Meet Chen Laoshi
Beloved, Former Braddock MI TA and Passionate Mandarin Educator
​We’re thrilled to welcome Kimberly Tsuneta (née Chen) to our afterschool program at Braddock! As a former first-grade Teaching Assistant in Braddock’s Mandarin Immersion (MI) Program, Kimberly is already a familiar and trusted presence on campus. She spent two years supporting Braddock’s MI classrooms—working hand-in-hand with teachers and helping students thrive. Parents and staff alike know her for her warmth, dedication, and ability to connect with children in meaningful ways.
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Born in San Jose, Kimberly spent 8 formative years in Taipei, where she immersed herself in Chinese language and culture. Her deep love for Mandarin, vibrant teaching style, and personal experience as a bilingual parent make her a powerful role model for young learners. Her own two children currently attend Braddock’s MI Program, and she understands firsthand how to make Mandarin fun, interactive, and accessible for kids.
In addition to her classroom experience, Kimberly has supported many students through one-on-one Mandarin tutoring. Her approach emphasizes engagement, confidence-building, and cultural connection—perfect for early language learners.
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We’re so excited for your children to learn with someone who’s not only part of the Braddock family, but also passionate about nurturing the next generation of bilingual speakers!
SYLLABUS
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Overview:
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Class Duration: 1 hour
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Frequency: 2–3 times per week
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Semester Length: 16 weeks
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Fall Semester: August 25th - December 12th
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Days: Mon, Weds, Thurs; 3pm-4pm
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Objectives:
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TK: To jumpstart learning Mandarin or maintain and grow the knowledge of the language. They will learn the same words with K but will not have homework or testing since there's no Mandarin Immersion for TK.
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K: To complete homework and prepare for tests
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Both: To enhance knowledge of Mandarin language with additional exposure, repetition, and oral language development through stories, songs, movement, and hands-on activities to make learning fun!
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Weekly Themes (Rotating every 1–2 weeks):
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Greetings & Self-Introduction
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Family Members
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Numbers & Counting
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Colors & Shapes
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Food
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Animals (Farm, Zoo, Pets)
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Body Parts & Feelings
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Clothing & Weather
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Transportation
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Daily Routines
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11. Major Chinese Holidays
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Session Structure:
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Warm-up: Songs (e.g., hello song), movement (TPR), review previous vocabulary.
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Main Activity: Story-based or theme-based vocabulary introduction through flashcards, puppet shows, or visuals.
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Game or Hands-on Activity: Matching games, charades, coloring, sticker tasks, or simple crafts.
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Music & Movement: Song/dance reinforcing vocabulary.
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Closing & Wrap-up: Quick review, goodbye song, and sticker/stamp reward.
Methods:
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Total Physical Response (TPR)
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Repetition & Routines
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Simple visuals and sentence frames
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Play-based instruction