Staff members have been busy planning, preparing, organizing, cleaning, and doing all the things we do to get ready to welcome a new group of students back to school. All the preparation feels a bit empty until that first day of school when we hear the enthusiastic chatter, see the eager faces, and join in the exciting adventure of another year of learning.

Welcome back to school at CAJ!

This year we will be intentionally emphasizing our vision for what we do: Equipping students to serve Japan and the world for Christ. We are entering our seventieth year as a school, and it seems appropriate to look closely at why we are here and what we strive to accomplish in all we do. Whether we are teaching kindergarten students their letters, exposing middle school students to the scientific method, introducing high school students to Shakespeare, demonstrating shooting a basketball, singing a scale, using shading in a sketch, or balancing an equation, we seek to equip students for lives of service. We also want them to know and understand the world in which they serve: this amazing culture of Japan and the magnificent world God has created. We realize the importance of providing our students with ways to apply what they are learning through age-appropriate opportunities for service. 

We do all of this in a community. An African proverb reminds us, "It takes a village to raise a child," and we are grateful for all the families who are a part of this "village" of CAJ, who volunteer, who encourage, and who pray for us.  As a parent of four CAJ graduates, I am eternally grateful for all the teachers, support staff, friends, and other parents who made up the community who helped equip my children. I hope you feel welcomed and included in this challenging and important vision to equip a new generation of students, and that this would be a school year filled with opportunities for us to serve together.