Dokkyo Saitama High School facts for kids
Dokkyo Saitama Junior & Senior High School is a private school in Koshigaya City, Saitama, Japan. It's a school for both junior high and senior high students. The school first opened its doors in 1982.
About half of the students join the school in junior high, and the other half start in senior high. For their first two years, junior and senior high students have separate classes. But in their final year, they all study together. Around 15% of students who graduate from Dokkyo Saitama High School go on to Dokkyo University. This school is known in Saitama for its small class sizes, personal teaching, and exciting international exchange programs.
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A Look Back: School History
The story of Dokkyo schools began in 1881. Back then, a group called the Doitsu Gaku Kyokai (German Education Association) was formed. Their goal was to help Japan learn about German culture and science to help Japan become a modern country. In 1883, they opened the Doitsu Gaku Kyokai Gakko (German Education Association School). This was the first junior high school in Japan to teach the German language!
After World War II in 1947, the association changed its name to Dokkyo Gakuen. New Dokkyo junior and senior high schools were then set up in Tokyo.
Later, in 1980, Dokkyo Saitama High School was built in Koshigaya City, Saitama. Then, in 2000, Dokkyo Saitama Junior High School joined it on the same campus. Many students wanted to join, with over 4,200 taking the entrance exam that year! In 2005, Dokkyo Saitama High School celebrated its 25th birthday.
What You'll Learn: School Curriculum
Dokkyo Saitama Junior & Senior High School aims to help students grow in every way: physically, morally, and intellectually. The school has three main goals for its students:
- Boost Your Brainpower: The school helps students improve their academic skills. They focus on English and mathematics in small classes. Teachers pay close attention to each student's needs and abilities.
- Learn to Think for Yourself: Students are encouraged to express their ideas and think critically. This happens through fun activities like field trips, experiments, and both group and individual projects. You'll learn to work on your own and with others.
- Get Involved and Help Others: The school wants students to join extra activities and volunteer. This helps you feel good about what you achieve. For example, students can help with the Ameisai (school festival). Older students are also encouraged to help younger ones when they need it.
Because of its strong teaching and high expectations, getting into Dokkyo Saitama can be challenging. However, the school's focus on developing well-rounded students helps prepare them for their future.
Fun Times: School Traditions
Dokkyo Saitama has some exciting yearly traditions!
- Ameisai (School Festival): This is a big event where students play a key role in planning and running everything. On the second day, the festival is open to the public, and a bell is rung early in the morning to start the grand celebration.
- Athletic Meet: This is another huge event where students show off their creativity and teamwork. You'll see exciting band and team dance performances, relay races, and group competitions. Students even make unique headgear for these events! Clubs also have their own games, and it's a tradition to wear special class T-shirts during competitions.
While Dokkyo Saitama shares a historical background with Dokkyo Junior High School of Tokyo and Dokkyo University, each school has its own unique traditions.
Around Campus: School Facilities
Dokkyo Saitama High School sits on a large piece of land, about 80,000 square meters! The campus has lots of great facilities for students:
- A main gym and a second indoor gym (added in 2005) with two basketball courts.
- A baseball field.
- A combined field for soccer and rugby.
- A track-and-field area.
- Seven tennis courts.
- An outdoor Olympic-size swimming pool (25 meters, 9 lanes).
Senior high school students have fully equipped locker rooms, but the junior high school building does not. The school offers 15 different sports clubs and 8 artistic clubs, so there's something for everyone!
The school's motto is "Reclamation, Creation, Love and Faith."
Connecting Globally: International Exchange
Dokkyo Saitama High School has four active international exchange programs, allowing students to experience different cultures:
- Dominican University, San Francisco (22 days)
- Penola Catholic College, Melbourne (2 weeks)
- Steinbart Gymnasium, Germany (2 weeks)
- Levin Intermediate School (2 weeks)
Getting There: Access to School
Dokkyo Saitama High School is about a 20-minute walk from Sengendai Train Station (on the Tobu Isesaki Line). If you prefer, there's also a school bus from the station that takes only 5 minutes to reach the school.
