| The Alice Fong Yu Alternative School The | | | | families and participated in classes and |
| Alice Fong Yu Alternative School, one San | | | | school functions including English, art and |
| Francisco School, is the first Chinese | | | | modern dance classes. The Chinese students |
| immersion school in the United States. The | | | | were able to tour City College, the Chinese |
| school is designed as a two-way Chinese | | | | Consulate and many interesting tourist |
| English instructional environment. The school | | | | destinations in the San Francisco area. Both |
| provides an outstanding educational | | | | the local and Chinese students spent their |
| experience for children of all backgrounds. | | | | time practicing English and Mandarin. Dance |
| All students at Alice Fong Yu develop | | | | and Art Students from San Francisco Schools |
| competency in the Cantonese and English | | | | Travel to China Other programs in San |
| languages and use the two languages actively | | | | Francisco Schools have allowed students to |
| in the content curriculum. The school aims to | | | | travel to China to participate in |
| have all students to be able to converse in | | | | international exchanges and competitions. |
| and become literate in both English and | | | | This summer five students from the San |
| Cantonese by 5th grade. The Mandarin language | | | | Francisco School of Arts will travel to |
| is added after the fifth grade. The Mandarin | | | | ShenZhen, China as representatives of the |
| English program is similar in scope and | | | | United States at the ShenZhen International |
| function to the Cantonese/English program. | | | | Culture and Arts Festival. As part of an |
| The program is intended to vigorously include | | | | Educational Exchange program facilitated by |
| the staff, parents, and students in cultural | | | | Dr. Marie Lee, Director of East/West Child |
| and language education. The Alice Fong Yu | | | | Research and Development Center and former |
| school uses parents and volunteers in a | | | | school administrator of the San Francisco |
| variety of enrichment programs such as, | | | | Schools, all student expenses in China will |
| Performing Arts Workshop, Poets in the | | | | be provided in full by the ShenZhen Nanshan |
| Schools, and science and library consultants. | | | | Government. The five selected students will |
| The Alice Fong Yu Alternative School's | | | | perform two dances, Chant of the Sirens and |
| Chinese Exchange Program Created in 2000, the | | | | Basin Street Blues. The School of the Arts |
| exchange program sends the eighth grade class | | | | students were the only students from the |
| to Beijing to meet their Chinese pen pals. | | | | United States invited to the Festival in |
| The program gives students the opportunity to | | | | 2006. The three hundred students at the |
| use their knowledge of the Chinese language | | | | Festival represented countries from around |
| and culture in a real life experience. The | | | | the world including: Australia/ New Zealand, |
| students travel to Beijing and Hong Kong | | | | Russia, Germany, Bulgaria, Canada, India, |
| where they meet Chinese students their own | | | | Taiwan, Hong Kong, and others. Along with |
| age. This experience allows students to | | | | performing at the Festival students will |
| experience the culture first-hand and put | | | | visit schools, attend art exhibitions, eat |
| their language skills to the ultimate test. | | | | new foods, visit tourist locations, and learn |
| In January of 2005, the program came closer | | | | about Chinese culture and language while |
| to being a true exchange program. San | | | | staying with Chinese families and students. |
| Francisco Schools through the Alice Fong Yu | | | | |
| School hosted students and teachers from The | | | | Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools |
| Experimental High School Attached to Beijing | | | | K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all |
| Normal University. The selected students and | | | | U.S. public and private K-12 schools. |
| two teachers from China stayed with host | | | | |