Enjoy this short video snippet about Saint Maur International School from our 2025 Tokyo Expo.
Transcript
We spoke with Jessica Lee (Admissions Officer) and David K. W. So (Director of Admissions/Middle School Coordinator).
ISTimes Global: (00:00) Hello, we’re at the Saint Maur International School booth at the 2025 Expo. I’m here with
Saint Maur International School (Jessica): (00:07) Jessica. Hi, nice to meet you.
Saint Maur International School (David): (00:10) David, nice meeting you.
School History
ISTimes Global: (00:12) Thanks for coming. Could you tell us a little bit about your school’s history and background?
Saint Maur International School (Jessica): (00:18) Yeah, so actually our school was founded 153 years ago. So we have a very long history. We are the oldest, actually, the oldest international school in Japan. That’s a fun fact. Um so Saint Maur is actually a street in France. So we were founded by French nuns a long time ago when the Yokohama borders harbor opened and a lot of foreigners came to Yokohama and there was a need for international education and English education in the area. So yeah, that’s how our school has started and we’ve been in the same location ever since and we have rebuilt the buildings and a lot of history. We have a lot of students that have graduated and even come back to us as an alumni, parents. So yeah, we have an amazing community because of our rich history.
Academic Life
ISTimes Global: (01:12) Awesome. Can you tell us a little bit about academics at your school? What is learning like at your school?
Saint Maur International School (David): (01:18) Um, our academics is very strong. Uh we’re academic rigorous school but at the same time rewarding. We have a good balance of both academics and extracurricular activities from all the way from Montessori all the way up to grade 12. Um we encourage all students to take the chance to learn and to study and to take the part of the daily school activities. We also have a great program for adults as well because one of our uh key Smeals, uh St. Maur essential outcomes is lifelong learning. So we also want adults to continue to learn. So parents are also constantly on campus taking various classes from Zumba, tea ceremony to Japanese, to um healthy living. So we offer a range of classes for both adults and students at our school.
Extracurricular Activities
ISTimes Global: (02:02) That sounds great. Can you tell us how students get involved in the community outside of academics? So like not just in a classroom learning, but other ways that the students get involved.
Saint Maur International School (Jessica): (02:13) Yeah, we have a really rich, abundant, um variety of extracurricular activities as well. Um we have a lot of after school clubs that we offer at school. Uh for example, for elementary school, many different sports, we have basketball, football, tennis, we have Japanese martial arts, um Kendo, Aikido, we have Jiu-Jitsu, um uh also for those who are who want to do something besides sports, we have um strings, so instruments, cooking clubs, drama club, um pottery. So everything for everybody and we have three rounds, so they’re kind of like seasons. So they can try something different every season. Um and that’s how they stay active and balanced. And maybe David could explain a little bit more about secondary because we have a lot uh wide range of extracurricular activities as well.
Saint Maur International School (David): (03:14) So we run the extracurricular activities and various programs to fit each um the age levels. So from all from Montessori, um certain types of clubs and extra quick activities to elementary school, to secondary school. Of course, as they get older, we want them to be professional in that area. So we also offer more Model United Nations, um World Scholars Cup and we connect with other schools including Bay schools for activities as well. Yes.
Saint Maur International School (Jessica): (03:40) We also have a band and orchestra at our school. So everybody from grades five to eight, everybody plays an instrument basically. So that’s that’s awesome. Um so yeah, they they do that. They are a lot of them are involved in at least one team sport. We have um drama class, but that that’s also something that’s included in the curriculum, but also can spill over outside of the classroom and have performances and plays and musical at our school.
Saint Maur International School (David): (04:10) And one more thing is that also we encourage students also to develop their own clubs. So for high school students, they can write a proposal if they have a club idea and they write a proposal and they submit it to the school and if it’s approved and they can find a teacher to supervise. So quite a number of our high school students do start their own clubs and it becomes a permanent one. It’s really good. So some of them were like Asian club or uh video editing club and so on and so forth.
Saint Maur International School (Jessica): (04:34) Robotics Club is pretty
Saint Maur International School (David): (04:35) Robotics Club as well. Newspaper uh club as well, editing club. Yes.
Saint Maur International School (Jessica): (04:40) And a lot of them go on to outside competitions such as robotics or Model UN. So they’re pretty active and enjoy joining larger community worldwide.
Day in the Life at Saint Maur
ISTimes Global: (04:50) Sounds like a thriving student community. Um can you give us an idea of what a day in the life at your school is like? What is a day for your student like from the beginning to the end?
Saint Maur International School (David): (05:02) Um we’re a uniform school. So of course, um when they arrive, we’re very close to um stations, uh public transportation. So it’s quite convenient to get to school if you’re living in Tokyo or if you’re living in uh Kamakura or Zushi that area. So it’s quite easily accessible to our school. Um when they start school, they start the school day at 8:00 a.m. in the morning. Uh they arrive, they start with home room. Um in general, after elementary students, they also start with the home room. Um in that sense and they have a daily morning prayer. Uh the prayer is also usually focused on current events. So say for example, if there’s a uh the fire in California, we pray for people there. If there’s a recent earthquake in Japan or in Myanmar, we pray for the situation. If it’s a women’s Day, we also pray for, you know, um women around the world and so on and so forth. So it’s focus on current events. And then of course, uh they go throughout the day with six different periods in general from uh elementary school all to high school. Um learning from different teachers, uh different subjects, also for elementary, they work with specialist teachers when it comes to music, uh maybe drama as well sometimes. Um religious studies teacher. High school students, of course, secondary students, middle school students, they work with more variety of teachers in their daily subject. The school ends at 3:20 and then 3:30 where that’s when the extracurricular starts for all levels of students. And depending on their age level, uh it ends at different time throughout the school day.
Saint Maur International School (Jessica): (06:32) Yeah, and we also have a lot of events. So um twice a year, we have two big events, the International Food Fair in the spring and we also have a Christmas bazaar. It’s it’s great opportunity to experience the community and everybody comes together, families and parents volunteer and the kids love it. Um so yeah, students are very active and part of that and that becomes a core memory for them as well when they graduate. Um they also go on excursions every semester. They have camps that they go on. They have the spring concert and Christmas concert as well and then an annual sports day for all grades.
Saint Maur International School (David): (07:14) So parents are a big involvement in our school life as well. So when the students come on campus, you also see uh many parents on campus learning as well and they contribute to the uh community as well. And one of our key events is for example, what Jessica shared was the um our international school fair and Christmas is on. And every year we have alumni who knows this event, they come back to school and and share the memories with us.
ISTimes Global: (07:39) Sounds great. Thank you very much.
Saint Maur International School (Jessica): (07:40) Thank you.
Saint Maur International School (David): (07:41) Thank you very much.
ISTimes Global: (07:41) Thank you.
About Saint Maur International School
- Oldest international school in Japan, founded in 1872 by French nuns
- Located in Yokohama near public transportation
- Offers Montessori through Grade 12 education
- Rigorous academic school with strong extracurricular programs
- Uniform school with daily prayers focused on current events
- Features diverse clubs (robotics, Model UN, music, sports)
- Strong alumni network and parent involvement
- Hosts annual International Food Fair and Christmas Bazaar
- Emphasizes lifelong learning for students and parents
- First international school established when Yokohama port opened
