Why We're Unique

We know that we’re preparing our students to be leaders in a world that will look quite different than it does today. We provide all of our students with the skills and tools they need to become the entrepreneurs, innovators and collaborators of tomorrow.

Global Citizenship

We use a global perspective to teach about the interconnectedness of communities and their environments. We offer both Mandarin and Spanish instruction as part of the core curriculum beginning in kindergarten, as well as a variety of co- and extra curricular classes to further students’ ability and interest in world languages.

World Language at BCS

As part of the BCS mission to nurture students to become confident and positively contributing global citizens, our World Language program is available to every student, beginning in kindergarten.  Mandarin and Spanish instruction are part of the core curriculum; a variety of co- and extra-curricular classes are available for student selection; and local and international field trips are tailored to ignite student passion and extend student learning in world languages, civic responsibility, and global citizenship.

World language lessons are fully integrated into the grade level core curriculum.  Content traditionally taught in English is reinforced in Mandarin and Spanish classes.  For example, third graders learning about shapes in geometry are also learning shape names and related academic vocabulary in Mandarin.

It is our goal that every student will acquire proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing Mandarin or Spanish, while developing cultural knowledge and adopting global attitudes.

Mandarin 

Almost 900 million people worldwide speak Mandarin, making it a prominent language in both eastern and western cultures.  Research shows that students benefit from learning a tonal language like Mandarin at an early age, as it helps develop their musical ability and pitch.  Additionally, by learning a language system that is significantly different from an alphabetic language, different parts of a child’s brain are activated to process the characters and develop their visual-spatial analysis.

At BCS, all of our Mandarin teachers are native speakers and bring with them a deep knowledge of the language and culture to share with our students.  By utilizing technology such as podcasts and on-line collaboration tools, our Mandarin team is able to provide differentiated instruction for all students, ranging from native speakers to beginners in every grade level from kindergarten through eighth grade.

Spanish

At BCS, we offer Spanish instruction beginning in 5^th grade.  Spanish is considered an easier language for native English speakers to learn and requires less time to acquire, according to research from the Defense Language Institute.

Students who begin learning Spanish in 5^th grade are able to successfully speak the language when they visit our sister school in Costa Rica, as part of the 6^th grade trip working with the Leatherback Trust.

World Language Co- and Extra- Curricular Classes

Students in grades 1-5 have additional opportunities to explore world languages through co- and extra- curricular classes.  Popular world language offerings have included:

• Public Speaking in Mandarin
• Chinese Shadow Puppet Theater
• Chinese Painting
• Conversational Spanish

Digital Citizenship

Technology is woven into every aspect of our curriculum for grades K-8. We are dedicated to fostering a culture of digital learning so that our students think critically, behave safely and ethically and participate responsibly in the digital world.