Yu Ying has been a wonderful experience for us. My daughter (PreK4) comes in every day singing new songs and sharing new words. She loves learning Mandarin, and the full-immersion experience has been so much fun. I was initially concerned that a public school would not offer enough of an academic challenge to a very bright, high-scoring child, but the second language really has me sold. I am so happy about everything: teachers, language, facility, student cohort, families/community - it's hard to believe a school like this is free.
—Submitted by a parent

Couldn't be happier with the school. Son (who is in the PK4) was in DCPS last year and difference is stark. He's engaged and is learning Mandarin at a rapid pace. Communication with the teacher, facility, after-care offerings, and environment are all awesome. REEF (the after-care program) can be pricey but is worth it when you consider the quality of classes and instruction. Principal is accessible and hands on. I can see my kid staying here until 8th grade.
—Submitted by a parent

In reponse to the parent on August 23rd. I have no idea where you have been sending your child I find many of the things that the poster on August 22nd stated to be true. However, I do believe that the administration and teachers want the children to excel, I believe that they arent aware of how to effectively implement policy in a way that provides guidance but desnt alientate its parents. They have a tough time with being friendly and receive a low low score in this area. Additionally, the school is suffering from low test scores, because they simply dont do enough to help the children. And anything that is added or offered is always at a ost. This is a very money hungry school and it shows through their cost for After-School Care, their penalty for late-pick-ups, their costs for School Supplies, Cost for PTA fees... The list goes on.. Parents dont want to participate becasue they know that Yu Ying is always trying to make a dollar.. Good School, Great potential.. Administration needs to be gutted..

In response to the post from a parent on 8/22. Clearly our kids are in different schools. I love that the administrators and others kids are part of the school. It shows they are vested. I'm surprised that someone told you not to drop in to meet with the teachers or administration. I drop in regularly and my sons teachers have my cell phone number to call me anytime. The school is not perfect. I think some of the teachers are less experienced then I might prefer. The test scores need to improve. The email list can be viscous - I think this is more about who we've become as people then the school. (Checkout some other parenting email lists and you'll see what I mean.)
—Submitted by a parent

Did the administration write all of these reviews because this doesn't appear to be the same school that my son attends. First, the administration is not accessible. You have to send emails (as the preferred communication) and can never just walk in and simply meet with and talk to the administration or your child's teacher. Second, the parents are absolutely, certifiable crazy! I have never met a group of obnoxious people. They use a parent portal to communicate. If you post a comment on the portal and a parent doesn't agree with it, you will be attacked, threatened and/or bullied. Third, the administration and parents have "clicks" and favorites. If you are not part of one, you are ostracized. Fourth, all of the administration's kids attend the school and they can do no wrong. However, if your child sneezes to loud, he is written up for disturbing others. Fifth, the principal's mother works the front desk. Sixth, when you need special accommodations for your child, the school's response is "this may not be the best school for your child." Last, they beg for money ALL the time and charge you for everything. Word of advice, don't believe all the bells and whistles.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school. Everything other reviewers have said is true. I am a parent and objectively, even-though it is fantastic academically, I must be candid with the fact that, if you are a parent of moderate income (between $40,000 and $60,000) you will need to budget about $600-800 dollars per month per child if you want to send your children to YuYing and take full advantage of the before care, after care program, with the additional fees. I love this school, but, as a working single parent, I probably will not be able to afford to send more than one child here. One of the costs that is a burden is the late fee structure. Any late pickups after ten occurrences is $20 dollars per minute. It is easy to be late if you don't have a car and have to take the bus/metro from work. If you are a rich parent or a really poor parent it may not be such an issue.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a GREAT school. From the moment I walked into the wonderful new facility and started to meet the professional and dedicated teaching and administrative staff any hesitation in sending my Pre-K daughter to Washington Yu Ying faded away. I was astonished that by the end of the 3rd DAY my daughter was singing rhymes in Chinese! As usual I have a lot of catching up to do, just to keep up with her! My daughter also participates in the terrific R.E.E.F. aftercare program. On most days we do not get home until about 6pm. While this is a very long day for a young kid, she comes home HAPPY and full of stories about her day. I must echo a comment from a review from last year, I can hardly believe this is a public school!
—Submitted by a parent

We have been with this school since it opened 3 years ago. We simply love the school and the diverse student body. It is amazing seeing such a diverse student body being immersed in Chinese. The curriculm can be difficult especially for a non-speaking Chinese parent trying to support a child learning Chinese. However, the school does offer resources to help. I love how the student led conferences and the communication with the teachers. They have a parent portal for parents to see what the children are doing as well as a strong parent group or (PTA) group. This school is truly a viable option instead of private schools and we do have some students that were taken out of private school to attend this school. I am so proud of the growth and development that my child has made while being at this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Wonderful, amazing school!!! Everyone who works there is incredibly dedicated to kids, families, and the model. Immersion is tough---this isn't a school for kids who need every day instruction in English reading, writing, or math!!
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in prek 4 at Yu Ying. I was hesitant to enroll him due to his late birthday (he just made the cutoff and I was thinking he was too young to be in school all day) but I'm so happy that I did. The prek teachers allow the kids to be kids while engaging them in academics through multiple modalities. He comes home with a smile on his face each day. The teachers incorporate art, music, motion, experiements, and fun ways to teach them to learn. In addition they are very supportive and caring to the little ones. Chinese can be intimidating to new students but the teachers are aware and supportive. In addition the adminstration is awesome. The principal is easily accessible, the staff very friendly and the overall atmosphere is super positive. I highly recommend Yu Ying if you want your child to have rigor and fun at the same time.
—Submitted by a parent

In two years as a Yu Ying parent, I have been very impressed with the high quality of teaching instruction and curriculum implementation. The teachers communicate often with parents, and they effectively integrate parent involvement. The administration and leadership is also exceptional, and they have met every challenge I have seen with creativity, flexibility, and good results. We don't have a special family background to help our son with his Chinese language acquisition, but the school nonetheless has him learning and speaking with confidence and fluency. Meanwhile, we are happy with his development in areas we are better able to judge (English, math, etc.) The IB/PYP curriculum is great, and the school is a special place.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my daughter's 3rd year at Yu Ying, and I have nothing but good things to say abut the school. I love the diversity of the student body as well as the PYP/IB curriculum, which allows the students to delve into a subject and really take ownership of their learning. The fact that they will be fluent in Chinese by the end of 8th grade is a bonus to an already strong curriculum.
—Submitted by a parent

This is our son's second year at Yu Ying - it's a terrific school! Also, I'm excited about the plan to follow the IB primary years program - it is excellent. Overall, the school is extremely well run.
—Submitted by a parent

The school staff and parents are fantastic. The opportunity to study in a IB program with both English and Chinese is priceless!! I think Washington Yu Ying is one of DC's best kept secrets.
—Submitted by a parent

I can hardly believe this is a public school! The opportunity to learn fluent Chinese in the heart of Washington DC feels too good to be true. Both the Chinese and the English teachers are wonderful. This our third year and we love it. A bonus is the wonderful sense of community - there's such a diversity of family backgrounds that we're happy to be part of. It feels a little like a small town to know all the children who your child will be friends with all the way through school!
—Submitted by a parent

We love Washington Yu Ying! We like that the school employs differentiated learning after first grade, that there is a special ed teacher in every English classroom and the fabulous PYP curriculum. We especially like that our children are becoming bilingual. Native Chinese speakers are always very impressed by the amount of Chinese that my children know. Our children are excited to tell us about what unit of inquiry they are working on. The school is well managed and the staff is warm and caring. The only drawback is that it is not in my neighborhood. :)
—Submitted by a parent

We can't say enough good things about Washington Yu Ying! The leadership, the teachers, the staff, the parents are all amazing. We truly feel that this school has been a blessing for our daughter and we tell everyone that will listen about this fantastic, forward-thinking institution. And to top it all off, our little girl LOVES going to school! What more could a parent ask for?!
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers at this school are tireless, working to ensure the kids are proficient in both English and Chinese. The school has excellent parent involvement and it really feels like a family. It was a very good school from the get-go, but it just keeps getting better. The principal is very involved and caring. This is better than the JKLMN school I came from :)
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent school. The dual language program has my 6 year old daughter speaking Chinese and loving it! Parents are very involved and represent a diverse and global-minded community.
—Submitted by a parent