West Portal School
Chinese Immersion Program

Kindergarten through Fifth Grade
San Francisco Unified School District's First Bilingual and Cultural Cantonese Education Program
Founded in 1984

Two-Way Chinese Immersion Program (CIP) at West Portal
All CIP students are expected to meet or exceed academic content standards and performance standards in English. In addition, the students are expected to develop bicultural competence while becoming bilingual and bi-literate. CIP teachers use many second language acquisition techniques and a vast repertoire of instructional strategies as they cover the curriculum. Opportunities to speak, listen, read, and write are provided throughout the school day in order to facilitate language development in both English and Chinese.

Chinese is used in teaching math, science, and social studies from Kindergarten through the third Grade. Instructional time in English is increased at the fourth and fifth grade levels.

The Value of Immersion Education
Immersion educational programs create a positive bilingual environment to promote high academic achievement in both English and in a target language. In addition to language acquisition, one of the goals is to develop cross-cultural knowledge and awareness for all students. Language learning takes place primarily through content instruction.

Knowledge of more than one language and culture will enable our students to fully participate in a culturally diverse society and in an increasingly global economy. Nearly three decades of research on immersion education show that immersion learners benefit cognitively, academically and socially. The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) offers more than half a dozen elementary and middle school immersion programs in languages that include Chinese, Filipino, Korean and Spanish.  

Instruction Time Chinese-English
Kindergarten & 1st grades 80%-20%
2nd & 3rd grades 70%-30%
4th & 5th grades 50%-50%

Program Goals
The program goals are to:

• Develop proficient English language skills
• Develop bilingual and bi-literate skills in English and Chinese language
• Meet or exceed academic content standards and performance standards
• Develop knowledge and appreciation for Chinese and other cultures

Facts About Our Program:

Achieving Excellence
West Portal’s Chinese Immersion Program was founded by parents in 1984. As a SFUSD Model School, educators and representatives from various academic institutions visit, observe, and learn from our exemplary programs. Our students rank among the District’s top performers. Current School Accountability Report Cards and standardized test scores are posted online at www. SFUSD.edu

Staff
All of our teachers are native Chinese speakers with years of experience in immersion education. As a team, teachers and administrator create a caring, stimulating and supportive environment for children to learn.

Student Population
We have a diverse student population in our Chinese Immersion Program. Our students come from English-speaking, Chinese-speaking, bilingual as well as multilingual families.

Mandarin Curriculum
While Cantonese is the target language, Mandarin is also being introduced at an early age. In First Grade, teachers introduce Mandarin through songs. In Second and Third Grades, teachers provide enrichment activities in Mandarin and introduce Pin Yin (official phonetic system) through songs. In the fourth and fifth grades, teachers provide weekly Mandarin lessons using the District adopted Mandarin curriculum.

Support for Parents

• Monthly CIP Committee meetings
• Parents’ workshops
• Technology resources
• Take home resources

Parent Participation
Our students thrive academically and socially while their families feel connected to our school community.
Parents are our most valuable and important resource. Their involvement is vital to the success of the Chinese Immersion Program. Volunteers help in the classrooms, work on special events such as the Lunar New Year Parade, and participate in the West Portal Parent Club. Their fundraising efforts help purchase supplementary materials and staff the various school programs.

Daycare
G.L.O. provides onsite daycare services before and after school. Learn more about G.L.O. from their brochure or visit www.gloinc.org

To learn more about West Portal’s Chinese Immersion Program, please go to www.westportalschool.com or contact us at (415)759-2846.

Click HERE for a copy of the Chinese Immersion Program Media Packet in PDF format.

West Portal has eight CIP classrooms: 11, 14, 17, 21, 25, 31, 32, & 36

Click HERE to go to the Parents for Immersion Education (PIE) site.