The Mandarin bilingual program provides students  with instruction in both English and Mandarin.

It is intended for students whose first language is not Chinese who wish to have a dual language learning experience.

The Mandarin bilingual program is a program of choice that enables students to :

• Develop oral comprehension and fluency in Mandarin
• Develop the ability to read and write Chinese
• Gain an understanding of Canadian and Chinese cultures
• Develop a knowledge of and appreciation for diverse cultures while learning a second language
• Complete the requirements of the BC Curriculum

Subjects taught in English are :

• English Language Arts
• Social Studies
• Science
• Fine Arts

Subjects taught in Mandarin are :

• Chinese Language Arts
• Mathematics
• Health and Career Education
• Physical Education

Simplified Chinese script will be introduced in Kindergarten. The Hanyu Pinyin pronounciation system will be taught to accelerate the process of learning to read Chinese.

The program is offered at Walton Elementary starting in kindergarten / grade one to the end of grade five.