Teachers’ Messages

Students in Junior High and Senior High are teenagers. They may face issues which they might find more difficult to find answers as they used to do during their elementary years. This means that they are starting a new phase of life where they will learn about the society and the reality of life.

Teachers will not be there forever to give them guidance throughout their life. We, GKA teachers will assist students in developing their critical thinking skills both in English and Japanese and back them up in utilizing acquired knowledge for finding their own solutions. Live life with strong belief and confidence – our mission is to support students and look after them the day they go into the world fully fledged.

Mr. Todd Lowery Vice Principal(USA)

Through studying music and the arts at GKA, students are given unique opportunities to develop their creativity, expressiveness and confidence - skills essential for successfully fostering “Critical Thinking”.

In the Jr.High School, our dedicated arts curriculum becomes a powerful tool in making interdisciplinary connections, allowing learning to become more tangible and meaningful.

In addition, students are given the chance to share their knowledge and talents with the school, their parents, families and community by participating in one or more of GKA’s performing ensembles.

In High School, students can continue to a higher level of study in the arts by enrolling in GKA’s IB Diploma Program.

Mr. Tomofumi Kiryu Head Teacher( Social Studies)

As society is becoming more and more unpredictable, I am constantly thinking of what types of skills will enable students to live happily in the future.

It is obvious that education focused on only obtaining knowledge is no longer sufficient.
There isn’t only one solution for problems in modern society.

Using your knowledge, asking for other’s help, and challenging oneself to always look better answers is required now.

As we learn and accumulate experiences from our learning, we will provide ourselves with the foundation necessary to be for responsible adult who can adjust to this constantly changing society.

I believe that education at school is the foundation upon which skills and knowledge are built and teachers are facilitators of this.

Mr. Kazunori Tanaka(Math)

“Wisdom beats Knowledge.” In this age of advanced information technology, we only need access to the Internet in order to obtain whatever knowledge we need. However, in order to put that knowledge to good use, we need wisdom.

Not only can GKA kids read, write and speak English, they can also think critically, and use this ability to express their own opinions, have discussions and hold debates.

In order to do so, GKA kids are always on the lookout for new ideas, ready for any new challenges that come their way, but most of all, they use these experiences to obtain wisdom.

They naturally come out with words such as, “I’d like to take part in this kind of activity.” or “I want to apply to take part in this competition.

” These kids who are always full of curiosity can count on me to give them my full support.

Ms. Noriko Sasaki(Maths)

"What is studying Maths good for?"
This is a very typical question we get as maths teachers.

The utility of mathematical knowledge itself is not immediately obvious for many people.
However, we understand at GKA that the ability to think through things logically with skills acquired by learning mathematics is crucial for life-long learning.

In addition to teaching basic knowledge, our department focuses on teaching logical thinking through studying applied proofs, logic, and knowledge central to the nature of mathematics.

Ms. Haruka Nomura(JLA)

In addition to our JLA lessons designed for students whose first language is Japanese, we offer JLA lessons for non-native speakers.

In lessons, various approaches to learning, such as essays, discussions, and presentations, are utilized.

This helps to develop the ability of our students to logically express their thoughts, views and ideas about material being read.

Students in both the Domestic and IB courses in the senior high are required to adopt reasoning skills, decision-making skills, and the ability to express oneself clearly.

Students are exposed to a wide variety of resource materials such as novels, descriptive narratives, poetry, newspaper articles, dramas, SNS, and even movies.

This helps to further deepen understanding by exploring the cultural background and thoughts behind each reading.

Ms. Shawnee McPhail( ELA/ USA)

I have been in education for 10 years and have never experienced a school that matched GKA.

There are many perspectives, experiences, and strengths coming together to give students an unrivaled opportunity.

At GKA, education is not merely the filling of a cup but the lighting of a fire; the curriculum challenges students to think critically and explore their own thoughts, beliefs, strengths, and perspectives, and it does so in English.

The teachers hold students to a high standard while supporting them with compassion and empathy.

Here at GKA, we act as a large family, with the success of each individual student at the core of every decision we make.