Oasis Trilingual Community School ..

Wen Y. _{on Yelp}

Jan 27th, 2022

My older daughter graduated last year from Oasis and she was in 6th grade. Because there were no comparable Mandarin programs for kids her age in the area, I decided to enroll her at Pasadena City College. She did a placement test and passed out of Mandarin 101 and 102 and skipped straight to level 3! I am so thankful for the amazing Mandarin teachers at Oasis for helping her with this. She's now in her second semester at PCC, taking level 4 and her classmates are primarily college kids from Mainland China. She is completely able to hang with the flow of the class and I'm so proud!

Gaugau .. _{on Yelp}

Oct 18th, 2021

What a gem in the San Gabriel valley! First of all, if you are reading this review, you are probably looking for an alternative to the public school your kids would otherwise attend and/or you want to take advantage of your kids' abilities to learn multiple languages while they are younger. So I'll point out what I think are the major advantages versus public schools and the fun learning process this school uses to teach kids in multiple languages and on all of the subjects.First, the school is small and caters to each kid's learning path. They use a cohort learning method where subjects are taught at the same time so that kids can move to the right level for that subject. THIS SHOULD BE THE APPROACH AT EVERY SCHOOL!! So if your kid is advance in reading, they may have your kid jump into the next class for that period only, but be back with their peers for the other subjects. Genius, right? The only other school in LA that I've heard that uses this approach is the Mirman school in Encino. I'm not sure why more schools don't adopt this approach!I'm sure for many who have looked at many schools, both private and public, you have come to the realization that the school reputation is based on many factors including the parents and the teachers/administrators. With great school districts (we have looked at almost all of the ones in the valley), it's become very obvious that the reputation is largely driven because the families who attend have a focus on education and a means of providing their kids with the resources to be successful. The public school itself is just the beneficiary of having a student body that comes from families who believe education is important. At Oasis, the families are extremely committed but see the value of a different approach of learning and the importance of learning different languages. And the teachers and administrators are the most organized, thoughtful, and communicative group of school staff I've seen (even with preschools/daycares which were small as well). The Principal/Director is an amazingly effective and caring leader who is exceptional with logistics and communications. She is constantly sending us updates and soliciting us for input which results in immediate changes/adaptations. We live in a fantastic school district but I chose to enroll both my kids into this school because I wanted them to continue/start their language learning journey and in the world of COVID, I just wanted a smaller school community for exposure/planning. I'm so glad I chose Oasis over our home school this year. The curriculum has been challenging for my curious and very capable almost 7 year old and my 4 year old is finally learning Mandarin with a bonus of Espanol! The parents in the school community seem very like-minded in our desire to provide a different experience for our kids to really develop a love of learning new subjects and new languages. In some ways the school has a co-op vibe without the parents having to put in a ton of time (my husband and I both work full-time so it's not an option) but there are many parents who put in a ton of time to better the community which is so awesome. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, the tuition is extremely affordable, given the ridiculous numbers I've seen all over Los Angeles. It was a no-brainer for me when I was used to hearing tuition that was more than double in other private elementary schools. This school is an absolute gem - and I feel so fortunate to live so close. I can see why other families will drive far to have their kids attend - it's a special experience and my kids loved it from day 1.

Niccole B. _{on Yelp}

Jul 12th, 2020

Oasis handled the distance learning after the shutdown very well.  They are a big reason, I feel, that my daughter stayed her normal happy self during this difficult time.  She gained a lot of independence in completing her school work and they had regular check-ins with their teachers to discuss school work or even to just have a conversation.  She was regularly able to jump on and get in touch with a teacher if she had any questions about assignments.  The Head of School is proactive and responsive.  We will be continuing this fall at Oasis for our 6th year (5th grade).  The school also was able to receive their WASC accreditation during the last school year which was a huge accomplishment!

Catherine G. _{on Yelp}

Jul 5th, 2020

Distance Learning update - I'm very impress with the way Oasis is handling distance learning.  Their communication is excellent.  Before distance learning started back in March, we were given a heads up as to what the school was considering and what they were beginning to implement.  During distance learning, there was a daily morning meeting where the entire class has an opportunity to interact and the teacher lets the class knows their assignments for the day.  She did such a great job that as a parent I needed to do very little to guide the rest of the day along.  That's very impressive given we are talking about a 1st grader.  The kids were broken up into small groups of 3 for live Mandarin classes 3 times a week, live Spanish classes 3 times a week, live Math classes and English as well as biweekly one-on-one check-ins.  They also have live optional community events for the entire small school to interact weekly and live class recess.   In addition to these live classes there are daily assignments, and recorded lessons for each subject.  The kids were are able to ask their teachers for help anytime and the teachers continued to be accessible and available for video/chat help throughout the day. That is what our end of last school year looked like.  If you are wondering if your kids will continue to benefit and learn with a distance learning program, I can say mine did.  He learned an impressive amount of new Chinese vocabulary.  He gained confidence in his writing, reading and math skills. His friendships grew via zoom calls and live recesses. I got to see the teachers in action and can truly say I'm impress with how they teach and communicate with the kids.Throughout the summer, we continue to receive emails regarding what options the school is considering and practices they are planning to implement for the new school year.  We are asked for our input and preferences and I know from experience they will take everything we say into consideration.  This is a small school which makes it prefect for limited social interaction if we do choose to have in person school. They are figuring out how to provide a richer and more well rounded experience and how to improve upon the already impressive distance learning we experienced last school year.  I am very happy my son is attending this school and I am constantly reminded that we chose the right school for him.

Mony S. _{on Yelp}

May 31st, 2020

This fall will be our son's fourth year at Oasis.  The language program and emphasis on social-emotional development are what caught our attention.   After touring it, we could tell Oasis was a special place.  The staff and teachers are superb!  Despite not having a formal playground and not having some of the bells and whistles of much larger schools, the attention and energy the kids receive from staff more than makes up for it.  The teachers are incredibly passionate, hard working and are always ready to give more for the kids.  They find clever ways to make learning fun.  I learn everyday from my son.  These people "see" the kids and love on them and encourage them.  When my son graduated from Kindergarten, the head teacher used 3 adjectives each when introducing the kids.  She nailed it!  She described my son perfectly!  As she did for his friends, and for all the kids.  I could tell that she knew them.  That is what makes Oasis so special.  They care about your kids, the whole package.  On top of excellent academic training, they also cater to the social and emotional components of learning.  I feel that social emotional is critical at this age.  One can have the highest IQ in the world, but if they can't handle their own emotions or with work well other people, having a happy and mindful life will be more challenging.   The teachers at Oasis really understand that and speak that to the kids.  The kids there have opportunity to process their feelings, learn to become comfortable with being uncomfortable, and are encouraged to push themselves to reach their personal best.  In March, 2020 Covid-19 changed the world.  When the schools shut down, we were bracing for the unknown.  Oasis did not miss a beat.  We've had morning meetings, live classes, and homework everyday.  The school was very communicative and asked for feedback.  Indeed, good changes were implemented based on the feedback.  The school year is almost over and we've had two-and-a-half months of distance learning.  From this, I had first hand experience of how the teachers taught the kids.  I have seen first hand how hard the teachers work to maintain their learning level.  Besides live classes and open office hours, they continued community events like online recess, yoga, and games for the kids and parents.  One time several boys(my son included) accidentally called their teacher on Google hangout, instead of asking them not to call her again, she took time to talk to them about their day, showed them her dog and showed nothing but kindness and genuine interest in them.  This is not the exception but the norm at Oasis.   The school truly is a big family.  The kids get along and really love each other. The parents are great people too.   This is a wonderful community!  There are a lot of uncertainties right now, but having our son be at Oasis is not one of them.  We are grateful to be a part of this special school.