AIAN maintains a lively and nurturing learning environment. Nursery – Grade 12 are taught by certified and experienced teachers. Instruction is in English and Mandarin is taught by native speakers. Our goals, outlined in the school's mission statement, are English and Chinese proficiency, personal growth, physical fitness, academic success and social responsibility.

ART

From the study of art, students will learn not only how artists of the past have expressed ideas, but also how to visually interpret and express themselves. In visual art projects, age-appropriate methods and media will be used, including Western and Asian drawing with pencil, ink or pastels, painting with poster paints or water colors, sculpture in paper or clay, collage, crafts such as Japanese origami, Chinese knotting or basket-weaving, and Chinese calligraphy. In addition to regular art classes, instruction in other classes encourages students to interpret subjects creatively by constructing maps of the neighborhood, costumes of the aborigines, masks of the Peking opera, posters of household safety, mobiles of our solar system, etc.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

The service learning component at AIAN promotes character development. The staff works with students to promote a collaborative work ethic in order to achieve common goals on service tasks on campus, in the community and with partners around the globe. In the performance of these service projects, students learn about their strengths and weaknesses and how to improve themselves. Personal and social responsibility is cultivated by participation in age-appropriate activities that benefit others at school and in the community at large.

ESL

The English as a Second Language (ESL) Program prepares students with zero to limited English to participate in the regular, literature-based English/Language Arts Curriculum in Nursery to Grade 8. The very widely-used Carousel of Idea s curriculum is used in Grade K-6. Additional support is provided to students who continue to have language needs up to Grade 10. Teachers at AIAN monitor each student's progress and provide appropriate instruction and practice opportunities. Language proficiency is assessed by LASA or Language Assessment Scales. Language instruction will encourage effective study habits and self-motivated interest in each student to improve the quantity and quality of English.

ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS

The English/Language Arts Program is literature-based and begins in Nursery and Elementary classes to develop English language skills by utilizing age - appropriate literature. Students are encouraged to become avid readers in the belief that if students read well, they will enjoy and be prepared for years of successful study. Skills in phonics, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, composition and speaking are emphasized. Teachers guide and encourage students to embark on independent and collaborative story, poem, and song writing as well as poster making for language arts projects.

MANDARIN

The AIAN Mandarin Curriculum teaches children to understand the modern and traditional Chinese language. The highly successful Chinese Made Easy program is used Grade K-12. As students explore Chinese literature, history, arts and culture, they learn Chinese grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation systems, writing systems, and composition skills. In the end, students sound polite, educated, and speak clearly in Chinese. Students in Grade 11-12 are encouraged to sit for advanced exams such as Advanced Placement or AP or Scholastic Aptitude Test or SAT in order to demonstrate their mastery in the Mandarin language and culture.

MATHEMATICS

The Math Curriculum is well-articulated Grade K-12 since instructors have adopted the Saxon Math program.

Math instructors tailor their instruction to the ability level of students in the class. A great deal of one-on-one instruction takes place such tutoring students who are experiencing difficulties in math. At the same time, gifted students in math are challenged with homework, instruction, and computer lab work and mathematics games appropriate for their abilities. Students in Grade 11-12 are encouraged to sit for advanced exams such as Advanced Placement or AP or Scholastic Aptitude Test or SAT in order to demonstrate their mastery in areas such as Calculus.

MUSIC

The Music Curriculum at AIAN encourages students to express their feelings. Music class exposes students to the riches of Western and Asian cultures and enables students to discover their resources, as individuals and as members of their own cultures. Students are taught tempo, dynamics, mood, timbre and form through listening, singing, reading, movement and performance. Students develop an understanding of how music is related to other areas such as history, art, etc. The Music curriculum seeks to promote not only fundamental musical concepts but also an understanding of Eastern and Western musical traditions and the positions occupied by music within these cultures

SCIENCE

The Science program promotes an understanding of the physical and biological world. In the science classroom, students work individually, in pairs or in small groups on projects to meet international standards and benchmarks. T he scientific method is taught in order to develop critical thinking. Scientific observation, theorization, experimentation and communication are promoted in science classes. Students work with computers, magnets, microscopes, prisms, test tubes, stones and fossils as they are introduced to magnetism and electricity, plants and animals, water and air, light and color, acids and bases, geology, reproduction, time and technology. The highly successful FOSS kits provide hands-on scientific exploration.

SOCIAL STUDIES

The Social Studies Curriculum encourages children to explore life within and beyond their immediate communities. Younger students discover and enjoy the uniqueness and variety of individuals. Older students learn about cultural diversity. The focus is on the histories and cultures of Eastern and Western societies and how these societies have had an impact on the world civilization. The highly respected Core Knowledge program provides a scope and sequence to allow students to explore all regions of the world in all periods of history. Social Studies classes collaborate with other subjects such as English/Language Arts to promote skills such as the 5-paragraph essay.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

AIAN Physical Education emphasizes competitive and cooperative sportsmanship. Activities for Grades K - 3 emphasize physical fitness, motor skills, manipulative activities and games. Activities for Grades 4 - 6 include physical fitness, soccer, basketball, volleyball, field hockey, mat-ball, hit-pin, climbing, dance, manipulative activities, track and field, softball, ping pong, football and golf. Instruction emphasizes the benefits of physical fitness, including personal hygiene and appearance. Cooperation with peers, willingness to participate, a positive attitude in class and respect for peers and teachers are encouraged. AIAN promotes physical activities with the knowledge that rules, strategies, biomechanics and terminologies in sports develop cognitive as well as motor and manipulative skills.

TECHNOLOGY

The integration of technology into the classroom is a priority at AIAN. Technology is not taught as a stand-alone subject but instead it is integrated into the four core areas of math, science, language arts, and social studies. This approach allows students to receive instruction not only from the computer teacher but also their classroom teacher. To make sure that students are at or above level with technology skills and understandings, AIAN has adopted the widely-used NETS (National Education Technology) content areas standards. The achievement level of students is assessed periodically by NETS performance tasks. Students use their newly acquired technology skills through membership in IEARN or International Education and Research Network, a worldwide service learning organization.