Verona Area International School

It is true that VAIS has had some challenges as do all new schools, but the benefits have far-outweighed the challenges. Even though my son learns half the day in Chinese he still is ahead of grade level in both math and reading. Our returning Chinese teacher is a math guru and our English teacher and Director are excellent. With the international curriculum the students learn so many interesting things about other countries and cultures. VAIS is not just about learning Chinese, it's about preparing our children to be global citizens. We are so lucky to have this unique school in the Verona Area School District!
--Submitted by a parent

VAIS is a wonderful school that will give your child an unique set of skills! Our son has had an amazing Kindergarten year. The math curriculum is outstanding. He is doing double-digit addition in his head. The reading strategies taught in the English part of the day are so fun for the kids to use, that he looks forward to his 10 minutes of reading homework each night. Our son has moved up 7 reading levels in just 8 months. He gets to be creative in Global Arts and explore areas that he is interested in. He is excited and looks forward to going to school everyday. On top of all of this he is learning how to speak Chinese. This is such an unique skill that will set him apart from the crowd in the years ahead. We could not be happier at VAIS. The Verona Area School District is fortunate to be able to offer this awesome opportunity to their families!
--Submitted by a parent

Our daughter has had a wonderful experience in the Verona Area International School. She converses in Mandarin and loves to impress native Chinese speakers by singing songs that they had also learned as children in Mandarin. She is performing far above grade level in her English reading in addition to learning math in both English and Chinese. We have great expectations for the school moving forward and plan to stay with VAIS into the foreseeable future.
--Submitted by a parent

My child is a kindergartener this year and I am very impressed with the school, teachers, and parent involvement to date. Verona has great schools overall and it was tough to pick the right one for my child, but VAIS has been a perfect fit. The English and Chinese kindergartener teachers are both top notch teachers that are dedicated to their students and the future success of the school. They have been able to identify each student's strengths and teach to improve individual weaknesses. At least 30% of the parents are very involved in volunteering. Sometimes the volunteer base seems limited because there are only two classes this year and yet everything for a full k-5 school is still accomplished. As a new kindergarten class is added each year, the volunteer base will grow. VAIS covers all of the regular academics and the students learn a second language as a bonus. If you have ever thought a second language might be useful, this is your chance to give one to your kids. They are sponges and just absorb the language into their little brains with ease.
--Submitted by a parent

Not without startup pains and growing pains, this school has offered such a unique opportunity for our daughter, who is now finishing her second year here. I have watched her have basic conversations in Mandarin when we're out at Chinese restaurants or while talking to a former exchange student that lived with my parents. They tell me she has no accent at all. She loves being part of something special and different and has formed close bonds with kids in all the grades, because the school is small and tight-knit. She loves the global arts aspect that is also unique to the school; learning about other cultures is part and parcel to her everyday life. The school does have the expected challenges that come with being a new charter -- financial, finding qualified personnel, thin volunteer base, etc., but the opportunity is bigger than the challenges. We did have a rough experience with one underqualified teacher this year, but the school has handled it professionally, and we're looking forward to a great year next year. Our director, Amanda Mayo, is excellent, excellent, excellent.
--Submitted by a parent