Best High School

[MrAndMrsBMW]

I have two teens that will finish their highschool years in Oki. We will be arriving in December but, I have a sophmore girl and a freshmen son who love playing sports. What would be the best High School to enroll them in???

[Crazysix]

OCSI is a a good school it is a private Christian school with many American students

http://www.ocsi.org/
http://www.ocsi.org/parents.htm

[DoctorP]

Depends on who you ask. Ask an AF family they will say Kadena High School. Ask a Marine family they will probably say Kubasaki. It really doesn't matter one way or the other.

[Muku]

OCSI is a a good school it is a private Christian school with many American students

http://www.ocsi.org/
http://www.ocsi.org/parents.htm
And I know plenty of people that say that the current OCSI is crap too.

I place the emphasis on the current, although I will say their facilities are pretty damn good for a private school such as it is here in Okinawa. It's just too freeking far away in the boondocks of Yomitan.

[Ammoyankee]

I have been told by adults who live here and attended OCSI that the school wasn't that good and to keep my children in the DODDS system. Since my children did not attend OCSI, it's hearsay I guess.

I have/had two children attend Kadena HS and I have nothing but good to say about that school, they bend over backwards to ensure students do well. At least they did for mine.

I have a son in the states who attended his senior yr at Abilene HS after being here and he said that Abilene seems easy comapred to Kadena. So, DODDS must have a better curriculum.

[Isaak Brodsky]

I've heard both good and bad about both OCSI and about Kadena/Kubasaki. I'm concerned mostly about academics and a safe environment. My students who graduated from Kubasaki say that gang activity has affected their ability to get the most of high school while my OCSI graduates say that the limited facilities probably made them less competitive for top colleges in the US. Of course, many other factors weigh into a good education - most of it having to do with the individual student's motiviation and overall desire to succeed. Ultimately, a school is only as good as the people invested in it who push one another. Your children can enjoy an excellent education at either place so long as you - the parent - inspire them at home and the teacher inspires them in class.

[dk]

Which is more important? Having your kids spend an hour every day studying the bible for a grade, or having your kids spend that hour studying something more... educational?

If you don't mind them spending an hour a day in a bible class, then OCS is a valid option. I went to OCS from kindergarten to graduation. When I have kids, they'll be going somewhere else. I don't hate the school. I just wish I had been studying Calculus more during that one-hour all those years... And I wouldn't put the education as top-notch. I did have a few great teachers though, but I don't credit the school with that. Those teacher would have been excellent anywhere.

In my opinion, send them to a base school.

Edit: You guys aren't going to get me to say OCSI... The name changed to OCSI I believe my senior year, but it'll always be OCS to me... Just like it'll always exist in my mind in Urasoe City, not Yomitan.

[socalheart]

Since your teens are big on spports, I recommend DODDS Kadena HS. I also went to OCS. It's a decent school for conservative, religious type folks. It has a small sports curriculum though. They've just built a brand spanking new school on Kadena which is rumoured to be for high school. It has a lot of whistles and bells.

[DoctorP]

Since your teens are big on spports, I recommend DODDS Kadena HS. I also went to OCS. It's a decent school for conservative, religious type folks. It has a small sports curriculum though. They've just built a brand spanking new school on Kadena which is rumoured to be for high school. It has a lot of whistles and bells.

The new school is another middle school, not high school.

[socalheart]

The new school is another middle school, not high school.

Wow! lucky middle school kids! That looks like an awesome school. :w00t:

[DoctorP]

Wow! lucky middle school kids! That looks like an awesome school. :w00t:

yes...it's huge. Called Ryukyu Middle School.

[ryukyuboi]

I don't think you have a choice of which base school you would enroll your kids, unless you request and receive a waiver from DoDDS. Otherwise, the particular zone you live in requires students to attend the school in which that area is zoned. In other words, where you live determines the school.

[Tony Stacks]

My students who graduated from Kubasaki say that gang activity has affected their ability to get the most of high school .


Gang activity? They must be from the mean streets of base Housing oh no lmao

sorry I just couldnt resist :D

[Ammoyankee]

Gang activity? They must be from the mean streets of base Housing oh no lmao

sorry I just couldnt resist :D

They actualy do have one or two gangs here that are bad. Some serious beatings have occured, they just don't have the guns! I thing one of them is called KM for Korrupt Minds or something like that. Obviously, they do not have the high membership numbers as gangs in the states but 20 or 30 here could be damaging. Rumored to have been started by an active duty Marine when he was a dependent here...

[Tony Stacks]

They actualy do have one or two gangs here that are bad. Some serious beatings have occured, they just don't have the guns! I thing one of them is called KM for Korrupt Minds or something like that. Obviously, they do not have the high membership numbers as gangs in the states but 20 or 30 here could be damaging. Rumored to have been started by an active duty Marine when he was a dependent here...


I've grew up around this shit and it sucks. I don't know why they would want it or think it's so glamerous. That's one of the reason I joined the military in the 1st place is to get away from that shit and why i stayed here after getting out.

[Ammoyankee]

I've grew up around this shit and it sucks. I don't know why they would want it or think it's so glamerous. That's one of the reason I joined the military in the 1st place is to get away from that shit and why i stayed here after getting out.

I can understand that... Seems to be a problem with the military that has been addressed in the news several times recently about gang members joining the military, especially the Army since they have relaxed their enlistment requirements more than the other branches of service.
I guess alot of these yahoos are joining, getting the weapons and tactics and other combat training and then getting out and teaching the methods on the street to the gangs which makes them all the more dangerous.

[Tony Stacks]

I can understand that... Seems to be a problem with the military that has been addressed in the news several times recently about gang members joining the military, especially the Army since they have relaxed their enlistment requirements more than the other branches of service.
I guess alot of these yahoos are joining, getting the weapons and tactics and other combat training and then getting out and teaching the methods on the street to the gangs which makes them all the more dangerous.


I don't think the problem is as bad as the drive by media wants people to think.

I know of many Marines who were either in a gang or grew up around it and the military was their way out and saved their lives. Many are SNCO's, Gunners, or just those who did a contract and left but either way are law abiding citizens.

I think it's just the 1% or less that join with alternate motives along with the shitbirds that cause trouble off base and people like that will be everywhere.

[okisteve]

I've grew up around this shit and it sucks. I don't know why they would want it or think it's so glamerous. That's one of the reason I joined the military in the 1st place is to get away from that shit and why i stayed here after getting out.

Tony, are you from Holyoke, by any chance?

[Tony Stacks]

Tony, are you from Holyoke, by any chance?

yea i lived in Holyoke in the flats ans Springfield north end

[Takako]

I was an Army brat and went to most Army DoDDs schools. We would have some Air Force kids and Marine kids and the Marine kids always seemed to be more rebellious. I would think the same would apply here. Do you want your kids going to a school with a majority Marine Kids or Air Force kids?

[okifamily3]

For the most part you wont have a choice. If you live on Kadena, you will go to Kadena, if you live on Foster, you will go to Foster (unless you can get a waiver). I'm a Kadena kid and my co-workers are from Kubasaki. I say Kadena and they say Kubasaki. It all depends. In my opinion (and not because I went to Kadena), I think its a bit rough at Kubasaki. There were alot of fights and violence when I was young. I dont think Kadena was as bad. I'm sure both schools were equal, education wise. I think either school would be ok. I dont think one is way better then the other.

[Mapit8888]

Rebellious kids are rebellious kids no matter where they come from. Just about any school has its good and bad. I have heard a lot of complaints about OCSI from other parents. My oldest daughter is enrolled at Kubasaki. Seems to be a good school. I only had a problem with one teacher. I hope that all DoDDS teachers do not have the same opinion about education as her. In my opinion, she was more about get them through then teach them. She wasn't about educating the children. Give them these easy classes so they will pass. I couldn't believe it.

[JaneP]

I went to OCS from age 5-13, Kubasaki during freshman year and Kadena junior and senior year. (Yokota sophomore year, but that's not on island!)

To be honest, the drawback with OCS is its lack of activities. That was the primary reason I moved to DoDDS. The opportunities simply aren't as great as they are at Kadena and Kubasaki.

Kadena High School was the best fit for me, honestly. From what I remember (having graduated only a few years ago), most of the teachers were friendly and interacted well with the students and were always concerned about progress. Oh, and Kadena offers a lot of clubs and activities!