I am looking for more recent reivews of Pacific Rim International School in Emeryville, especially the Infant and Preschool programs. I would also like to know how warm and nurturing the environment and teachers are. Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

My child does not look forward to going to school. He can't wait until the weekend or for the summer to come so that he doesn't have to go to school. When I ask him why he feels this way he says it's because the teachers are not nice. And generally, my son is right from what I have observed. He never used to be this way until we came to Pacific Rim. Since my son is not very aggressive or independent, we will often find him and many other children just standing or wandering around. The school wants the children to find things to do on their own and be more independent, to be self starters. This doesn't always work. My son tends to get bored at school because of the lack of interaction. School is definitely not something he looks forward to, he dreads going to school. Some days I stay at the school to see how my child is doing and I see a lot of children who are just standing around or wandering waiting for a teacher to give them instruction which is never given because they want the child to be more independent. So it seems, it's like, ''survival of the fittest'', if your child doesn't take the initiative themselves to self learn, he will find himself struggling with little or no help from the teachers. If he's a ''go getter'', the teachers do respond to this and consequently give these children more attention. That's just how I see it. Other parents may feel differently and there are some who really love the school, but many of the parents I've spoken to feel the same way I do.

This school is not nurturing at all and the teachers are too tough on these young children. However, I will mention that academics is a strong part of this school and I am grateful for that. Most of the children there learn how to write, read and do math. It's incredible to see children so young being able to do such things. If the teachers were more nurturing which would equate to more happier children, it would make a world of difference in my opinion of this school. Unfortunately, it's such an important quality that is absent there. anon

The classroom environment is very rich with high quality learning materials. I have never seen a better learing environment in all the private school tours I took this year. Children can sometimes be overwhelmed by the many choices of projects (work) to do. My older daughter likes to observe other children for a while and then will go back and choose that work once she has seen it done by others. The mixed age group setting provides the opportunity for older students to act as role models and for the younger children to have mentoring from other children in addtion to the teachers. In my experience watching the classroom, children are not left to wander the classroom for very long before they are offered something to do. Some children require a longer transition period during which the teachers direct them to do activities, but eventually all of the children learn to choose their own. They are also tracked with regard to the time spent on various types of activities. One teacher per day is tasked with monitoring how much time each child spends in a particular type of activity (e.g. Japanese language, science, etc.). With the older children particularly, if they are seen to spend most of their time with on one kind of skill, they will be re-directed to try other things.

The ambience at PRINTS is very tranquil. The children are not running around the classroom or shouting. They do have a pretty rigorous morning ritual where they are greeted at the door by a teacer (very early in the AM there is only 1 teacher at 1 door with a clipboard) and by 9AM, the classroom has several teachers on both sides of the room. There are 7 teachers (2 Japanese, 2 Chinese, 3 English) for roughly 53 children. Children who are disruptive are asked to walk with a teacher a hand in the teacher's pocket until they are able to return to a work project.

With regard to the meals at PRINTS - parents are invited to join the children for lunch almost any day of the year. I did that recently. The children are divided into tables based upon which language program they are at and encouraged to speak either Chinese or Japanese. There is a table monitor assigned for each table who helps set the table. Kids are offered either a healthy hot meal that has a main course, fruit and salad or they can bring in their own lunch. They are not allowed to bring junk food including chocolate, but my kids do eat crackers. All the children are provided water and milk by the school. Unfortunately, hot lunches must be bought for a half year and not on a per diem basis. Children who do not eat their meals and disruptive are sometimes asked to sit at a single table until they eat most of their food. This is to ensure good table behavior where the children conversing, but still focused on finshing their meals. Any food not eaten is sent home with the child so that the parent can see what wasn't eaten. For me, this was helpful as I realized my younger, less verbal child didn't like a particular thing I was giving her. There is never any ''force feeding''. Not only is this unsafe, it is illegal. I have gotten back many lunches with partially eaten food so I can tell you that while they are encouraged to finish their meal, food is never forced into them.

The outdoor playyard is very large, mostly concrete covered. However, there is a very big play structure that is on top of a soft suface. There are raised garden beds that the children plant every year with flowers and veggis. There is also a bunny hutch with the largest rabbits I ever saw. The children take turns feeding them. Mostly my kids run around on the play structure, ride bikes (there are many), play with balls or just plain dig in the dirt making dirt cakes (and coming home looking like dirt cakes). Most days, my kids refuse to come home until they've had 1-2 hours of extra play outside in the play area.

The interaction between children is generally really great. My younger daughter has a visible disability and initially there was a lot of curiosity about her and I was worried she would get bullied. The kids got used to her difference and now she is great friends with many kids. I never see her getting teased and they don't even seem to talk about much anymore. If there is conflict, the children are sent to the peace table (or peace ledge if outdoors) to talk out and resolve their differences. It's amazing that 3 year olds are already learning conflict management skills. I never hear teachers ''yelling'' at kids at any time. They are corrected or redirected frequently with regard to behavior - some kids more than others. That's the price that is paid for a calm and harmonious environment I suppose.

The PRINTS staff provides frequent family information nights to explain the Montessori principles, parenting skills etc. I find the teachers open to criticism and willing to change their curriculum, especially in Elementary, based upon parental feedback. At the parent/teacher conferences which are held a couple of times per year, I do find that sometimes there is a big focus on what the child needs to work on or improve, but lately, since my children are now very familiar with the procedures at PRINTS, the comments are almost entirely positive and reassuring.

With regard to the teachers themselves. They are all very earnest and try hard to be good teachers and role models for the students. Some of the teachers are very outwardly warm and nurturing. My two kids love to give the head teacher hugs all the time. They are very affectionate with the teachers as that's how we are at home. Some kids are being raised in a more traditional Asian environment at home and they seem somewhat less outwardly affectionate. The Asian culture nurtures their children in a visibly different way. The children are spoken to in soft but sometimes firm voices. It's hard to explain, but I do think my kids are being nurtured and they always tell me how much they like the teachers (although they do get periodically angry at one teacher or another depending upon who corrected them that day). I speak to the teachers personally every day that I am there. There is no barrier to speaking with them - I just get to know when the good times are that are least disruptive. I try to catch them during recesses or after school. There are journals for each child so you can receive school announcements, playdate or party invitations from other parents or write down a reminder that your child will be out of school. Serious matters can be written down as well and the teachers always write a long and thoughtful response. If there is a serious ongoing issue though, parents should just make an appointment to meet with the head teacher Mahr sensei - he has always been more than willing to do that with me over the years. No one is forced to communicate with teacers solely through this method - it's provided mostly for routine communications and is very efficient. The school manager is very efficient and keeps the administrative side running smoothly.

Parking at PRINTS can be hairy at pick-up and drop-off time as the parking lot is very small and partially full with employee cars. They do try to improve this situation by having carpool drop off and pick up.

Overall we are very satisfied with PRINTS. I just wanted to provide a detailed review of the school to enable others to decide if this is the right environment for their kids or not. It seems to work best for people who really like the idea of the Montessori curriculum and acquisition of a 2nd language. Most of the kids by age 5 or so really are quite fluent in the 2nd language. Even those with no 2nd language speaker at home (although that is a handicap to be sure). I am including my email address in case you want more information.

Lastly, the Japnanes/Mandarin language aspect of PRINTS is exceptional. While many kids are from bilingual families, I am impressed by the language ability of children who come from monolingual families. I do think some kids have an easier time in this environment than others. One of my kids can be quite shy, but she has really come out of her shell at the school. The other kid who can be a bit more hard-headed I thought would have some difficulty w/ the ''rules and regulations,'' but this has not been the case. I think order in the environment and awarenes of the rules allows for a calm and safe learning environment. There are many different schools w/ varying approaches and I think a good fit needs to be sought for each child. PRINTS may not be for every child. The best thing is to visit PRINTS and other schools to find the best fit. anon

Re: Japanese Language Camp & after school lessons
Hi, You might want to check out the Pacific Rim International School in Emeryville. It is a Montessori based school but also offers language immersion in Japanese and Mandarin. There are 2 Japanese teachers for kids aged 3-6 and these teachers speak only Japanese to the kids all day no matter what subject is being taught (same for the Mandarin and Enlish speaking teachers - the teachers always speak in their native language to the kids, but can all communicate in English with the parents as necessary). There are quite a few kids in this class who come from Japanese families and speak primarily in Japanese throughout the day. They have several summer sessions that are each 2 weeks in length. The core hours are 9:00 to 3:30 but they also offer extended care from 8:00-9:00 and 3:30- 6. There are enrichment classes (usually art, martial arts, music) in the afternoons for an additional fee. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. Lorianne

I am interested to hearing more comments on Pacific Rim International School in Emeryville since the last posting was January 2005. The bilingul teaching method is quite attractive. Thanks!

- language & culture immersion: The children learn how to converse and learn in both English and the chosen language (Chinese or Japanese) - this is not about memorizing phrases. They acquire the language more organically and more fluently. They are also introduced very intimately to Chinese and Japanese culture, holidays, art, etc. Your child will learn quite a bit about both Chinese and Japanese culture regardless of! which language track you choose.

- Montesorri curriculum: I highly recommend you check out books from any public library about the Montesorri method. This is an extremely popular method both in the US and in Europe. It is superior to any other teaching method I know. There are a ton of Montessori schools in the East Bay but this one combines the foreign language immersion with Montessori which is unique.

- Discipline and mutual respect: If you are one of those parents that lets your children whine, yell, throw tantrums in public, etc. and just let your child do whatever they naturally feel like doing... this is NOT the school for you. Children are expected to follow strict rules of mutual respect and responsibility.

- Strong work ethic: The Montessori method teaches children ! to take on their ''work'' independently but stresses this is not ''play''. It may look like play to parents at first but every activity has meaning and the lessons are cummulative. Some parents prefer a much less structured learning environment so you may want to make an appointment to observe in the classroom. My FAVORITE things about this school:

- I feel my kids are totally safe, well supervised & nurtured there

- Daily the kids bring home cool art and work samples

- My kids are getting a global perspective and are learning tolerance for people from all different countries and ethnic backgrounds

- Art, cooking, singing, dance, sewing and performing arts and other enrichment activities are woven into their curriculum

- My kids love going to school! They always want to stay longer when we arrive to pick them up!

I love the idea of a bilingual preschool but I was wondering if other feel that it is necessary for the parents to be fluent in the language that their child is learning. While I am Japanese-American, I do not speak much Japanese at all. I've always wished that my parents had in me learn it when I was younger. I am looking for a current review of the Pacific Rim International School in Emeryville. The last one was from Feb 2003. Thanks!

Feb. 2003

Re: Cantonese or Mandarin daycare
One preschool/elementary school that offers instruction in Mandarin (and Japanese) is Pacific Rim International School (PRINTS) in Emeryville. We had very negative experiences there (PRINTS frowns on parental involvement and has very stringent disciplinary measures, even for young children), but I must say other families were happy there (particularly families originally from Asia who were perhaps more comfortable with the school's attitude towards authority).

August 2002

PRINTS hires outstanding teachers who really know (and care about) each and every student. Here you will not find any “labeling” of students; each is respected. I have done a bit of guest teaching (a special workshop here and there) in the classroom (particularly for the elementary). Once when I had given a series of guest workshops in the elementary class, I discussed with one teacher a variety of strategies for reaching a student who would have been labeled “disruptive” in many classrooms. Rather, than write that student off or try to force the child into a single dominant mode of learning, the teacher found out how HE learned best. Her care and knowledge transformed that child. He was still lively (no squanching of creativity), but was better able to focus when his lesson was presented in a way that worked for him.

If parents do not know much about Montessori philosophy, it is important that they learn about it in order to understand the pedagogy and PRINTS’ policies. The teachers help in this capacity also. I selected PRINTS for its language instruction, knowing very little about Montessori. Over the years, with the help of Parents’ Education Nights (where teachers meet to discuss key aspects of their classrooms with parents), reading and teacher consultations, I’ve learned to really appreciate how the Montessori method emphasizes student-centered initiative in a responsible and holistic way. I remember that during my first few weeks at PRINTS I was concerned that Montessori seemed to emphasize individual over collaborative learning, but I found that my fears were unfounded. There is a balance of both. In addition, I have been impressed with the strong conceptual base of knowledge; the students learn key principles of math and language in stages, rather than memorizing. Since Montessori does not have “grades,” thorough evaluations are available at the parent/teacher conferences and upon a parent’s request. The work the students are doing in elementary is far beyond anything I was introduced to in my experience of public school (long ago).

In all schools problems arise. When they do at PRINTS, I have found the Director as well as the teachers and staff open to communication with parents. It helps, of course, if parents are polite and interested in communicating and problem solving, rather than merely criticizing. A few years ago, for instance, a majority of parents made it clear that they did not wish to have school uniforms so although the Director and some parents liked the idea, there are no school uniforms today. But a more significant example is this: When my first daughter was two and experiencing separation anxiety, I consulted with the teachers and together we planned a way to say goodbye in the morning that would cut down on my daughter’s anxiety. In addition, I was invited to observe my daughter through a one-way window (which alleviated my concern). Within a few moments of my departure, her tears would stop and she would turn her attention to the delights of the classroom. With our collective efforts, my daughter’s morning tears stopped within two days. It is possible to observe all classes (which parents are invited to arrange).

Finally, the main reason we stay with PRINTS is that my daughters LOVE it. Teachers, staff and PRINTS’ families are like a big family working together toward a common goal. Hertha

I should say many families appeared to be happy at the school. However, we found
* The school to be dogmatic about all types of issues, from the types of lunches children were allowed to bring, to allowing parents in the classroom (absolutely forbidden). Hugs are discouraged even for the very tiny children (the school is open to kids as young as 18 months, I believe.)
* The owner of the school has strong opinions and makes all final decisions.
* For a not-inexpensive school, there was a poor student-teacher ratio, and our child was often bullied or injured on the school grounds due, in our view, to inadequate supervision.
* Disciplinary methods may have been acceptable to some families, but culturally didn't work at all for us. For example, our child, age 3, was forced to walk around the classroom for a day with his hand in the (male) teacher's pocket so that he could ''get his body under control.''
* We didn't stay long enough to know whether the language portion of the program would have been effective for our child or not.

Once again, PRINTS works for some folks. But we were not the only family to withdraw mid-year, so... look before you leap!

1. it had a warm family feeling where i felt like they took a personal interest in my son

2. the structure is montessori (accredited) but not like a boot camp. some schools i saw were strict to the point of being rigid - that's what i thought of the rennaissance school where they said that once a child mastered a skill like shoe tying they would NEVER tie the kid's shoes again. NEVER sounds extreme to me...

3. they weren't overly lax on the montessori philosophy, like some schools which integrate waldorf-ish play areas and such.

4. it has the feeling of a real school, nice grounds, etc., not in a church or something

5. the asian language programs are a really wonderful thing, in my opinion, because even though my son is not asian, he is getting an experience that sets him apart - a lot of the kids are fluent in both chinese and japanese by the time they leave.

well, that's what i liked.
good luck with your decision! :)
eileen

May 2000

Our two girls, now 9 and 10, went to PRINTS (Pacific Rim International School) for about three years. We took our older daughter out in the middle of the 97-98 school year, and our younger daughter at the end of the school year.

The good stuff: our heritage is WASP, neither of us speak Mandarin (or Japanese), but PRINTS committment to bilingual education is impressive and effective. Our girls learned quite a bit of Mandarin.

The bad stuff: PRINTS has a relatively short history, has just gone through a big expansion in the last 5 years (the move to Emeryville followed by the director opening a second school), and fairly few teachers with a high turnover. Our children did well when they had good teachers (Mrs Gwyn, who I think is still the principle of the Emeryville school, was wonderful, for example). In our third year the school hired a very poor teacher (who is now gone) and was very unresponsive to our concerns/complaints about our oldest daughter's failure to progress. First, the teacher insisted there was no problem, implied we were over anxious and 'non-Montessori', etc. When test results confirmed our impression, Mrs Gwyn correctly suggested the problem might be mild ADD. But even after we had an evaluation, the school provided little or nothing in the way of effective remediation. We later met another parent who had had to remove a child with mild learning disabilities -dyslexia. The school kept assuring him that Montessori eduction prevented dyslexia!I don't think PRINTS is in any way equipped to deal with learning disabilities, but our other daughter did well there. (She is doing at least as well in her new school.) But I think you need to make sure that they have resolved their problems with teacher turnover and quality, and classroom control issues --around the time I took my kids out, another summarily removed her son after discovering him and two other 8-9 year olds conducting a science experiment outside without adult supervision. Some Taiwanese children were removed because they weren't learning enough English.

Notes: they seem rigid for a Montessori school, trying to enforce strict meal times on very young preschoolers, for example, and periodically insisting that they want to institute uniforms. They also tried (while we were there) to get parents to commit to participating in three year blocks. Good luck making your decision -the bilingual program truly is a unique opportunity.