New Mandarin immersion program in NC

Mandarin Chinese immersion classes to debut in Cabarrus district

Language program will start next year at Cox Mill Elementary
By Lisa Thornton
Correspondent
Posted: Friday, Feb. 20, 2015
Rising kindergartners in Cabarrus County Schools will have the option next year to learn the majority of their lessons in Mandarin Chinese instead of English.

The new SPLASH Mandarin Chinese Immersion Program will be the first of its kind in the county where students will spend 90 percent of their instructional day studying core subjects like math and science in Chinese.

“It’s the best way to learn a language,” said Alison Moore, principal at Cox Mill Elementary School, where the new immersion program will be housed.

Next year, Cox Mill, one of the largest elementary schools in the system, will offer two of its eight kindergarten classes in Chinese.

Priority for the 48 available seats will go to Cox Mills families. The remaining slots will go into a lottery for other rising kindergartners within the county who can provide their own transportation.

Read more here.