About Classes
Our Teachers’ Goals for the 2026–2027 School Year
Each teacher has a special goal for their class this year. From building confidence in Japanese to encouraging curiosity, kindness, and a love of learning, our teachers are looking forward to helping every student grow throughout the school year.
We are excited to share the goals our teachers hope to achieve together with their students!
2026–2027年度 先生たちのクラス目標
今年度、先生たちはそれぞれのクラスで大切にしたい目標を掲げています。日本語への自信を育てること、好奇心や思いやりを伸ばすこと、そして学ぶ楽しさを感じてもらうことなど、一人ひとりの成長を大切にしながら一年間取り組んでいきます。先生たちが子どもたちと一緒に達成したい目標をご紹介します！
Ms. M.
Japanese Fun for Kids 1
(たのしい⽇本語１)
Coming soon.
Ms. Gion Chisato
ガイオン千里
Japanese Fun For Kids 2
(たのしい⽇本語２)
In our class, we will build on the basics students learned in Tanoshii Nihongo 1 and expand their Japanese skills.
My hope is to nurture their curiosity and teach them how fun our Japanese language and culture can be! The class will help build the confidence they need to take that next step in their Japanese learning.
このクラスでは、たのしいにほんご１で学んだ言葉や語彙をさらに広げていきます「日本語って面白いね！」という気持ちを育み、次のステップへの自信に繋げるお手伝いができたら嬉しいです。
Ms. Kumai
Introductory (⼊⾨)
My name is Kumai, and I teach the Introductory Class. I began my teaching career in Tokyo and have been teaching Japanese at Vista Japanese School for 40 years. I enjoy introducing students to Japanese language and culture through everyday topics, traditional events, food, anime, manga, songs, origami, games, and quizzes. My goal is to help students build a strong foundation in Japanese while developing an appreciation for Japanese culture and traditions.
こんにちは、入門クラス担当の熊井です。東京で教師をしていた経験があり、Vista Japanese Schoolでは40年間、日本語を教えています。授業では、日本の行事や食べ物、アニメ、漫画など身近な話題を取り入れながら、歌、折り紙、フラッシュカード、ゲーム、クイズなどを使った楽しくテンポのよい授業を心がけています。生徒たちが日本語の基礎を身につけ、日本の文化や習慣への理解を深めることが私の目標です。
Ms. N.
Elementary Japanese (初級)
Coming soon.
Ms. Kaori McKinney
Intermediate Japanese (中級)
Our goal is not only to help students learn new kanji and grammar, but also to build practical Japanese skills that they can use in everyday life. We hope to create a class where each student can develop their Japanese ability at their own pace. Most of all, we want students to enjoy learning and feel inspired to say, “I want to speak more Japanese!”
新しい漢字や文法を学ぶだけでなく、日常で使う言葉を身につけ、生徒一人ひとりが自分のペースで日本語の力を伸ばしていけるクラスを目指しています。楽しく学んで「もっと日本語で話したい！」と感じてくれたら嬉しいです。
MD, PhD
Kana Yamamoto
山本佳奈先生
Advanced I (上級 1)
I hope this will be a year filled with many moments of “I understand!” and “I was able to speak Japanese!”
Don’t worry about making mistakes—let’s challenge ourselves to try many new things. Let’s have fun learning Japanese together!
日本語で「わかった！」「話せた！」をたくさん増やせる一年にしたいと思っています。間違いを気にせず、いろいろなことにチャレンジしてみましょう。みんなで楽しく日本語を学んでいきましょう！
Ms. M.
Advanced II (上級 1)
Let’s use lots of Japanese, think, explore, and enjoy learning together. I hope what you learn here will broaden your world and open up new possibilities for the future!
日本語でたくさん話して、たくさん考えて、一緒に学ぶ楽しさを見つけましょう。ここでの学びが、これからの皆さんの世界をもっと広げてくれますように！
