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Milpitas Unified board hears Randall World Languages School present Mandarin heritage program
Summary
At a Feb. 10 study session, Randall World Languages School staff detailed a new Mandarin heritage‑language program, saying TK–2 students receive Mandarin three times weekly, the school has 297 enrolled and the curriculum emphasizes traditional characters and long‑term language pathways to high‑school AP courses.
Randall World Languages School leaders told the Milpitas Unified School District board on Feb. 10 that the school has added a Mandarin heritage‑language strand to its Spanish and English immersion offerings and is phasing the program up through the elementary grades.
“We're really happy our enrollment is at 297 students,” said Assistant Principal Daisy Gonzalez, who outlined classroom counts and family outreach. Presenters said the school currently runs two full TK classes and two full kindergarten classes and is holding monthly parent orientations for families interested in enrollment.
Executive Director of Learning and Innovation Priya Jiari opened the study session and framed the district’s goals for the presentation: a review of student totals, the program’s approach to traditional versus simplified characters, curriculum choices and next‑step plans. “Today's focus is really around Mandarin,” Jiari said, introducing the Randall team and slide deck.
Teachers and mentors described a play‑based approach for young learners: songs, games and hands‑on practice to teach body parts, numbers and basic conversational language. One classroom video showed TK students practicing numeracy and counting in Mandarin. “It's almost like a play‑based learning. It's not like they're sitting down doing a worksheet,” a presenter said while showing student work.
Staff explained that Randall chose a curriculum designed for non‑native, multilingual learners and said they are teaching traditional characters early to provide a structural foundation; students may transition later to simplified characters if they choose. A mentor described the rationale: traditional characters preserve components that help learners recognize patterns across characters and support long‑term literacy development.
Presenters described program delivery and scope: Mandarin is integrated three times weekly and has been phased through TK to second grade; school leaders said they plan to add third grade next year and requested district support to secure grant funding to expand upper‑grade programming. Principal Kristen Prolo said the program aligns instructional routines across Mandarin, Spanish and English so that movement and repetition help retention in all three languages.
Board members asked whether multilingual instruction affects students’ readiness on academic measures and how English‑language reclassification is handled. Staff said they regroup students across classrooms and grades to provide targeted interventions and that reclassification rates for English learners have improved as a result of focused writing supports and ongoing data monitoring.
Trustees and the board president praised the Randall team for rapid growth and community engagement, noting a recent Lunar New Year celebration that involved the whole school. No formal board action was required; the presentation concluded with board members expressing interest in future updates on expansion and partnerships.
