About The Clearwater Chinese Language School
Our school was started in 1990 (in Clearwater) by the Chinese Community of Pinellas County Florida. It has always held classes and meetings once a week on Sunday afternoons. It is run by the parents as a volunteer organization and is incorporated as a non-profit educational organization. Contributions are fully tax deductible. The administrative staff is unpaid. Teachers receive a small salary. Our School has been and continues to be the focal point for the Chinese community of Pinellas County and a leader in the Tampa Bay Area. Classes are currently held at the St. Petersburg Catholic High School on 9th Ave. in St. Petersburg.
We currently have six class levels. Each class is small, 10 to 15 students. Our teachers have been with their students a long time, often moving with them to the next higher level. New classes are added as the students progress. Having stable teachers as well as committed students and parents is part of the success of our school. Tuition for the children's classes is $75 per semester. There are two semesters per year, Fall and Winter, which follow the regular school schedule except that they meet only once a week on Sunday afternoons for two hours.
We currently have one daren section, an introductory level course. Teens may register for this class too. This class mainly focuses on conversation and pinyin pronunciation. Next year we will have two levels, if enough daren register, and introductory level and a second year level. We will have two teachers, one for conversation and one for writing. Students will switch between teachers, spending one hour with each. This way, each teacher can teach students at different levels, and students can learn both conversation and writing. This is a one year classes that start in September and end in June Tuition is $250 per year. We have no summer classes as people like to go on vacation, often visiting China.
The school cafeteria provides a meeting place for parents while students are in class. The annual Chinese New Year festival at USF is an event on which the students and parents work very hard, making costumes and practicing dances for the annual performance. The dance group also performs at the SPIFFS folk festival in Vinoy Park and other community and school demonstrations. At the end of each semester, we have an awards ceremony either at a Chinese restaurant or in the cafeteria, with everyone bringing a dish of home cooked Chinese food. We also have an annual Halloween party and costume contest.
Contacts
Da(4)-ren Classes: Li Si Tang (Tom)
Phone 398-6922
Children's Classes: Enga Gilday
Phone 328-1625
