June 14, 2024
Dear Yu Ming Community,
We are delighted to introduce the newest edition of the Yu Ming yearbook!
These annals are not just a compilation of joyful events and faces; they encapsulate the spirit of Yu Ming – one that thrives on innovation, collaboration and community.
Here are some of the unforgettable milestones that have defined this year at Yu Ming:
- We inaugurated our Chestnut Campus, a new chapter in our school’s life as a permanent institution of the East Bay. This new home is the fruit of a decade of searching, looking at over 100 properties.
- Yu Ming received the Families in Action ‘Raise the Bar’ award, for our Black and Brown students’ performance in English and math, demonstrating our commitment to equitable excellence and outcomes in education.
- We opened our doors to numerous visitors this year, elected officials, educational partners, and donors, including representatives from the Chinese embassy and 19 Mandarin immersion schools from 11 states as part of a National Chinese Language conference visit, reinforcing our strong ties within the community and our expertise as a exemplar school in the dual language space.
- The University of Washington published their third study about Yu Ming, further showcasing the efficacy of our Mandarin immersion model and growing the research base on how mandarin immersion closes opportunity gaps and boosts academic outcomes for all students.
- We took our 8th graders to China for the first time since the pandemic, providing students, and staff, with unforgettable cultural immersion and learning in their last year at Yu Ming and solidifying their growth into global changemakers as they get ready to graduate as bilingual and biliterate learners.
Many of our Yu Ming annual favorites returned, thanks to the engagement and creativity of our families, staff, and students: our beloved Night Market, Winterfest, and Lunar New Year celebrations have once again brought joy and excitement to our school community. Our affinity group gatherings have continued to build community among students and families.
Our campuses too are going above and beyond to cultivate a sense of belonging within their community of staff, students and families, hosting the Oakland Ballet for Dia de los Muertos for Hispanic Heritage Month and their first ever talent show at CAR, assemblies featuring parents and students such as our MLK assembly for Black Heritage Month, or Diwali festivities at the MLK and CHE campuses.
Many of these high notes would not be possible without our families who support and promote our school values with initiatives including relaunching a parent Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, coaching basketball, or participating in the Oakland Lunar New Year parade and San Leandro Cherry festival. They’ve also powered volunteer actions like submitting design ideas for the new Hoover Library Branch in Oakland, tree planting at San Leandro’s Washington Manor Park, and service days for MLK Jr. day and Earth Day in Oakland. By engaging with our broader community, they have helped ensure that our students are already active participants in the world around them. Thank you, families!
As we turn the pages of this yearbook, let us cherish these moments of growth, learning, and togetherness. Our heartfelt thanks go to our dedicated Yearbook Committee for creating this timeless keepsake for us, and to our entire community for making this year another memorable year in Yu Ming’s story, and another step toward our bright future ahead.
In community,
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| Stacey Wang CEO |
Amy Salfen Chestnut Campus Principal |
Dandan Liu Carolyn Campus Principal |
Greg Callaham MLK Campus Principal |