When we were moving back to the north east from CA, this school was what anchored us in NJ! It's our priority to make sure our daughter stay fully bilingual in Mandarin and English to stay connected with my side of the family and culture. We compared different immersion schools nearby but liked how nice the school facility as well as the teachers were. It was a leap of faith for us, but we are into our second year and still quite happy with the professionalism, the caring and loving characters of the teachers, as well as the constantly improving school programs. I really love the parent community too. read more

My children have been at HudsonWay for 4 years now. They started in Kindergarten and 3rd grade in the Spanish program. As we head into our 5th year, I am confident to say that we made the right decision. Our main priority was that our kids would be able to speak Spanish confidently and build relationships with the Spanish speaking side of their family that lives abroad. Well, we got that and so much more! The teachers at HudsonWay are irreplaceable. Their Spanish teachers are all native speakers from different countries and they each bring a warmth and special touch unique to their cultures. Their English and Math teachers are top notch. Because of the smaller class sizes, the teachers are able to provide a much more individualized approach to teaching and provide each student with what they need. They are also always available and happy to connect with parents. My kids have really enjoyed the engaging activities, projects and presentations which increase in complexity and rigor each grade level. As a parent, I too have enjoyed them, as we are invited in to see presentations and projects multiple times throughout the year. The community is tight knit and the parent board is very active in providing additional activities and experiences for the students and families. HudsonWay is comprised of families from all different backgrounds and walks of life, but at the same time, there is a common thread that runs through the community which is valuing language and learning. This makes HudsonWay a unique and special place; we are a diverse group in so many ways with a common cause bringing us together. Although my kids are in the Spanish program, they have friends in the Mandarin program as well as they are together for English, Art, Music, Phys Ed and more. Thank you, HudsonWay, for giving my kids the gift of language. It is a gift to our entire family! read more

Hudson Way has been a godsend for us. In selecting a school, our family needed one that can accommodate our 4th grader's learning needs and push our younger kids to their potential. Hudson Way is one of the few that can do both. We moved our kids from another English Chinese Immersion school that is much closer to our home to Hudson Way. So far, our longer daily commute has been worth it. We love this school! The teachers are truly excellent. They give lots of attention to each student regardless if it's to push one ahead or to catch one up. The curriculum is structured, organized, and proven. The teachers assess their students weekly because they want to know that they are learning. The parent body is well organized, welcoming and intentionally inclusive. For such a diverse group of parents, we love how like minded the group is in pushing for advanced math and communication skills in two languages, strong work ethic, kindness to schoolmates, and financially worth it. read more

HudsonWay Immersion School was the perfect choice for our son's education. Maintaining 2 languages in the United States is very challenging. Our son has been enrolled at HudsonWay for kindergarten, first grade and second grade. He is fully bilingual in Spanish and English. He reads,lo writes and speaks in both languages. Our son learns and solves problems in science, mathematics and social studies in both languages. If you are considering a bilingual education for your child, I highly recommend that you visit HudsonWay. read more

I am not a fan of this school for any student in Kindergarten or up. It is a great preschool. After preschool, I suggest sending your child elsewhere. That's what I did. This is not a school that likes parent input. Admin doesn't want to hear anything from parents who may have concerns. If you want to have a say in your child's early childhood education, this is not the place to be. read more

Had multiple issues pop up during my daughter's few short months and they were rarely addressed without my constant pushing. Bullying, behavioral issues, communication issues (in part due to language barrier), and more. Classroom teachers attempted to diagnose my child repeatedly (and incorrectly) and I believe a lack of qualifications and experience (and hiring based solely on language ability) resulted in an inability to handle typical behaviors of children. We finished off the last two months at another school and 'magically' these issues were not a problem. Older children were much kinder to younger students and teachers were much more knowledgable on how to handle different behaviors and emotions. Our school and home life improved greatly once we switched. My daughter did pick up a fair amount of the target language but after talking to other parents who didn't speak the language at home I found out this was not the norm. All this school has to offer is language immersion but the otherwise unsuitable environment for young children was not worth the benefit of the slow (and in some cases unlikely) language learning. read more

I contacted the school in July '16 with the intent of enrolling my child full time when he became 2.5 years (which is the minimum age they will start taking children in their full-time enrollment classes). From the start, I informed the admissions coordinator that I fully intended to send my child to HWIS, and the admissions coordinator was friendly and very happy to answer any questions I had about the school and their program. I went for a private tour and also attended their open house later in the year (October '16). During this process, I completed an application form and paid the requisite processing fee. Note that by this point, the admissions coordinator had already confirmed a start date for my child, and as we would be starting in the middle of the school year, a pro-rated amount was also calculated for us. All that was left was the observation, which is like a play date where you bring your child in for a half-day session. When I dropped my child off, I noticed a male teacher working in the classroom that my child would be in. Keep in mind, this is a classroom where the kids are 2.5 years old, some still in diapers and some not really articulating well yet. As a mother of a child still in diapers and just beginning to form speech, I was a little concerned about a male teacher working with children this young, but as a school-based therapist who used to work in a preschool, the rational side of me wanted to give this male teacher a chance. Hence, I sought to learn more about him, what his credentials were, what his goals were, and why he had chosen to work with this particular age group/ was placed in this classroom. To be fair to HWIS, when I sat down with the admissions coordinator to discuss this, she was very polite and pleasant, but initially did not seem to grasp why I would be concerned. At this point, the assistant director (for the Spanish program) came in and introduced herself, then proceeded to inform me that *they cannot discriminate based on gender (I know this, and this was not what this conversation was about), that I was *the only parent who had this concern and no other parent in the school had brought this up (even if one parent had a concern, that should still be addressed, not dismissed), and that she was *also a mother and she completely disagreed with me (regarding my concern about the presence of a male teacher in a classroom of 2.5 year olds...I know I'm not the only parent who would be concerned). Based on her defensive responses, it was clear to me that she was not seeing things from my point of view, nor was she trying to. Even though I felt completely dismissed by her, I continued to adopt a conciliatory tone and tried multiple times to explain my position to her, that it was unusual for male individuals to want to work with children this young, especially when it involves diaper changing, and that I in no way, shape, or form, was asking for this male individual to resign. I simply wanted to understand the rationale the school had for hiring him, and for placing him in this particular classroom. Apparently this did not go over well, as a week later I received an email from the admissions coordinator informing me that, with regret, my child no longer had a spot in the class. While I cannot say that I was surprised (based on my poor interaction with the assistant director), I did at least expect some sort of explanation, to which the admission coordinator emailed "Unfortunately our school admissions policy is not to share with parents the details of our assessment." At this point, it is worth noting that my child's admissions packet was actually still incomplete when the decision was made, as we were waiting on his current teacher to submit the Teacher Recommendation Form. Coupled with my unfortunate exchange with the assistant director, this leads me to believe that HWIS puts more emphasis on the parents than the children. If you are deemed a 'problem' parent for them, meaning if you advocate for your child, or ask difficult questions, they do not want to deal with you. In addition, I find the lack of transparency in the operations of this administration frankly disturbing. In the end, I am glad that I found out about how HWIS truly operates before my child actually started attending this school. After my exchanges with the administration, I cannot in good faith trust the education of my child to HWIS. *Exact words of the assistant director read more

Amazing school! Coming from the West Coast where immersion is widely accepted, I had my doubt about HudsonWay- Is it as good as those expensive schools in SF? I was blown away by how wonderfully my kids are doing. To start with, it is their favorite school so far. My older one is in K, but she had been to four programs before HundsonWay and finds HudsonWay as her favorite. My younger one dances into the classroom every day. Academically, they are also doing wonderfully, not only with Mandarin but also with English, Math, Music and Science. My kindergartner can even write certain full sentences in Mandarin without any reference. Highly recommended! read more

I love this school. I have two children enrolled in kindergarten and second grade. The class sizes are small and the teachers cater to each child's ability. After 5 years in the school my second grader reads and writes at a 4th grade level in both languages. He is in a third grade math book. He can be a bit hyper at home but at school he wants to excel and make his teachers proud. He will even finish his work and then help his classmates. The environment is so loving and Respectful, I cannot say enough. read more

The students are truly impressive at HWIS! My child started as a preschooler and I look forward to continuing his education in this setting. The staff (from teachers to admin) are incredibly supportive and treat each child as a whole, individual, learning being. read more

HudsonWay Immersion School has one of the Best Mandarin programs in New Jersey. My 6 year old son and 4 year old daughter both attend HudsonWay Immersion School and they are very fluent in Mandarin just after 6 months (it's magical). The teachers are so amazing and talented, the small classes combine with their hands-on learning approach is definitely a great working model for kids. My kids English and Math skills have also improved well beyond their grade level. This is just an amazing school....it's the best kept secret in Summit NJ. We just love this school. The gift of language is the best gift a parent can give to their kids...our kids just love it. read more