Our Education & Policies

Education

Purpose of Foundation

• Provide Japanese education for Japanese who are visiting the United Status temporarily. Provide them supplemental learning opportunities to be prepared to get back to the educational situations in Japan and maintain Japanese language and basic academic achievement.

• Provide Japanese education for people who possess Japanese skills. Help them maintain and improve Japanese skills.

• Hold various events to introduce Japanese culture and tradition.

Purpose of Education

• Help students basic knowledge and skills according to their school ages.

• Help students to independently work on the topics and to empower attitude to solve issues independently.

• Help students to develop a sense of responsibility, cooperativeness and heartfulness.

• Help students to form a personality with wide viewpoints and international understandings through multicultural experiences.

Characteristics

• Diversity of learning contents and purposes in in ages, nationalities, and purposes of enrollments.

• Small class sizes will allow to pay close attention to each students.

• Requires much support and involvement from parents in school operation.

• Exchanges among students who have diverse language and cultural backgrounds help students develop personality with wide viewpoints and international understandings.

Our Policies

Understanding School Operation

OJS is the oversea educational facility called the supplemental school (Hoshujyugyoukou) and recognized by the Japanese government. OJS is founded and operated by the parents for their children. Apart from the public schools in Japan (guaranteed by the constitutional right, the article 26th in Japan), OJS is founded and operated with the support from Japanese government, surrounding companies and parents.

Since OJS is founded and operated by parents, each parents are required to participate in school operations. For actual operation and public relations, the board members are elected. The board consists of 5 members from parents and 2 members from teachers. They plan and run daily school activities. They are responsible for school building, recruitment of teachers, annual planning, and budgeting. Every year they are required to report at the Annual General Meeting.

Source of operational funds are the tuition, financial support from Japanese government, and donation from companies.

Since board members are not be able to deal with all the school matters, OJS ask for much support from parents such as safety measurement, support for teachers and maintaining learning environment.

Maintaining School Building

Please follow the rules in the school building. It is not guaranteed to be able to stay in the current school building. Please talk with your children about rules in the school building at home.

Maintaining Teacher Employment

We always have a shortage in teacher recruitment. Please remind with the followings.

• Teachers have their own jobs in weekdays and their time is limited.

• Teachers works extra hours and OJS is not being able to support much in terms of wages.

Teachers are also learning to teach. Please support and respect teachers.

Operational Activities

The operation of this school is based on the rules of the Omaha Japanese supplementary school.

1. Composition

• The Management Committee consists of the principal, Management Committee chair, deputy Management Committee chair, Management Committee members, and teacher representatives. Each Management Committee member has one vote.

2. Operations of the Management Committee

• The Management Committee shall have overall responsibility for school management and shall operate the school in accordance with operational and academic guidelines in cooperation with teachers and parents. See “Addendum” regarding the duties of the Management Committee. The Management Committee meets monthly, and its schedule will be included on the school calendar of events. Extraordinary Management Committee meetings may be held at the request of at least two Management Committee members, at which time the Chair of the Management Committee shall notify each Management Committee member at least six (6) days in advance.

3. Election and Term of Office

• Management Committee members serve for one-year terms and may be reappointed. The election of Management Committee members takes place at the Annual General Meeting at the end of each fiscal year. Any mid-term vacancies shall be filled by the appointment of another Management Committee member.

4. Quorum

• A quorum of the Management Committee shall be a majority. The decision of the Management Committee shall be determined by a majority of the votes of those present at a quorum meeting.

5. Management Committee Proceedings

The following matters will be taken up at the Management Committee meeting. (However, it is not limited to these)

1) Approval of employment and dismissal of teachers based on the recommendation of the principal

2) Decisions on teacher salaries

3) Planning and approval of participation in external events and public relations activities

4) Approval of the annual budget and approval of decisions regarding tuition, admission fees, etc.

5) Planning and holding annual general meetings

6) Approval of school annual event schedule submitted by teachers

7) Recruiting new students and recruiting teachers

8) Approval of significant changes to the guidelines

6. Amendments to Terms

• The Management Committee may amend the Bylaws. Amendments require a majority vote of the Management Committee.

• 7. Annual General Meeting

• The Annual General Meeting is held at the end of each academic year and will be listed on the school annual calendar of events. The Annual General Meeting is planned and held by the Management Committee and, in principle, all parents and teachers. The following items will be taken up at the Annual General Meeting.

1) Management Committee approval

2) Expression of gratitude to volunteers

3) Accounting report

4) Submission of next year's budget proposal

5) Others

8. Communication

The school's official languages are Japanese and English, and communication from the school to guardians shall be in Japanese and English, except when targeting a specific language group. The purpose of using the list is to facilitate communication within the school and use for other personal purposes is prohibited. The Management Committee and faculty will endeavor to respond to inquiries from both inside and outside the organization as quickly as possible.

9. Document Management

• Our official documents include: (However, it is not limited to this.)

• School rules, admission guide, book lending rules, annual event schedule, new student registration form, tuition fee list, teacher orientation package, roster and meeting minutes (Management Committee, teacher meeting, annual general meeting). Originals are managed by the secretary and will be kept ready for use during the school day. Furthermore, it is desirable to save these documents as electronic files. The date of revision shall be specified in official documents. Revision 01-13-2001 Revision 08-25-2007 Revision 08-30-2011

Class Representives

• The Management Committee gathers opinions within the class and sets up a class committee in charge of event management. One or two class representatives are elected from each class. A class committee is established once each semester, and the class committee must attend.

• The class committee for the first semester decides on the events they are in charge of.

• The class committee for the second semester decides on the division of roles for the athletic meet that everyone will be in charge of.

• The 3rd semester class committee will reflect on what has been done so far, review points for improvement, and discuss things for the next academic year.

Parent Duties

• The Management Committee assigns parental guardians who assist with class preparations and supervise the safety of children and students. Guardian duty is performed by three guardians other than the teacher and the Management Committee. Assignment schedules are sent by email at the beginning of each semester. If there is a problem, take responsibility for taking turns with someone else and write it in the guardian's duty table.

Contents of duties:

• Preparing for parental duty (wearing name tags, taking out chairs)

• Help with copying

• Help with classes that require an assistant

• Surveillance of school grounds at entrances and breaks

• Creation of duty records (visitor records, journals)

• Contact the next person on duty

Financial Foundation

• The expenses of our school are covered by the following sources of income.

• Payment (tuition fee, admission fee, supplementary teaching materials fee)

• Subsidies (Japanese Government Subsidies/Overseas Children's Foundation Subsidies)

• Donations (Corporate donations)

• Cashback programs from Amnet, Kintetsu International and IACE

• Japanese conversation partner

• Others (bake sale, luncheon, secondhand book market)