Our Family:
“Our daughters are all at CAIS. Emilia is in 2nd grade, Elise is in 1st grade, and Isla is in Preschool 3. Isla started in the inaugural preschool 2 class last year. This is our 4th year at CAIS. Our older two daughters started preschool in 2020. Molly speaks fluent Cantonese, and the kids are conversational in Cantonese. We do not speak Mandarin at home.”
Why CAIS:
“We started looking at CAIS in fall of 2019. At the time we had our older two in another preschool and we were pregnant with our 3rd daughter. We wanted to get ahead of the process and find a school that would extend beyond pre-school, into kindergarten and middle school.Throughout the admission process of attending the various events, we developed a relationship with the previous Admissions Director, Linda, who was always so welcoming and generous with her time. As we attended various events to learn more about the school, we met more people along the way. Molly was head of the PTA at Little Bee our last year there and got to witness first-hand how community support was key and realized that was a big part of the CAIS experience. We knew several families that had chosen CAIS and had conversations with them about the structure, support, curriculum, teachers, etc. Additionally, every time we attended an event at CAIS everything seemed so organized. Everyone was genuinely happy to get to know you and bring you into the community.”
Your experience now as a parent:
“As with most things, you get out of it what you put into it. CAIS is no different. Greater engagement leads to greater satisfaction. Our first year was during the Pandemic (2020-2021). That was quite the challenge but we managed to connect with parents in Zoom calls and once Covid restrictions loosened up, we’ve been able to get back to more in-person and volunteer activities. We co-chair the CAIS Annual Fund campaign and have volunteered at various events inside and outside of school that have strengthened our relationship with the school community. Along the way, we have met some great people and are now close friends. The community is phenomenal.
We appreciate how the school cares for each child. We notice how the social emotional aspect of CAIS is the focus and it’s evident with our daughters. Each has their own uniqueness and it’s great to see the school recognizes no two kids are the same. The faculty and staff are nurturing and attentive and we can see that love through the eyes of our daughters. They always come home smiling.”