Seisen International School (SIS) is an all-girls,

Catholic school Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syste ...

located in Setagaya, in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Students and faculty from over sixty countries are represented at Seisen, with

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

being the main language of instruction. It offers the

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...

for grades 11 and 12. It is accredited by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan),

New England Association of Schools and Colleges The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC) is a United States' regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation. NEASC serves over 1500 public, independent schools, and technical/career institution ...

and the

Council of International Schools The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a membership organization aimed at international education. CIS was formed in 1949. It has over 1,360 institutional members consisting of over 740 schools and 610 colleges/universities, located in 122 ...

. It teaches

Montessori The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes indepen ...

kindergarten (coed, ages 2–6) and grades 1-12 (girls only, ages 6–18). According to the ''

Good Schools Guide International ''The Good Schools Guide'' is a guide to British schools, both state and independent. Overview The guide is compiled by a team of editors which, according to the official website, "''comprises some 50 editors, writers, researchers and contri ...

'', "The school is popular and has a good reputation." According to Anne-Marie De Mejía, Seisen International School provides a specifically Christian orientation in its programmes.

History

The school was founded in 1949 by Sister María Asunción Lecubarri from the

Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus The Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Ancillae Cordis Iesu; es, Esclavas del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús) is a Roman Catholic religious institute that was founded in Madrid, Spain, in 1877 by two sisters, María Dolores and Raphaela Mar ...

in response to requests from

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

families seeking an education for their children. The school began as a

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

in 1949 with four American students, moved to

Gotanda is a district in the Shinagawa ward of Tokyo, Japan. The district straddles the Meguro River, and is located between the Meguro and Ōsaki stations on the JR Yamanote Line. The district is centered on Gotanda Station, which is served by the Toe ...

in 1962 with 70 students and added a first grade. By 1970, the school was up to grade 9 and in 1973, a year after Seisen was moved to the present location in

Yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...

, the school was extended to include Grade 12. CIS International Schools Directory 2009/10, mentions that Seisen has approximately 700 students from around 60 nations.

Campus overview

There are 35 general classrooms, 3 indoor playrooms, a multipurpose room and a kindergarten hall. The facilities also include three science laboratories (for biology, chemistry, and physics classes), a cafeteria, a drama room, a music room, an art room, a pottery room, a media center, and a computer center which includes a large computer classroom, a smaller, drop-in computer lab which is available both during and after school, and an Information Technology room. The school has an infirmary and a full-time nurse on duty. The facilities also include a convent building and a chapel. In 2013, a new

futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hardcourt, hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and Indoor soccer, indoor football. Futsal is played between two teams of five players ...

field was added to expand the ever-growing Seisen campus, as well as to provide further opportunities for physical exercise, including PE classes and extracurriculars. The school’s libraries together have a collection of more than 18,000 volumes and subscribe to 65 periodicals and 6 newspapers. The media center houses filmstrips, records, cassettes, maps, transparencies, and audiovisual equipment. Sports facilities include tennis courts, three playgrounds, a kindergarten play area (with sandbox and play equipment), and a full-size gymnasium with a locker room. The swimming pool at St. Mary's International School is used for the swimming team.

Notable alumni

Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...

Hikaru Utada , who is also known by the mononym Utada, is a Japanese-American pop singer, songwriter and producer. By 2010, Utada had become one of the most influential, and best-selling, musical artists in Japan. Born in the United States to Japanese parent ...

, a popular Japanese pop singer, who later transferred to the

American School in Japan The American School in Japan (ASIJ; ja, アメリカンスクール・イン・ジャパン) is an international private day school located in the city of Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan. The school consists of an elementary school, a middle school, and a ...

. * CL, a popular female Korean pop singer from the group

2ne1 2NE1 (, ) was a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, which was active between 2009 and 2016. The group was composed of four members: Bom, CL, Dara, and Minzy. Known for breaking typical stereotypes of K-pop, musical experiment ...

References

External links

* * at the

{{coord, 35.622646, 139.639986, display=title, type:edu Christianity in Tokyo Schools in Japan International Baccalaureate schools in Japan Girls' schools in Japan Catholic secondary schools in Japan Catholic schools in Japan Montessori schools Educational institutions established in 1949 Elementary schools in Japan 1949 establishments in Japan International schools in Tokyo Setagaya