchange Program, Programa de Intercambio in Spanish, between YIS and SEK-Atlántico in Pontevedra, Spain continues to reap tremendous educational and cultural benefits for both schools’ programs.

To provide our students with some context for making science course selections and to give them an idea of where science can take them, the department invites professionals who use science in their work to talk about their experiences and career path.

We are very fortunate to have a relatively low turnover of teachers each year at YIS. One of the most important jobs we do as a Leadership Team is to ensure we employ and retain the best possible teachers.

You are invited to see how our IB DP Music and Visual Art seniors have grown, learned and found their own style as musicians, artists and students.

The purpose of the visits by the Kofu Center Home for Children, from the students' point of view, is of course to have fun with each other. The lessons they learn, however, go far beyond simply having fun.

Learn strategies to avoid power struggles while helping your children to learn self-control and self-discipline

Join the talented members of this longstanding ensemble in their second last concert on Feb. 24.

Watch this video of quizmaster Craig Coutts preparing YIS staff for some fun, frivolity and feverish competition in this annual trivia challenge

Many of our Elementary School students will have their artwork exhibited at The British House, across the street from the main YIS entrance, as part of the annual Yamate Art Festival. Come see the creative energy of our budding young artists.

The English as an Additional Language Department recently held a parent coffee hour to provide advice and guidance for families whose first language isn't English. In this article, the EAL team provides some questions and answers that arose during that discussion.

With our whole school commitment to reading, we nurture students who read for pleasure. Our goal is that every student will graduate from YIS, confidently saying, "I am a reader".

Daniel Buckley and Michi Nakayama, both from the Class of 2012, stopped by for a surprise visit.

The Nagae brothers caught up with several teachers while touring the campus recently.

Our grade 5 service program is designed to connect our students to the preservation of the historical significance and influence of the generations of non-Japanese residents of Yokohama.

All your favorites from the Peanuts gang will be on stage singing and dancing for your entertainment.

This year's middle school musical, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown provides ample evidence of the Peanuts gang as IB learners. Through their actions and dialogue in the musical, the play's characters reveal much about the traits that are an integral part of the program.

As our students interact with the students from Hijirizaka Special Needs School, we hope all of them get an understanding of the diversity of people and groups in the immediate community and foster an understanding of themselves as members of the community.

Parents are invited to join us on Tuesday, January 22 at the Personal Project Exhibition to celebrate one of the most exciting projects that a student will complete during their time at YIS. It is an opportunity for the Gr. 10 students to showcase their abilities to independently inquire into a topic of their choice.

One thing our community does, and does well, is provide us with a sense of grounding through companionship and belonging.

In my wanderings around campus, it is not uncommon to hear students, teachers, and yes, leaders, talk about how busy they are. We are all very "busy" and at times, we are all guilty of wearing this busy-ness as a badge of honor.

Through this workshop, parents will gain an understanding of key beliefs about, and strategies to support, young writers.

A short walk from Ishikawa-cho Station is Kotobuki-cho, one of the three largest areas for day laborers in Japan. Many of its inhabitants are elderly, on welfare and too old to work. The Middle School Chiku Center Service Group makes a practical and useful contribution to easing the plight of the homeless there.

Join the Elementary EAL department for a session about what it means to learn in a second (or third) language, and how parents can support their child at home. Wed., Nov. 28, 10:00 am, The Loft.

Come listen to the fascinating stories behind the students, staff, parents and alumni of the YIS community in this interview-based documentary-style theater piece.