Chinese Immersion - Eisenhower Elementary

Nurturing learners who are curious, confident, and globally minded.

Hopkins XinXing Chinese immersion program is a K-5 total immersion program. All core subject matter is taught in Mandarin Chinese for the full day in kindergarten through grade 2. Students learn to read and write in Mandarin first. English language arts are introduced for the equivalent of one hour per day beginning in grades 3-4, and there is an even distribution of English and Mandarin in grade 5.

XinXing students have Chinese immersion course offerings for grades 6-12 at Hopkins West Middle School and Hopkins High School. Our goal is for students to reach an advanced level of proficiency by the end of grade 12, and to develop bi-literacy in both Chinese and English. Students who complete the full program will graduate Hopkins High School with up to 16 college credits.

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Program Highlights

Record of Success

MCA Test: Our XinXing students consistently score as well or better than their non-immersion peers on the MCA standardized tests.

Our XinXing students in grades 2 and 3 take the Youth Chinese Test (YCT) every year in May to assess their proficiency level in Chinese. In May 2019, 100% of our XinXing second graders passed the YCT level 3 assessment, and 96% of our third graders passed the YCT level 4 assessment.

XinXing grade 10 students who took the Advanced Placement (AP) Chinese Language and Culture exam as 9th graders last May received scores of 3, 4, or 5, which can earn them college credit. A total of 20 current 10th, 11th, and 12th grade XinXing students will be eligible to earn a Minnesota Department of Education bilingual platinum seal in Chinese, and 17 students will be eligible to earn a bilingual gold seal in Chinese on their transcript upon high school graduation.

Celebrating Chinese Culture

Immersion Enrichment Opportunities

There are a wide variety of enrichment classes offered year-round through Hopkins Community Education. Some examples are: Chinese music, Chinese dance, Chinese painting, and calligraphy.

Song, Dance, and Gong Fu!

Students in Kindergarten through Grade 2 learn Chinese songs in music class and Chinese dance as part of their cultural enrichment. Those in Grade 3 learn gong fu in Chinese. Students also participate in several performances throughout the year, including a Lunar New Year performance.

Outstanding Teachers, Staff & Parents

XinXing boasts talented teachers and staff with a special dedication to immersion education and bi-literacy.

Bei Dou Xing, our strong and supportive parent organization, is committed to providing support for the cultural components of the program.

Two Chinese intervention teachers support and enhance XinXing teaching and learning in Chinese reading and math.

Our experienced leaders Principal Melissa Ness, Assistant Principal Sara Schmidt, and XinXing coordinator Molly Wieland have visited schools in China and have expertise in immersion education.

STEM at XinXing

Thanks to a U.S. Department of Education grant and a collaboration with the University of Minnesota, we developed interdisciplinary STEM units for Chinese immersion students in grades K-5. The advanced STEM curriculum prepares students for a highly technical future.

Our nationally recognized and researched elementary core STEM curriculum, Engineering is Elementary (EiE), was developed by the Museum of Science, Boston. XinXing students experience the full benefit of the STEM curriculum in Chinese.

What happens next?

XinXing continues on at West Middle School. Our exceptional secondary continuation program develops students’ linguistic and cultural proficiency in Chinese through secondary Chinese immersion courses in the study of culture, current events, history, literature, and global studies within the context of our IB Middle Years program.

Additionally, an 8th grade experience in China is available to students and is funded in part by the Bei Dou Xing parent group.

Chinese immersion continues at Hopkins High School for grades 9-12. Students are able to take a variety of advanced, college-level Chinese courses and have the opportunity to use their Chinese skills in internships and study abroad opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Chinese?

How does Hopkins' immersion program work?

In kindergarten through second grade, all subject matter is taught in Mandarin Chinese for the full day. English language arts is introduced in third grade for one hour per day. By fifth grade, there is an even distribution of English and the immersion language. Music and physical education are delivered in English. School services including the nurse, counselors, media specialists, and office staff services are also in English so they can be shared with the rest of the school.

What is the enrollment process?

Information meetings are scheduled in the fall, beginning in October. Dates and times will be posted on our school calendar. Applications are due by January 16, 2024. Check enrollment page for more. Priority is given to Hopkins District residents, but nearly half our students join us through open-enrollment. Registration will remain open until the program is at capacity. Class sizes will range from 21 to 27 students, with the average class to be about 24 students.

Is there a fee?

Is transportation provided?

Is before- and after-school care provided?

What role do parents play in XinXing Academy?

Although most of our parents do not speak Chinese, they still play a very important role in our program. We expect parents to read to their children daily in their home language to help them develop literacy skills. Parents can also help their children with the concepts they are learning in school through weekly homework activities that reinforce what they are learning. Parents are invited to help organize special classroom celebrations. The parent group is very active and has many volunteer opportunities available for parents who want to be involved.

We open-enrolled into the Hopkins School District because we loved that our child would have such an amazing global experience.

-Hopkins Chinese immersion parent

Chinese Immersion Contacts

Melissa Ness, Eisenhower principal
952-988-4301
Melissa.Ness@HopkinsSchools.org.

Enrollment Questions: Carolina Lloyd, Immersion Enrollment Coordinator
Carolina.Lloyd@hopkinsschools.org
952-988-4110