The Mandarin Immersion (MI) program at Orion Alternative Elementary is hands-down Redwood City's best-kept secret for an exceptional public school education. It is an extraordinary environment where students of all backgrounds can thrive. For non- Mandarin speaking families, the dedicated support, including a specialized TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment) ensures kids catch up to grade level. My own daughter attended TK elsewhere and had no trouble catching up in Mandarin when she started Kindergarten here. What Makes Orion Special: Dedicated Staff & Leadership: The teachers are exceptionally kind, attentive, and engaged. Principal Winnie works tirelessly to address parent feedback through frequent, accessible touchpoints like Zoom check-ins and Principal Coffees. Vibrant After-School Support: A huge shoutout to PlayThrive, the on-site Mandarin after-school program, which provides fantastic enrichment and care. They help kids with homework and support the mandarin learning, but also offer extracurricular activities (for an added fee) of Math camp, Photography, Sports, etc. An Unmatched Parent Community: Parent involvement here is incredible and it really feels like a collaborative team effort to help our kids succeed. Beyond cultural celebrations like the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lunar New Year, and Dragonboat races, there are constant opportunities for parents to connect. Our family has gotten involved in "BroRion" (the dads' group), moms' pickleball and even parent dragon boat racing! Things to Keep in Mind: Like any growing public school, Orion faces a few operational hurdles: Facilities & Funding: Facility maintenance and air conditioning can be ongoing challenges, but the active parent community consistently steps up to help bridge the gaps. For instance, during the hottest day of the year, the air conditioning was not working well in some of the TK portables but parents dropped off air conditioning units. The school also relies on annual fundraising drives to fund classroom assistants and extra enrichment classes. Admissions: While TK often has a waitlist through the lottery, the program's expansion means there are usually plenty of openings for Kindergarten. Academic Outcomes: Don't be deterred if some students transition to North Star Academy after 3rd grade. CAASPP assessment data consistently shows that the MI students who remain in grades 3-5 score exceptionally high in Math and ELA, with the vast majority testing at the "Advanced" level. This is especially impressive since they learn Math in Mandarin, but test Math in English. Orion is a warm, high-achieving, and deeply supportive community. We are very fortunate to be part of this school! read more

We bought a house in Redwood City specifically so our child could attend this school. Since we don't speak Chinese at home and our daughter was diagnosed with a speech delay at age two, I wasn't sure how much Mandarin she would actually pick up from the Mandarin Immersion program at Orion, especially without extra support from us. But after completing kindergarten and halfway through first grade, she surprised us by initiating conversations in Chinese on her own. I'm pretty sure I cried the first time it happened. The teachers are incredibly thoughtful and professional, especially in guiding young kids through learning two languages. In the first few years, about 90% of the school day is conducted in Chinese, which provides an immersive experience during those crucial early years. I remember my daughter sometimes mixed up calling her teacher "mama" and calling me "Wu Laoshi" -- small but meaningful signs of the trust she was building in this environment. The quality of education is outstanding. It's project-based, with a rich blend of art, gardening, STEAM, and physical education throughout the week. During lunch, the kids have options for how they spend their free time. My daughter loves cooling off in the air-conditioned library on hot days, gardening with friends, or practicing her monkey bar skills on more moderate days (after all, Redwood City is known for its slogan, "Climate Best by Government Test"). What matters most to me is that my daughter wakes up excited for school. She genuinely looks forward to her day, eager to see her teacher, curious about the new things she'll learn, spend time with her friends, and engage in the many activities this wonderful space offers. It's a place where she's building her own community, being challenged academically, and hopefully forming friendships that will last at least until high school. At this age, while academics are important, a positive and supportive community matters even more to us. Finding both at the Mandarin Immersion program at Orion has been an absolute gift, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have this school in the Bay Area. read more

Our family has been apart of the MI program for several years; and by the end of 2027, we will have had 4 kids in and through the program! We are a non-mandarin speaking family with the desire to challenge our kids academically. This program has been a GREAT way to accomplish this. I have one child in their 4th year in the program and as of last year, they were considered bi-lingual and bi-literate! Even without the mandarin support at home, my children are thriving and learning far more and better than we could have ever imagined. we are always highly recommending parents place their children in a Mandarin Immersion because although it's been a challenge at times, my kids have always stepped up and proved their capabilities. The community has also made learning fun and engaging! Along with my kids learning a new language, we as a family are getting the opportunity to immerse ourself in a new culture and make lasting friendships. It's an absolute blast! read more

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Absolutely superb public school program; my boys are in kinder and 2nd grade and entered mandarin immersion without any family or prior exposure to the language but are excited to go to school every day. My second grader is comfortable chatting with others in Mandarin and will even approach strangers now in public to strike up a conversation! The teachers are caring, thoughtful, and responsive, and Principal Katherine is a highly capable and attentive administrator. read more

I signed my daughter up for Mandarin Immersion on a whim in 2019. I didn't know at the time how much is would change our lives for the better. My whole family has grown closer around the challenge of immersion. Also, she turned out to have some learning disabilities that required an IEP and we almost left the program because it was very challenging. Her teachers were committed to encouraging and supporting her, and we made the decision to stay. The were so warm and invested. That made us believe in the dream of bilingualism for a family that only speaks English at home. Now in 3rd grade she is at the top of the curve, she has won national awards for her efforts, and you can see her onstage demonstrating her bilingual skills, in the Mid-Autumn play this year. The reviewer who criticized Principal Rivera is mistaken. Mandarin Immersion's perspective is that Principal Rivera is very busy and very hard working, and she doesn't have a lot of time to engage in unhelpful commentary. If she did favor anyone it is the underserved students in both programs. In MI we love our underserved families and wish more would sign up for this life-changing opportunity. We are happy to include and support them. In Mandarin Immersion we are excited to be a public school where all families are welcome and all students are supported to achieve high academic success. We organize ourselves to make our school environment better for everyone. The Mandarin Immersion program parents do contribute generously to the school, both our time and resources, because our culture prioritizes creating quality educational opportunities for all students. We feel that supporting the 37% of underserved students in our school is worthwhile because enrichment disproportionately affects children whose parents are working hard and might not be able to afford educational luxuries. This year the PTO spent $12k on 1:1 tutoring support for English as well as Mandarin learners, as research indicates tutoring is a highly powerful way to improve student outcomes. The PTO also spent $68k on science enrichment as well as funding an aide for the Coop program only, field trips, and teacher professional development at Stanford in Math, across both programs. read more

My son is currently in the second grade Mandarin Immersion Class at John Gill (recently renamed Orion). As soon as my husband and I realized this school was an option for our son (even though it wasn't his home school) we joined the waitlist and crossed our fingers that he would be accepted into kindergarten. And he was. Before we became aware of the MI program we had planned for our son to go to one of the excellent schools in BRSSD where we lived - either Fox (the closest school) or Cipriani (his older siblings school). We had originally bought a home in Belmont because of the great schools but thought that the opportunity to learn Chinese was too good to pass up. We've been happy with all of his teachers. They're dedicated, supportive and kind. As other reviewers have mentioned, there is quite a lot of homework. I'd prefer less homework, but it makes sense as the children are effectively learning two languages instead of one each day. My son was identified as requiring additional English reading support in the first grade and was able to access that with a specialist teacher until he caught up with his classmates. Principal Rivera is a very engaged and communicative with the school community. I frequently see her on campus and she seems to know all of the students and the parents. In my personal experience, she has been fair in disciplining my son when behavior issues have unfortunately arisen. One of the standout things you'll notice is that many of the parents of the students are extremely active, organized and engaged. I love this sense of community and believe it is one of the program's main strengths. There are a lot of optional extra-curricular activities. Whilst not part of the school itself, the onsite afterschool bilingual program, PlayThrive, has been a great way for our son to reinforce his language skills. The staff there are amazing. The original school buildings themselves are quite old and many of the students were recently relocated to temporary classrooms to make way for demolition and rebuilding. I can't wait to see what it looks like when the new school is completed. read more

We love the mandarin immersion program at Orion! The community, the staff, and now the facilities are all top notch! We feel very fortunate to be here. As a non speaking mandarin family, it has worked out so well for our son (and for us as parents). My son is learning a foreign language and loving it!! read more

Great school - my son has had an excellent experience in this public Mandarin Immersion elementary school program. The campus has new buildings, including a brand new TK/K playground that keeps the little guys safe and away from bigger kids. The parent community is very engaged and supportive of the program. The school has several great on campus after school programs and fun all-campus events. At least two families moved here from SF just for the program, it's that welcoming and academically sound. read more

Immersion school is a no-brainer for my son and his education. This school is community focused, and inclusive. I've had so many opportunities to participate in the school event, community and garden area. I think the whole ecosystem the Principal has built is phenomenal! read more

The program is amazing, and it is supportive by highly talented and motivated educators and supporting team. The community is very supportive, very welcoming, highly collaborative environment. read more

My kids love the school so much that they usually don't want to go home when I pick them up. Their mandarin fluency improved so much since starting MI. The school facility is new with an amazing makery workshop. The active parent community also hosts many cultural enrichment activities such as mid autumn festival and Chinese New Year. MY kids benefit from the language and culture immersion experiences at MI. read more

The Mandarin Immersion program in Redwood City is amazing. I have a girl in 2nd grade there. The teachers are very good at running the classes in Mandarin and English. The PTO is very engaging and active. They run a lot of community events open to a broader audience than just MI families. The Autumn Moon Festival and Chinese New Years are great examples. The curriculum is strong. We don't speak any Mandarin at home, but my daughter has gotten really good. Her math skills are also great. I can't recommend this program enough! read more

My son is currently attending the John Gill Mandarin Immersion (MI) program as a Kinder and he absolutely loves it! The program offers 80% Mandarin & 20% English during the first year, and the percentage shifts each year. The program also include art, music, PE and garden time. There is also a makery available for kids to use recycle products to create whatever they want! I have seen some amazing science projects from the makery and the elementary also focuses on S.T.E.A.M education. Our son has been in a Mandarin immersion environment since he was 7 months old. I try to speak Mandarin to him as much as I can at home. Ever since he started the MI program, his Mandarin verbal communication has excelled. He is now recognizing at least 5-10 new Chinese characters on a weekly basis. In addition, he is also learning English sight words, Math and Science. Most importantly, he is happy and loves his teacher! We are very fortunate to attend this program, as we don't even live in the school district. We applied and submitted a school transfer when we found out about the offering. This is one of the 2 public schools that offers Mandarin immersion in the Peninsula! We are proud of John Gill Elementary & Redwood City School District to offer this program to the community. If you want to learn more about the program, visit: https://www.rcsdk8.net/Page/6199. read more

My son started at Orion in Kindergarten and is now in 1st grade. We absolutely love this school, as we feel it's unique in the bay area in that it's Mandarin immersion, and the curriculum incorporates STEAM education in a maker space on site, there is also an on site garden, as well as a magical bilingual library. To add to this, there is a play-based Mandarin after school program onsite. I truly believe that play and project based learning is the best way for children to learn, and this school just does such a great job of this. My son is so excited to go to school every day. He spoke and understood very little Mandarin when he started, but after just one year, he understood everything the teachers said to him, and he can read and write too. The community is caring, the parents are involved, and the students are kind and respectful. We love this school. My son is learning a lot and has great friends and experiences here. read more

We have a first grader in the MI program at John Gill Campus. It's been a really great experience. The teachers are really engaging and caring for the students, and they make sure children stay on top of the learning and expectation. Distance learning is challenging, but the teachers make it engaging and fun. We are also very grateful for the wonderful parents supporting network. Many parents are really involved and advocate for the growth and health for the program. We also love the on-campus after school program PlayThrive. Students are happy and have the opportunity to show off their Mandarin capabilities in the yearly Redwood City downtown Lunar New Year Celebration. They are so proud to be able to speak Mandarin so well. We are very grateful for such a wonderful program! read more

My daughters love the teachers, administrators and staff at the Mandarin Immersion school. My eldest daughter has been in the program for over 4 years. read more

Our child just started 3rd grade this year we couldn't be happier with excellent qualities of the teachers in this program. Children from all background become fluent in Mandarin. The parent community is very involved and has the best interest to enrich the Mandarin learning of our children. There are regular events such as group playdates, weekend activities like poem recital, skit performance, song singing, and crafts, organized by parent volunteers. The program also celebrate traditional festival such as the Lunar New Year and the Mid Autumn Festival. The unity of the community is very unique for this program. We could not be happier that our child is in this wonderful program, and so fortunate to be in this wonderful community. We highly recommend this program to any family, with or without Mandarin speaking background! read more

Our daughter is starting her fourth year in the 3rd grade in the Mandarin Immersion program at Orion and we love it!!! We purchased a home in the neighborhood to attend this school. The school has set up an amazing program, including cultural activities/events and a feeder Mandarin preschool and Mandarin immersion afterschool program on campus! We are a non-speaking Mandarin family and our daughter is thriving, academically challenged and loves her teachers. Equally important for our family has been the incredible community of families within the program!! Parents volunteer to create amazing Mandarin language opportunities for the students such as songs and crafts playdates during the summer to allow students to keep up with their language, a science olympiad fun night, coaching for Mandarin speech contests, Chinese New Year and Mid Autumn festival events and more! read more

I have 2 daughters attending the M.I. Program at John Gill Elementary. I find the teachers incredibly dedicated and committed to the success of my children. I highly recommend giving this school a look if you are looking for a Mandarin Immersion Program for your child here in the Bay Area, you won't find a better program than the one at John Gill. read more

This is a long overdue review. My daughter attended the Mandarin Immersion program at Orion Alternative School (previously known as John Gill Elementary) before we moved out of the Bay Area. We as a family had an amazing experience with this program and it is the #1 thing we miss most from our move. First, the children and other families in the program are wonderful. You will see a diverse group of families who are committed to quality education, passionate about languages, and enthusiastic for global citizenship. At our playdates, you would hear not just Mandarin, but Spanish, French, German, and more. If Mandarin is not your home language (as is the case with us), not to worry. Everyone is well aware of this and the school and advisory board work to create opportunities for practice and additional support. Principal Rivera and the teachers in the program are truly gifted educators and we were always impressed by their organization and devotion to the program. My daughter was challenged and grew so much academically and emotionally while in the program. If you are looking for a top notch language immersion program that is diverse (AND public!), I highly recommend the Mandarin Immersion program at Orion -- you'll be joining an extended family and community, not just a school. read more

Great school with a strong class community. Teachers communicate with parents frequently and are helpful with tips on how to help your child learn, both in English and Mandarin. Lots of activities for the kids as well as an optional stem class during recess where kids can go and make things. I don't speak Mandarin, but from observing the kids as well as my own they pick the language up fairly quickly, both in reading and speaking. I would highly recommend anyone who wants their child to learn Mandarin to take a tour and look at the program offered at John Gill. read more

My daughter is a non-Mandarin speaker and is in Kindergarten at John Gill in the Mandarin Immersion Program. She is loving school and skips to class every day. She has a fantastic teacher and full-time aide in her classroom (funded through parental donations) making the ratio in her classroom 1:11. The parent community is very involved, and the principal is experienced and dedicated. There is a fair amount of homework and high expectations, so if you believe that Kindergarten is just for cutting and gluing and maybe learning a few letters and social skills (and I'm not saying I disagree with that philosophy), this is not the school for you. But if you have a child who is an engaged and eager learner, definitely consider it. There are many parents who don't speak Mandarin, and this is not a problem as the Mandarin-speaking parents and teachers provide us with translations for the homework. Also, know that it's not hard-core academics all of the time. The PTA raises funds to support art, a dancing program and gardening for all of the classes, and there are many fun school events such as our Halloween Festival and Winter Dance. John Gill, being the oldest school in Redwood City, will be the first to receive funds from Measure T which will help improve the facilities. I look forward to leaving an updated review when those facility updates are underway (or completed)! read more

Our family, originally from the Bay Area, decided to move back to Redwood City from Austin just so our daughter could attend the John Gill Mandarin Immersion Program. It was one of the best decisions we have made. Our daughter loves her teacher, school, and classmates. Although she was a newcomer to the first grade class, the kids and parents alike welcomed her with enthusiasm. Our daughter has had to change school many times due to our travels in the last two years, and nowhere did she feel at home as quickly and naturally as at John Gill. The mandarin curriculum is challenging but our daughter loves to learn and looks forward to class each day. It didn't take long for her to get used to doing homework in three subjects (Mandarin, math, and English) and to learn how to prepare for her weekly dictation tests. As a parent, I am thrilled to see how quickly she is mastering reading, writing, and speaking Mandarin. What's very special about John Gill is also that the parents are so proactive and committed to their children's education. Parent support allows each mandarin class to have a full time aid, art and dance lessons, and even extracurricular enrichment activities such as learning Chinese poetry and participating in regional competitions. Everyday we feel proud and grateful to be part of this special community. read more