Chinese Language Program

The Sunrise Chinese Language Program’s first grade class enrollment is limited to 27 students.  This class size is three (3) students larger than the class size limit for a typical first grade classroom.  Enrollment of 27 students allows for the natural attrition of children leaving the program over the course of their five years in elementary school.

Decisions about student admissions will be made using the following steps:

Students whose parents have submitted a Sunrise Chinese Language Interest Form prior to 5:00 p.m. March 16 will have their academic records reviewed between March 17 and April 1, 2022.

1. Students with academic achievement and progress as described above (see “Who is Eligible for the Chinese Language Program?”) will be considered for admission.  No preference will be given to students based on their mother tongue.
2. If the interest of eligible students is at or less than 27 students, all eligible students will be admitted.
3. If the interest of eligible students exceeds 27, then a lottery will be held for all eligible students during the week of April 4, 2022, as described below:
   • Names of eligible students will be written on slips of paper and placed in a container.
   • A neutral party (a Northshore School District employee not employed at Sunrise Elementary School) will randomly select 27 names from the container.
   • Selected students will be admitted.
   • All remaining students’ names will be placed on a Chinese Language Program Wait List in the order forms were received according to the date and time stamp on their Sunrise Chinese Language Interest Form.
4. Notifications to parents about their child’s enrollment status in the Chinese Language Program will be sent via email no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 8.
5. Parents must confirm their desire to have their child enrolled in the Chinese Language Program no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 29, 2022.

Transportation will be the responsibility of the students’ families.

Incoming first graders who have demonstrated proficiency in the English and Language Arts (ELA) during their Kindergarten year are eligible for the Sunrise Chinese Language Program.  Applicant students’ academic achievement and progress will be evaluated prior to admittance.  Specifically, the following measures will be used to determine a student’s readiness for the Sunrise Chinese Language Program:

• iReady - 2nd Reporting.  Students must demonstrate Mid-K or higher levels across all reading scores.
• Progress Reports - ELA Measures.  Students must demonstrate a 3-Meeting Standard or 4-Exceeding Standard level of performance.
• Progress Reports - Behaviors that Promote Learning Measures.  Students must demonstrate Cooperative Learning and Self-Directed Learner behaviors at an Often or Consistently level of performance.

We want children to enjoy learning Mandarin and to embrace learning overall.  Students enrolling in the Chinese Language Program should be ready for the challenge of learning an entirely new language with an unfamiliar character-based written form.  While there will be English Language Arts instruction in English, the ELA time will be split between English and Mandarin.  Because the Chinese Language Program is not modeled after dual-language or immersion programs, which are used to build biliteracy, incoming students will benefit from already having a strong foundation of reading and writing in English.

Maintaining your student’s English language skills at home will be important, as will encouraging the use of newly acquired Mandarin vocabulary.  Parents and caregivers of students in the Sunrise Chinese Language Program should read English texts to and with their children daily.  Additionally, parents and caregivers will be provided with notes for how to help students practice their new Mandarin skills outside of the classroom.

The Sunrise Chinese Language Program welcomes native speakers of Mandarin to apply.  However, it must be understood that biliteracy in English and Mandarin is not the goal of the Chinese Language Program.  Whether the program is a good fit for your Mandarin-speaking child depends on your child and the goals you have for your child’s Mandarin language skills.  Some native speakers of Mandarin might be bored.  Others might enjoy being able to serve as peer models.  As a parent or caregiver, you are your child’s first teacher and are the best person to determine whether the Chinese Language Program will be a suitable match for your child’s educational experience.

The Chinese Language Program at Sunrise Elementary School began in September 2021 with a group of first grade students.  We will continue to add one class of first grade students annually as long as there is interest.  Students will remain with their initial cohort of peers through the fifth grade.