Mandarin Immersion Parents Council

Christopher Rosenberg, Aka Principal Rosenberg

Mr. Rosenberg was a teacher at Starr King for eight years before becoming its principal five years ago, in 2003. He speaks English and Spanish and has learned to sing Happy Birthday in Chinese. He ably guides Starr King’s four strands — English, Spanish bilingual, Mandarin immersion and Special Education.
“I like helping kids construct meaning.”

Li Berkley, Aka Cong Laoshi

Kindergarten teacher, Room 107 substitute while Ms. Chang is on maternity leave this spring.

Ms. Berkley is originally from Beijing, China. She taught at elementary schools in China and was a professor of Chinese and English at the North China Coal Mining Medical College. She has taught in the San Francisco Bay area for five years, most recently in the Vallejo Unified School District. She will be filling in for Ms. Chang in Room 207 during Ms. Chang’s maternity leave.

Esther Chau, Aka Zhou Laoshi

Second grade, Room 211
Ms. Chau is from Taipei in Taiwan. She has been a teacher for 12 years. She has taught in both private and public high schools, as well as teaching at two charter schools in the Bay area. In addition, she owned a learning center that offered science, math, art and Mandarin enrichment. This is her first year at Starr King.
“Teaching really fulfills me. I can use it to help kids, especially because Mandarin is difficult so learning it is a big accomplishment. I take education very seriously. I have a passion for education and teaching, as a way to reach out to many children.”
“I love children. I’d like to touch their lives, It’s a chance to touch the future.”

Sandy Sung, Aka Sung Laoshi

Room 109, Starr King 1st grade teacher
Ms. Sung is from Taipei, Taiwan. She came to the United States 15 years ago and taught in Los Angeles before coming to Starr King as a Mandarin immersion teacher in 2007. She has been a teacher for seven years, teaching both Chinese and piano. In Los Angeles she taught at Hacienda La Puerta school.
“Teaching is so wonderful because you help the children and you get to . see the light bulb turn on in their head! And we learn so much from each other every day.”

Ina To, Aka To Laoshi

Room 105
Ms. To is originally from Hong Kong. She has been in the United States for 18 years, 13 as an elementary school teacher. She went to college and got her teaching certificate in New York City and then came to the Bay area.
“Children are so open-hearted!” she says of her students.

Helen Tong, Aka Tong Laoshi

Room 109
Ms. Tong is originally from Canton, China. She speaks English, Cantonese and Mandarin. This is her fourth year of teaching. Her first year in the San Francisco Unified School District was teaching at Alice Fong Yu Elementary, the Cantonese immersion school. She came to Starr King in 2007.
She loves teaching “because every day is something new. It’s so fun when the kids are trying to express themselves in Mandarin.

Angelica Chang aka Chang Laoshi
Starr King, Kindergarten teacher, Room 107

Ms. Chang was born in Taipei, Taiwan. She’s been a teacher for ten years, three at Starr King in the Mandarin immersion program. She began by volunteering a San Francisco Saturday Chinese school. She got her teaching credential and B-CLAD four years ago.
“I like everything about teaching. I was making a big tooth as a prop for class one day and I turned to my husband and I said ‘I can’t believe I’m getting paid for this!’”