Menlo Atherton Bilingual School

Menlo Atherton Bilingual School is a licensed family daycare center which operates first and foremost as an English/Mandarin language immersion school. We believe that the preschool years are a formative period in the social, linguistic, and academic development of children. Our goal is that our students acquire age appropriate fluency in both English and Mandarin, and that they develop positive learning habits that will serve them well as they move on to kindergarten and beyond. We offer a strong language and academic program, but we also believe that unstructured play and socialization are critical aspects of early childhood
development. We have a large outside play area featuring natural grass, a commercial grade play structure and a large sandbox(which is a kid favorite). Our students also participate in growing and eating organic fruits, vegetables and eggs, and raising chickens! We believe that happy kids are better learners. The school is located on a one acre fenced and gated residential property in the Lindenwood neighborhood of Atherton.

Teacher S has worked in childhood education at a range of age levels for more than 25 years. She grew up in Taiwan and attended university in both Taiwan and the US, and she speaks Mandarin and English fluently. She has worked for most of the past 10 years as a head classroom teacher at HeadsUp preschool in Palo Alto. She holds many educational certifications, including as a Montessori teacher. She and her husband are avid international travelers and have lived for many years in Palo Alto.

Teacher L is our head administrator and also a full time teacher. She has several years of experience teaching in the infant programs at both HeadsUp preschool in Palo Alto, and at Madera Grove preschool on the Stanford campus. L grew up in Heilongjiang province in China and has spent most of her adult life in Nanjing and California. She graduated from university in China and she speaks fluent Mandarin and intermediate English.

Teacher S is teacher L husband and works in his family business outside the home, but helps at the school in the afternoons and teaches introductory Spanish classes three times per week. S is a native Californian and alumnus of UC Berkeley, and lived and attended school in Latin America for a period of time as a child. S speaks English and Spanish fluently and enjoys the considerable challenge of learning Mandarin.