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Accreditation

MST is fully accredited by
The International Montessori Council.

Membership

MST is a member of
The Japan Council of International Schools (JCIS).

Faculty

The faculty of the school is drawn from an international mix of talented people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. The diversity of our teaching faculty reflects the cultures of our international community of families. One thing we all have in common is our love of teaching and our commitment to nurturing the best in children through the Montessori method.


Administration

Pete Juds - Head of School

Pete grew up in South Africa where he studied and worked towards becoming an actuary. After a few years, he decided that his vocation was teaching children. He went to London to study at the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) training centre (Maria Montessori Training Organisation) and graduated in 1989. Pete worked for Montessori schools in London, before coming to Japan in 1991. Initially he worked as a teacher in Tokyo, until he had the means to realise his ambition and founded Sunshine Montessori School (now MST) in 1993. He maintains a presence in the classrooms and in particular concentrates on introducing the children to the importance of peace.

Qualifications


Mariko Maeda Juds - Assistant Head of School

Mariko graduated from an International School in Tokyo before completing an International Communications degree. She then went to London and graduated from the (Maria Montessori Training Organisation in 1989.

As the reason for Pete being in Tokyo, Mariko was part of the founding of the school while at the same time teaching at her alma mater’s Montessori Progamme for 8 years.

Subsequently, she ran the Little People Montessori School for 6 years before bringing it to Minato-ku to form the toddler classes at MST. She has been involved in the school as a teacher, advisor and coordinator until taking the Assistant Head position in 2008.

Qualifications


Tomo Takahashi - Administration Director

Tomo is a K-12th grade alumnus of Marist Brothers International School in Kobe. After completing his studies in Japan, Tomo spent some time in the banking sector. This included two years in New York and ten years in London working in the derivatives markets. Tomo returned to Tokyo in the summer of 2000 with a dream of a Montessori elementary school. He and Pete met and the rest is MST history.

Qualifications


James Moore – Director of Operations

After 3 years teaching English on the JET programme, James joined MST’s faculty as a classroom assistant and PE specialist in 2004. He quickly got involved in coordinating the wider Sports and Activities programme, which became his main role for 2 years. He continues to do this as well as direct many of the day to day operations of the school. James plays the piano and guitar and is an active vocalist who enjoys performing in the Tokyo area.

Qualifications


Sanako Ushiki – Education Affairs Assistant

After graduating with an education degree in Tokyo, Sanako spent 7 years studying and working in the U.S. She taught Japanese language and Mathematics at schools in Charlotte as well as being a guidance counselor before assisting in a private counseling practice. Returning to Tokyo, she found her way back to the education side of things by coming to work at MST in 2007.

Qualifications


Atsuko Saito – Business Affairs Assistant

Atsuko started at MST as a classroom assistant in August 2005. Prior to that she worked in public relations for 8 years and is currently working in the administration office.

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Sunshine Faculty

Naoko Kikkawa

Naoko has worked for the school since 1993. After gaining many years of experience she decided to learn about the theory behind it all and in March 2002 she completed her Montessori training at an AMI centre in Japan (The Montessori Institute of Tokyo).

Qualifications


Camille Ploux

While spending 4 years teaching at a bilingual Montessori school in Paris, Camille found time to volunteer for an NGO in Cambodia, be an English tutor for children in Greece as well as Paris and develop a new English programme for French speakers in public schools. She joined MST in 2007.

Qualifications


Maki Sugamata

After graduating from college in the US, Maki returned to Japan to study Montessori teaching. She completed her training at the AMI centre in Japan (The Montessori Institute of Tokyo). Maki worked for 2 years at International schools in Tokyo and joined MST in 2003.

Qualifications


Liam Murray

Liam is from Ireland and has worked in the carpentry field in London & San Francisco. He also spent some time with with an NGO working to demine areas of Sri Lanka before embarking on Montessori studies in India. He joined MST in 2008.

Qualifications


Setsuko Miura Armstrong

Setsuko interpreted for the Dr Silvano Montanaro at the AMI birth to 3 training centre for 3 years and took the exams herself during that time. Soon afterward she gained her early childhood certification. She has taught in the US and Japan and joined MST in August 2006.

Qualifications


Molly Peterson

After spending two years teaching English in South Korea, Molly took her Montessori training in Portland Oregon, in the U.S.  She then spent the next two years teaching in Japan before returning to join a Montessori school in the US.  She joins us from the Pacific Rim International School, in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Elementary Faculty

Sainoor Premji

Sainoor’s background starts in the field of medical technology. She then taught in Montessori Schools at the Elementary and Middle school levels for 15 years before starting her own Natural Healing clinic in Canada. Realising she missed the classroom too much, she returned to the Montessori world when joining MST in August 2006

Qualifications


Minako Kikkawa

Minako also studied at the AMI training centre in Yokohama. She loves to travel and keeping active. Before joining MST in April, 2005 she worked in a Japanese Montessori school in Kanagawa.

Qualifications


Patrick Snyder

Patrick joined MST in 2005 as our Music Coordinator. After three years, he decided he wanted to be involved in all aspects of the students’ education. He spent a year in Italy at the AMI Elementary Training Centre and returned to lead a classroom in 2009.

Qualifications


Akiko Fukuda

Akiko studied as an exchange student at a High School in Ohio, U.S. before graduating from Temple University in Japan where she majored in General Studies.  She has been working in various Interenational Montessori schools in Tokyo since 2004 and completed her Montessori training in 2007.

Qualifications


Shukuko Takeda Matz

Shukuko has studied Montessori around the world, from Tokyo, Japan, through Perugia and Bergamo, Italy and in Cleveland, USA. After working in a Japanese Montessori programme, she spent five years in Montessori schools in Connecticut and California where she taught Japanese to native English speakers. Shukuko is also a qualified Japanese language instructor and has produced a Montessori video on Infant & Toddler Education.

Qualifications


Russ Uhl

Russ is from the United States where he was involved in the banking and hotel industries, as well as owning and running a clinic for sports massage for many years.  He joins MST from Friedrichsdorf, Germany where he was working as the Assistant Director and Director of Admissions at the Rhein Main Montessori School.

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Co-curricular Faculty

Emi Fujita - Music Teacher

Having studied and worked in countries in Europe and North America, Emi brings a love of performance and a desire to awaken student’s musicality through rhythm and movement. She attended a Montessori School herself as a child and is pleased to be working in one and sharing her love of music with the students.

Qualifications


Janice Fong - Librarian

Since arriving in Japan from Canada in 2004, Janice has been teaching children. Most recently she worked in an English language children’s library where she enjoyed integrating her love of arts crafts with reading activities for children. She joined MST in 2008.

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"The object of teaching a child is to enable the child to get along without the teacher."

—Arthur C. Clarke