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The Rondo School team observes in an Orion Mandarin Immersion classroom

Mandarin Immersion Program

Redwood City School District's (RCSD) Mandarin Immersion program brings together Mandarin- and English-speaking students and families for the opportunity of a promising future of being bilingual, bi-literate, and academically enriched.

In an ever-expanding global economy, our nation will need its future leaders to be both bi-literate and have an understanding of multiple cultures. What if your child could learn how to build relationships across cultures as they speak, listen to others in their native language, and learn better verbal and non-verbal cues while increasing their cognitive abilities? Our Mandarin Immersion program not only provides a rigorous and innovative educational curriculum, but also prepares our students to be future 21st century leaders and the opportunity to learn one of the world’s most prevalent spoken languages.

  • RCSD's Mandarin Immersion program is housed at Orion Alternative Elementary School (TK-5) and Kennedy Middle School (6-8). 
     
  • Did you know that Mandarin is the most spoken language in the world?  There are 1.1 billion speakers followed by 983 million English speakers.
     
  • RCSD offers a unique K-8 Mandarin Immersion program. We focus on proficiency in English and Mandarin, achievement of core academic competencies across both languages and a heightened geographical, cultural, and civic understanding of the world through a global lens. The goal is to have the next generation to be confident young adults who can move comfortably and adaptive between languages and cultures.
     
  • The Mandarin program has high expectations for students. They are expected to show high levels of proficiency in both Mandarin and English by the time they exit the program.
    • Students may continue their Mandarin studies at Kennedy Middle School for 6th-8th grades and with the Sequoia Union High School District at Woodside High School for 9th-12th grade.

Welcoming Applicants Committed to the Full Journey

At RCSD, we welcome families to participate in our school of choice process and participate in Mandarin Immersion at Orion Alternative Elementary School. When applying to the Mandarin Immersion program, it is essential that families commit to the full grade span of this program. This program is carefully designed as a cohesive, multi-year learning experience, and ongoing participation supports stable planning, staffing, and resource allocation. Choosing the program without the intent to stay disrupts the experience for all students. We encourage applications from families fully committed to the program’s full TK-5 grade span duration. 

Mandarin Immersion Enrollment Pathway

  • Students apply to attend Mandarin Immersion at Orion Alternative Elementary School during their TK-5 academic careers. 
     
  • Once completing 5th grade at Orion Alternative, students automatically rollover to Kennedy Middle School to continue their 6-8 grades Mandarin Immersion studies.