Tamagawa Seigakuin is a school that helps students realize their own amazing self-worth. Education at Tama Sei seeks to foster a sensitive, yet strong heart, while giving students the tools to help them live with others successfully, no matter what life’s situation may be. As a protestant mission school, Tama Sei’s education is biblically based, teaching a worldview that enables students to accept themselves and find their purpose in life. In this way, students learn to deal constructively with personal and world issues.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
New Testament, First Corinthians 13:13
Our school motto is found in the above scripture text.
・Absolute FAITH in God
・Resilient HOPE in every circumstance
・Unyielding LOVE for people
Wherever she may be, in all of life’s circumstances, even when the future may seem uncertain, a woman who knows the everlasting value of “faith, hope, and love” can move forward with assurance.
Not only that, but at the same time she will have the strength to make peace among those around her.
Educational Philosophy
Tamagawa Seigakuin’s Educational Philosophy can be expressed through the following three points:
1. To discover one’s own unique self.-Education to help each young woman realize her potential.-
The school day at Tamagawa Seigakuin begins with a chapel service and ends with classroom devotionals. These are times before God for quiet reflection, when a student can just be herself. It is an important time in Tama Sei school life.
God made each person as a unique individual. People’s words and critiques don’t change the essential value of the person. To recognize one’s intrinsic worth and to see oneself as a being loved by God are realizations that give one strength for living and inspiration for learning.
One advantage of being a girls’ school is that there is an atmosphere in which a girl can be herself and openly express her opinions. It’s a place where a girl can experience her “unique self,” both physically and emotionally.
Worship and ReflectionAt the end of each school day, as well as following each school event and special learning experience, a time of reflection is held so students can consider what they have learned and their heart’s response. Each important step along the way is another opportunity for a student to get to know herself better.
Junior High—Graduation ThesisDuring the three years of junior high, students grow not only intellectually but also in their inner person. They learn to critically observe the world around them and recognize, analyze and express their ideas concerning current issues. Students experience a sense of accomplishment as these new skills are put to use in the research, analyzation, and writing about social problems and topics of interest.
Senior High—Creative DanceFrom the germination of an idea through the creation of a story, from the choice of music to the making of costumes, the first year senior high creative dance project gives students an opportunity to develop self-expression. Classes are divided into small groups for this project, while in third year senior high the whole grade works together to create their dance. Through these experiences of creative physical expression, students grow in self-realization.
Personal Care for each student, just as she isAt Tama Sei we value an atmosphere where each student can learn while just being herself. It’s a safe place where every student can feel at home. The campus is completely handicapped accessible.
2. To realize that it is the differences in individuals that make each person wonderful.-Education of character for living together.-
Realizing one’s own value as a unique individual leads to the development of a heart that also recognizes the value of others. Education at Tama Sei gives opportunity to interact with people different from oneself, with those who may not yet have been included in one’s circle of friendship.
A wide variety of events, including overnight stays, provide rich opportunities to interact and learn to accept one another. Experiences such as club activities, student government, and volunteer work develop students’ abilities to relate to others. Students learn that it is precisely because of each person’s uniqueness that people can experience the excitement and interest of expanding their world together.
In the high school Integrated Humanities course (required in first and second year), sharing together about new encounters helps students develop a deepening understanding of the issues involved in peaceful, human coexistence on this diverse planet of ours.
Junior High—Integrated LearningTama Sei’s junior high integrated learning curriculum offers education beyond the traditional academic subjects. In the first year of junior high, students learn human relationship skills. Curriculum for second year students involves environmental and IT understanding and skill development. Third year students study human rights and international relations. Through this ever widening field of integrated learning, students are helped to think about their own involvement in the world.
Junior High—Volunteer ServiceEach year at Christmas, first and third year junior high students visit local institutions which serve the aged or handicapped. Second year students host their own grandparents for a Christmas Celebration at the school. Such experiences help the entire student body begin to learn the gentleness and care-giving that enhance human relationships.
Senior High—Integrated Humanities CourseFor many years, Tama Sei has guided students through this unique and highly acclaimed course. Beginning with the basic issue of what it means to be human, students delve into meaningful and life-changing discussions on personal and social topics in this course.
Senior High—Volunteer ServiceIn first year senior high, students spend two full days volunteering at local institutions for the elderly or handicapped. A third day is then spent reflecting on and discussing together their experiences. Also, for almost 40 years now, students have volunteered for a four-day summer work camp at ShinSei Kai, an institution for the elderly and handicapped located at the foot of Mt. Haruna in Gunma Prefecture. Then at Christmas, a large group of student volunteers returns to take hand-made presents, lead in the singing of Christmas carols and serve the residents during the Haruna Christmas Visitation. Such experiences open new vistas of self-awareness and human relationships for students.
Senior High—Volunteer CampSince the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, Tama Sei students and teachers have served the Tohoku region through this Volunteer Camp. Students visit Iwate Prefecture where they experience the power of sharing life together through many unforgettable experiences with those who have been affected by natural disaster.
3. To discover one’s own potential and mission.-International Education Connecting the World.-
Each individual is blessed with wonderful potential, and our world is in need of each person’s use of that potential. In this age of unrelenting dysfunction, people are needed who will continue their efforts to build peace by bringing people together.
Beyond the question of “What do I want to do,” are the more important queries of “What can I do? What should I do?” Each person has a sphere of influence in the world where only they can make a difference.
Aspiration is a matter for the individual. Tamagawa Seigakuin is a school where a young woman can have enough room to struggle, seek and learn about herself and the world in order discover her unique gifts, cultivate a heart for others, and find her mission in the world.
Junior High—International DayThis is a day where third year junior high students get an opportunity meet and talk with people from 15 or so countries. Students visit booths set up by volunteers of a local international church and use their English conversation skills to “talk with the world.”
Junior High—Australia School TripThis trip for all third year junior high students is a typically laid-back Aussie experience, filled with Australia’s magnificent natural beauty. Students have a two-night farm-stay with a family, and later enjoy a half-day visit with girls their own age at an Australian school. It’s a fun atmosphere in which students experience the joy of sharing smiles while using their English.
Senior High—Florida English Study ProgramEach summer forty applicants from the first year senior high class spend three weeks at Warner University in Lake Wales, Florida, USA. Along with the English study program, students get to put their language skills to use through two weekend homestays and volunteer work in the community.
Senior High—Korea School TripTama Sei second year high school students take their school trip to Korea. The highlight of the trip is the time spent at our sister school, Seung Eui Girls School, in Seoul. Also, Seung Eui students visit Tama Sei in January, and a group of Tama Sei students visit Seung Eui in March.
Graduates—Experience Myanmar TripEach spring, Mr. Bernard Barton, chairman of the Tama Sei Board of Directors, takes a group of graduates to visit Myanmar. As a result of this experience, graduates initiated a program to bring Burmese students to visit Japan to learn about Japanese education.
Senior High—TAP (Tama Sei Active Program)This program allows students to develop a portfolio of experiences for their chosen field of interest. By pursuing experiences in their field of interest and giftedness, students accumulate skills through active learning which aid in the pursuit of their calling.
Senior High—High School-University Joint Lecture and Specialized Instruction ProgramThis program allows Tama Sei students to participate in lectures by visiting university professors and receive training from experienced specialists. These experiences give students many opportunities to see beyond their immediate learning environment and help them in refining their search for the pathway to their future.
