On Thursday, June 5, 2008, Traverse City Area Public Schools will hold an informational meeting regarding its Early Childhood Chinese/English Immersion Program. The meeting will be held at Central Grade School, 301 W. Seventh Street, at 6:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria.
The program, which will be housed at Central Grade School next year, is offered as one of the preschool/kindergarten enrichment options for the 2008-2009 school year. TCAPS first began to offer the Chinese/English Immersion Education Program in the 2007-2008 school year in partnership with the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence and the Confucius Institute at Michigan State University.
The Early Childhood Chinese/English Immersion Program incorporates the best educational practices of both the East and the West in terms of language, culture, and teaching methods.
This blending allows children to move between different cultures, languages, and educational philosophies as part of their school day.
“Young children are natural language learners,” comments Early Childhood Programs Director Cheryl Bloomquist. “In immersion programs, children learn a new language the same way they have learned their home language—within the context of daily activities.”
For more information, please contact Early Childhood Programs Director Cheryl Bloomquist at 933-1780 or bloomquich@admin.tcaps.net.