About
Marist English School classes are age-appropriate. Weekday classes may include English games to support oral language and listening, level-appropriate reading, and writing activities. The Saturday School program provides English language lessons for true beginners. Lessons include phonics building, an English-based craft, vocabulary building, oral language activities, and English listening.
services
We believe young children acquire language best in a relaxed, low-stakes atmosphere, Marist English School strives to ensure students feel comfortable and enjoy their time learning English. To accomplish this, we aim to provide an appropriate balance between English games/projects and more traditional academic activities such as reading and writing.
Lesson content and teaching strategies are continually updated by our teachers to meet the needs of each class, ensuring each student is challenged at an appropriate level.
All classes are taught by accredited, native-English-speaking teachers and are supported by bilingual Japanese assistants. Strong relationships between teachers and students help facilitate a positive learning environment.
Programs
Marist English School contains two different programs, each serving a different age group.
Our Weekday program caters to elementary-age students and meets three weeks a month on Wednesdays and Thursdays, with a 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. session and a 5:00 pm – 6:00 p.m. session on both days.
The Saturday School program meets for three weeks a month from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm and serves kindergarten-age students (4 – 6 years old) in our lower class, while the upper class accepts students in grades 1 – 3.
WHO WE ARE
Marist English School Coordinator and Head Teacher
Head Teacher
Assistant Teacher
Assistant Teacher
Marist English School Coordinator and Head Teacher
Mark first came to Japan in 1998 to teach ekaiwa. He holds a Master of Education degree from Queens College, New York, and has taught Social Studies at Marist Brothers International School for nearly twenty years. Mark has been part of the Marist English School program for over ten years and has been coordinating the program since 2021. He’s proud that Marist English School is an environment where students can learn English in a fun and relaxed environment while building positive relationships with other children and the adults who teach them.
Head Teacher
Cristal Buchanan has been a dedicated elementary and middle school teacher at Marist for many years. Before Marist, she taught special education at an international school in Hong Kong. With a wealth of experience and a particular passion for teaching literacy, she is a strong member of the Marist English School team.
Assistant Teacher
Kate holds a Graduate Diploma in Education from Griffith University in Australia. She taught in the UK and Australia for 4 years and has 7 years of experience teaching English in Japan. She has been part of Marist for 2 years and has been working at Marist English School since 2023. Kate prides herself on helping students challenge themselves and develop self-confidence.
Assistant Teacher
Miho has been with Marist Brothers International Brothers since 2013 and has been a valuable member of the Marist English School ever since. She’s an experienced Japanese teacher and has been a valuable member of the Marist English School for the duration of h. As an assistant teacher, she feels it’s important to ensure students are comfortable and happy as they learn.
Assistant Teacher
Hiroko taught English to small children at AEON Amity for 5 years before coming to Marist English School. She has been an assistant teacher at Marist English School since 2012 and is happy to establish strong relationships with students and watch their development.
Both the Weekday program and Saturday School program provide three lessons a month, September – June. Saturday School students who miss a lesson are allowed to attend a 2-hour makeup class on the fourth Saturday of the month.
Weekday lessons are offered on Wednesday and Thursday. There are two sessions to choose from each day, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Each session contains a slightly different mix of students and abilities. New students are encouraged to join the lesson group that is most appropriate for them.
Saturday School lessons are from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. with time scheduled for lunch brought from home and a short recess. In addition to a lunch, Saturday School students need to bring their own water bottles. Parents are requested to pick students up promptly at 1 p.m.
Students will be supplied with a textbook(s) notebook and communication folder but are requested to bring the following items, all clearly labeled with their name: two pencils, an eraser, scissors, colored pencils, and glue stick.
Monthly tuition for Saturday School classes is ¥17,500, while the Weekday program is ¥9,750. Tuition should be paid using the tuition envelope provided after enrollment. An annual materials fee of ¥5,000 is paid with the September tuition. Students starting Marist English school between September and December should include the annual materials fee with their first monthly payment.
