Wrapping up Registration & Teacher Hiring Underway

An update from the school district:

As of mid-December, 2014, there is sufficient enrollment to guarantee that the Mandarin Immersion program will go forward next year.  Redwood City School District is committed to launching the MI program in 2015. 

Currently, there are still slots available for both in-district and out-of-district families.  The district will form as many as two kindergarten and two first grade classes, plus a transitional kindergarten class, if enough students enroll to fill classes.  

Put John Gill/Mandarin Immersion as your School of Choice: Selection #1 before January 9 to ensure that your child is in the lottery.

For updated, complete step-by-step instructions see the MI Registration Guide for Fall of 2015.

With the registration period wrapping up soon, the school district has commenced the process of interviewing teachers for the 2015 2016 academic year. The MIIRWC Parents Group is helping with the process, and we are expecting teachers to be hired by February in time for training and preparation for the start of school in the fall.

Please join us at one of the following events to learn more and meet other families:

Saturday, Jan 3 
9AM to 12PM
Meet up & Play Date
Home Depot Kids Workshop: Learn How to Build a Mini Sled  
1125 Old County Rd 
San Carlos, CA 94070

Sunday, Jan 4
2PM to 5PM
Meet up & Play Date
Downtown Library
1044 Middlefield Road
Redwood City, CA

photo by Nate Graham

Wednesday, Jan 7
8:30AM to 9:30AM
John Gill School Tour
555 Ave Del Ora
Redwood City, CA 94062
Program Overview + Q&A

For the latest on Mandarin Immersion @ John Gill (program info, curriculum, campus photos, etc.) please take a look at the About the School page. 

Thanks to all for an exciting and productive year! We wish you and your family a very happy holidays and new year!

Meet your future classmates & friends, 同学 & 朋友

Join us for a play date to meet parents and prospective students. Whether you are thinking of applying or have already applied for the MI@JG program, you are invited:
 
Saturday, December 13
Red Morton Community Center
1120 Roosevelt Ave, Redwood City
1-3 pm Imagination Station at Red Morton Community Center
3-4 pm New playground by Red Morton Community Center, next to tennis courts (In the event of rain, we will stay indoors at the Red Morton Community Center.)

The Imagination Station is a Redwood City Parks & Rec event with a fee of $10 per child. 
Sign up or for details

This is an informal gathering for parents and children looking for something fun to do on the weekend and an opportunity to chat, ask questions, get answers, and meet each other.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

What about the 2 out of 10 greatschools.org rating for John Gill Elementary?

It's true that the current greatschool.org rating for John Gill Elementary (JGE) is not great. What do this rating and other test scores mean for a prospective student to the Mandarin Immersion Program? Let's break it down...

How are the rating and scores defined?

The greatschools.org rating runs 1-10 and is used as a tool to compare schools across a state using test scores. Every state has a different set of standardized tests used to calculate the greatschools.org rating. (A rating of 1-3 means 'below average,' 4-7 is 'average' and 8-10 is 'above average.')

In California, until 2014, students grades 2 though 11 took a series of tests through the STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) program. There are many tests that different students take at different times and it gets confusing fast. To help provide a way to understand the performance of a school through the variety of test scores, the Academic Performance Index (API) is used. API is on a scale of 200-1000, where a score of 800 is the performance goal for all California Schools. 

In other words, schools are rated and scored on how well students perform on tests. 

In 2014, the State of California conducted a field test of a new computer-based test called the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), which will replace the STAR tests.  The results of the 2013 CAASPP were not published, therefore the last published test results for all John Gill and all public schools were given in the spring of 2013.  The Redwood City School District had already begun the transition to the new Common Core curriculum in the 2012-13 school year, but the 2013 STAR tests measured students’ knowledge of the previous California State Standards, not the Common Core State Standards.  The STAR tests given in the spring of 2013 were not testing what students were being taught during the 2012-13 school year.

The State of California is currently designing a different system for reporting results of the new state tests.  This will include a recalibration of the API, but no one knows yet what the new reporting system will be. 

Regarding John Gill, the existing published test scores are out-of-date.

How does the school district use the test scores?

The school district takes test scores for John Gill and all schools very seriously and spends a lot of time analyzing test results, but they use the scores differently than realtors or potential residents often do.  The school district is most interested in identifying specific students who need extra help or extra challenge.  The school and district are also looking at the percentage of students who are at grade level in reading or math, and works hard to increase the percentage of students within certain groups, such as students who are learning English.   Besides the state-administered test, such as the old STAR tests, the district also uses other internal measures such as the Fountas and Pinnell  Reading Assessment to assess student learning.  Teachers and principals study the results of tests and class work to figure out where instruction may need to be adjusted, and to determine whether some students need to move at a faster or slower pace. 

What do the scores actually tell me about a school?

In theory, API scores are supposed to measure academic performance and are therefore thought to predict the QUALITY of a school.  However, a recent analysis of 160 School Districts in Southern California looked at the effect of family income, student class size, teacher pay, money spent per student, and percentage of students learning English. 

The analysis showed that API scores most accurately predict one outcome: family income.

Students considered “Socioeconomically Disadvantaged” were more likely to show predictably lower scores on tests than any other factor examined.  In academic circles, the API is sometimes referred to as the 'Affluent Parent Index.'  Thus, the API seems to measure the percentage of students whose parents are economically challenged, and NOT the overall quality of the school. 


What does this tell us about John Gill?

The 3-year average Academic Performance Index (API) score for John Gill Elementary (JGE) is 727. In 2013 John Gill Elementary had 77% of its students who took the standardized tests categorized as “Economically Disadvantaged.”  Based on this information, JGE’s API score does seem to reflect the socioeconomic status of the majority of its students.  The analysis of schools in Southern California did not give an explanation for why socioeconomically children score lower on tests. However, families that struggle economically often cope with issues such as poor diet or nutrition, working parents with less time to help children with school, less health care, less opportunities to learn over the summer, or parents with less education who may put less emphasis on academics.

Additionally, the current student body does not reflect the diversity of the neighborhood and the school is currently under enrolled. Where are all the neighborhood children attending school?

While developing the Mandarin Immersion Program, we spoke with a number of neighborhood families who have been dissuaded to enroll their children at John Gill due to the low scores and ratings.  Some have chosen to attend private schools (there are a couple of good parochial schools in the neighborhood), out-of-district more highly rated public schools, or have moved or planned to move to districts with 'better schools.'  Several families that decided to remain in the Redwood City public schools have taken advantage of the “school of choice” option to enroll at a different school (such as Adelante Spanish Immersion).  Unfortunately, these justifiable and understandable actions perpetuate the drain of potentially high-test-scoring students.  Hence, test scores and API at JGE have remained low. 

So, the greatschools.org rating and API tell us many students currently at JGE are economically disadvantaged. What about curriculum? campus environment? administrative leadership? parent involvement? teachers? all the different factors that one might use to define the quality of a school?

Top 10 Reasons Mandarin Immersion at John Gill is a Great Opportunity

Plans for the Mandarin Immersion Program
           
Although Mandarin Immersion @ John Gill does not yet exist, there are many ways you can understand what the program will be like and whether the program will be a good fit for your child.

- Visit John Gill and ask questions: attend any of 3 info sessions in December
- Tour an area MI program to see students and teachers in an immersion classroom
- Join the Parents Group and be included in the curriculum development and teacher hiring process
- Expose your child to Chinese or any other languages by attending a language program/class/lesson (i.e. Universe of Colors and Hanlin Academy of Belmont)

It is our hope that the Mandarin Immersion Program will draw and retain more students and families committed to academic excellence. While improved test scores that lead to a higher API are something to expect in the future for John Gill, the greatest measure of success will be the quality of our students' learning experience: an educational experience that we have the opportunity to create right now.

自己做功课，独立思考，别让一个简单的数字决定孩子的教育。
Do your homework and think independently, don't let a simple number determine the path of one’s education.

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For instructions to register, see the MI Registration Guide for Fall 2016.
Still have questions? Visit our FAQ Page.

Top 10 Reasons Mandarin Immersion at John Gill is a Great Opportunity

Attracting Excellence Leads to Rising Tides.  Mandarin Immersion Programs are unique. They tend to attract parents and students from both within and outside the district who are committed to academic excellence.  An influx of these students will likely positively impact the academic reputation and performance of John Gill Elementary.

A Warm Welcome.  As of now, a number of families in the neighborhood of John Gill, send their children to other schools. With news of an MI program, neighbors are responding positively and recognize that the program could potentially turn the neighborhood school around. More importantly, the Redwood City School District strongly supports dual language immersion as a robust strategy for learning academics, culture, and language. 

Diversity. The addition of the MI program will enhance the diversity of the student population at John Gill. Students of the MI Program will play and interact with the rest of the student body outside of classes taught in Mandarin, such as PE, Music, recess, and lunch. Everyone at the school will benefit from exposure to different cultures, languages, and perspectives. 

Solid Infrastructure. The historic campus is situated on Eagle Hill, mostly surrounded by single family homes.  Several beautiful redwood trees shade the campus with plenty of outdoor space, sports fields, and playgrounds for students to explore. It is across the street from a big park and community center, and a short distance to stores like Whole Foods, Safeway, and downtown. You can also check real estate listings to get a sense of the surrounding neighborhood.

Fresh Leadership. The school has a new principal, Katherine Rivera, and assistant principal (which appears to be a newly added position), Nick G. Fanourgiakis, both of whom have a great deal of experience and background in bilingual education. The principal lives in the neighborhood and sends her children to the Adelante Spanish Immersion Program. In talking with her, it's obvious Principal Rivera is invested in and committed to the improving the quality of education at John Gill and Redwood City Schools overall.

Facebook Really Likes Us. Redwood City School district received a $1.06 million grant from Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Part of the grant supports a revitalization project for John Gill with the support of Innovate Public Schools. There is a design committee that has been formed through this project and parents of prospective MI students are already invited to participate in re-designing the school.

Experienced Advisors. Between Dr. John Baker, Superintendent, Dr. Linda Montes, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Dr. Danni Tsai, consulting Superintendent of Spark Charter School (former Educational Services Coordinator of San Mateo County), are decades of experience and expertise in education, teaching, and facilitating the complex process of starting a new immersion program. Drs. Montes and Baker were instrumental in initiating and administering the successful Adelante Spanish Immersion School. Dr. Tsai helped create the first public school Mandarin Dual Immersion Program in Santa Clara County and at one time owned a successful private Mandarin Immersion school. Just hearing them discuss what is important to implement for this MI program, you immediately get the sense we are in good hands.

Great People. Seriously. Throughout the process of starting this program, we have met smart, enthusiastic, hardworking parents, school administrators, and school board members. Over 180 families have shown an interest in the program and over 30 families have directly offered to volunteer time and energy. This type of collaborative hands-on approach will not only make the program a success but also make it great community to join. 

Your Voice Counts. Ordinarily, parents do not get much say in their children's school programs.  For the MI Program, we have the opportunity to work with the school on decisions relating to after school care, tutoring, and teacher candidate qualities.  

Bilingualism. Last, but not least, your child is going to be proficient in Chinese and English! Even for families with zero experience with the Chinese language, there are many ways parents can help children with homework and support them in school. Children can adapt to their new "target language" quickly (often within months). The entire family can share the benefits of learning a new language.
Sooner than you think, they will be able to help you translate this:  我要学中文!
Into this... I want to learn Chinese!

------------
2/14/2016 Update: Currently, Dr. Danni Tsai is our MI program curriculum adviser and also serves on the education committee at Yu Ming charter school.

Mandarin Immersion, Not Just For Chinese Communities

When it comes to bringing second language education to the mainstream, California has some catching up to do compared to Utah!

Utah Dual Immersion Video

Several years ago the state of Utah decided to make learning a second language a priority for schools across the state. Since then, they have been continuing to open more and more public dual immersion programs in Chinese, English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Students of all backgrounds and various native language abilities in Utah are learning second languages starting at the elementary level. In addition to giving children a concrete skill that better prepares them for the global economy, language immersion affords many well studied and understood cognitive benefits, including improved higher order critical thinking, memory, and problem solving. (Bialystok, Fergus, I.M., & Luk 2012)

Despite the actual results of the proven benefits shown by dual immersion programs, misconceptions about bilingual education have caused the opposite to happen in California. In 1998, Proposition 227 was passed in a misguided effort to improve how English-learning students are taught in public schools. As a result, many bilingual programs were eliminated across the state. 

“A vast body of research indicates that Proposition 227's core assertion — that English immersion is more successful than bilingual education — is simply wrong, according to many education experts.” 

“In a 2008 review of more than 500 studies on English-language learners, Stanford University education professor Claude Goldenberg wrote that one major consistent finding was that learning to read in a child's first language boosts reading achievement in the second language.” (Watanabe, 2011, para. 10,11) 

The MI program at John Gill will be one of several in the region helping to turn around the misconceptions and bring the benefits of bilingual education to children of all backgrounds. 

Our school district administrators are using the research and insight gained from Utah's experience, several MI programs throughout the bay area, as well as its own experience administering a successful Spanish Immersion program for the past decade to build the best possible curriculum for the MI program at John Gill.  

We hope this program can help broaden the options for language education in Redwood City as well as celebrate the diversity of our community. 

This could be your student speaking Mandarin, by next year!

Chinese Immersion Program in Minnetonka Elementary Schools

Bialystok, E., Fergus, I.M. C., and Luk, G. (April 2012). Bilingualism: consequences for mind and brain. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Vol. 16, No. 4.

Attend an upcoming MI@JG Info Session: 

8:30am on Wednesday 12/3 - Tour followed by MI Program Overview
11:00am on Sunday 12/7 - MI Program Overview + Q&A
8:30am on Wednesday 12/10 - Tour followed by MI Program Overview

All info sessions are held at 
John Gill Elementary School

555 Ave Del Ora, Redwood City, CA 94062 

For instructions to register, see the MI Registration Guide for Fall 2015.

Calling All 4 to 7 Year Olds

School registration for the 2015-2016 academic year is going on now in Redwood City!

Starting next fall, there are 28 openings per class for 3 grade levels: Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and first grade.

Check out our step-by-step instructions for registering: 
MI Registration Guide for Fall of 2015

Got a question? See the FAQ page for answers.
 
If you missed the last Mandarin Immersion Program information session, not to worry. Another information session will be held in early December.

Sunday, Dec 7th
Mandarin Immersion Info Session
John Gill Elementary School 
Time TBA

Join our email list for updates and announcements.
Join the MIIRWC Parents Group if you are available now to work on projects and volunteer time to help get the program started.

Program Approved and School Registration Starts Soon

Firstly, a big thank you to all that attended the School Board meeting on Wednesday evening! Many families turned out to support the official vote to approve the Mandarin Immersion K-8 program. Thank you to all that stood up to speak to the board and share your interests and concerns. We're off to a great start!

Secondly, Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten and First Grade registration begins in early November. Below are some important dates to mark on your calendar and additional information about the program.

Tuesday, November 4th 
6PM - 7:30PM
Open House at John Gill Elementary School
555 Ave Del Ora, Redwood City, CA 94062 
- 6:00pm Campus Tour
- 7:00pm to 7:30pm Learn more details about the MI program from the school Principal and curriculum developers
- 7:30pm to 8:30pm Tentative MIIRWC Parents Group working session (meeting location to be confirmed)
- This is a good opportunity to meet the school administrators and future schoolmates' families
- Children are welcome and childcare is provided from 6-7:30pm (so if you are staying for the parents group working session it would be best for there be someone else to take your child home if he/she gets sleepy.)
- To attend the tour and more details on the meeting place visit the school website

Saturday, November 8th 
9AM-1PM
At your assigned Redwood City neighborhood school
Pre-Registration* for Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten

November 10th to January 9th
9AM-4PM, Mon-Fri
Redwood City School District Office 
750 Bradford Street, Redwood City
Priority Registration* for Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten

*Registering during Pre or Priority Registration ensures that you will find out your child's kindergarten placement or waitlist number by February 27, 2015

Cut-off Dates: Your child must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2015 to register for kindergarten in 2015-16.  Students may register for Transitional Kindergarten (TK) if they turn 5 years old between September 2, 2015 and December 2, 2015.

For step-by-step instructions for in and out-of-district residents, see the MI Registration Guide for Fall of 2015.
 
Most current information regarding the MIIRWC program:

John Gill Mandarin Immersion is from kindergarten to 5th grade. 
Kennedy Middle School will offer Mandarin Immersion classes from 6th to 8th grade.

There will be 1 class for kindergarten and 1 class for first grade to start. Should there be enough interest, they will open the program to 2 classes for each grade and possibly a Transitional Kindergarten class.

The percentage of Chinese - English instruction (i.e., the amount of time subjects are taught in Chinese or English) in each grade is the following:
K-1st grade: 80% Chinese, 20% English
2nd grade: 70% Chinese, 30% English
3rd grade: 60% Chinese, 40% English
4-5th grade: 50% Chinese, 50% English
6-8th grade: 20% Chinese, 80% English

This Mandarin Immersion program will teach simplified Chinese characters. Parents that are interested in supplementing the program with instruction in traditional Chinese characters may participate in the PTO to make that happen.

At this time, there is no Mandarin Immersion program after school. However, all students can sign up for John Gill's existing after school program. 

Parents interested in having an after school MI program, hiring teacher aides, enrichment programs (such as instruction in traditional Chinese characters, art/music/sports, or anything else beneficial to the students), etc. are encouraged to join the MIIRWC Parents Group. We are hoping to merge with the existing John Gill PTO ASAP to start working with the school to implement these supplemental programs by the start of class in Fall 2015.


Sign up to join the MIIRWC Parents Group!


 

Official Start for MIIRWC 号外号外，正式开始

Two important things you must attend THIS WEEK...

School Board Meeting: Official Vote for MIIRWC
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
6:45pm ~ 7:45pm
750 Bradford St., Redwood City
*Childcare is provided*

Show Your SUPPORT One big reason the school board wants to move forward with the MIIRWC program because the community, YOU, asked for it. This includes residents of San Carlos, Menlo Park, Belmont, Redwood Shores, and surrounding communities. Please, please, please find a way to stop by this meeting to show them that this community is ready and eager for the program to begin.

Put in Your 2 CENTS What do you want for the MIIRWC program? Transitional Kindergarten? After School Programs? Art and Music? Any attendee can come up to speak to the board. Just fill out a card when you arrive at meeting.

Here is Your Chance to Say THANK YOU Just about everyone we have come across in working on this project has told us that we have one of the most supportive, open-minded, forward-thinking school boards in the history of starting MI programs. Let's set the foundation for a meaningful long-lasting partnership as we work toward creating a fantastic MIIRWC program!


Kindergarten Information Meeting
Thursday, October 23, 2014
6pm to 8pm
McKinley Middle School Auditorium
400 Duane St., Redwood City
*Childcare is provided*

If you are interested in enrolling your child in Kindergarten or Transitional Kindergarten (TK) in Fall of 2015, attend this meeting for details on registration procedures and deadlines. (The school district will implement a Mandarin Immersion TK if there is sufficient enrollment.) Representatives and/or information will be provided for all the schools of choice, including the future MIIRWC program.

Kindergarten Cut-off Dates for 2015-16:
Your child must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2015 to register for Kindergarten in 2015-16.  Students may register for Transitional Kindergarten (TK) if they turn 5 years old between September 2, 2015 and December 2, 2015.

This information and more details are available at the school district website.   

天时， 地利，人和 -- Right Time, Right Place, Right People

Almost a year ago, we started on this journey with the hopes of making available some form of a Mandarin language program in Redwood City. Since then, we have spent countless hours planning, writing, designing, emailing, researching, interviewing, sometimes even going door-to-door to reach out to the community. We have had many conversations, discussions, and meetings with parents, educators, administrators, and fellow MIP organizers throughout the Bay Area. In reward for this hard work, we really could not have asked for a better time and place for this group of talented and committed individuals to come together to make this project a reality. A perfect example of 天时 地利 人和.

At last Wednesday night's School Board meeting, the School Board gave its nod of approval to establish a K-8 (and maybe even K-12) Mandarin Immersion Program in Redwood City Public Schools! We are certainly on our way to making this real!

"Mandarin Two-Way Immersion Program" was second on the agenda that night. After presenting the benefits of bilingualism and recommendations on program implementation, curriculum, and admission, the School Board responded with a few questions and supportive comments. A dozen or so parents and children were in attendance and the lobby was abuzz with excitement afterward. With the School Board's approval, the Superintendent's office can now officially start planning and set a timeline to start a MIP in fall of 2015.

A HUGE thanks to everyone involved! Thank you for your continued support!

There is more work ahead of us to put a brand new program in place. The school district as well as our parent group have expressed mutual interest in working together as we move forward. We're looking to form sort of a "pre-" Parent Teacher Association to help the Superintendent's office in whatever way we can to make a great MIP for our students. We're calling it the Mandarin Immersion In Redwood City (MIIRWC) Parents Group. Please email if you are interested in joining!

Meeting with Superintendent on 中秋节

Hope everyone had some moon cake for 中秋节, Mid-Autumn Festival!

Another good reason to celebrate Monday, September 8th is because we had a very productive meeting with the superintendent, several staff, and members of our task force. After spending the last few months researching and writing, we submitted a proposal to the superintendent's office in late August. As it turns out the proposal was well received and the superintendent's office has already started working on it!

The plan is to get the school board's approval to start an elementary level Mandarin Immersion program in fall of 2015! 
Please support this program by coming to the School Board meeting on September 24th (see below) and sending emails to the board to share your story and thoughts. They read all the emails.

We met with Superintendent Jan Christensen, Deputy Superintendent John Baker, and Director of English Learner Services Linda Montes. The fact that the Superintendent is in support of the cause and has a plan in place is a huge step in the right direction. We are excited they will be suggesting the following plan to the board on September 24th.

LOCATION: Mandarin Immersion program will be sited at John Gill Elementary School, which has seen a decline in enrollment but is undergoing a revitalization process with the support of Innovate Public Schools.

GRADES: John Gill is K-5, but the district is committed to continue the MI program through 8th grade at John F Kennedy Middle School and possibly at the high school level through to the 12th grade! Currently, Woodside High School offers a Chinese language program. The hope is that other high schools in the district may offer Chinese classes in a few years.

CLASSES: 2 kindergarten and 2 first grade classes starting in fall of 2015. They may even consider a Transitional Kindergarten class for children born between September 2, 2010 - December 1, 2010 (inclusive) if there is sufficient demand.

CURRICULUM: Most likely the classes will be taught 50% in Mandarin and 50% in English to allow more non-native speaking students to join. Dr. Montes will continue her research by visiting other Bay Area Mandarin Immersion programs to determine the best curriculum model for this program.

ENROLLMENT: Redwood City residents will have priority. The remaining spaces will be by lottery for other district students.
 
TIMELINE: Assuming the board approves the plan, the timeline will be:

        Nov. 2014 - Student recruitment; Kindergarten registration

        Dec. 2014 - School of choice selection

        Feb. 2015 - Notification to families of placement

        Mar. 2015 - Teacher hiring

        April/May 2015 - Determination of curriculum, assessment methods

        June 2015 - Teachers attending the Immersion Conference

HOW YOU CAN HELP: The Task Force and other interested parents will work with the district on recruitment, teacher hiring, curriculum development, and other areas. Please provide any information you may have on affordable housing, because rental costs are a really big issue for teachers right now. Once your child is enrolled into the program, you can volunteer with fundraising through the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), which is a nonprofit organization formed by parents, teachers, and school staff. All funds that we raise would be earmarked for the Mandarin Immersion program, and could be used for hiring after school teachers and organizing enrichment programs such as art and dance, books for take home reading, etc.

Drs. Montes and Baker were instrumental in initiating and administering the successful Adelante Spanish Immersion School. Having them work on the MIP is incredibly helpful. We are very fortunate to have seasoned administrators to facilitate the complex process of starting a brand new program. We look forward to working together and making the program a success!

 
Next Event: Board of Education Regular Meeting
Date and Time: Wednesday September 24th at 7pm
Location: 750 Bradford Street, Redwood City

Dr. Baker will be presenting the plan on implementing the Mandarin Immersion Program to the Board, initializing the formal process of seeking board approval. They will try to place the MI presentation as the first item on the agenda. The final agenda will be posted on the Redwood City School District website a few days prior to the meeting (by September 22nd).

Please come to the meeting to learn more details and show your support!  NOTE: Children are welcome; just be sure that you or someone from your family can look after them.

We Made the News

WE MADE THE NEWS(letter)! 

In a recent school newsletter addressed to parents of John Gill Elementary School, the Superintendent made several announcements which included the following:

"A Mandarin Immersion strand at the school is also a possibility, as a group of parents in the community are asking for this program."

A "group of parents" -- that's us! Looks like we're headed in the right direction. Next step is presenting a proposal to the Superintendent in early September and then hopefully the school board soon after. Thanks for everyone's continued help and support. Let's keep this ball rolling!

Gathering Your Stories

After presenting our survey results to Jan Christensen, Superintendent of Redwood City School District, we now have a road map of what needs to happen next!

May - Collect information from area MI programs regarding budget/costs and curriculum
June - Present RWC MI program proposal to the Superintendent
August - Present proposal to the RWC School Board

We are very excited to get working on this and are hopeful to have more good news to share by middle of this summer.

In the meantime, we are gathering together stories from families in the area about their school experiences:

• Are you considering moving to/from Redwood City because of schools?
• Is your child enrolled in an immersion program that is not your first language?
• Why do you want a Mandarin immersion program in RWC?

Please share your story with us! You can respond in the comments below or email rwcmandarin@gmail.com.

We want to be as informed as possible when we present to the superintendent and school board. Forward this request on to anyone you know with a story to share.
Looking forward to hearing from you!

囍 Share the Love ♥

Happy Year of the Horse and Happy Valentine's Day!

Although this year's rainy Lunar New Year Celebration was relocated into the San Mateo History Museum, there was still a big turnout and wonderful activities and performances to enjoy. We passed out flyers and had the pleasure of meeting many families interested in starting an immersion program here in Redwood City.

As of today, here are the results of the survey:

So far we have almost 100 total respondents with 28 3-year-olds, 30 4-year-olds, and 15 5-year-olds. We're aiming to gather at least 60 children of one age group. Let's keep the surveys coming!

Please continue to share the Facebook Group posts, tell your friends, and get the word out there!

新年快樂! ♥♥♥