St. Michael's Catholic Academy has the only English-Mandarin dual-language school in the entire Diocese of Brooklyn, which also includes Queens. For the last 10 years, St. Michael's has implemented and continues to refine the program.
Our students begin with a 50/50 model in Kindergarten and continue this model in first grade. At the start of second grade, our students move toward an immersion model in which they continue learning in both languages in different increments. What makes our program so unique is that our students learn content in both languages! Imagine your child not only learning how to speak in Mandarin, but also being able to write and calculate mathematical equations in Mandarin!
Our teachers use a wide range of materials in their instruction. The curriculum follows New York State Next Generation Standards and ties in Better Immersion Mandarin, iChineseReader, and several other programs. Through our partnership with Boston College and membership in their Two-Way Immersion Network for Catholic Schools, our faculty and staff participate in continuous professional development and professional learning communities with dual-language teachers all across the United States.
Upon graduation from St. Michael's Catholic Academy, our students receive the Biliteracy Pathway Seal from Boston College on their diplomas.