International School of Nagano 13周年。
一人一人が学習者のlearning community.(家族)
―2012年、15人の生徒とそのご家族、5人のスタッフで、保育施設以上の発想もなく始まったISNは13年目を迎えました。
今振り返ると、設立から数年は”方向性”はあっても、blindfolded/目隠しをした手探りだった感覚でした。初期に入園した生徒たちが小学部、中学部を卒業し、2025年、ISNチームは当時想像もつかないほど頼もしく健康的に成長しています。成長を支えてくださってきた方たち、そして今も継続的に共創し続ける皆さんがいるから、私たちは毎日学び、毎日成長を楽しむことができます。このゆっくりとした大きな、大きな車輪のような前向きな循環へ、心からの感謝の気持ちを込めて、ISNの現在地を共有させていただきます。
ISNプログラムは、生き方を学ぶプログラムであり、ISNは、IB同様、プログラムに関わる人全員が「自主性から主体性へ」を目指す、「学習者」であると捉えてます。
個人的に私は、ISNコミュニティーの皆さんと、第二の家族のような関係でいるのが理想です。
ISNは、自分自身と周りに健康的で家族のようなウェルビーイングを探究し、心や目的を深め、スキルと知識を日常で身に付けていく場所であると考えています。ISNプログラムやIBのワークショップは、ISNの理念、ビジョン、ミッション、行動指針の実現を加速する目的で存在し、有効なツールだと思っています。
設立当初と今の違いは、目指す方向は同じでも、それをより具体的に実現する方法が(できることが)明確になっていることです。 一例を挙げると、ISNはこれまで以上に様々な形で、全学習者へ向けて、有意義な学びの機会を提供準備が始まっています。ISNにとって学びの場は、日常の会話、パーティー、発表会、フェスティバル、懇談会、ふと思った疑問を共有すること、異なる価値観の意見を興味深く聞いている瞬間、望む結果がつくれなかった時自分ができる別の方法は何か「自分ごと」で発想を転換している時… 至るところに見られます。「さっきまでの自分にはない自分を発見する」楽しさと、希望の日々へ。
ゆっくりでも、確実に地に根を張って、一人一人の、”見たこともない個人と社会の状態” を、私たちは目指しています。こうして大好きな皆さん達と毎日を一緒に過ごせることそのものが、私たちの喜びで、元気の原動力です。
一瞬、一瞬の学びの機会を、思いっきり楽しんでいきましょう。そして今後もご助言、お力添えを、どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。
～ISN 13th Year Thoughts～
International School of Nagano 13th Anniversary
A community, a family, where each individual is a learner
Thirteen years ago, in 2012, ISN opened with 15 students, their families, and 5 staff members, with no idea of what it would be like to be anything more than a daycare center. Looking back, although we had a “direction” for those first few years, it felt like we were groping around blindfolded.
The students who joined us in those early years have since graduated from elementary and middle school. Likewise, in 2025, the ISN team has grown into something much stronger and healthier than could be imagined back then. Because of those who have supported our growth, and who continue to co-create with us today, we are able to learn and grow every day. Thanks to this huge, steady cycle, like a giant wheel of positivity, I am pleased to share with you where ISN is today.
The ISN program is a way-of-life program, and like the IB, ISN sees everyone involved in the program as a learner aiming to move from independence to autonomy.
Personally, my ideal relationship with the ISN community is like that of a second family.
I see ISN as a place where we can explore healthy, family-like wellbeing within ourselves and with those around us; a place where we can deepen our hearts and sense of purpose; a place where we can acquire skills and knowledge on a daily basis. The ISN program and IB workshops are tools that accelerate the realization of ISN’s philosophy, vision, mission, and guiding principles, and I see them as powerful, effective tools.
The difference between those early days of ISN and now is that while our direction remains the same, the ways in which we can achieve our goals, what we can do, have become more clear and concrete. For example, ISN is now more prepared than ever to provide meaningful learning opportunities for all learners in a variety of ways. Learning can take place everywhere: in everyday conversations, at parties, through presentations, at festivals and parent-teacher meetings, by sharing a question, from listening closely to those with a different perspective to ours. Learning takes place when a desired result is not achieved – when we self-reflect on what we could do differently, and reframe it as a personal challenge. In these moments, we discover a version of ourselves we hadn’t seen before, and through that we find joy and hope.
Slowly but surely, we are working to put down roots one-by-one as we aim for new, never-before-seen possibilities for individuals and for society. The fact that we are able to spend every day together with you, our favorite people, is our greatest joy and the source of our energy.
Let’s enjoy every moment, every learning opportunity, to the fullest. And going forward, we look forward to your continued guidance and support.
