Our School
At CRIS, we give our children the world: A global education through the natural-learning method of language immersion.
As a student at CRIS, your child will spend his or her time in the classroom acquiring linguistic skills from native language speakers while studying core STEAM subjects.
Learning a Second Language Through Immersion
Immersion is the method by which we all learn our native language. As infants, we are surrounded by people speaking a specific language, and we learn our first language rapidly and with ease. Immersion education in a second, third, and even fourth language takes the same approach. At CRIS students spend their day immersed in up to three additional languages (Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese) as they use their natural ability to learn the new language. Learning a second language in this way when young is much easier than learning it later in life.
Benefits of Multilingual Education
The benefits of learning multiple languages go beyond the lifelong ability to communicate with a greater number of people and an enhanced understanding of other cultures. Research has demonstrated that the achievement levels of children educated in a second language using an immersion program often surpass those of children educated solely in English. Research shows early exposure to multiple languages enables more neural connections to form in a child’s brain, actually improving language skills in the first language.
Other benefits of language immersion:
Changes the structure of a child’s brain
Results in better problem-solving skills
Develops creative, flexible minds
Is the most effective path to multi-language fluency and literacy
Improves social-emotional skills
Enables students to take advantage of global opportunities
At CRIS, the exposure to multiple languages and cultures creates a learning environment that is engaging, challenging, exciting, and one that children thoroughly enjoy.
As our world becomes more global and interdependent, there will be increased opportunities for success for people who can understand other cultures and communicate with people in other languages.
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics
In addition to immersing students in language and literacy, the educational program at CRIS integrates and emphasizes STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).
STEAM is an interdisciplinary, cross-curriculum, real-world process of teaching where core subjects are interwoven, not taught in isolation, much like what students will encounter in this world of global diversity. Rigorous, core curriculum is applied through STEAM-focused projects/activities and aligned to board-adopted curriculum and State Standards.
STEAM encourages unique solutions, inventive thinking, and problem-solving. Arts help students build confidence, develop motor skills, and hone their decision-making skills. An arts education spurs creativity and innovation. CRIS is dedicated to the arts and provides art and music programs for our students.
Our Educators
At CRIS, our caring teachers and support staff are highly experienced in providing language immersion education. They are native speakers of Spanish, French, or Mandarin, which allows students to be taught in an authentic language environment. Our collective goal is to provide all students with the opportunity to benefit from the study of multiple languages.