FAQ

No. TIPS is accepting of all types of learners. Our varying programs and individual support provide different levels of service to our students. For many of our families, the most attractive feature of our school is the small class size and family atmosphere.

TIPS has scholarship program to help those who are in need of financial assistance. Discounts are available for new and returning students whose parents are solely responsible for education expenses and require financial assistance to meet these expenses. Discounts are NOT available to students whose tuition is paid, in part or whole, by their parents’ employers or other sponsoring organizations. Please contact the school office for more details.

Yes, TIPS accept students anytime as long as there is a space in class.

Invoices will be sent out approximately one month prior to the payment remittance dates. Payment for tuition, fees, and services can be arranged in two to four installments per year. See the annual service agreement for full details about tuition fees and registration.

We require parents/guardians to communicate with us in English, even if only written English. All TIPS documents, including our application form, registration form, letters, emails, report cards, and IEPs are delivered in English. If parents don't have confidence in their English communication, they may have reliable help among their family, friends or professionals to communicate with TIPS. Our office staff is able to act as a translator for Japanese speaking parents in meetings held in the school building.

Many TIPS families are connected to diplomatic or business communities. A typical length of stay for families in such circumstances is between 2 and 5 years. Most of our students are with us for 3 years, but some of our graduates had been continuously enrolled for up to 7 years.

Academic classes are capped at 10 students per class, but they often average about 6 per class. Small class size enables our teachers to give quality, individual attention to each student. For students, this means greater understanding, confidence and accountability.

Most of our students attend school full time and undertake a full academic program. However, the school also provides flexible learning options.

Yes. Our graduates earn diplomas from the University of Nebraska High School (UNHS), which is an institution fully accredited by the Nebraska Department of Education and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI). Our blend curriculum allows students to work in Tokyo and earn American diploma.

TIPS is very proud of our results. Students gain admission into colleges and universities worldwide. Our graduates have been accepted into the following universities: Click for more details.

For those students who carry a 3.0 GPA or higher and display the maturity and dedication to take college level courses, they are eligible through invitation to dually enroll in either Lakeland College Japan or Temple University Japan. Students are able to take 1-2 courses at the institutions per semester and earn both high school and college credits. Earning direct college credit benefits students in being able to sit in classes with college students and professors and show potential universities their ability to handle a college environment.

No. We do not have school uniforms as we emphasize personal identity. However, school logo attached clothes are available through Land's End for the school community. Our dress code is reasonable. Students who undertake Physical Education class are required to wear school PE T-shirts.

Our ACE (Action Committee / Entrepreneurship) class organizes a lunch service everyday. Also, with parent permission, students are able to get some lunch from the various shops and convenience stores nearby during the lunch hour.

At TIPS, we believe that Parent-Teacher partnership is essential for children’s successful growth. We highly value parent and teacher communication, which enables teachers and parents to have a better understanding of the student.

Every year we have two Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews.

To check their child’s progress, assignments and class schedules, parents use online grade book, which is updated daily by subject teachers. Parents easily communicate with teachers through this system.

Of our 40 students, over 15 different nationalities are represented. Present students come to us from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Australia. Our current staff members are from Italy, Denmark, Ireland, Canada, Philipines, Japan, the USA and South Africa.

Our teachers are certified through their local professional organizations. TIPS is aligned with the National Association of Special Education Teachers, and our teachers are compelled, as part of the school's Professional Development initiative, to complete on-going coursework. Teachers also add to their professional repertoire in response to individual learning needs of students that are registered to their classes.

For an international setting our staff continues to be very consistent. Half of our staff, although born abroad, speak Japanese and have committed to a future in Japan. The average length of service among our present staff is 6 years and our longest serving member of staff has been teaching here at TIPS over 15 years. The current Principal has been here since 2006.

Each year, students are invited to spend 2 days exploring varying locations in Japan on our "See Japan Break". Also, our annual February ski trip affords another opportunity for students to experience the beauty of Japan. As part of our course of studies we offer a Japanese course that has both a Language and Cultural component. The Cultural component of the course work focuses on bringing local resources into the school and taking the whole student body on a variety of excursions.

Depending on the family's proximity to the school, we do offer bus service at cost. The bus goes mainly to Minato-ku, Meguro-ku, Shibuya-ku . The bus route depends on the locations of the families that require the service.

We schedule competitions with the British School in Tokyo, Columbia International School, the Canadian School in Japan, KIST and KAIS. The emphasis of our extracurricular program is participation. The sports areas we compete in are basketball, volleyball, badminton, and futsal.