LePort Montessori Elementary School

We currently have a 2nd grader in the Mandarin Immersion program at LePort Emeryville. We joined last year when the school first opened it's doors. Our son thrives in small intimate learning environments and the teacher student ratio is outstanding for personal attention. We previously attended a Chinese Montessori Preschool for 3 years, so my son is use to a bilingual prepared environment. We are true believers in Montessori for Elementary education. It goes FAR beyond the typical "preschool" understanding most have of Montessori...toddlers spraying & wiping, pouring liquids, self care, practical skills that foster independence. In Elementary, the children shift into self discovery, going from being self-centric to relating to others outside of themselves. "Who are we", "where do we come from", "why are we here"? These types of questions are addressed through a "Spiral Curriculum" that loops back year after year, and as the child ages, they look deeper into the same questions using different resources or critical thinking. Various academic subject use visual & sensorial materials to bring abstract concepts (like math) into concrete understanding. By K-1st grade, kids are doing math division, reading, writing cursive, along with cooking/cutting, geology, biology, science, cultural learning. A "Mixed age" classroom works in Montessori. The teacher acts as a guide and the students take the journey at their own developmental level. So it doesn't matter a 6 yr old is in the same class as an 8 yr old. "The Youngins" are mentored by "the Elders", and the Elders are the leaders who return the favor they received as young ones. Much like in real life work environments...teams composed of various age/background work on projects and collaborate for solutions. In preschool, Montessori encourages physical independence. In Elementary, M encourages independent thinking. When you learn "HOW TO LEARN", you have the mind tool to conquer any subject or question in your future. This is our motivation to continue with Montessori, we wanted our son to become a "Life Learner" and be happy along the way (bonus!).
Specific to Chinese: The school has improved greatly from it's first year to become a better Mandarin Immersion school. Currently, there's an English head teacher, a Chinese junior teacher, and a Chinese assistant teacher for 21 kids. (Almost like personal tutoring!) They are collaborating with Montessori vendors to create materials in Chinese/Zhuin to teach Traditional Chinese (vs. Simplified at other Chinese schools). In their opening year, our son unfortunately decreased in his Chinese growth as they were piecing together their Chinese curriculum. But in English, math, science, and all other subjects? He has grown leaps and bounds! He comes home beaming about abstract subtraction and conjunctions. Now in it's second year, things are looking up! We have great confidence for their development team to hear our needs. The administrator is superb...always available for parent support. The school is very transparent about any campus developments or staff changes, always giving parent more info than less. The teachers are excellent, accessing each child to give them individualized support, and we get weekly classroom email updates with Facebook photo links. Parent teacher communications are encouraged!! The children seem happy to get to "work", or learning/engaging. Do keep in mind that the Emeryville campus is currently a Mandarin Immersion school. Although it is advertise as an "option", the Chinese learning is not segregated as it is in an open classroom (like a loft), and the Chinese teachers are dedicated to speaking only Chinese. There are many great English-Only schools in the Bay Area, so come to LePort Emeryville only if you want to be exposed to Chinese. Low ratios, personalized, Chinese/Montessori, great parent community, great staff, hands-on learning, it really is a rare gem in the East Bay!