Current Class Offerings (In Person)
French and Japanese Classes (2024-2025)Please register for classes here
Infants (for ages 1-2) Preschool Age Children (for ages 2-5) Morning language immersion programs in Japanese and French are play-based programs designed to introduce children to the sounds, words, and tones of the language using hand games, songs, dance and crafts. Targeted skills include increasing vocabulary, listening comprehension and concentration. Maximum class size is 12. Weekly Schedule French: Mondays 9AM-12PM Japanese: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursday, & Fridays, 9AM-12PM Infant Monthly Tuition 1 class/week: $200 2 classes/week: $380 3 classes/week: $540 4 classes/week: $660 5 classes/week: $820 Preschool Age Monthly Tuition 1 class/week: $190 2 classes/week: $365 3 classes/week: $525 4 classes/week: $655 5 classes/week: $785 Drop in classes (9AM-12PM) Your child can attend morning classes on a drop in basis if we have space available in a given class (fewer than 12 enrolled students). Tuition for each drop in class is $50/day. Please contact Blue Moon to find out which days are currently available for drop in classes. After care service (12PM-3PM) After care is available after classes conclude for children older than 18 months on a drop in basis for $40/day, OR on an ongoing basis together with morning class (after 9AM-12PM) for $30/day. School Age Children (for ages 5 and up) Japanese Language Classes: Private and group Japanese lessons are available in the afternoons for children aged 5 and up. Classes are divided by both age and language ability (complete beginner, able to understand, able to speak), so please contact us to find out which group might be best for your child. Monthly prices for Group Japanese Classes: 1 day per week. - $85 for 30 minutes - $105 for 45 minutes - $125 for 60 minutes - $165 for 90 minutes Monthly prices for Private Japanese Classes: 1 day per week -$120 for 30 minutes -$160 for 45 minutes -$200 for 60 minutes -$320 for 90 minutes Afterschool Program (for ages 5 and up) We offer an afterschool program from 3pm-6pm. Please contact us for more details. Monthly tuition for the afterschool program is as follows: - 1 day per week: $180 - 2 days per week: $330 - 3 days per week: $450 - 4 days per week: $560 - 5 days per week: $650 Our Schedule We observe the same calendar of vacations and holidays as the Alameda Unified School District; however, we are often open on holidays when the public schools are not. Our calendar is available for review here. Classes for Adults Japanese Classes for Adults are also available starting at $45/hour. Please contact us for scheduling and more details on arrangements. A one-time registration fee of $20 will be collected with your first month's tuition. A yearly materials fee of $30 will also be collected for ALL students 2 years of age and older. To terminate or decrease enrollment (i.e. from 2 days to 1 day per week, etc.), you must notify us in writing at least 30 days prior to your last day in order to avoid a $50 penalty. |
Japanese Cultural Classes
PLEASE NOTE: Our calligraphy (shuuji) and abacus (soroban) classes are currently on hold. We will update this page once we are able to offer it again.
Japanese Calligraphy (shuuji) Shuuji is a Japanese art form that uses special brushes and ink to write Japanese characters. If you've never seen it before, here's a video of calligraphy in action as well as a video reviewing different styles of calligraphy. Many people who start calligraphy as children continue it as a hobby for the rest of their lives. Like other Japanese art forms, calligraphy is not strictly about creating beautiful handwriting, but also about cultivating mindfulness and practicing a meditative state of being and is therefore recommended for children of any age. We offer a Japanese Calligraphy (shuuji) class for children (ages 5 and up) and adults:
------------------------ Japanese Abacus (soroban) Soroban is a type of manual calculator that has been used in Japan for hundreds of years before the invention of electronic calculators. Calculations are done by moving beads on a wire. Soroban teaches math concepts, improves math speed, and develops fine motor control. Check out these videos of Japanese kids using soroban to do super fast math & a 7-year-old adding up ridiculously huge numbers! The earliest age to start learning the abacus (soroban) is around 3 years old when the concept of numbers is gradually becoming understood. 5 to 6 years old is also a good time to start learning soroban because the development of the right brain is active. Another benefit of starting around that age is they will familiarize themselves with mathematical concepts using the soroban before beginning math classes in elementary school. It may help them develop confidence when those concepts are introduced in school! In Japan, there is an official testing system for both calligraphy and abacus, (similar to the belt test system used by karate and other martial arts so students can advance and earn rank). Since Blue Moon is not a member of those organizations, we cannot award official certificates of advancement; however, we would like to invite students to earn Blue Moon certificates of advancement as they progress and improve their skills in calligraphy and abacus! |