• Owner: Jie Moore
• Phone: (510) 981-0320
• Email: info@shureninternationalschool.com
• Neighborhood: University Ave.
• Zip: 94702
• License #: 013419434
• Capacity: 45 (for the preschool)
• Website: http://shureninternationalschool.com/
• Bilingual: Mandarin
• Ages: preschool - 8th grade

Re: Looking for small school, flexibly paced program
Since you mentioned you are open to a bilingual program, I would like to recommend Shu Ren International School. It fits all your criteria perfectly. My child is in the 2nd grade there. Classes are very small (currently 14 students with two teachers, plus additional assistants/volunteers who help out) and learning is differentiated so students are working at very different levels according to their own ability. Much of the day is spent in small groups (2-3 students) according to students' levels in various subjects, especially in English reading where the class includes several different levels. The teachers are skilled at focusing on where individual students need extra support and finding ways to fit it in. It is bilingual Mandarin/English but the curriculum is all integrated so they are learning the same content in both languages. The class has students who are native Mandarin speakers, English language learners, and those who had no prior Mandarin and are just learning, so the materials and curriculum are designed to take different levels into account. It is a very nurturing, supportive environment and I highly recommend it. happy shu ren mom

Re: Preschools near a BART station
Shu Ren International school is just a short walk from the N. Berkeley Bart stop. But more importantly is a dynamic and thriving pre-k thru 8 mandarin immersion school right here in Berkeley! The teachers are so very wonderful, and the days are spent not only with creative play (preK), but your child will learn an invaluable life skill of learning Mandarin! www.ShuRenInternationalSchool.com We couldn't be happier! Happy Shu Ren family

Re: Mandarin Immerson Summer camp
Hi: Regarding the Mandarin immersion camp inquiry... This may not be in time for the current summer, but I wanted to post a message for parents to keep in mind perhaps for next year re: summer camp recommendations. We sent our son to Shu Ren's Mandarin Immersion camp last summer (for many weeks) and can recommend the teachers and staff there as great (smart, patient and hands-on). We had other plans for most weeks this summer but I imagine that the camp is just as good as the summer before. Parent

Re: How is Montessori style Mandarin immersion

My children have never been in a Montessori classroom so I can't respond to that part of your question. But we did look extensively at all the Mandarin options, including the local Montessori schools, when choosing a school for my son. We chose Shu Ren for two main reasons: 1. The Mandarin immersion seemed much more intensive there than the other schools, and we had more faith that our son would become truly bilingual. And 2. we think the curriculum developed at Shu Ren (which is aiming to become an International Baccalaureate World School) is quite amazing. It teaches children to become independent and critical thinkers and compassionate human beings, even at preschool age. After three years at the school, we couldn't be happier. It is a warm, nurturing environment with a supportive and enthusiastic parent community and talented, thoughtful teachers and staff. I highly recommend it. happy shu ren mom

I believe that the school is still accepting applications and I have found the tuition to be right on par with the quality of education. If you do a cost comparison with the Montessori schools, you will find that Shu Ren would be right on target.

The general vibe at Shu Ren is is one of enthusiasm. It's a tight group of parents working together to build something great. The teachers are dedicated, enthusiastic and also very nurturing. The style of learning is focused, but is still really fun for the children. The class sizes are small which allows the teachers to give excellent individual attention and work with individual needs. Additionally, I have found the administration to be very attentive to concerns or questions that arise.

The learning style is based on a very well respected International learning method and is described as inquiry-based. While the teachers provide the structure for learning, they encourage the children to participate and help guide the process. I believe this results in well educated and confident children who learn how to navigate their world early on in life.

I would highly recommend Shu Ren, not just for preschool but also as a consideration for kindergarten and grade school. You'll find that the rates are competitive with other preschool programs, and you get the second language. Shu Ren Parent

Shu Ren is IB program which is quite different from Montessori. For my child's personality, already pretty quite, bit on the shy side, Montessori didn't offer the social interaction, and the child like play we needed. After joining Shu Ren, I can tell the difference in my child's behavior within couple months.

The teachers are great, and my child is very happy. So far I am very happy with Shu Ren, both from my child's academic growth and social skills. Happy Parent

Re: Mandarin Immersion Elementary Schools?
There is currently really only one true Mandarin immersion elementary school in the East Bay: Shu Ren International School. Of the elementary schools with Mandarin offered, it's the only one that uses Mandarin as the main language for teaching most subjects. Last week's newsletter posted several reviews of the school so I don't want to repeat, but the main things we like about it are: small class size and the chance for individualized teaching; full Mandarin immersion taught by talented native speakers; a very strong English program so I never worry my son is behind kids in ''regular'' schools; and the IB curriculum framework. It's a wonderful school and I highly recommend it. mom of shu ren elementary student

Re: Preschools friendly for kids with nut allergies
My sons' school, Shu Ren international School in Berkeley, is 100% nut free and has a great preschool. It is taught all in Mandarin and is theme-based learning, following the IB curriculum. My children come home with tons of artworks and are very happy there. You should go check them out. They are located at 1333 University Avenue. They will also be at the preschool fair this weekend in Oakland. Happy Shuren Parent

I have seriously been considering Shu Ren International School for my preschooler based on their preK 100% Mandarin immersion model and the few tours that I have gone to. I like their passion for education and dedication(from what I've seen) to their students and the Inquiry Based Model of Education. I would like to get some feed back from parents that are attending Shu Ren currently. I think that equipping my child with Mandarin is going to be advantageous and just want to hear what other families like about Shu Ren. thanks! anon

The school has far exceeded our expectations on a number of levels. The class size is small and my son gets lots of individualized attention. His kindergarten teacher is amazing and has helped my son feel very comfortable and excel in his learning process. Our son is a little shy, and his teacher has really nurtured him and encouraged him with his Chinese. He is doing so well, that he is now teaching his mother Chinese! The inquiry-based method they use for teaching is excellent. As a matter of fact, the school is striving for accreditation with a very well known International education method and currently uses their system to define the curriculum. We can already see how it has encouraged our son to be an independent thinker and look at the world from a more global view, even at 5!.

Additionally, our son attends the aftercare program for one hour, three times a week. During this time, he is able to work with another great teacher, who assists him with his Chinese homework. Something my wife and are not able to do. The Aftercare teacher is great about helping him with his homework first, with lots of play afterwards. Overall, we have had no issues with the fact that we are unable to help our son with his Chinese homework.

The founder and head of the school, Jie Moore, has done an excellent job of providing a learning environment that is attentive to the emotional well being of the kids while still providing academic excellence. She is attentive to the issues that arise and is truly dedicated to providing the best education for all of the students.

Overall I would rate Shu Ren an A+ and highly recommend this school.

I like Shu Ren not just because of the Mandarin and Chinese culture aspect of the education, I also like it because: 1. She gets a lot more personal attention from the teachers. Teachers are very kind. She was very timid at the previous school, but now is much happier and more confident. 2. Besides the recess playground time, they offer PE classes, and Music classes. She was very happy to do yoga, zumba, sing and dance. 3. Shu Ren not just focus on Chinese culture, they also teaches cultures, histories about other regions. So overall, I am very happy with the school, so is my child. Happy Parent

In addition, I wanted a nurturing environment, with at small student to teacher ratio, as well as a focus on the whole education, not just on the Mandarin. I found that Shuren is the only one providing a true immersion education. You can find more information on their website about the definition of immersion. (www.shureninternationalschool.com)

Moreover, I am very impressed that they have found such qualified teachers. The bios on their website provide some insight into their skills. In addition, they've been extremely open to communication with parents. Finally, the principal and founder is following the International Baccalaureate model, and plans apply for candidacy. It seems to be the model of the future, as most of the top US high schools are IB schools. There is also a lot of focus on enrichment programs. Currently, the students have Kodaly music classes as part of their regular curriculum. It is a growing school and has been open 2 years. I felt comfortable with the school's philosophy and the founder's passions in executing her vision. At the end of the day, I am confident having entrusted my child to them.. Shuren Parent b

Re: Chinese Immersion for Chinese/African American child
If you are in the East Bay, there is a fantastic Chinese immersion preschool right here in Berkeley, Shu Ren International School. The Pre-K is taught in 100% Mandarin, and the student body is very diverse. Their website is: http://shureninternationalschool.com. They will host an open house in mid-November. shu ren parent

As the parents of a former student at Shu Ren, we feel obliged, as a service to parents searching for a preschool, to retell our experiences, as they were not positive.

After our interview and initial visits, we were incredibly high on Shu Ren. We liked the layout of the school and the seeming professionalism and commitment of all there. We were indifferent to the IB program they're intent on running, but we figured that, for a preschool, the Mandarin immersion would be perfect. When we arrived in the fall, however, cracks in that image began to appear. We were sold on a small class (around 8 students) of one age group with a high degree of supervision. What we found in the fall was a class of 24 students ranging from 2.5 to 5 years old packed into the same room that previously housed 8. We were told that extra staff would be brought in to deal with the influx, and they were, but the calm environment we'd seen the year before was never to be had. In our estimation, the teachers were overwhelmed by this large a group of students and virtually everything that one would expect from a school suffered because of it.

The kind of attention to one's child that one would expect from a small class environment was non-existent. Teachers were too busy trying to manage crises to guide and develop each child to the fullest of their potential. On top of that, the level of communication between teachers and parents left much to be desired. When incidents happened, we were either told about them in only the most cursory way, or weren't told about them at all until weeks or months later. As if that wasn't bad enough, knowing the kind of stresses this many children was placing on the teachers and the students, the management of Shu Ren continued to take in yet more students as the year went on.

In sum, we regret being swayed by the surface attractiviness of Shu Ren (and this includes the Mandarin immersion aspect) and not paying closer attention to what truly mattered to our child: a calm and nurturing environment. Concerned

The sudden growth period is now over for the school, and we expect that from here on out the talented administration will be able to focus on continuing to develop and grow the school in a healthy and consistent way. My son is now finishing his Kindergarten year at Shu Ren, and my husband and I have been truly impressed by the staff's dedication to language immersion, which cannot be matched by any other local school. Even more important that that, however, is the energy, enthusiasm, intelligence, and creativity we have seen consistently from all the staff and teachers. In contrast to the previous reviewer, we have found Shu Ren to provide, above all, a very calm and nurturing environment, which is in fact the most important reason we chose the school. Happy Shu Ren parent

Re: Need great preschool three days a week 7:30-5:00
My son currently goes to Shu Ren International School's Preschool program. It is a play-based, theme-oriented program all taught in Mandarin. Even the kids without any Chinese re-inforcement at home are now speaking Mandarin. My son has loved going to school since he started there over a year ago and he will be in their kindergarten class next year. My second son will be in the pre-K program next year too. They are currently located in Berkeley on University, but this fall will be moving to South Berkeley/ North Oakland area. Their schedule runs from 8:30am to 3pm, but they have free care from 7:30-8:30am and they have extended care to 6pm. If you are interested, just give them a call to schedule a tour so you can see for yourself what a great school this is. Their website is www.shureninternationalschool.com. And their number is (510) 981-0320. Good luck in your search. I remember how hard it is. Christine, Shu Ren Mom

Re: Mandarin summer mini-camps for 5 year old
Shu Ren International School in Berkeley offers a Mandarin summer camp in two-week sessions throughout the summer. Our son is in school there and attended the camp last summer and had a lot of fun. The teachers are great and the kids learn a lot of Chinese. Registration forms are available now at: http://www.shureninternationalschool.com/programs/summer-camp/
shu ren mom

Re: Mandarin Bilingual from K on - which one?
Our son is in Kindergarten at Shu Ren and we love it. It's a warm, nurturing environment with talented and enthusiastic teachers and staff. Our son spoke Chinese before going but most of the children had had little or no exposure before this year, and they are all reading, writing and speaking Chinese already, after just two months. The teacher has done a great job of creating a community feeling among the students, and our son is excited to go to school every day. The workload is intensive but must be in order for them to learn such a difficult language, and my son enjoys the work, loves doing his homework, and they are learning a lot. They also spend a lot of time on art projects, music, and free play outdoors. Because it is 100% Mandarin in Kindergarten, except for an hour a day of English, the children really benefit from an immersion environment. The staff and administrators are very dedicated and smart, enrollment is very stable now, and I'm trusting that the school is here to stay. The school is hosting open houses and tours this month, check out their website for more details: http://shureninternationalschool.com/ Shu Ren mom

Re: Mandarin Bilingual from K on - which one?
I usually don't take time out to write letters of recommendation, but I feel strongly enough about a recent poster's inquiry into a good Mandarin bilingual school to reply: In my opinion, Shu Ren International School in Berkeley is the only place to go!!!

I have a long-standing interest in foreign languages, linguistics and bilingual education. When considering the right school for our only child, my husband and I looked at a broad swath of highly recommended schools in the Bay Area. We visited both Spanish and Mandarin language immersion schools; and we even spent a couple of preschool years at a Spanish-English bilingual language school. A number of the other schools we looked at were quite good, but we can state unequivocally that Shu Ren is the absolute best we've seen. I was a little hesitant before starting the year: although I speak three languages fluently, neither my husband nor I have any knowledge of Mandarin (with two busy careers and no nanny, we weren't anticipating a lot of extra time to devote to learning the language). But our Kindergartner is thriving in a warm, loving environment filled with rich learning experiences (academically and socially), a broad-based educational framework, and strong, creative and professional teachers and administrators -- We couldn't be happier and we are so grateful that we found Shu Ren.

Please google it to make sure but in case it's handy, I think their number is 510-981-0291. Best wishes, Happy Parent of a 5-yr Old

Re: Mandarin Bilingual from K on - which one?
Shuren is the only mandarin-immersion school in the Bay Area that strives to follow the International Baccalaureate Program, an internationally recognized academic program that will help the children become self-inquirers and develop a passion for life-long learning. To that end, Shuren has hired teachers that share this vision and have taught their initial classes of pre-K through 2nd grade kids how to nurture this desire to learn. My son has been going to Shuren since this January as a pre-K student and has truly loved going there. His mandarin improved dramatically within weeks of starting and we truly want to see Shuren succeed in its endeavors to become a K-8 school. Please go visit the school for yourself so you can see what the kindergarten teacher has taught the children. I believe they are still doing tours on Wednesday mornings, but please call the school to check. Their website is www.shureninternationalschool.com. Their number is: (510) 981-0320. Good luck in your decision-making. Mom of a Shuren Child

Hi -- I'm looking for feedback on Shu Ren's preschool and/or after school program, particularly from parents whose children did not already speak Mandarin upon entering the school. Did your child learn Mandarin within the first year? Are the teacher(s) nurturing and loving? I want my child to learn Mandarin, but I don't want to sacrifice the wonderful, caring environment he currently is in. Thanks! Global Mom

Re: Bilingual/Immersion Preschool that teaches Chinese
I don't know about Starlite, but I can strongly recommend Shu Ren International School, a new Chinese immersion school in Berkeley. My son is in the pre-school (pre-k) there and we have been extremely happy with the teachers, his language development, and the community that is being built up around the school. The pre-k classes are 100% Mandarin; English will be gradually introduced in Kindergarten and higher grades. The teachers are warm, knowledgeable and creative, and it's been a very stimulating and loving environment for our son. Teachers communicate very well with parents and even keep blogs where they update parents every week on what the kids do in the classroom and post photos. Their website is http://shureninternationalschool.com/ and phone number is: (510) 981-0320. I recommend you check it out. shu ren parent

We are asking parents' input on Shu Ren International School. We visited the school with our 4-year-old daughter and really liked their environment. But since it's new, we would like to hear from Shu Ren's parents about the teachers and the kind of progress their children are making. We are hoping this would help with our decision making. looking for info

The curriculum is based on the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program, which is centered around themes, and so all the day's activities are interconnected and relate to the particular theme they are working on (right now the theme is My Body and so they learn songs, do art projects, read stories, play games, etc about various parts of their bodies.) The day is quite structured (compared to play-based pre-schools) but they seem to have plenty of time for free play and to play outside. But the best part is the Chinese immersion. Even though my son was fluent in Chinese before entering Shu Ren, he was always more comfortable speaking English in new situations, but his Chinese has really taken off since he's been there. The teachers are warm, thoughtful and making a good effort to create an active and dynamic environment, even with just a few students. They also are great at communicating with parents. Our son's teacher writes up a summary of what they did in the classroom each week and posts it on a blog with photos for parents to see. I've also heard great things about the kindergarten/1st grade teacher.

The one downside is that enrollment is low (there are currently six students in the pre-k class, some of whom are part-time), but that is changing as new students have been enrolling almost every week. I highly recommend Shu Ren to anyone who wants their child to learn Mandarin, or just wants a small, warm, creative environment. shu ren mom

He absolutely adores his teacher and comes home singing songs everyday. In fact, he likes the songs so much that he sings to himself while we're in the car or running errands. I have no doubt that he will soon be completely fluent in the language.

Our kindergarten teacher, Kai Yao is amazing and just a natural at teaching. She laughs a lot with the children and seems to enjoy their company as much as they enjoy her's. We are delighted and grateful to have such a supportive and engaging learning environment for our child. Shu Ren Parent

Re: Chinese school in Albany?
There is a new Chinese immersion school in Berkeley, Shu Ren International School, which also has after school Chinese classes that are open to the community. Our son is currently a student there and it is a great school with wonderful teachers and a friendly, warm atmosphere. They are having an open house next Wednesday, October 29. Their website is: http://shureninternationalschool.com/ and phone number is (510) 981-0320. The address is 1333 University Avenue, Berkeley. Shu Ren parent