Rainbow International Montessori School

By on June 30, 2008

—–THIS SCHOOL IS NOW CLOSED ———-  2011

The world-famous Montessori Method of education for young children was developed by the Italian Dr. Maria Montessori more than a century ago. Today, Montessori schools can be found around the globe, providing a unique and integrated approach to nurturing young minds. Dr. Montessori strongly believed that children have inbuilt tendencies to learn and develop by themselves. What a child absorbs and learns in their earliest years will shape the foundation of their entire being and personality. The Montessori Method is holistic, taking into account all aspects of a child’s development, while also respecting each child as a unique individual.

The Rainbow International Montessori School in Tokyo was founded in 1993 by Eriko Salamack. Following the birth of her first child, Eriko was seeking an educational experience that combined a native approach to English with a homelike setting for children. “All of our teachers are trained in the Montessori Method,” says Eriko. “We make every attempt to promote the growth of children in an environment that is stable, creative, enjoyable, and above all safe. Our school is separated into classes consisting of mixed ages—a major theme in Montessori education.”

The Montessori curriculum can be likened to stepping stones, where children are given the time to master each ability before moving on to the next step. This ensures that the child is kept challenged while also gaining the chance to succeed at each level. Rainbow International also recognizes that parent and teacher relationships play a vital role in the school. “Open houses, parent/teacher conferences, family-oriented events and special celebrations are just a few of the steps we take to bridge the gap between the school and the home,” notes Eriko.

Evan Kaha’i is the Administrator for Rainbow’s Denenchofu campus. “Our home-like environment helps to promote a smooth transition from home life to school life. We offer a child-centered environment, which nurtures children of different cultures and multi-lingual backgrounds,” she says. Rainbow International provides an enriching educational experience for children from international or bicultural backgrounds, as well as for Japanese children returning from overseas. Rainbow International also has a Nishi-Azabu campus, under the direction of Administrator Saleha Allouni.

The latest addition to the Rainbow family is the Akamai Center, an exciting project newly-opened this year in Nishi-Azabu. “The center is dedicated to providing new types of educational and leisure activities for children, as well as teens and adults,” explains Noli Bravo, the Operations Director. A diverse range of classes are on offer, ranging from hula and hip-hop dancing, to DJ mixing and an Internet radio station. “Although we will be using English to teach most of our classes, we are also promoting awareness of different cultural backgrounds,” Noli says. “We will be catering for the Japanese community as well.”

RAINBOW INTERNATIONAL MONTESSORI SCHOOLS

(Denenchofu and Nishi-Aszabu)

Tel. 03-5771-3668

info@montessori-rainbow.com

www.montessori-rainbow.com/index.html

RAINBOW AKAMAI CENTER

Tel. 03-5771-3665; noli@akamai-center.com;

www.akamai-center.com

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