Chinese Immersion Programs in Berkeley, CA

Shu Ren International School, Berkeley:
Shu Ren International School is an independent, co-educational day school in Berkeley in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Alameda County, for students in Pre-K through to 2nd grade with plans to extend through 8th grade in coming years. We offer a dual-immersion education in Chinese and English based on the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)’s Primary Years Program curriculum framework. Shu Ren was founded on the belief that children should be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values to be engaged global citizens in an increasingly interconnected world.

Education Programs:

- Chinese (Mandarin) immersion curriculum for Pre-K through elementary school
- Curriculum based on International Baccalaureate Organization's Primary Years Program framework
- After School Classes in Mandarin, Chinese dance, martial arts, music and more
- Chinese immersion Summer Camp
- Extended care is also available

Pre-Primary and Primary Schools:
In both Pre-Primary and Primary Schools, we will follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program (PYP).

Some highlights of PYP:

* An inquiry based approach which is child centered not teacher centered.

* The children are active learners and encouraged to ask questions and find the answers.

* It is highly trans-disciplinary, that is, it integrates the various academic subjects together.

* It is highly process oriented rather than content driven.

* Children will learn how become lifelong learners.

* It is also value driven in order to arrive at the qualities of the PYP learner’s profile: Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, and Reflective.

After-School Program:
Our after-school program is open to both Shu Ren students and students from surrounding schools. For students who are currently enrolled in kindergarten and higher grades, they may enroll in no more than 16 hours a week in all classes and extended care combined. For students who are currently enrolled in pre-schools, they may enroll in no more than 12 hours a week in all classes and extended care combined. There will be three sessions per school year: Fall, Winter, and Spring, and each session runs a maximum of 12 weeks. The Program runs between 3pm and 6pm from Monday to Friday.

Intensive Mandarin classes are taught as part of the after school program. Additional enrichment classes are also offered including Chinese dance, taiji and martial arts, Suzuki violin, and more.

Summer Camp Program:
Camps for Pre-K (Ages 2-5) and Kindergarten and up (5-10). During each two-week session, students learn Mandarin language skills and Chinese cultural knowledge through fun, immersion-based activities. These include music, dances, stories, arts and crafts, martial arts and so on. Teachers speak in Mandarin with gestures and with their bodies, so children understand the tasks at hand.

For K+ students, the beginner class is better suited for students without any prior knowledge of Mandarin who are interested in acquiring the basic listening and speaking skills. The intermediate/advanced class is ideal for students who have acquired the basic listening and speaking skills and want to learn more vocabulary and sentences through fun games, reading, and writing.