Teachers really care for the kids. The curriculum is at a higher level than the public curriculum. Yet, the low student to teacher ratio means the teachers can see and help each child. Tuition is also less than other private schools. This is also a mandarin immersion school that teaches traditional bo po mo fo which we love. The parents do not need to speak the language at home and there are many families that do not speak Mandarin. Overall, great place for kids to learn and grow. read more

We are absolutely thrilled with our experience at Mandarin Academy, and we couldn't be happier with the progress our son has made since starting Kindergarten this year. One of the most remarkable aspects of Mandarin Academy is the speed at which our son has started speaking Chinese at home. We are a non-Chinese family. Within just three weeks of starting, he was already bringing his newfound language skills into our daily conversations. Another key factor that sets Mandarin Academy apart is its small class sizes. In these intimate settings, every student has the opportunity to actively engage and participate in the learning process. This focus on individual attention and participation is invaluable when it comes to mastering a new language, and we've seen firsthand how it has benefited our child's language development. We also got a spot offered by Cupertino Union School District (CUSD), but after experiencing what Mandarin Academy has to offer, we made the decision to withdraw and stay with Mandarin Academy. Main reason was the big class sizes at CUSD (20+ students) which makes it hard to learn a language. The higher standards, personalized approach, and dedication to language education at Mandarin Academy were simply unmatched, and we believe this is the best place for our child to flourish. read more

My son has been in Mandarin Academy for 4 years now. We are very proud to see how he is progressing in his Chinese language. That doesn't mean his English Language command is lagging behind though. I get asked if I am worried about my child lagging behind in English since he is in full immersion Chinese . The answer is not at all, my child definitely meet grade standards in English. My son still loves school and his teachers. He looks forward to attending school every day. That assures me that we have picked the right school for him. Besides great teachers, the parents have also bonded very well and provides a strong support system to the teachers. In short, we are very happy with our decision of school so far. read more

Mandarin Academy - Decorations put up by the parent association for our annual Chinese New Year performance - Elementary Schools Near Me - Cupertino, California

Mandarin Academy has been a great gift to my family. My son is now first grade and has always been a shy kid outside the home. Since early in preschool, his teachers and we had realized that he often just liked to observe, and took his own time before warming up and jumping into things. When we first started Mandarin Academy, we were therefore a little worried. We didn't know how he'd adjust to full-day school.... We chose Mandarin Academy because of its small size, excellent student teacher ratio ... and yes, we wanted our son to learn Chinese ... well. After one year and now going on a second year at the school, I can say that we made the right choice. Academics aside, the most important thing I realize is that my son loves to go to school. Except once when he was sick with fever, he has always gotten up in the morning and wanting to go to school! read more

I went here as a student since I was in first grade, and I am currently a freshman at Lynbrook High School. I attend Mandarin Academy for after school once and awhile, but due to high school its a little tougher. I was one of the first three students at Mandarin Academy. My parents, my friends parents, and the teachers all helped to make this school possible. The teachers at Mandarin Academy are phenomenal and I learned so much from them. Going into public school I was at least two or three years ahead of my peers academically. My Chinese was also held up to Taiwan standards. Not only am I fluent in Chinese but I also have made really strong bonds with the teachers there. Su LaoShi is the best teacher I've ever met. She's passionate about what she teaches and cares about all her students. I've known her for almost all my life and she is like a second mom to me. The other teachers there are also really bright and they actually know what they are teaching. I hate it when teachers don't care about the students and just teach to get paid. One thing I liked was the small ratio of students so that you get more one on one time with the teacher. I got enrolled into the CLIP program when I was in fifth grade and I loved it. The only thing is that it doesn't have that one on one attention like MA does. Some of my students from my martial arts come here as well and they enjoy it which is really cool to see. I hope they have the same great experience I have had at this school. I can only write a review based on how my experience at this school was, and overall this is one of the best schools I've ever been to and I definitely recommend it. Hope that the future graduates of Mandarin Academy make great memories and blossom to become bright young men and women. read more

After trying a few other mandarin Chinese immersion or bilingual schools in the South Bay, we have hit the jack pot with Mandarin Academy located in Cupertino. My daughter's fluency in mandarin has dramatically improved since she started attending kindergarten there. The low student/teacher ratios accommodate for more individualized instruction to address her specific areas that need improvement. She is also developing important social skills and learning about the Chinese culture. I'm very impressed with the school and how my daughter has thrived there in just one year. She is definitely continuing next year into their 1st grade class. For any family looking into Chinese immersion in Silicon Valley, Mandarin Academy should be seriously considered. read more

We first heard about Cupertino's Mandarin Academy from parents we had met in my daughter's Chinese immersion preschool in San Jose. They each spoke with enthusiasm about MA's well-rounded academic focus, as well as opportunities for parent involvement. We had chosen bilingual kindergarten for our daughter so that she would become fluent in an important world language, but also so that she gain valuable inter-cultural work skills from an early age. We felt that these advantages would prepare her in the best possible way for the working world she would inherit. From the beginning, we were encouraged by the student-teacher ratio (8:1), knowing that our daughter would receive a level of individualized instruction not available at other K-5 schools. MA teachers are empowered to focus on teaching and learning because the parents take an active role in school administration. Parents also form a close network that helps guide the school's short- and long-term goals for the students. The advantages are that every day is productive for the students, and the learning activities are relevant, building on the next to strengthen the problem-solving capabilities of the class as a whole. My daughter comes home each day with tangible evidence of what she learned, and she proudly explains the significance of the learning activities. The school has helped us to grow our daughter's social circle, and we as parents rely on the other families for advice, information, and collaborative activities. In the seven months since joining MA, our daughter's fluency and communication in Chinese has blossomed. Her reading ability in Chinese is at least on par with her English skills. This is noteworthy because we are not a Chinese-speaking household. In math and science, her problem solving skills have grown dramatically, along with her creativity and desire to learn. She really loves school and talks about what she plans to do next there. For parents who are considering Chinese immersion in Silicon Valley, I would encourage you to look into Mandarin Academy as early as possible to get the greatest benefit for your child. This is the most worthwhile investment we have made for our daughter, and we are thrilled as parents to play an active role in the school. read more

Mandarin Academy - First day at Kindergarten! - Elementary Schools Near Me - Cupertino, California

Our daughter has been at Mandarin Academy (MA) for nearly two years and we have had a fantastic experience with Lisa Su (lead teacher) and the faculty she has put together. Our daughter knew little to no Chinese prior to beginning the program and can now place an order at a Chinese restaurant (very, very helpful to a daddy who speaks no Mandarin (or any other Chinese dialect for that matter). Being that I don't speak Mandarin, I was concerned that this would impact my daughter's ability to complete homework assignments, but this has not been the case. Since MA is designed to support children with little to know Mandarin background, Lisa is very sensitive to her students and therefore scaffolds each student's assignments to their language level. In addition to our daughter's success in Chinese language, she has continued to strongly progress in her English and math skills. She is currently in 1st grade and already mastering her multiplication facts (while not being pressured by us, her parent's, to excel in this area). Lisa Su sets high standards for our daughter who rises to each challenge Lisa puts before her. In conclusion I highly, highly recommend Mandarin Academy to any parent seeking a supportive environment to build and cultivate their child's academic and social skills while framed in a loving language immersion program. read more

When my son didn't get into CLIP at Meyerholtz, we were thrown into a tailspin of finding a school that we could entrust to develop his Chinese speaking, reading, and written skills. Having visited Appleseed, Yew Chung, and Cornerstone, we felt Mandarin Academy was the right fit for us. And now that we're finishing our first year of Kindergarten, I can say with certainty we made the right decision. Here are some of the things we love about the school: 1. Small class sizes offer greater attention to each student. 2. Su LaoShi, the principal, knows every student and is personally involved in their performance. 3. Most importantly, the community of parents are the real foundation of this school. Shortly after the new school year, my son caught a cold and developed fluid in his ears. Having 70% hearing loss for a couple of months, he missed the pronunciation lessons. Then he was out of school for another few weeks due to the removal of his tonsils. With so many missed lessons, he was rapidly falling behind. Su LaoShi recognized this and had all the teachers spend more time to help him. She also suggested we do one day a week after school to help him catch up, which we did. If it hadn't been for the care of the staff, I know for a fact that he would not have caught up to his classmates. So we are incredibly thankful for everything the school has done. Some additional thoughts: 1. The school is able to maintain their low tuition by including the help of volunteer parents. We are glad to offer our time as it allows us to contribute to the community of the school and better bond with the other parents. 2. The school and parents do an excellent job of putting together parties and performances that the kids enjoy. 3. Starting in Kinder, they do 80% Chinese and 20% English. I'm so impressed that my son is able to read English books at his level. Of course, we read before bedtime to supplement as much as possible. 4. My son LOVES to go to school everyday and you can see the joy in his face when we pick him up! I can not recommend Mandarin Academy enough! Kevin read more

Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical at first. I had gone to years of Chinese After School Programs as a youth and barely retained anything. I simply did not think a "second language" could be "learned" fluently or even "maintained" academically without actually having to "LIVE" in an environment where the said "target language" was the native tongue. Needless to say I was very wrong. My twins are now fluent and spouting Mandarin everywhere they go, even correcting me when I say a character or phrase wrongly using my "American Accented" pronunciation. There are times where they even correct their grandparents, who have become sloppy over the years with their pronunciation skills having lived some 50 years in the US. My wife's good friend introduced us to Mrs. Su - the principle and the school as a whole a year ago to date and I am eternally grateful for that stroke of luck as the curriculum has more than exceeded my expectations. Sincerely, KK read more

It was not an easy decision to write this review seeing all the wonderful thoughts from other parents. Choosing the right school for your child is subjective and highly personal. Unfortunately, this school did not work out for us. Our son joined Mandarin Academy Kindergarten last year and stayed for the entire academic year. When we started, I had full intention of keeping him here from K-5. However, we were disappointed in several areas and decided to move on. 1. Narrow curriculum - MA emphasize academics such as Chinese language arts and mathematics, and they do this very well. There is almost no focus on other topics like science, arts, music, crafts, social science, etc. MA does offer light classes, but in comparison, it's more of a checkmark rather than well-developed program. Also, the school shows little interest in kids' personal/social development outside of academics. 2. Teaching method/philosophy - Ms. Su (Principal and Program Director) has a wealth of teaching experience and have designed aggressive lessons. Their method requires committed learning from students, this means students must be at their best behavior, full attention at all times, and learn at a fast pace. The motto seems to be "I teach. You learn." There is no room for creativity or alternative learning. Students succeed based on their will-powers and abilities. For kids who are able to follow along, this is great. For kids who have trouble focusing, not so much. Teaching is an art, and good teachers can inspire the most unwilling child. This is not the case at MA. 3. Staff - The quality of the MA staff was a huge disappointment. I'll use the school performances as examples. During holidays and graduation, the school puts out shows. The songs, dances, and recital material were somewhat mediocre, but the unacceptable part was that the students were completely disorganized and unable to perform to their full potential. I put the responsibility on teachers, b/c I've seen what dedicated staff can achieve. Our son went to a bilingual preschool (Waha in Santa Clara) that also had numerous performances per year, with kids as young as 2 years old. The older kids (4-5 yrs) were spectacular, reciting long poems, songs, and doing complicated dance moves. Off the stage, I witnessed the teachers' passions - their talents and dedication, their spirits in picking the material, shaping / choreographing, and training the students. Those teachers' passion and hard work shine thru the kids. The staff at MA simply did not measure up. They were either unqualified or uninterested, possibly both. 4. Administration - MA is small and relies on volunteers to run its administration work. This is fine, and I actually admire some volunteers who put in so much time and energy (like a full-time job). Tuition collection and communication can be disorganized at times. Mandatory volunteer work at different events are ill-planned, sometimes parents show up with nothing to do or not sure what to do. School asks funding/donation for every little thing, not a big deal but could get annoying. 5. Confined environment - MA leases rooms from the church that has very limited classrooms and outdoor space. There is a kiddie playground set in a tiny fenced area and that's it. No additional playground or field to run around. There is an indoor gym for rainy days. I think for Kindergarteners this is probably ok, but older kids will feel restrained and have no place to channel their energy. I gave two stars b/c as many parents noted, their academics are very strong and they really try their best to get the kids to learn as much as possible. Even if the child lags behind a bit, s/he will still be way ahead of public schools in math. read more

I have nothing but positive things to say about this school. My son previously was enrolled in a bilingual Montessori preschool, and did not learn much Mandarin Chinese in the 2 years he attended the preschool. Within 6 weeks of starting Mandarin Academy, my son's Mandarin Chinese improved by leaps and bounds. He now comes home every day and wants to learn more Mandarin Chinese on his own, without me even forcing him to learn. This means that the school instills a self-learning and a love of learning, which is noticeably absent in most students at this age. The program is fairly focused on Mandarin Chinese, as others have noted. An estimated 80% of class time is devoted to Chinese in some form or another. However, when compared with other schools that use Chinese as a second language (or around 20% of class time as Chinese), I intentionally sought out an 80% Chinese school because studies have shown that children under the age of 7 are better able to pick up a second language in an immersion setting than when they are adults. Additionally, the school maintains small class sizes, so your child will get lots of attention. The only thing to know is that the school is very focused on Chinese, Math, Science, and a little bit light on the arts, social sciences, and history. That being said, since I was looking for a Mandarin immersion school, these were not first on my list. Therefore, I am very happy with the decision I made, and so is my son. read more

We were looking for a Chinese immersion school for our son for kindergarten, and we were pretty unimpressed with other options we saw in the South Bay. They seemed to really focus on workbooks, homework, and drill and kill. Mandarin Academy was the only one that was more focused on the whole child. Our son started this Fall (2019), and he absolutely loves it. That was not the case for preschool or pre-K - lots of tears at drop off, not wanting to go, etc. But to our surprise, by the end of the first week, he was happily waving bye to us. We even picked him up the second week one day, and he didn't want to leave yet (that was DEFINITELY a first). He loves his teachers - he calls Su Laoshi his "other mommy." We don't speak Chinese at home, so he had no background in Chinese outside of a one week summer camp about a month before school started. I'm impressed by how much he has learned already. He is teaching me Chinese already too! Overall, it's a great school. It's not fancy - facilities are very modest, but he loves his teachers and is learning a lot. Couldn't ask for more! read more

My son has been at MA since Kindergarten and he is now graduating this year from 5th grade. We have been very happy with the Chinese curriculum and academics. The small class sizes really ensure that the kids are actually learning and the teachers are able to give students ample attention. Su Lao Shi is a wonderful principal and cares so much about all the students. She knows all their strengths and weaknesses and how to work with them to be the best that they can be. I like the fact that throughout the years, a lot of my son's teachers stayed the same, so the teachers really got to know him and his learning style. We don't speak much Chinese at home, so when we were looking for schools, we wanted to find one where he could learn the language and be fluent. MA has exceeded all our expectations and we are glad that we were able to give our son the opportunity to learn another language well. read more

My nephew attends this school and I can not recommend this Mandarin Immersion school enough. From a child who used to think that only girls spoke Chinese, he is now well versed in speaking/ reading/ writing Chinese while still maintaining his excellent command of English. Being someone with weak command of Chinese, I now have to ask him to help me with my Chinese. Also, it is not only his Chinese skills that I am impressed with. My nephew is a shy boy but the school has developed his presentation skills such that he is able to speak and perform among strangers. They also develop the love for music with fun school trips to SF Symposium and also love for the outdoors with trips to various hiking trails. Being a nosy aunt, I have also personally witness how hands on his teachers are when I visit him at the school. The teachers are personable but also ensures that the students maintain their manners around adults. An amazing school that I am glad that my nephew is able to attend read more

As an education researcher/professor and a resident of Cupertino, my husband (who is a veteran public school teacher) and I chose our daughter to attend this school. We didn't even bother to apply for the lottery for the CLIP program at Meyerholz. Some people thought we were crazy for missing the opportunity, but my husband and I know better from years working as teachers and with teachers. Our biggest priority for our daughter is finding a safe, nurturing, motivating learning environment, and we strongly believe that best way to have that is in a small class (not with the 30+ students in a typical public school), in which the teachers develop bonds with their pupils over multiple years (and not crammed in one year, as with typical public schools). Our daughter has had the same Chinese and English teachers now for the past two years. Both teachers (Su Laoshi, a very experienced Chinese immersion teacher with strong connections to math; and Mrs. Small, a retired teacher from San Jose Unified School District) adapt their curriculum at the appropriate grade level with added enrichment. For example, my 1st grade daughter, along with her class, is practicing multiplication of fours in Mandarin and loves to also write sentences and stories in English. We have been impressed and will continue to have our daughter at this school. When you have the opportunity, please do review the website or visit the school during open house to check it out for yourselves. read more

Summary: great program, strong Chinese emphasis, which meets our goal. Your child WILL walk away with strong language and academic skills. The program features a solid foundation of practical language skills that will transfer to life, not a bunch of narrow-usage textbook phrases like, " How is your car business today?" While Chinese is taught as its own subject, it is also used to teach other subjects, so the child gets both ends of the spectrum (language theory, real life usage). The teachers engage well, especially Miss Su, the principal. Watching her work the "crowd" (kids) is a real treat. Class size is small, so no one gets lost in the shuffle (or can hide, for that matter...haha). As with any smaller size gathering, information transfer is faster, and learning is accelerated. The kids are all really nice, and the parents are in the mix with school activities. Parents are asked to volunteer time throughout the year to keep admin costs down. To be honest, I initially was not looking forward to that part, but in retrospect, it creates a level of investment simply not seen in most other schools. Invested parents = invested kids = great results. Now in our second year, I'm an avid supporter. Some rumblings in the past included doubts regarding the English side of things, and while I see no shortcomings, I will say this. Even if there were, we live in an English speaking country. Trust me, by sheer exposure, they will learn English. As with any immersion effort, it helps if you speak the language at home, but even if you don't, I've seen firsthand some remarkable skill levels from kids I know only speak Chinese at school. Plus, learning multiple languages at a young age wires the brain to pick up additional tongues, which can pay off down the line. I grew up speaking English, learned Chinese as an adult, gaining "fluency" by completely muscling my way through it. Very rough experience, those first few years, since I had very little foreign language experience. However, once established, learning Japanese was way easier. Brain wiring is a real thing. Immersion programs are a great investment for the child's future. The world is getting smaller. MA is a fantastic option for getting them ready. read more

My wife and I attended their open house and was awestruck by the high achievements of their students. Although this is still a fairly new school, all their students are learning material that is at least 2 grades above their current grade level. The students are proficient in mandarin even though their parents don't speak any mandarin at all. I was extremely impressed with the projects that the teachers have their students do at their grade level and by the curriculum. They have a step by step learning system that they follow which allows children to learn the language quickly and easily. I am so glad I found this school for my child. read more

Mandarin Academy (MA) is a hidden gem. Our family is not Chinese but our 1st grade daughter now reads, writes and speak fluent Mandarin. She can do show and tell in Chinese and write down her cheat sheet all in Chinese. It's one of the best things we decided to give to our child, learning a second language and have fun doing it. There are a few immersion schools around but when look closely into students/parents testimonials & success rates, MA stands out. English & Math: Because MA's Chinese is so strong, it's so easy to perceive that this comes at the expenses of English, Math, and other enrichment classes which is far from the truth. MA has different teacher for each subject; English, Math, Music, Craft, and PE. The school has a low students: teacher ratio so each student gets quality attention from the teachers which translates to their enjoyment of learning and accelerated development. My daughter started kinder "not" reading English but now she reads above expectations. Her math and her ability to solve math & logic problems is solid. MA has a creative way to have kids learn and have fun learning. Social development: Because MA is a small school, it's easy to perceive that students have limited social development compared to larger schools. This was one of my reservation prior to enroll her. After 1.5 years here, I experienced the opposite. Small school size enables my daughter to have deep and meaningful relationship with her classmates, her teachers, and kids at lower/ higher grades. My daughter is shy by nature but she has developed self-confidence in the past years. School offers many opportunities for kids to express themselves both in and out of classroom activities (show & tell in both Chinese & English), Art/Craft, and school performance (Chinese New Year, Graduation, etc.). While tuition is not a single factor when considering education for our child(ren), I have to say that Mandarin Academy tuition is very affordable when compared to other private schools in the area. Our family highly recommends the school to families who are seriously seeking quality education for their child(ren). read more

We absolutely love this school. Every family has different priorities and may have different fits with a number of different schools, but for us Mandarin Academy is fantastic. We looked into many different Mandarin programs in the Bay Area (many bigger ones with far more bells and whistles like PKS in San Francisco, Yu Ming Charter School in Berkeley, and several others), and this was the best fit for our family for various reasons. We commute one hour each way to come to this school, but it is very much worth it. We wanted a very strong Mandarin program - 80% of daily lessons covered in Mandarin, with a high standard. MA focuses on Mandarin literacy right away starting in Kindergarten, which is immensely helpful in getting its students to be able to self-teach in the long run. While it may seem that other topics such as social studies and art are not covered comprehensively, our family made a choice to prioritize the acquisition of a difficult language in the elementary stage of their education because languages are best absorbed at a young age. We do other things as a family to make sure that our kids are exposed to a wide breadth of other areas. We wanted a school with a clear conscience. The head teacher, Su Lao Shi, brings over 20 years of teaching experience because teaching is her passion. Involved parents give time and resources because they deeply care about their children's education, but the school itself seeks neither donations nor gifts. All the teachers care deeply about teaching their subjects well, and the children are always their priority. Given that we wanted a rigorous Mandarin program, we were fully prepared for a very traditional teaching method across all subjects. But much to our surprise, subjects - particularly math - are taught interactively. Students are encouraged to explore, ask questions, experience lessons first hand rather than bury their heads in books, and therefore exercise critical thinking. This was far better than what we had originally anticipated. The classrooms are, for the most part, orderly and well paced, but that atmosphere also jives with our personal preference. The parent body at MA is nurturing, supportive, and relaxed. The class sizes are small enough so that every student can get ample personalized one on one attention, but large enough to sustain a robust social community so that our kids form many friendships with minimal drama. One of the school's clear objectives beyond scholastic achievements is to help students become socially thoughtful, cooperative members of their community. This also falls very much in line with what we try to impart upon our kids at home. We are grateful and very happy to be part of the Mandarin Academy family. read more

It feels like yesterday when we were desperate to find a good school for my son after bad experience with two popular private schools during his pre-school and pre-k year in 2013. I feel very lucky to find Su Laoshi at the last moment and my son has been enjoying both day school and after school ever since. After 3 years of good experience, we sent our daughter to Mandarin Academy too even though we live in one of the top school districts. The class size in Mandarin Academy is small, typical 4 to 12 student each grade. Each topic has its specific teacher with years or tens of years experience, English and Chinese are taught by native speakers and are immersed smoothly in day school and afterschool program. My kids are getting enough attention, and have learned a lot academic wise and improved a lot social wise. Despite the small class size, the school is like a big family and friendship are nourished among students and parents cross different grades. Parent involvement is great and we are lucky to have so many devoting parents who would like to contribute their wonderful ideas and advices to the school. We have been having many fun and educational field trip in the last couple of years. The school use authentic Taiwan elementary school material for Chinese and lower grade Math, while for higher grades, they are using different advanced material including Singapore match. Teachers take presentation serious and kids starting from 1st grade have went through posters and presentations frequently that gradually help them overcome shyness and gain more confidence. As parent, we got plenty of opportunities to volunteer that suit for both people with flexible schedule and typical company employees. As school principal and Chinese teacher for higher grade, Su Laoshi has the experience, patience and intelligence to work with challenging kids and she always treat all her students like her own, want them to grow up well as a whole person. I am also very glad to see in the last several years, Mandarin academy has improved significantly. Student got blessed with quite a few outstanding teachers that are both competent in teaching and adored by students. Starting from last year, we are getting weekly curriculum weekly from teachers of main subjects. Both my son and daughter receive high quality instruction on English, Chinese, Math and Science. Students also enjoy art/craft, social study (in English), culture (in Mandarin), music and PE weekly. Graduating this year, my son can speak mandarin fluently, read newspapers, hand write and type his article with thousands words in both traditional and simplified Chinese. My son's standard test results in all topics are meeting and exceeding standard. The parent-teacher interaction is also very good so we feel this is really our own school. Now my son started his middle school, but he stays closely with all his Mandarin Academy Classmates (thanks to the small class size and close relationship). I highly recommend Mandarin Academy. read more

I can only speak from my own experience, but my daughter has been transformed by attending kindergarten at Mandarin Academy. She is an extremely bright child but very strong willed. She had attended a bilingual preschool with mixed results (mostly behavior issues). We were worried that she wouldn't be patient enough to spend the whole day learning the majority of her subjects in Mandarin but the teachers assured us that with their small class size and activity based learning that she would do fine. She has gone to school happily everyday this year. She loves to look at and read the little booklets that they make in school (we don't read Mandarin so she loves to 'teach' us). We can't believe that we have a 5 year old who can speak, read and write in Mandarin. She has accidentally responded in Mandarin when she hears others speaking it now and sometimes even starts to speak to me in Mandarin! Despite living in an area with excellent public schools, and having an older daughter in our local public school we plan to keep our younger daughter at Mandarin Academy. The school is truly an immersion school where only English/language arts are taught in English but the rest of the subjects are in Mandarin. The teachers seem to really know & care for the children. There is a great balance of academics and creative, fun learning. The school is small with a maximum of 8 per class so the teachers really know how each child is doing and are able to work with each child's strengths or weaknesses. There is very little school administration-it is almost like a parent co-op. Not a lot of "bells and whistles" at this school but the cost is amazingly reasonable given that we are giving our daughter the gift of a second language. read more

The kids will learn a lot of Chinese here, but parents need to beware.... at what cost. - Shame-based teaching methods. This is my number one concern with the school. Students who are seen as "slower-paced" will be singled out and shamed to be working too slowly, not smart, etc. The student's self confidence overall will then drop. This happened in our case, and I am MOST unhappy about this. - Very "traditional"-minded overseas teachers. Teaching philosophy is rigid, not fun, not creative. Kids who fit in the mold and smart are lucky... they will do fine. Everyone else.... good luck. - Emphasis is all Chinese. Very lacking in all other areas, including core subject areas like English, Science, etc. I do NOT like their use of the Math Squared curriculum. That curriculum makes no sense even to adults. If you think Common Core Math is bad... you should see this one. Nothing like Singapore Math (which is very good). Math Squared is in a league of its own as far as being the most confusing math workbook out there. - Little to no communication with parents. You want to know when tests are? What they are learning in class? What homework is due and when? Good luck. If your 1st grader can't articulate to you, then you are left to your own devices to find that out. -The English teacher is the exception - she does a great job of having a weekly sheet that tells about their curriculum. As far as Chinese, Math, and the little bit of Science.... there is no communication. Tests are supposed to be on Fridays but were changed on whim to Thursday. Found out after 2 months into the school year my son apparently had homework, but wasn't doing it - and we weren't told! I never know when workbooks are sent home to be filed vs. homework. There is no labeling or system. There has HARDLY been any emails from parents to teachers. I'm used to daily/weekly emails from teachers at other schools, detailing the curriculum, homework and long term projects due, and testing schedule. I found out my child had a Comprehensive Exam at the end of Quarter, the day before. He was supposed to study the Chinese learned in the last 3 months. We weren't told or given a heads up ... what?!! - I will give a shout out, however, to even things out. The English teacher is great, and so is the Music teacher. Really like the afterschool lead person as well. If you only care about learning Chinese and have little regard to the holistic development of the child, then this no-frills, no-nonsense place may be fine. Please be sure to ask the right questions. I'm sure every family has their own priorities and everyone needs to figure that out for their own children's learning style. read more

We have been trying to search high and low for a Mandarin Immersion school that will provide at least 80% immersion in Mandarin language for our daughter. A lot of schools are only doing a 50% Mandarin Immersion which we think is not enough, especially when it is important to instill that language fluency from the early age on. However when we found out about Mandarin Academy, it fits just right in. Since my husband doesn't know any Mandarin and my Mandarin level is inadequate (low elementary level), I really need help from the school that can help my daughter learn the language, and I decided to enroll my daughter this year in Kindergarten level in Mandarin Academy. Just within 2 months time since she entered the school and from not speaking at all, she has started speaking Mandarin comfortably everyday with me and now she is even correcting my pronunciation. We are really glad and relieve that we have made the right choice. The other thing that I like about the school is the small numbers of students per class, which I think is very important since that will give the teacher enough time to give attention and care to each student. The headmaster of the school, Su Laoshi is very passionate about teaching and it shows on how she lead the school and have the curriculum laid out clearly for each grade level. We know how hard it is to acquire foreign language, not to mention Chinese as one of the hardest language to learn, thus it is very important to have a clear goal of what to achieve for each grade level and Su Laoshi just had that all planned out thoroughly. What I like also about the curriculum is how it is being taught creatively, as I always heard from my daughter how she loves all the fun bingo games that they have in learning the characters. This just proves the creativity in teaching which helps so much for the kids to stay interested in learning the character. Other part of curriculum such as Math, English, Science, Music, Craft, PE etc are also planned out very nicely. The students are encouraged at early age level to start presentation and bringing their confidence in public speaking, even for my daughter's class which is still in Kindergarten. I also like how there is a special Math concept curriculum which enhance the creative thinking for the student. Overall, we really like how the curriculum being laid out and it is definitely more than what we expected. In conclusion, we highly recommend Mandarin Academy to any parents that wish to have your child learning Chinese fluently in a supportive and creative environment. We think that this is the best investment we have made for our daughter. As much as we want our daughter to get a challenging education, but what most important for us is to see how happy she is everyday when she goes and comes back from school. And how she likes her friends, the teachers, the projects, etc. This just proves how much she loves the school and so, we feel grateful to Mandarin Academy and all the teachers to provide that nurturing and warm environment. read more

There is a reason there is a waiting list for this school. It's priced much lower than other similar Chinese immersion schools in the south bay, and it's really good. Class sizes are capped at 15, but we lucked out this year with just 8 in Kindergarten. Everyone knows everyone and it's as friendly as can be. Our son gets no Chinese exposure at home but he can read and speak it after less than a year there. read more

After months long searching for kindergarten schools from so many, we've finally decided to send our kid to Mandarin Academy school. Kids get more attention and care due to small school size. Parents' involvement in school also impressed me. read more

My son is a student at Mandarin Academy. Mandarin Academy is, first and foremost, an excellent school for young children. It is also an immersion environment, through which children learn to be fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Choosing the right school for your child is an incredibly important decision. The right school offers an academic environment that fits with your child and with you; a constructive environment for your child to grow and mature; and a community of parents that feels like a natural fit for you. Mandarin Academy is all of those for us, and, having previously sent our son to another immersion school, I can vouch personally for how rare that combination is. The head teacher at Mandarin Academy, Su Laoshi, is the school's leader. Her strength is in her dedication to the school, and her genuine love for educating children. Through every interaction with Su Laoshi, her sincerity in her desire to do what is best for our children is evident in abundance. She could not possibly care more about this school, nor could she work any harder for our children. It is incredibly difficult to find someone like her, who is not encumbered by ambitions to grow her career, who is completely devoid of ego or pretense, and who truly loves what she is doing. That is a rare find in any profession. The school's teachers follow Su Laoshi's lead. As a team, they provide a rounded curriculum for the children, including English language arts, Mandarin language arts, math, science, music, physical education, and crafts. They may not have specialists and facilities that match large public schools, charter schools, or fancy private schools, but they have boundless desire to help our children learn, grow, and mature. For my son, it is not just the creative ways in which he is learning (e.g., learning spacial reasoning in math class rather than multiplication tables), it is the way that he has matured into a better young boy that is most impressive to me. While the essence of who he is remains unchanged, the learning environment at Mandarin Academy has helped him to focus his thoughts and to explore his interests with more intent and with more persistence. These are essential learning skills that he will carry with him through the rest of his school career and beyond. In addition to the school's overall strength, my son is fluent and increasingly literate in Mandarin Chinese. Judging by the spoken fluency and written work of the oldest children at the school, by the time he reaches 5th grade he will be verbally fluent (as he is today) and fully literate. Since learning Chinese is an important connection to my wife's heritage, the school's success in achieving fluency and literacy in Mandarin is essential to our family. At Mandarin Academy, our son is increasingly a curious, thoughtful, bilingual, and biliterate young boy. The other parents at Mandarin Academy share similar goals for their children, and they all contribute to the success of the school. Given our previous experience, MA's lack of pretense and its complete absence of senseless bickering and competitiveness is shocking and refreshing. Families come to Mandarin Academy because they want their children to learn, and they want their children to learn Chinese. Beyond that, we are all working together to make the school wonderful for our children. With Su Laoshi and the school's teachers and staff as our partners in this endeavor, I need look no further than the giant smile on my son's face when I drop him off at school to assure myself that Mandarin Academy is, in fact, a wonderful school. read more

This small school has a very strong Mandarin program. The attention given to children through low teacher to student ratios is great. I have been impressed with the main teacher, Lisa Su. read more

Since my husband is a Mandarin speaker and I am not, I have always really wanted our children to be bilingual- not only so they could talk with their grandparents, but also because it is such an important part of the world culture these days. I was a little nervous that their Chinese skills were not developing enough from the limited one-parent exposure, but not anymore. I first learned about Mandarin Academy by some wonderful accident about a year and a half ago when I received an article sent to me about education. There was an advertisement on the page about immersion education which got me thinking about it for our soon to be kindergarten daughter. I am so thankful that I searched and found such a wonderful Chinese immersion elementary school in Cupertino, which is much closer than I thought and than other farther away schools- great for us since we live in south San Jose. Our daughter absolutely loves to go to school every day, and loves to talk about it even when she's not there. Her teachers and the staff all genuinely care about her as a person and about what she is learning. We can't believe how much she has learned (English and Chinese) in just a little over seven months of Kindergarten so far. She has a great time in math and science and art too. We really value the well rounded education she is receiving and are convinced that the immersion method is the way to go. The exposure to another culture that we got to observe in the fabulous Chinese New Year program is also great. I know learning a second language helps the brain to learn everything else better too, but it's amazing to see the reward for our investment so quickly. She can read and write so many words in Chinese, (and english too) that everyone who sees or hears her speak is quite surprised, she can even talk on the phone with her grandparents in Taiwan without her dad's help. We were surprised and thrilled the other day when we were in Peet's Coffee and she paused when passing the SJ Mercury news on the table to read something written in Chinese out loud- not only did she pronounce it correctly, she knew what she read. I'm impressed and I'm looking forward to our son starting in two years so he can join the club. The only thing I'm afraid of now is what they will all talk about that I won't be able to understand. If only I could go back to kindergarten and do it again... read more