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UPDATE: On Aug. 18, the two schools announced they were fully merging into a single international school that will offer French, Chinese, and German language programs for preschool through high school as well as international baccalaureate. The new school will be called the Silicon Valley International School. The merger will take effect for the 2021-22 school year.
Two local bilingual schools have partnered to open a new international high school that will offer German, French and Chinese language programs.
The boards of trustees for the Alto International School in Menlo Park and the International School of the Peninsula in Palo Alto will together open the Silicon Valley International High School in 2021. The schools will continue to operate separately but have a shared board for the high school.
"The creation of Silicon Valley International High School, in name and mission, responds to the need to prepare our students for entry into a more competitive and global society than existed just a few years ago," Alto International Head of School Drew Alexander said in a Jan. 28 announcement.
The new high school will offer an international baccalaureate diploma program as well as global experiential learning opportunities in the three languages. Its location has not yet been determined, but the schools collectively have three sites in Palo Alto and Menlo Park that have sufficient capacity for the preschool, elementary, middle and high school programs, according to Chief Communications Officer Jovi Craig of the International School of the Peninsula. A joint task force, made up of board members and the heads of both schools, will make a decision on the location before admissions for the 2021-22 school year.
The independent Alto International School claims to be the only school in the Bay Area offering an international baccalaureate program for students from preschool through high school. There, students graduate with literacy skills in at least two languages, according to the school's website. The school also offers a German-immersion preschool and elementary program.
The International School of the Peninsula, which offers instruction in French and Chinese, was found in 1979 as the Peninsula French American School. The school changed its name in 1996 when it added a Chinese program and an international middle school. With the opening of new high school, the school will be renamed the Silicon Valley International School and continue to offer French and Chinese instruction from preschool through eighth grade.
"This partnership of two excellent schools dedicated to bilingual education and fostering both an international perspective and cultural agility is an exciting prospect," said Philippe Dietz, head of school of the International School of the Peninsula.
The schools plan to host an information session for parents of both communities and provide updates during the planning process.
Comments
Esther Clark Park
on Feb 10, 2020 at 4:42 pm
on Feb 10, 2020 at 4:42 pm
Would they consider operating a non union public charter school - in English- in Palo Alto? Teacher Unionized PAUSD could use the competition.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 10, 2020 at 5:07 pm
on Feb 10, 2020 at 5:07 pm
>> Its location has not yet been determined, but the schools collectively have three sites in Palo Alto and Menlo Park that have sufficient capacity for the preschool, elementary, middle and high school programs,
Great concept. The existing main schools are less than two miles apart, but, likely half an hour drive at rush hour. It makes a lot of sense to consolidate in separate campuses at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. (Castilleja could learn something.)
German, French, Spanish, Chinese -- good. But will they offer Latin?
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 11, 2020 at 12:02 pm
on Feb 11, 2020 at 12:02 pm
[Post removed.]
another community
on Feb 11, 2020 at 4:00 pm
on Feb 11, 2020 at 4:00 pm
German, French and Chinese?!? Whatever for? To land a job in Silicon Valley or the US, you need only to be proficient in English, the language we speak in this country! I hope my taxpayer dollars are not funding these schools!
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 11, 2020 at 4:38 pm
on Feb 11, 2020 at 4:38 pm
Posted by pearl, a resident of another community
>> German, French and Chinese?!? Whatever for? To land a job in Silicon Valley or the US, you need only to be proficient in English,
Actually, English is not required, but, many are multilingual. C++, Java, and Python are the most used at the moment.
>> the language we speak in this country! I hope my taxpayer dollars are not funding these schools!
You can rest easy. These are private schools that charge upwards of $30K/year.
another community
on Feb 11, 2020 at 4:40 pm
on Feb 11, 2020 at 4:40 pm
It's amazing to think that there are people out there that actually believe that being fluent in more than one language is somehow "un-american."
But I guess the nativist no-nothing movement still has followers...
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Feb 12, 2020 at 6:36 pm
on Feb 12, 2020 at 6:36 pm
To "pearl" : As some folks are wont to say: "Someone who speaks two languages is bilingual. Someone who speaks one language is American"
another community
on Feb 13, 2020 at 9:27 am
on Feb 13, 2020 at 9:27 am
The world is made up of many peoples and they speak different languages and have different perspectives. Learning a second and third language teaches you new perspectives and gives you a greater understanding of yourself, others and the world. In a world of global communication we can not effectively communicate without a greater understanding that comes through language and cultural studies. Having an heir of superiority will never lead to successful communication. Just think of that with any friends and acquaintances you may have. Learning to appreciate other countries, cultures, and perspectives will move the world in a healthier direction. As a one language speaker you are stuck within a very narrow perspective framework.