A small, rural school in SW Washington has started a Chinese immersion program. From the 2/11/14 Chinook Observer article "Chinese Immersion in Naselle: Mandarin makes its mark" (here)
... It’s been one year since the Naselle School, grades K-8, introduced a Mandarin immersion program for kindergarten and first grade. With 37 students enrolled in the immersion program and the majority of students performing well on state tests, Principal Karen Wirkkala hopes the program will continue.
The school has reapplied for the grants that currently fund the classes and provide the native Chinese-speaking teachers, and school officials should know next month whether or not the grant applications were successful.
“We’re planning on going on,” Wirkkala said, adding that the school board will also evaluate the program this year.
Of Naselle School’s 32 first grade students, 20 are participating in the immersion program. Of the 33 kindergartners, 17 spend their school days speaking and learning in Mandarin....
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