Okinawa Christian School International

Okinawa Christian School International
Type Private
Established 1957
Location Yomitan,
Okinawa, Japan
Campus Suburban
Colors White, Red, and Black
              
Mascot Crusader

Okinawa Christian School International (OCSI) is a school located in Yomitan, Okinawa, Japan.

History

OCSI was established in 1957 to provide an English-language K-12 education for the children of American missionaries. During the first year, Esther Austin taught a class of 11 children in an unused building at the Far East Broadcasting Network's facility in Chatan. The purpose of the school was broadened to include children of non-Christian and non-church-affiliated families in the first few years. The school eventually moved into a more permanent facility on present-day Camp Lester (then called Camp Kuwae) consisting of two Quonset huts. OCSI purchased land on "Hacksaw Ridge" in Urasoe City, a site of fierce fighting during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. By 1965 students moved into a new, larger school facility. Shortly after this expansion OCSI celebrated its first commencement when the graduating class of 1969 received their high school diplomas. By 1986, OCSI was looking to expand again, and by 1996 a new campus overlooking the East China Sea in Yomitan Village was purchased. OCSI began classes in the new facility in the 1996-1997 school year.

OCSI, with 400 K-12 students, has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) since 1981, and by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) since 1992.

  • OCSI graduates are allowed by the Japan Ministry of Education (MEXT) to sit for Japanese university entrance exams.
  • OCSI teaches in English and provides support for English language learners.[1]

Academics

OCSI uses a curriculum that is based on an American approach and that is informed by the school's Christian philosophy of education. The course sequence and content is very similar to U.S. schools. Secondary students participate in Service Week.

Athletics

OCSI's mascot is the Crusader. The school colors are white, red, and black. OCSI has a full-size gym with a newly remodeled fitness center. Next to the gym is a full-size soccer field.

OCSI competes in the following sports:

  • Girls volleyball
  • Boys & girls cross-country
  • Boys & girls basketball
  • Boys & girls soccer
  • Boys & girls track and field

Alumni

See also

References

Coordinates: 26°23′49″N 127°43′48″E / 26.39694°N 127.73000°E / 26.39694; 127.73000


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