Introducing a new #FabULyssfind HudsonWay Immersion School 12/19/2018

 

 

Introducing a new #FabULyssfind HudsonWay Immersion School www.hwis.org. Located on the Upper West Side and expanding and relocating to 525 W. 52nd St in time for September 2019.  Nursery – Grade 8 Immersion now in both Mandarin and Spanish!

 

Q: Please tell our readers about the mission of the new Upper West Side HudsonWay Immersion School…

A:  With this move we are able to increase our capacity for preschool enrollment, expand to grades 6-8 and add a Spanish track alongside our Mandarin track.  Our students consistently outperform, outscore and outsmart monolingual students at every grade level while developing bilingual and bi-literacy skills. Our students also develop critical thinking, cultural competency, and enhanced social skills. We strongly believe that “bilingual students become brilliant adults”.

Q:  What makes this new school different from other immersion schools in NYC?

A: We are a full immersion school where starting from as early as age 2, children are immersed in a 100% Mandarin or Spanish environment.   Our 3 and 4 year old students are in an environment where 90% of the instruction is being delivered in Mandarin or Spanish.  This develops the brain resulting in superior cognitive skills and sets them up to learn academic content in kindergarten-grade 6 in two languages.  As a result our students are highly proficient in both languages and also outscore independent school norms in all subjects tested in English.

Q: Please tell our readers about the curriculum for preschool as well as elementary school… What grade does the school start at and at what grade does it end? What is your ex-missions program like? Getting kids into schools after they have graduated from the school. Please elaborate.

A:  In preschool we use Creative Curriculum as a framework for a theme-based program.  Each theme lasts about 6 weeks for in depth discovery.  We observe children in 8 developmental areas- social-emotional development, cognition, language, literacy, math, science and technology, art, and physical using a framework of 38 developmentally appropriate objectives. For elementary school, we select “best of breed” curriculum in the content areas of Mandarin or Spanish Language Arts, English Language Arts, math, science and social studies.  We provide a 1:1 chrome books for all students in kindergarten and above.  Beginning in K, students are assessed every 6-8 weeks and placed in flexible groups.  This challenges each student to his/her potential, individualizes the learning and maximizes the learning opportunity. Beginning in September 2019 we are adding Grade 6 and continuing growth through Grade 8.   If students do choose to leave they are accepted at the most highly competitive schools.

Q: What are the hours for preschool and elementary school? What is a typical day look like for each

A: For preschool 2’s and 3’s we offer either half day (8:30am-12pm) or full day (8:30am-3:30pm).  Our pre-K 4’s and K-Grade 6 are full day at 8:30am-3:30pm.  A typical preschool day consists of center activities followed by morning meeting, bathroom and snacks time, playground, art, music or PE, and  read aloud.  Elementary students will start with a morning meeting, follow by Mandarin or Spanish Language Arts, specials (arts, PE and music), lunch, English Language Arts classes, math, science and social studies.

Q: How many kids are in a classroom? What is the teacher/child ratio?

A: In preschool, our ratio is 1:4 for 2’s, 1:7 for 3’s and 1:8 for pre-K.  In elementary, the ratio is around 1:15.

Q: You now have two campuses one on the Upper West Side and one in New Jersey. What are the main differences besides the location between the two schools if any?

A: The programs use the same curriculum, and are overseen by the same leadership team.  Now with offering Spanish in NY starting September 2019, the programs will be the same.

Q: Are the families very involved with the school and the community? How do you engage parents to get more involved?

A: Because we have such a unique program and mission our parents are extremely committed and supportive.   The HudsonWay Immersion School Parent Association (HWISPA) promotes a sense of community among the families and administration, support the school in creating an outstanding learning environment for the students, and enrich the student experience through organizing school-wide events and activities and fundraising.

Q: Will you be having any open houses in January? If  so can you please elaborate on who can attend (parents and kids or just parents)? Do you know when they will be?

A: We’ll have general information sessions on January 10 and February 7 at 9 am, however we welcome all those who cannot attend one of these sessions to contact us for a private tour.

Q: What is the best way to set up a time to visit the school.. email, phone number, contact via the website? Please provide

A: Parents can feel free to join any of our information session by signing up on our website, www.hwis.org,  or contacting our Admissions Manager Nicole Liu at nliu@hwis.org to arrange a private tour.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers about the HudsonWay Immersion School?

A: We want to quote from one of our parents: ” My child loves coming to school everyday….she’s upset on the weekends when there’s no school. Her  love of learning is what we value most.  Our 5 year old daughter learned the anatomy of an ear in Mandarin and because neither my husband nor I speak Mandarin she translated it all in English to us.  We were floored”.