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EmailThe HISD Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School (MCLIMS) opened in August 2012, initially serving pre-kindergarten to 2nd grade. Thanks to an HISD bond passed in November 2012, the school will gradually expand to serve kindergarten through 8th grade. It is the first fully immersive Mandarin language magnet program in the Houston area.
Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School
6300 Avenue B, Bellaire, TX 77401 Mr. Bryan Bordelon, Principal
713-295-5276
www.houstonisd.org/Page/6964
Religious Affiliation
As a public school, MCLIMS has no religious affiliation. According to Houston Independent School District’s policy, every school has a moment of silence each day during which students can pray silently to themselves if they so choose. Also, absences because of religious holidays do not count toward the student’s total number of absences. However, the student is still responsible for the makeup work.
Location and Facilities
MCLIMS is located in the independent municipality of Bellaire opposite Episcopal High School and the Post Oak School just inside the 610 West Loop. An affluent neighborhood of single-family homes is directly to the school’s south and east. An HISD bond passed in November 2012 will allow the school to build a new multi-million dollar building. The new designs call for a space that welcomes the greater community to experience cultural events and performances. Each classroom will be equipped with technology to facilitate language learning. There is currently no concrete time frame for completion of the new building.
Admissions
All students seeking to attend MCLIMS must apply through the standard HISD elementary magnet application. Applicants must submit 1) proof of HISD residency 2) proof of age (kindergarteners only) 3) previous year’s final report card or Pre-K Progress Report (if applicable) 4) first grading period of current report card and 5) an application.
During the 2013-2014 school year, only grades PK-3 will partake in the immersion program. Each year, the program will expand by one year as students graduate. While no prior knowledge of Mandarin is required for Pre-K or kindergarten students, new students entering 2nd or 3rd grade are required to attend a Mandarin “boot camp” in early August. Fourth and fifth grade remain part of the previous traditional elementary school program that is being phased out.
Academic Tracks and Curriculum
Students have daily classes in English/Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. The school offers PE, Technology, and the Fine Arts as ancillary classes. All MCLIMS students participate in the language immersion magnet program. Starting in Pre-K, students spend half their instructional day in a Mandarin class and the other half in an English class. Initially, students are taught to read and write in simplified characters. They are gradually introduced to traditional characters in the upper grades.
Students, who are identified as gifted and talented, receive additional support and instruction.
Special Needs
Standard HISD policies.
Foreign Languages
MCLIMS focuses exclusively on immersion in Mandarin Chinese.
Arts
MCLIMS’s art teacher is bilingual in Mandarin and English. Classes will be taught in both languages.
Technology
No information provided.
Extracurricular Activities
Students have many opportunities to explore Chinese culture with their classmates through events such as the Chinese New Year Festival or Chinese Culture Day at Asia Society Texas. In the past, pre-kindergarteners have had play dates at Wonderwild and 5th graders have attended science camp. The school hosts a field day and on Halloween celebrates “Storybook Character Day” during which students dress up as their favorite literary characters and share that character’s story.
Athletics
No information provided.
Parent Involvement
Parents can join MCLIMS’s PTO or partake in HISD’s VIPS (Volunteers in Public Schools) program. On Saturdays, the school is typically open to all students, parents, and teachers who’d like to volunteer around school or in the Chinese garden.
Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School Fast Facts
| Overview | |||
| School Type | Public, Magnet, Language Immersion | ||
| Religious Affiliation | None | ||
| Uniforms | Dress Code Only | ||
| Date Founded | 2012 | ||
| Endowment | N/A | ||
| Grades Served | PK-5 | ||
| Enrollment | 358 | ||
| Grade 5 | 25 | ||
| Grade 4 | 25 | ||
| Grade 3 | 44 | ||
| Grade 2 | 44 | ||
| Grade 1 | 88 | ||
| Kindergarten | 88 | ||
| Pre-Kindergarten | 44 | ||
| Student to Teacher Ratio | Not Yet Available | ||
| Faculty with Advanced Degrees (#/%) | Not Yet Available | ||
| Minorities in Student Body | Not Yet Available | ||
| Curriculum | |||
| Academic Tracks Offered | Magnet | ||
| Advanced Placement Courses Offered | N/A | ||
| Languages Offered | Mandarin | ||
| Calendar (Semester / Trimester / Other) | Semester | ||
| Interscholastic Sports Programs | 0 | ||
| Public School Stats (Public Schools) | |||
| Gifted and Talented Students | Not Yet Available | ||
| Free and Reduced Lunch | Not Yet Available | ||
| AYP (year) | Not Yet Available | ||
| TEA Accountability (year) | Not Yet Available | ||
Excerpted from General Academic’s publication, “Houston Private & Select Public Schools: Survey, Analysis, and Research, 3rd Edition.”
