Mandarin IB Program Providence Elementary Dr. Tammy Summerville Director, Magnet Programs Paul Bonner Principal, Providence Elementary April 21, 2016

The Chinese Mandarin Language Has Been Offered at Providence Elementary School since August 2014

All Students at Providence Receive Weekly Instruction in Mandarin A fully funded Chinese exchange teacher supported by Teacher for Critical Language Program, a program of the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State: Ms. Feng Nan A full time Huntsville City School Employee (PhD Math Candidate UAH): Mrs. Wang Cuiping Pre-K through 1st grade students participate in Mandarin lessons for 30 minutes one day a week 2nd through 5th grade students participate in Mandarin instruction for 30 minutes two days a week

The Mandarin Language is Integrated Into All Areas of the School

Mandarin is The Most Widely Spoken Language in the World Mandarin is spoken by one billion people The U.S. government identified a need for fluent speakers of languages such as Mandarin and Arabic (U.S Department of State: National Security Language Initiative 2006)

Instruction in a World Language is an IB Requirement Learning Mandarin aligns with HCS vision to prepare learners to compete successfully in a globally connected society We believe that Mandarin instruction will give our students an advantage in the increasingly global marketplace Business links with China make speaking Mandarin advantageous

Providence Elementary is in the Final Stages of Candidacy for Authorization in International Baccalaureate PYP Programme Authorization visit was April 4th and 5th Extremely positive with our implementation of Mandarin It could take up to two months to find out if we will be an official IB World School “The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who help to create a better and more peaceful world” (IB Learner Profile 2013) PYP will give our students the opportunity to be more global through real world experiences and inquiry

Research Supports the Benefits of Student Acquisition of a Second Language Research reveals that studying a second language results in increased student achievement in all core academic subjects including mathematics (Armstrong & Rogers 1997) Studies indicate that students that study a second language score higher on standardized tests ( The College Board 2003)

The Mandarin Program has Promoted Cultural Awareness, Tolerance, and Competency Our students celebrated Chinese New Year with the help of the Confucius Institute Providence is partnering with the Confucius Institute to provide resources for the school, faculty, students, and the community It has fostered a more inclusive environment for learning

The Potential Benefits of Providence Elementary School’s Mandarin Program for our Students, Parents, and Community are Great Increasing student achievement Enhancing cognitive skills and problem solving Improving standardized test scores Closing the achievement gap Increasing cultural awareness and appreciation Preparing our students to compete for jobs in an increasingly global marketplace Now, let’s hear what our students have to say about learning Mandarin.

The Students Love Learning Mandarin