"One Saturday, as I prepared to take Chloe to a classmates birthday party, she asked me, "Where are we going?" I replied, "To Abbie's party." She then exploded, "...but what about Mandarin class?" "Well...she came to your party so we should go to hers" I responded. At that point she burst into tears "..but I have Mandarin class!...I'm going to miss Mandarin class!!" What five year old sincerely chooses to attend school over a birthday party? Her reaction is a clear result of the instructional strategies and rapport that The Chinese School teachers build with these young students to keep them motivated and engaged in learning a difficult foreign language." --Anya Munce
