Growing Connections and Opportunities in the High School Program

Dear MST Families,

Thank you to everyone who joined our Coffee and Conversation session on the 15-18 Adolescent Program. Below is an overview of our conversation and some new updates about the 15-18 Program!

Partnerships with Local Schools

We are building partnerships with other international schools in Tokyo to ensure our students have access to a wide social circle. I am pleased to share that KAIS International School has expressed strong enthusiasm for collaborating with our program in areas such as social events, clubs and activities, volunteer opportunities, and potentially sports participation. This is the first of what we hope will be a broad network of school partnerships, shaped by the interests of our students.

College and University Pathways

We are partnering with Cerulean Education, a college counseling organization with deep expertise in international university admissions. A representative from their team will work directly with our students and families to ensure that every student has a clear, individualized pathway to their chosen university; whether in Japan, the UK, Europe, North America, or elsewhere. This process will begin early in a student's time in the program, and Cerulean will also be developing a college handbook for families.

Adolescent Summer Program

We are exploring the possibility of an adolescent summer program in 2027, which would welcome new students into the MST community, offer leadership opportunities for current students, and potentially include an international dimension through sister school partnerships.

Accreditation

MST continues to move forward with Cognia accreditation at the whole-school level. The self-study phase is currently underway.

Cognia is an internationally recognized accreditation body that accredits 40,000 schools in over 100 countries. Of that number, 133 of those schools are Montessori schools worldwide. Cognia does not require a curriculum, but rather has broad standards for learning and engagement, allowing each individual school to meet those expectations in their own way. We selected Cognia specifically because they understand Montessori education and what we value. 

The impetus of this accreditation is to ensure that our 15-18 graduates will have a clear pathway to universities in Japan and around the world with their accredited diploma. This will also give us time to reflect on all of our programs, and our systems as a school, to ensure they are in line with our mission and vision as the premier Montessori school in Japan. We anticipate that MST will hold both IMC and Cognia accreditation once this process is complete. 

This process will take approximately one year. We will be sure to update you as we learn more about the immediate steps, and we will be working to ensure this does not cause unnecessary burden or workload.

Frequently Asked Questions

A significant portion of the session was dedicated to addressing common questions about the program, including how students thrive in a Montessori high school, how academic disciplines are learned through integrated work and study, the social and emotional dimensions of the program, and why students are empowered to make meaningful decisions about their community. I encourage you to watch the recording for a fuller picture of these important topics.

As always, I welcome your questions, thoughts, and feedback. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at andrew@montessorijapan.com. I am also happy to arrange a time to speak individually about your child or adolescent's journey through high school.

With gratitude,

Andrew Faulstich

15-18 Adolescent Program Coordinator