The Connection Bernards-Ridge Edition Dec 2019-Jan2020

PAGE 36 THE BERNARDS-RIDGE CONNECTION DEC 2019/JAN 2020 Tours Every Thursday at 9am 249 Bebout Avenue, Stirling, NJ 249 Bebout Ave., Stirling, NJ 07980 | 908-598-8088 | hwis.org By: Sharon Huang There’s so much more to bilin- gual education than just learning a second language. HudsonWay Immersion School is founded on the understanding that students develop advanced cognitive skills, superior social skills and emotional intelligence, and an enhanced awareness of other cultures in addi- tion to second language proficiency through immersion. HudsonWay Immersion School (HWIS) , founded in 2005 by local mom Sharon Huang, has grown in reputation as one of the premier language immersion schools in the United States. HWIS has two cam- puses: a brand new bright and airy facility in Midtown West that just opened for the start of the 2019- 20 school year, and one in the edu- cation wing of the newly renovated St. Vincent de Paul Church’s school in Stirling, NJ. HWIS offers both Mandarin and Spanish immersion for 200+ students, from little ones as young as 2 years old, eventually through to Grade 8 in 2021. Starting with the 2’s program at HWIS , children experience 100% of the instructional time in either Spanish or Mandarin, and then as children progress through the upper grades English is added. By middle school 50% of the time is in the target language, 45% of time is in English and 5% is in a third language! Students without a prior background in a language can be successful as 80% of HWIS fami- lies do not speak the target lan- guage at home. The benefits of learning subjects in a second language are signifi- cant and assessed yearly. Each year HWIS students outscore “monolin- guals” nationwide in language arts and math standardized tests. Stu- dents enrolled in the HWIS pro- gram for four or more years test as above average or gifted in cogni- tive ability. Sue Ha, HWIS’s Head of School says about their program, “I've seen that immersion students think differently and interact with knowl- edge differently than monolingual students. When the students learn two or more languages at a young age, they have more courage to take risks. Attributes such as risk taking, persistence, confidence and social emotional IQ are important in the 21st century. HWIS is help- ing to prepare the next generation of global citizens.” HWIS offers after school lan- guage programs, language immer- sion summer camps and enrich- ment classes such as chess, robotics and soccer. The NJ campus has a dedicated playground, field, regu- lation size indoor gym, science room, library, and smartboards in every classroom. To learn more about whether HudsonWay Immersion School might be a great fit for your family, visit www.HWIS.org to attend one of their upcoming information ses- sions or to schedule a private tour. The Benefits of an Immersion Education at HudsonWay Immersion School theconnectionsnj.com