English

＜Goal of the school＞  

To maintain and improve Japanese language skills based on the standard education curriculum from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The primary goal is to help students adjust to school and culture upon returning to Japan.

＜Grades and Eligibility＞  

Classes are 1st through 9th grade (Japanese compulsory education grades). Schools days: Every Saturday 8:50 through 14:20. 

Subjects taught: Japanese, Math and Social studies (only for 7-9th grades)

A teacher is assigned to each class but classes may be combined with different grades based on the number of students and teachers available.

Students of all race, color, and national origin are welcome as long as they are able to speak and understand basic Japanese. Of note, the purpose of this school is not intended to teach Japanese to students who do not speak or understand Japanese at all. Teachers will evaluate students’ Japanese language skills prior to being admitted. Student grade is typically matched to their school age but we may recommend students to a lower grade based on their Japanese speaking skills. Skipping grade is generally not accepted at the Birmingham Supplementary School.

＜Parents support for the school >

Our school is a non-for-profit organization organized by parents and/or guardians. Parents and/or guardians are expected to support the school in two ways.

 1. Engage in teaching

We have approximately 40 school days per year. Therefore, it is not possible to cover a full yearlong curriculum solely from school classes and we expect each students to go over the required curriculum through their homework. It is essential that parents actively engage with their child during weekdays to help maintain and improve their language skills. For example, we ask that all parents help with students' homework, encourage children to read Japanese books and speak in Japanese at home.

 2. Volunteering at the school

We ask parents to volunteer at school. We have opportunities to volunteer on A) school days (once per semester) and B) serve in school event committee (once a year).

  A) Assist teachers in making copies of classroom materials/homework, and ensure safety of the students during school, especially outdoor recess.

  B) Parents will be asked to participate in one of the school event committees such as Undokai (field athletic day), Mochi festival or publishing yearbook.

<About our teachers>

Our teachers are all local and they all have excellent skills to speak, read and write Japanese. Most importantly, they are passionate about teaching children and we are grateful for their efforts in supporting our students. 

Please contact our school steering committee if you have any questions. board@bssal.org