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.
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