School Wide Students and Families Survey in October NewStar Chinese School November 2013 The School Board of Directors

Participate Rate 38 out of 183 students’ parents participated this survey

Survey Participation by Class There were no parents from C9 and M3 classes participated this survey C5 class had the most participants

How many hours do your children take to do Chinese home work every week

How many hours do you help your children to do Chinese home work every week

What language do you speak with your children at home? (Check all that apply)

Do your children read Chinese books besides textbook?

Do you contact teacher when you have questions about children study at school?

Do your children watch Chinese TV/video/Episodes at home/Listening Chinese stories?

Your children study at Chinese School because you want them to (Check all that apply)

How do you encourage and motivate your children to study Chinese, especially when he/she had difficulties answers: part 1 Study with them Tell fun story Tell them how important and how fun Chinese is Ask him/her: Do you want to talk to grandparents/aunts/uncles/cousins...? They don't speak English? It is so cool that you can speak both languages. Chinese language program, study with him, cash Chinese learning can help them to enjoy summer vacations in China better. Emphasize the importance of the cultural aspect Encourage him, tell him Chinese is hard to learn and need patience. It is good for his future if he know Chinese language and culture Encourage them and try our best to make the easy way for them to learn. Explain to him how important for being bilingual, Help them, try to make it fun. I have no idea. Please share yours if there is some. It is a family rule and we do it just as we eat every day. There is no choice to give up. We read Chinese books to kids and be examples to learn new things for us. (continued)

How do you encourage and motivate your children to study Chinese, especially when he/she had difficulties answers – part 2 Luckily, my child has been motivated to learn Chinese so far. However, if my child had difficulties, I would discuss this with her teacher and ask for ways to encourage and motivate her. Music and rewards for doing more than what is asked of her. No need, my daughter is too young and she loves to speak Chinese. Read more They understand it would be a plus to understand one more language. Try to have her speak to her grandmother who is Chinese. Watch Chinese TV shows and movies together. We have a treasure box and if they study hard, listen and do their best then they can choose a prize Work together to solve the problems/to finish the homework. Work together with kids for the difficulties. If they are frustrated, take a short break and come back later.

What can you do to assist school to have a better environments for your children to study and grow up, and your suggestions to school: answers – part 1 Get involving to activities and help at school as much as I can. Give more activities. Let kids speak Chinese together more often. Maybe a story telling club or presentation club. Should have math and science classes in Chinese. Have lesson only once a week, that means parents must do the job every day. So we help kids and support the teacher and school activities. Have more fun. use multimedia. play some games while learning Having a good teacher makes learning Chinese much more fun. Thanks to Ms. Ying Fong, the 7th grade teacher, my daughter no longer thinks going to NewStar is the less favorite thing in her life! Providing the greatest supports to the teachers by parents and the school is the most important thing. Hire good, knowledgeable, and competent teachers who can create lesson plans, motivate students, and teach Chinese in a fun and enthusiastic way, i.e. Chinese children songs and games. It would be great if the school watches more closely on the main teaching and learning of the classes.

What can you do to assist school to have a better environments for your children to study and grow up, and your suggestions to school: answers – part 2 I hope the teacher will give incentive to the students frequently as it really motivate my kids to go to school. Last time my son got a pen because of a good test score, he was very excited and at that time, he praised the Chinese school (it doesn't happen often). For incentives, I hope it's a pen, pencil, any small item that may not seem worth a lot to parents. (No food or candy I hope) Or, we may accumulate points to get to certain points so that they can have prizes. Those seem motivate my children to learn Chinese. The bottom line is when their friends are resting and playing, they have to go to Chinese school with home taking back afterwards. Doesn't sound very fun, is it? Hope the prize could make their Sundays worth looking forward to. More activities More after school activities More parents to involve in school activities

What can you do to assist school to have a better environments for your children to study and grow up, and your suggestions to school: answers – part 3 Put him (my son)in the class with the more experienced teacher Students should be get involved in more in class, some time a small reward could help kids be more motivated in following teacher. I under stand the board remembers are volunteer based and work very hard, but the recent C2B class room changes and take a period to find the teacher, this kind of things raise some concerns. Teaching style and atmosphere in class room is very important. Teachers need to think about and be creative to make learning fun in classroom. Stimulate students curiosity and motivation, engage students using questions and activities etc. in the teaching process are good ways to go. Tell Chinese stories, speak more Chinese, and attend more Chinese event The current Chinese textbook is not good and useful for those ABCs, there are many better textbooks than ours.

What can you do to assist school to have a better environments for your children to study and grow up, and your suggestions to school: answers – part 4 The unities of school, teachers, parents and students work together. Communications is very important. Thanks for the survey. There are students attending the Chinese school who apparently have ZERO interest in learning Chinese/attending the classes. Some of them are only in the class physically, with minimal to no involvement in classroom learning. There are also some students who are in the classroom to not only waste their own time but disrupt other students' learning. The school should enforce a system of screening/pretesting to make sure that students who enroll in a certain grade level are academically ready for it. Thinking something FUN! Devote volunteer time

Summary part 1 38 out of 183 students parents participated this survey. Response rate 21%. Two classes’ parents did not participate this survey Median time for students doing home work: 1.5 hrs. Median time for parents to assist students doing home work: 1.5 hrs. 71% parents speak Mandarin, 47% parents speak English at home 39% children read Chinese books besides textbook at home 79% parents contact teacher when they have questions about children study at school 68% children watch Chinese TV/video/Episodes at home/Listening Chinese stories Most students study at NewStar are for: Learn Chinese language, Understand Chinese Culture and fun

Summary part 2 1. Parents at NewStar are deeply involved in their children’s Chinese study at home 2. They encourage and motivate their children to study Chinese, especially when he/she had difficulties via multiple approaches such as: Study Chinese with Children together Make study Chinese is fun Reward It is a family rule to study Chinese and do it just as eat food every day To help children understand that it would be a plus to understand one more language

Summary part 3 Questions: What can you do to assist school to have a better environments for your children to study and grow up? Parents Answers: Get involving to activities and help at school as much as I can. Devote volunteer time Questions: Your suggestions to school: Parents Answers: Give more activities. Let kids speak Chinese together more often. Have more fun. use multimedia. play some games while learning Hire good, knowledgeable, and competent teachers who can create lesson plans, motivate students, and teach Chinese in a fun and enthusiastic way, i.e. Chinese children songs and games, multimedia The current Chinese textbook is not good and useful for those ABCs screening/pretesting to make sure that students who enroll in a certain grade level are

Thanks all the parents who participated this survey Your voice has been heard Board members will work with teachers based on your feedback Thanks parent volunteer Haiyong Li for posting this survey on line Thank you!