When was Northwest Chinese Academy Founded?
Northwest Chinese Academy (NWCA) was founded in 2008 in Beaverton.

Who should attend the Northwest Chinese Academy?
NWCA’s program is intended for children age 3 and up from any family which believes that a Mandarin Chinese immersion education can provide an advantage to their children’s future endeavors.  Since NWCA’s founding in 2008, NWCA’s student body has continued to reflect multi-cultural and ethnic diversity in our school.  Most of our students actually come from a non-Mandarin speaking environment.

NWCA welcomes and embraces students and families regardless of race, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, activities and administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs and extracurricular programs.

What is unique about Northwest Chinese Academy’s curriculum?
NWCA offers a comprehensive and challenging curriculum designed to equip our students with a strong academic foundation along with language and cross-cultural skills that will enable them to thrive and compete successfully in a globally interdependent world.

Math, science, social studies, music, art and physical education are all taught in Mandarin Chinese by experienced educators with native fluency.  NWCA provides an advanced English Literacy Program that starts in preschool, and our students in grades 3 through 6 have the opportunity to take several hours of Spanish language classes each week.

What is the benefit of Northwest Chinese Academy’s approach to language learning compared to other schools?
NWCA currently offers the highest level of Mandarin Chinese immersion education in the Portland area.  Our students in grades 1 through 5 spend an average of 75% of their day immersed in listening to, reading, and speaking Mandarin Chinese.  Our youngest students spend 90% of their day immersed in Chinese. In addition, NWCA is the only local school which offers a daily Homework Hour, included in tuition, where students without exposure to Mandarin at home can get an additional hour of support in Mandarin Chinese.  All of NWCA’s teachers have Bachelor, Bachelor-equivalent or Master Degrees.

As a result, NWCA students achieve fluency in Mandarin, advanced proficiency in reading and writing, and an intuitive understanding of cross-cultural communications – giving them the confidence to thrive in a global society.

How can I support my child if we do not speak Chinese at home?
Our teachers understand that many of our students do not have exposure to Mandarin Chinese at home. Therefore,   NWCA tuition includes Homework Hour from 3:00 to 4:00 PM daily on school days. This provides homework and immersion learning support for all NWCA students.  We encourage all NWCA students in first grade and up to stay for Homework Hour, especially for students who have no other exposure to Mandarin Chinese.

Do you provide formal English instruction? 
Yes.  NWCA provides formal, daily English language instruction for all students.  Our English Literacy Program is designed to offer top-notch, literature based, English language arts instruction focusing on reading, writing, speaking, and presentation skills.

Is English ever used in NWCA classrooms? 
Generally, English is not used in NWCA classrooms outside of our English Literacy Program classes. Under limited circumstances, a NWCA teacher may use English in the classroom to comfort a child or address a behavioral concern. Safety requirements are also taught in English.

How many administrators and teachers does NWCA have?
NWCA has a staff of two paid administrators in the positions of Principal and Child Care Center Director/Administrative Assistant. NWCA’s teaching staff is composed of 11 experienced educators.

What credentials do your teachers have?
All NWCA teachers have bachelor or bachelor-equivalent degrees. Our preschool and prekindergarten staff have advanced training in childhood development and education.  Half of NWCA’s teaching staff holds Master degrees from accredited universities in the U.S.

What is your student-to-teacher ratio?
Our average student-to-teacher ratio for the 2011/2012 school year is 7:1.

Are your teachers native Chinese language speakers?
All of our teachers are native speakers of Mandarin Chinese with the exception of our two English Literacy Program teachers and our Spanish teacher.

What calendar school year do you follow?
NWCA follows the Beaverton School District calendar, except furlough days.  Our 2011/2012 school year runs from Tuesday, September 6, 2011 to Thursday, June 14, 2012 with a total number of 175 eight hour school days.

What are the school’s hours?
You may drop your child off at NWCA any time after 7:30am on school days. The school day at NWCA starts at 8:00 am for all students.  The school day ends at 12:00 pm for half-day preschool/pre-kindergarten students and at 4:00pm for full-day students.  Homework Hour runs from 3:00 to 4:00pm. 

Does NWCA run organized field trips?
Yes, with parental permission, the students of NWCA participate in at least two organized field trips per academic year.

Do you offer a school trip to China?
NWCA plans to offer a trip to China in spring 2012 for our upper elementary students. This trip will be designed to provide opportunities for NWCA students to apply their language and cultural skills in a real-world environment.

How would you describe your learning community? 
An exceptional education and true sense of community! Northwest Chinese Academy provides a dedicated teaching staff and supportive environment that encourage our students to grow as individuals and to appreciate the diversity of all persons and cultures. NWCA offers a community that is often described as a “family” by our students, faculty and parents.

Is there a volunteer requirement for families? 
The success of our children and school depend in part on the volunteer efforts and involvement of our parents and families.   Each NWCA family is asked to commit to a minimum of 25 volunteer hours per academic year.  Many of our families exceed this commitment as there is a wide range of volunteer opportunities that can fit around work and family schedules.

What is your tuition?  Our current tuition schedule is posted on the tuition page of our website.  We invite you to contact our Admissions Office at 503.546.3455 to discuss our current tuition schedule.

Do you offer financial aid or tuition assistance? 
Yes. Financial assistance is available to Kindergarten – 6^th grade students. Please contact our Admissions Office for application information. 

I’m ready to apply, what next? 
We are delighted that you are interested in applying to NWCA.  Please contact our Admissions Office at 503.546.3455 and we will be happy to guide you through a tour and application process.

This information is subject to change.