Elder Creek Elementary is a student-centered, highly-diverse, place of learning where all students are inspired to explore, dream, and discover. It boasts one of the only Cantonese Immersion programs in the state, where students learn to become fluent and successful in both English and Chinese. Elder Creek is known for its expansive cultural celebrations, from Hmong New Year, Lunar New Year, Cinco de Mayo, etc. Elder Creek is a school where every student is valued, and their successes are celebrated.
Copies of each school’s School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) are linked below. The 69ÊÓƵ Board of Education will vote to approve them at the June 20, 2024 Board of Education Meeting.
Copies of each school’s School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) are linked below.
The Chinese Immersion Program at Elder Creek Elementary School creates an interactive and engaging learning environment where students will achieve bilingual proficiency in both English and Chinese. Students will reach high levels of academic achievement in both languages and become cross-cultural ambassadors for our school, community and society. The program uses an immersion method of instruction in which English-speaking students and Chinese-speaking students are placed together in the same class. Students in this program will receive instruction in English and Chinese while having equal access to the academic core curriculum.
Beginning in kindergarten and first grade, instruction is provided using the 80/20 model: 80 percent Cantonese and 20 percent English. In second grade, it is 70 percent Cantonese and 30 percent English. In third grade, students are taught 60 percent of the time in Cantonese and 40 percent in English. Beginning in fourth grade, the students will be introduced to Mandarin, but still primarily taught in Cantonese. In fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, students are taught 50 percent of the time in Cantonese and 50 percent in English. Students will then be prepared to further their learning of Chinese in junior high and high school.
This is a free or reduced cost program based on family size and income. This option is for families that are working, in school, incapacitated or seeking employment. Families may receive up to 7 hours of child care services based on the parent’s documented need.