Having a ‘Plane’ Awesome Time Mandarin Immersion Program Hosts Visitors and Travels to NYC

Highlighting the importance of global communication and effective collaboration, Redwood City School District’s (RCSD) Mandarin Immersion staff and students have been really ‘taking off’ as they host educational leaders and make their own cross-country travels, all while making friends along the way.

Three RCSD Mandarin Immersion program students traveled to New York to sing at Carnegie Hall. Irayda, Rafael, and Saoirse, sixth- and fourth-grade students at Kennedy and Orion schools, performed with Distinguished Concerts International New York, a cohort of 200 international singers, for the 80th Birthday Concert for Sir Karl Jenkins, an internationally award winning composer.

The students train with Voena choir, a choir for ages 4-18, which has a Redwood City satellite location.

Here at home, showcasing the innovation and success of the district's program, RCSD’s Mandarin Immersion Program also hosted its own visitors on campus twice this winter to kick off the New Year and looks forward to a nationwide spotlight on the school in May.

Representatives from the National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC) saw firsthand this month the Mandarin Immersion Program’s (MI) use of cutting-edge ideas and best practices in the classroom, which support not only rigorous language and academic instruction but cultural knowledge. The NCLC, held annually, places quality Chinese language and culture programs centerstage, offering a platform for sharing new ideas and gold standard practices.

Following the visit from NCLC, school leaders were notified that MI has been selected to be the featured school and host school visit for Mandarin immersion program teachers and administrators from across the country during the NCLC week in May 2024.

The dedication to bilingual education demonstrated by MI teachers, coaches, and staff is not only acknowledged and revered, but will be celebrated on a national level as part of the NCLC.

Mandarin Immersion enjoyed more visitors, arriving from Rondon School of Discovery. The Rondon School team observed RCSD’s MI program in action last month. The Los Angeles-area school also boasts a robust Mandarin immersion program track for elementary students and the two programs have formed a collaborative partnership.

The collaboration between MI and Rondon involves various activities, such as the creation of Mandarin read-aloud books, instructional resource exchange, and joint presentations at upcoming conferences such as the NCLC. Together, the schools hope to play a role in advancing Mandarin immersion language education.

The RCSD Mandarin Immersion program provides a rigorous and innovative educational curriculum, preparing students to be future 21st century leaders while learning one of the world’s most prevalent spoken languages. Following elementary at Orion Alternative, MI continues in grades 6-8 at Kennedy Middle School.