• What’s interesting about this for Mandarin immersion parents is that the Spring Education Group, which owns more than 220 schools in 19 states, runs Stratford Schools in Los Angeles and San Francisco. One of those San Francisco schools offers a Mandarin immersion program. I had not realized Stratford was part of such a large, for-profit network of schools.

    Spring Education Group consists of 28 “school brands” at least two of which, Stratford and L’Etoile French Immersion School in Portland, Oregon, offer immersion.

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) office announced Friday the suspension of school choice scholarships to four schools over their alleged “direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party.”

    The Hill, by Tara Suter, Sept. 23, 2023

    “Through a thorough investigation, [the Florida Department of Education] has determined that Lower and Upper Sagemont Preparatory Schools in Weston, Parke House Academy in Winter Park, and Park Maitland School in Winter Park have direct ties to the CCP and their connections constitute an imminent threat to the health, safety, and welfare of these school’s students and the public,” reads a news release from the governor’s office.

    The release also noted a bill DeSantis signed into law in May barring private schools in the state from “participating in an educational scholarship program” if they are “owned or operated by a person or an entity domiciled in, owned by, or in any way controlled by a foreign country of concern or foreign principal.” The law then references a different law that lists China as a “country of concern.”

    Please read more here.

    Schools respond after FDOE suspends scholarships over accusations of “Chinese Communist Party” ties

    Story here.

    Caught in the middle: Chinese scholars targeted by new Florida laws that take aim at China

    Story here.

    • From Utah to Michigan, half-day programmes in which regular classes are taught entirely in Chinese find fervent support among parents
    • Desire for children to get global perspective and life opportunities drives demand

    Bochen Han in Washington

    South China Morning Post 27 Dec, 2023

    What does Washington, DC, have in common with Provo, Utah? Or Greenville, Michigan? Or Overland Park, Kansas?

    All are home to publicly funded Mandarin immersion programmes, where kids as young as three years old spend half of each school day taking their regular classes – like math, science or physical education – entirely in Chinese.

    Most of the programmes began during a period of American engagement with China under the administration of Barack Obama, when Mandarin was increasingly seen as a language of global business, optimism for bilateral cooperation was the norm and federal grants for Chinese language learning were more abundant.

    In 2015, Obama pledged that by 2020, 1 million American students would be learning Mandarin.

    Please read more here.

  • K-dramas out of Korea get all the press, but there are popular ones in Chinese as well. Here’s a nice list of high school and college-age-focused dramas, all romances (are there any other kind?)

    To watch them it looks like one might have to get an account on Rakuten Viki, which is an Asian-focused streaming service that costs $5.99 a month as far as I can tell.

    The one thing I like about Asian shows is that they don’t feature high schoolers having steamy sex every other second. The thing I don’t like about Asian shows is that too often the female characters are long-suffering while the men get to be jerks. But thankfully that seems to be less common than it was a decade ago.

    And yes, our family did watch all 16 episodes of Crash Landing on You. Some, and I won’t name names, watched it several times. It’s total fluff and requires a fair amount of putting aside reality (life in North Korea is not in fact simply an austere version of Green Acres). But then, I grew up enjoying Hogans Heros, and I of course now realize life in a German POW camp wasn’t a laugh-riot either.

    Here are a couple of ideas for your kids as they’re at loose ends over the holidays.

    12 Chinese School Dramas to Add to Your Watch List

    Looking for something new to watch? These Chinese school shows might be worth it.

    BYASHLEY HAJIMIRSADEGHI

    MovieWeb SEP 9, 2023

    Like many other international dramas, Chinese-language shows are having a moment on the global stage. While they may not have achieved as much attention as, for example, Korean historical shows or Japanese romances, Chinese shows have been creating a solid niche for themselves in the international network of drama fans. Some of the most famous television series from mainland China include historical dramas and fantasies, many of which draw on the rich cultural history of the country and regions surrounding it. Those familiar with television shows from the area are able to note how they implement elements of Chinese mythology and costuming to create extravagant sets in historical periods.

    Please read more here.

  • OCDE Newsroom, Education News from Orange County and beyond

    By Vicky Nguyen, Feb. 16, 2023

    Students in the Anaheim Elementary School District as young as transitional kindergarteners will soon be learning and speaking Mandarin.

    Anaheim Elementary School District logo

    With the Board of Education’s stamp of approval and support from district families, the school district is expanding its dual language immersion program with the addition of the Mandarin Chinese language in the 2023-24 school year. Students in the district are already learning Spanish and Korean, depending on which campus they attend.

    “Studies have shown that a new language creates a strong foundation for academic success and career opportunities later in life,” said Superintendent Dr. Christopher Downing. “We cannot wait to have Mandarin spoken in our classrooms.”

    Mandarin ranks second in the top 10 most spoken languages in the world. It is one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

    The district designated Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School as the inaugural campus to bring the program to students.

    Please read more here.

  • I just heard from a teacher who had taught in the Jenks Public Schools Mandarin immersion program that the district is phasing it out and no new Kindergarten classes have begun since the 2021-2022 school year.

    The program was established with great fanfare in 2010. It launched at Southeast Elementary School in Jenks and fed to the Sino-Trojan Academy at East Intermediate School.

    It began with a $1.5 million award through the US Department of Education’s critical language program in 2009. The program was meant to continue through high school and on to the University of Oklahoma’s Chinese language program.

    The Jenks Mandarin immersion program was the only one in the entire state of Oklahoma.

    Does anyone have information about why the program is being phased out? I can’t find much online.

    Jenks is a suburb of Tusla, Oklahoma, one of the fastest-growing cities in the state

  •   Lucie Krisman   

    Blue Valley task force nearly finished analyzing Chinese Immersion program

    A group of parents, teachers and administrators tasked with helping determine the fate of Blue Valley’s Chinese Immersion program is nearing the end of its work.

    For months, the group has been working toward a solution to the sustainability concerns the district raised about the six-year-old immersion program earlier this year.

    The task force will come back to the Blue Valley Board of Education with a final recommendation this fall.

    Please read more here.

    Blue Valley District page on Mandarin immersion.

    More on this issue.

    A possible Board of Education meeting on the issue is scheduled for November 13.

  • We’re up to 389 schools. Click here to see the most recent list. Changes below:

    School changes: October, 2023

    Additions

    California:

    Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School

    Anaheim Elementary School District

    Public, 0 – 6

    Anaheim, CA

    Opened 2023-2024

    Betty Reid Soskin Middle School

    West Contra Costa Unified, California

    Public, 6 – 8 (continuation of K – 5 program)

    El Sobrante, CA

    2024-2025

    Irvine Chinese Immersion Academy

    Charter, 0 – 8

    Irvine, CA

    Opened 2023-2024

    Randall World Languages School

    Milpitas Unified School District

    Public, 0 – 5

    Milpitas, CA

    Opened 2023-2024

    Bertrand Hsu American & Chinese Bicultural Academy

    Private, 0 -12

    San Francisco, CA

    Opened 2023-2024

    Closures

    Cave Creek District

    Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

    Phoenix Arizona

    Program cut due to budgetary reasons.

    https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/parents-upset-over-school-districts-decision-to-cut-mandarin-chinese-language-immersion-program

    Changes May 2023

    Additions

    Springbridge International School

    Looks like it began Kindergarten in 2014-2015

    San Jose, CA. K – 8

    International School of the Peninsula has changed its name to Silicon Valley International School.

    February 2023

    Additions

    Texas

    LakeCreek Montessori International School

    (formerly Jordan International Montessori School)

    Austin. K – 6 private.

    Additions

    California:

    Hopkins Junior High School will be the continuation of the Fremont, California Mandarin immersion program from Lila Bringhurst Elementary.

    Illinois:

    Addams Junior High School, Continuation of the program that begins at Campanelli Elementary. Schaumburg, Illinois

    Oregon:

    Bolton Primary School, West Linn, Oregon. The program began with Kindergarten in the fall of 2022.

    Palisades World Language School, Lake Oswego, Oregon. The public program launched this year with a Kindergarten. The school was already home to a Spanish immersion program that’s been running since 2011.

    Moved:

    Fremont, California Mandarin immersion program has moved from Azevada Elementary to Lila Bringhurst Elementary.

    Kensington Wade School in London has moved to a new location at Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 9ER

    Closure:

    PUC Preparatory Academy, Los Angeles. Charter school. Opened in 2017. Closed in 2021.

    November 2022

    Additions

    California:

    Hidden Valley Elementary in Chino Hills, CA, east of Los Angeles. The program began with Kindergarten in the fall of 2022.

    Pasadena’s Mandarin immersion program has now reached high school. The program begins at Field Elementary, then feeds to Sierra Madre Middle School and finally reached Pasadena High School.

    Cornerstone school in Palo Alto offers Kindergarten through fifth grade Mandarin immersion. I have emailed to ask them when the program began and whether they teach Simplified or Traditional chracters.

    San Diego’s Pacific Beach Middle School continues the Mandarin immersion program that begins at Carver Elementary. The program then feeds to Mission High school.                     

    Colorado:

    International School of Denver, private K – 8. Was Colorado International School

    Idaho:

    Rigby, Idaho’s Jefferson Joint School District extended its Mandarin immersion program to high school in the 2021-2022 school year. The program begins at South Fork Elementary, continues at Rigby Middle school and follows through at Rigby High school.

    Indiana:

    The Batesville Community School Corporation in Batesville, Indiana this year built out its Mandarin immersion program to middle school. The program begins at Batesville Primary School, Kindergarten through 2nd grade, then feeds to Batesville Intermediate School, 3rd through 5th grade. This year it continued to Batesville Middle School with the first 6th grade class.

    Michigan:

    Greenville Middle School (added 2019) and Greenville High School (added 2022) in Greenville, Michigan as the program in the Greenville Public Schools in this rural western Michigan program begins its high school portion. I don’t have full information on what the high school program consists of.

    The Mandarin immersion program at Zeeland Christian School will continue at Holland Christian High School.

    North Carolina:

    In North Carolina’s Chapel Hill area, the Carrboro City Schools have two grade schools with Mandarin immersion strands, Cox Mill Elementary and Harrisburg Elementary. They now feed to the newly-built Roberta Road Middle School.

    Oregon:

    The Mandarin immersion program in Eugene, Oregon, which launched in 2017 in Kindergarten, has now reached sixth grade. The entire program has moved into Kennedy Middle School and the district is working to create a K – 8 school at the new 2200 Bailey Hill Road site. A shout out to the principal, Jennifer Hebard, who took the time to email me and update about the move!

    South Carolina:

    Music Math Multilingual Christian Academy offers Mandarin immersion for Kindergarten through 5th grade. The school began as Charis Learning Center in 2019 and was revamped as a Christian Mandarin immersion school in 2022.

    Utah:

    The Jordan School District’s Mandarin immersion program now include 10 schools. Students at the high school level do not begin their bridge program until 10th grade, so not all programs are available in all listed school as some schools don’t yet have 10th grade students.

    The Utah model follows this progression:

                K – 6                Mandarin immersion

                7 – 8                Mandarin immersion

                9                      AP Language and Culture

                10 – 12            Dual Language University Bridge Program                

                Eastlake Elementary

                Foothills Elementary

                Monte Vista Elementary

                Southland Elementary

                Oquirrh Hills Middle School

                South Jordan Middle School

                South Hills Middle School

                Riverton High School

                Herriman High School

                Bingham High School

                Mountain Ridge High School

    Washington:

    International Friends School in Bellevue, Washington launched its first Kindergarten class in 2020-2021, its first 1st grade in 2021 and its first 2nd grade in 2022. The private school began as a preschool but had always planned to become a K – 8 immersion school over time.

    INTERNTIONAL

    China:

    3E International School in Beijing. A Mandarin/English 50.50% immersion school in the Chaoyang District. The private school was founded in 2005.

    Malaysia:

    Epsom International School, in Malaysia. This “British inspired” boarding school added a Mandarin immersion track last year. Classes are taught in English and Mandarin.

    Deletions

    Oakley Elementary, in the Fulton County School District in Georgia, appears to have closed its Mandarin immersion program. The district has three Spanish immersion schools but no longer lists a Mandarin immersion program. In 2017 the Atlanta Journal Constitution ran an article about the program

    https://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/fulton-schools-hope-profit-from-teaching-mandarin/beRmsDuoZ35wnscueRnPML/

    In Rhode Island, the Pawtucket School Department no longer appears to have a Mandarin immersion program at Potter Burns Annex.

    Seashore Academy, Newport Beach, CA. This says it’s Mandarin immersion but they don’t seem to have any indication that 50% of the academic day is spent in Mandarin. My guess is that they just offer a Mandarin class.

    Maylan Academy, Decatur, GA. This had originally said it would be a K – 8 but now appears to be only a preschool.

    2021 changes

    Additions:

    Delaware

                Newark High School

                9-12

                Newark, DE

    Christina School District’s Mandarin immersion program began feeding to Newark in the 2021-2022 school year. 100 students started Chinese immersion in kindergarten and 47 continued into high school. Most of them took the AP Chinese exam in the spring of 2022 and will then have the option of taking college-level courses at the high school, from teachers trained by the University of Delaware to give college-level instruction and then are designated as adjunct faculty members.

    Colorado

    Colorado International Language Academy

    0 – 5

    Colorado Springs, CO

    This fell off the list. Originally it was Global Village Academy charter school in Colorado Springs. It changed its name and management model and beginning July 1, 2019 will be the Colorado International Language Academy. The school was part of the Global Village charter collaborative but is now an independent charter school.

    Deletions

    Colorado

    The International School of Denver and Denver Montclair International School merged in 2009, so I’ve removed Denver Montclair International School from the list.

    Colorado International School

                No longer seems to exist.

    Delaware

    Due to student attrition, two Delaware school districts are discontinuing their Mandarin immersion programs. I haven’t yet removed the schools from the list because the programs haven’t yet been closed, but it is coming.

    As of the spring of 2022:

    Students in second through sixth grade in the Colonial School District will continue in the program through eighth grade, but no new students are being admitted, and kindergarten and first grade students will return to traditional programming in the fall, according to Nneka Jones, Colonial’s assistant superintendent.

    With fewer students enrolling at the kindergarten level and older students steadily dropping out, Red Clay stopped admitting children to its Chinese immersion program at Linden Hill Elementary last fall. The program will continue until current students finish fifth grade, Shaw says.

    See here for more info.

    https://www.delawarepublic.org/show/the-green/2022-05-27/assessing-language-immersion-after-a-decade-in-delaware-schools

    April 2022 – ADDITIONS

    California

    Balboa School

    K-12, private

    Escondido, CA.

    Opened 2020 (still checking this to confirm)

    North Carolina

    ILIM (International Multi-Language Immersion

    601 North Polk Street, Pineville NC 28134

    K – 5

    The site says the school teachers in four languages, Mandarin, English, Spanish and Arabic. It’s not clear what part of the school day takes place in Mandarin.

    CLOSURES

    Baton Rouge International School

    Founded in 2000, the school, which offered immersion in Spanish, French and Mandarin, is closing at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. The headmaster said a COVID-related drop in enrollment is behind the closure.

    March 2022 – ADDITIONS

    California

    Avenues: Silicon Valley

    K – 8, private. San Jose, CA.

    This is the first West coast outpost of New York’s Avenues: The World School, which opened in 2011. It’s opening a middle school first, grades 6 – 9, a rarity in new schools.

    Bell Tower School

    K-8 Private, Alhambra, CA

    ShuRen School

    San Jose Campus

    San Jose, CA 95125

                Long in Berkeley, is opening a San Jose campus 2022-2023

    Santa Fe Computer Science Magnet School, Monrovia Unified School District

    148 West Duarte Road, Monrovia, CA

    The Middle School the district’s MI program feeds to.

    Frontiers Academy

    Has moved from Anaheim to nearby Costa Mesa, California

    Kennedy Middle School

    The Mandarin immersion program of the Redwood City School District, which begins at Orion Alternative Elementary School (formerly John Gill Elementary) reached sixth grade and moved to Kennedy Middle School in the 2021-2022 school year. The program will continue at Woodside High School in 4 years.

    Minnesota

    Lakes International Language Academy

    K-12 charter school, Forest Lake, Minn.

    Started 2004-2005, also has Spanish immersion track

    North Junior High School

    6 – 8, opened 2013-2014 school year, St. Cloud, Minn.

    This is the continuation of program at Guang Ming Academy @Madison Elementary

    Apollo High School

    9 – 12, St. Cloud Minnesota

    This is the continuation of the Mandarin immersion program that begins at Guang Ming Academy. The first cohort arrived in the 2017-2018 school year.

    New Jersey

    Maurice Hawk Elementary School, West Windsor, NJ.

    Program launched 2018-2019 school year. Has now reached 4th grade.

    New York

    Pine Street School

    Private,K-5, Manhattan.

    Launched in 2017-2018. Also has Spanish immersion track

    Oregon

    Harriet Tubman Middle School, 6 – 8

    Portland, Oregon

    Utah

    Tooele Junior High School, Tooele, Utah

    Program reached 7th grade in the 2021-2022 school year.

                The program will continue at Tooele High School in the 2024-2025 school year.

    Washington

    Bel-Red Bilingual Academy

    0 – 8, Bellevue, Washington

    Launched 2019-2020

    Wyoming

    CY Middle School

    Casper, Wyoming

    Program progressed from grade school 2019-2020

    CHANGES

    E.E. Waddell Language Academy, a K-8 public school in Charlotte, NC, has changed its name to South Academy of International Languages (SAIL)

    CLOSURE

    Horseshoe Trails Elementary School

    At the end of the 2020-2021 school year the Cave Creek Unified School District closed the Mandarin immersion program at Horseshoe Trails, which was founded in 2015. It has just gotten to middle school. More here:

    https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/parents-upset-over-school-districts-decision-to-cut-mandarin-chinese-language-immersion-program

    CE Academy

    This charter school outside Raleigh, NC had planned to open this fall, but COVID-19 made that impossible. They haven’t given up but it’s been a rough year.

    101 Preston Executive Drive, Cary, NC 27513

    Opening 2021-2022

    Location not yet determined

    Education

    April 2021

    Science Language and Arts International School

    9 Hanover Place, Brooklyn, NY 11201

    (718) 636-3836

    K – 8

    Two immersion programs, French and Mandarin

    Founded 2011, Mandarin track began in 2020-2021.

    Rondo Elementary School, Eastvale, CA

    New K – 5 50/50 Mandarin immersion program beginning in the fall of 2021.

    International School of San Antonio

    French and Chinese immersion preschool, ages 2 – 12.

    They plan to add a Mandarin immersion track beginning in Kindergarten which will continue through grade school in the 2021-2022 school year.

    Brilliant Star Montessori School, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

    This Montessori school goes through 6th grade and offers some form of Mandarin immersion, though it’s not entirely clear what from their website. The school itself was founded in 2000. I can’t tell when Mandarin was added. It’s certainly the only Mandarin program in this U.S. Commonwealth. It is near Guam in the Philippine Sea.

    www.brilliantstar.org/staff

    Not immersion

    Brooklyn Global Prep, Brooklyn, NY

    This is a preschool through Kindergarten school that appears to have opened in 2020. It has It doesn’t yet have an elementary school program so I’m not including it on my list but note it here as it seems they might build up into a grade school at some point.

    Dallas International School

    They’re really a French immersion school that offered Mandarin classes

    Founded in 1987, Dallas International School is the only private international school in Dallas offering a fully bilingual French and English program that also includes a third language in Spanish, Mandarin and German. With its internationally renowned curriculum and multiple language instruction, the school prides itself on a small class size approach, offering students the exposure to diverse cultural views through a rigorous, premiere educational experience. From Pre-School to 12th grade, Dallas International School prepares students for academic competitiveness thanks to its successfully-proven hybrid education system between a French and American-based curriculum. Offering an attractive French Immersion Program (FIP), Dallas International School gives non-native French speakers the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the French language with the goal of becoming fluent and compelling as strong candidates for college and university placements once they graduate from high school (12th grade). The school also offers a strong Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and German language program. Dallas International School is committed to guiding students to lead fulfilling lives and become global leaders of tomorrow.

    For more information, please visit: http://www.dallasinternationalschool.org

    June 2020

    Fremont, CA Mandarin immersion program

    The program is building out!

    “For the 2019/2020 school year, we have 14 classes; 2 each for grades kindergarten through sixth grade at Azevada Elementary School. Additionally, there are 2 seventh and 1 eighth grade class at Hopkins Jr. High School. We also have 17 students enrolled in the 9th grade at Mission San Jose High School. In total, there are about 400 children in the program now. According to the latest survey of parents representing 69% of the children in the program, 73% of the families speak English, 15% speak Mandarin, and 9% speak Cantonese as primary languages at home. 59% of the families surveyed also speak a second language in the home at least 10% of the time.”

    Cherrywood Elementary School

    San Jose, CA, Berryessa Union School District

    Launched in 2018-2019

    Oberlin Magnet Middle School

    Raleigh, NC

    The middle school continuation of the Wake County Public School System’s Mandarin immersion program which begins in Stough Elementary School.

    Oak Meadow Elementary School in El Dorado Hills, California has changed its name to Buckeye Union Mandarin Immersion Charter School. https://www.buckeyeusd.org/domain/4702

    St. Michael’s Catholic Academy

    Flushing, NY. Mandarin program launched in 2013.

    Emanuele Elementary School, New Haven Unified School District, Union City, California.

    New program to start Fall 2020.

    Fifer Middle School

    Caesar Rodney School District

    Continuation of the program that began in Simpson Elementary in 2013.

    The first middle school class,6th grade, began in 2018.

    Westdale Middle School, Baton Rouge, LA. It will launch in 2020-2021.

    This is the continue of the program at Baton Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet, which launched in 2013.

    Centner Acadamy, Miami, Florida. A private K- 8 school which launched with a preschool and Kindergarten in the fall of 2019.

    Haven Elementary School, Savanna, GA. Launched fall 2019.

    East Light Academy, a charter school in Charleston, SC, has closed.

    Why isn’t Whittle School & Studios on the list?

    This new school, which launched in Washington DC in 2019 and plans to open in New York, lists “Mandarin immersion” as one of its educational offerings. However it doesn’t appear that it actually offers more than Mandarin classes taught entirely in Mandarin. Which is how all languages are pretty much taught these days, so it’s not a big deal. It doesn’t appear to teach any actual subjects in Mandarin. And neither does it offer 50% of the school day taught in Mandarin. Thus, it’s not a Mandarin immersion program by the standards of educations (See the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition for more info.)

    https://carla.umn.edu/immersion/index.html

    a

    March 2020

    ADD

    Yi Hwang Academy of Language Excellence

    Suwanne, Georgia.

    Also offers Korean immersion.

    New Address:

    East Link Academy Charter School, Greenville SC

    December 2019

    ADD

    North Harnett Primary School, Angier, NC, public, K – 2

    Orem High School, Alpine School District, Alpine, Utah, public

    Little Tiger Immersion School, Austin, Texas, private K – 5

    AXIS International Academy, Ft. Collins, Colorado. Charter, K – 5.

    Tessa International School, Hoboken, NJ. Adding a Mandarin immersion track 2020-2021


    Appoquinimink School District, Odessa, Deleware,

    • Kindergarten: Spring Meadow Early Childhood Center (2020)
    • Grades 1-5: Old State Elementary School (2021)

    Center Academy, Miami FL private,  K – 12

    DELETED

    Global Village Academy, Ft. Collins, Colorado. See article here:

    https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2018/12/12/global-village-academy-charter-school-fort-collins-told-close/2291335002/

    August 5, 2019

    Global Village Academy charger school in Colorado Springs has changed its name and management model and beginning July 1, 2019 will be the Colorado International Language Academy. The school was part of the Global Village charter collaborative but is now an independent charter school.

    June 17, 2019

    ADD

    Shelyn Elementary, Rowland Heights, CA

    June 1, 2019

    Mark Twain Middle School

                Feeder school in Los Angeles Unified School District for Broadway Elementary Mandarin immersion program

    Belvedere Elementary School, Aiken, South Carolina

                The district is also adding Spanish and German immersion at two other elementary schools.

    Ms. Lam’s Montessori School, Brooklyn, NY

                Launched an elementary school program after having had a preschool program for several years.

    May 22, 2019

    Additions:

    Wilson Elementary School, San Gabriel, Calif. A K – 5 program opening 2019-2020.

    Socratic Language School, Washington D.C. A K – 5 private school that launched 2018-2019.

    May 13, 2019

    Additions

    Chinese Immersion School, Eugene Oregon (name change, was Crest Elementary.)

    Kennedy Middle School, Eugene Oregon (announced, the first class from the elementary program won’t arrive until 2022)

    Churchill High School, Eugene Oregon (announced, the first class from the middle school program won’t arrive until 2025)

    Remove: Empower Charter School, San Diego. It was supposed to launch with both a Spanish immersion and Mandarin immersion track, but appears to only have a Spanish immersion track.

    May 10, 2019

    Additions

    Sierra Madre Middle School, Pasadena, California

    San Miquel Elementary, LAUSD

    Rigby Middle School, the continuation of the Mandarin program begun six years ago at South Fork Elementary School in Rigby, Idaho

    Orangewood Elementary West Covina Unified, CA

    Lots of Utah additions:

    Horizon Elementary

    Hurricane Intermediate

    Lava Ridge Intermediate

    Sunrise Ridge Intermediate

    Tonaquint Intermediate.

    St. George, Utah

    Mueller Park Junior High School, Bountiful, Utah

    North Park Elementary in North Logan is no longer the host school for the Cache County Chinese DLI. It has been moved to Cedar Ridge Elementary in Hyde Park. 

    Timberline Middle School, Alpine, Utah

    Vista Heights Middle School, Saratoga Spring, Utah

    Adele Young Intermediate School, Brigham City, Utah

    Alta High School, Sandy Utah

    Corner Canyon High School, Draper, Utah

    Brighton High School, Cottonwood Heights, Utah

    Taylorsville High School, Taylorsville, Utah

    Cottonwood High School, Murray, Utah

    Fiddlers Canyon Elementary Cedar City, UT

    Springville Junior High School, Springville, UT

    Bonneville High School, North Ogden, Utah

    (additions as of Jan 25th)

    1 middle

    1 high

    January 2019

    Changes:

    Hope Chinese Charter School, Beaverton, Oregon

    New address

    International Charter School of Atlanta

    Only got through 8th grade. The original plans to be K – 12 have changed.

    2018-12-31

    ADDITIONS:

    Adobe Bluffs Elementary School, Poway Unified School District, San Diego

    AXIS International Academy, Ft. Collins, CO (opening Fall 2019)

    Camelot Prep, Orange, CA K – 12 Private

    Chief Sealth International High School 

    This is the high school portion of Seattle Public Schools’ Mandarin immersion program. It begins at Beacon Hill Elementary and Dearborne Elementary schools, continues at Mercer Middle School and then finishes at Chief Sealth. [Note: Sealth is pronounced See-ELTH. And he was indeed the Salish chief after whom the city was named.]

    Columbia River High School, Vancouver, Wash. The Mandarin immersion program that began at Franklin Elementary School in the 2009 – 2010 school year continued to Jason Lee Middle School, Vancouver, Wash. where its first cohort began in 2015-2016. The cohort arrived at Columbia River High School in 2018-2019. Vancouver’s program offers only a Mandarin language course in middle school and high school, no subjects are taught in Mandarin, making it only a semi-immersion program past 5th grade.

    Cornerstone Mandarin Immersion Program, Palo Alto, Calif.

    East Point Academy Middle School, West Columbia, South Carolina  — The middle school portion of this Mandarin immersion charter began in 2018-2019 and is in a different building.

    Jason Lee Middle School, Vancouver, Wash. The Mandarin immersion program that began at Franklin Elementary School in the 2009 – 2010 school year continues to Lee, its first cohort began in 2015-2016. Vancouver’s program offers only a Mandarin language course in middle school and high school, no subjects are taught in Mandarin, making it only a semi-immersion program past 5th grade.

    Pacific Academy, K – 12, Irvine, Calif.

    Plantation Elementary School in Lafayette, La. Has changed its name to Cpl. Michael Middlebrook Elementary 

    Polis Montessori World School, private, New York City

    Springbridge International School, private K – 8, Campbell, Calif. Offers Mandarin and Japanese immersion.

    International Additions:

    No. 28 Primary School in District 5  in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

                This is an elementary and possible middle school (K-8, I think) in Argentina.  The only information I could gather was from a news article here

    http://www.ecns.cn/video/2018-12-04/detail-ifzahqkf0373628.shtml

    Luyanzi College Kampala, Uganda

                This is a school that teaches Mandarin and may be immersion. While it’s called a college, what I can glean from its website and the article about it online makes it seem as if it’s more a high school-college, which isn’t uncommon in many parts of the world. But not fully clear. It has a website, though it’s not always up. There’s also an article up about it here.

    https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/2164953/interracial-couple-championing-chinas-soft-power

    Stamford American International School, Singapore

    K – 12 school that offers a bilingual Mandarin /English track.

    Singapore American School, Singapore

    Began offering a Mandarin immersion track in 2017-2018

    DELETIONS:

    UC iPrep Charter Academy, Los Angeles      

                Closed abruptly on August 22, 2018

    Worldspeak, Los Angeles

                Removed as a parent told me it is only preschool and Kindergarten. Waiting to hear back from the school.

    Silicon Valley International School

                Closed.

    Hope International Education Foundation, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

                Didn’t end up opening.

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-chinese-english-school-hope-international-1.4863364

    Not sure on:

    Int’l Montessori Academy, Bellevue WA

    2018-11-09

    Additions:

    Ms. Lam Montessori School, Brooklyn. Was preschool only, now adding K – 5.

    2018-07-14

    ADDITIONS

    • East Light Academy opens in Charleston, SC. This is a sister school to East Link Academy in Greenville, SC, and I believe also to East Voyager Academy in Charlotte, NC.
    • Ms. Lam School, private K – 8 in Brooklyn, NY. This is the first U.S. outpost of a school with 5 campuses in Taipei in Taiwan.
    • International Montessori School, Durham NC. Had Spanish and French immersion. Added Mandarin immersion in the past few years. Trying to get more information.
    • Yi Hwang Academy of Language Excellence in Gwinnett Co., Georgia. Mandarin/Korean immersion opening in 2019-2020
    • Science, Language & Arts International School launching a private K – 8 Chinese immersion program in Brooklyn in 2019-2020. It has a Mandarin Pre-K in place now and a long-time French immersion program.
    • PS/IS 102Q Bayview School, Queens
      • I received a note from a parent at this school that 102Q has a new K-8 Mandarin immersion program. There’s nothing on the website to indicate it does and no one answers the phones, but that’s not uncommon with NYC schools. So, If anyone has more info on it, please pass along.

    CHANGES:

    • New name for Barnard Asian Pacific Language Academy, it’s now Barnard Mandarin Magnet Elementary School,
    • Hopkins Public Schools in Hopkins, Minn.: Xin Xing Academy now feeds to a program at West Junior High which feeds to Hopkins High School. The Mandarin program is now up to 11th grade.
    • College Gardens Elementary School’s Mandarin immersion program in Rockville, Maryland has moved to Bayard Rustin Elementary School.

    DELETE:

    • Camelot Academy, Orange County, Calif.
      • This appears to have shifted from being a Mandarin immersion program to an arts and dance-focused private school. It also appears that the school brings in a lot of students from China to study there, unclear exactly how this interacts with its Mandarin program. I’ve asked for more information. One parent told me the amount of time students spend in Chinese is decreasing.

    2018-07-11

    New address and whole school status for Jie Ming Mandarin Immersion Academy in St. Paul, Minn.

    2018+06+19

    Added HOPE International in Prince Edward Island

    2017-11-07

    Removed Hale in NYC, just has one Chinese class, not immersion, according to Morgan Ho.

    Arizona Language Preparatory
    4645 E. Marilyn Road Phoenix, Arizona 85032
    Grades K-6 but expanding to 8th next year
    Public Charter
    The school is Tri-lingual, different grades get a different percentage but roughly 40% Mandarin, 40% Spanish, 20% English
    simplified
    azlanguageprep.org
    tawnie.weaver@azlanguageprep.org
    phone: 602-996-1595
    Fax: 602-344-9560

    Batesville Primary School? has the old address and email for arizona language preparatory but all that information is incorrect

    2017-07-29

    New

    iPrep, a Los Angeles charter school, is launching a K-8 program.

    Maryknoll School, a Catholic school in Honolulu, is launching a K -8 program. This is Hawaii’s first Mandarin immersion program.

    Mawson Primary, near Canberra in Australia. Looking at their website, they offer Mandarin one day a week, so it’s unclear to me if this is true immersion. I don’t know enough about the Australian educational system to be able to tell.

    Houston Mandarin immersion magnet school moved to a new address.

    In Bellevue, Washington, Tillicum Middle School starting program in the fall. It’s taking students graduating from Jing Mei elementary immersion school.

    Mulberry House, Hong Kong.

    This starts in preschool at looks to go to only 3rd grade though it could be that it’s building out.

    Linden Hill Elementary in Wilmington DE is adding an immersion program.

    And some possible removals

    I’ve gotten emails that the two Mandarin immersion programs in Michigan, Pattengill Academy and Oakbrook Elementary School, are no longer offering Chinese immersion programs. The school’s aren’t open for the summer so I can’t confirm this. Because of that I haven’t removed them from the list, but if anyone has any information about what’s going on there I’d be most grateful.