It is with great pleasure and anticipation that I welcome Ikego parents and students to the coming 2007-08 school year. If you have recently accepted housing and moved into the Ikego community this summer with children aged kindergarten through third grade, know that you, as parents, will play a vital role as you partner with our school and your child’s teachers this year. Our school Webpage is full of information about out great school.

We are proud of many things from the 2006-07 School Year. Ikego Elementary School added multiage classes in grades one and two, a wonderful opportunity and option for our primary students. We pre-implemented partial Spanish immersion in kindergarten and first and second grades. Our students continued to do well on the CTBS TerraNova assessment. Ikego Elementary School third graders scored at or above the national average in reading, language arts, math, science and social studies. Although this assessment is only taken by third graders at our school, the many teachers and specialists in kindergarten and first and second grades who have taken part in educating our children also share this success with our third grade students and teachers. Through the coordination of our Host Nation teacher, our school re-established a partnership with the Hisagi Elementary School in the local Japanese community. We celebrated two partnership days when Japanese students visited our school, and we returned the visit to their school. Our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) had our tori gate school sign reconstructed and purchased a mochi pounder for intercultural partnership days. This summer Ikego Elementary continued to offer an enrichment program and extended school year program for the second summer right along side the Host Nation summer school. These opportunities offered additional summer options for children on Ikego Base.

Our newest offerings for the coming year include staffing for a full time preschool teacher and extened preschool services. Our preschool services for children with disabilities program (PSCD) is set to serve children throughout the week tailored to students’ individual needs. Morning and/or afternoon enrollment will be based on each child’s specific need. An additional special educator will be joining our staff to provide services for children with more involved needs. These students have previously been required to attend the Sullivans School. With this additional staffing and added program, we are happy to keep these children here in Ikego beginning this fall eliminating the long bus ride to Yokosuka base. We will continue to offer a modified multiage program based on the teaching staff returning this fall. We will fully implement partial Spanish immersion in Kindergarten through second grades. We will pre-implement the program to third grade this school year. To complement our immersion program, we will add a Spanish language specialist who will provide foreign language instruction to all kindergarten and first grade classes.

If you are a future Ikego school parent joining our school community, please visit our school office soon so that you can complete the registration process required prior to the first day of school. The school office is open this summer for visitors, 0900-1100 and 1200-1500. I invite you to our August New Comer’s Orientation, Friday August 17, 1500-1600. RSVP with the school office by Wednesday, August 15. Open house for all students and families will be held the afternoon of the first day of school Monday, August 27, at 1445 with a general session in the courtyard, followed by two informational sessions in the classrooms at 1500 and 1530. Do not hesitate to contact the school office for more information, 246-8320.

I hope you enjoy your visit to our Website. I am here to assist and support you in any way I can. Please e-mail me, Walter Wilhoit or the Webmaster with questions or concerns. I look forward to partnering with you to make Ikego a GREAT PLACE FOR KIDS! And to keep, “Lighting the Way to the Future!”

Walter Wilhoit
校長 Principal
DSN 246-8320
CIV 046-806-8320

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