Ayumi Ingram leads her second-grade class in learning kanji characters, during a morning session at Verdugo Woodlands Elementary School in Glendale on Tuesday. Established in 2010, the Japanese Dual Language Immersion program is currently accepting applications for the 2026-27 school year. (MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS / Rafu Shimpo)
By MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS
Rafu Staff Writer
GLENDALE.– Verdugo Woodlands Elementary School took on a bold challenge back in 2010, designing a public school daily curriculum that would produce students with proficiency in both Japanese and English.
“It’s been a wildly successful program,” said Principal Kristina Provost on Tuesday. “The statistics originally predicted the students were really going to get it and outperform their peers, and that’s really come to fruition.”
Beginning that year with kindergarteners and first-graders, each school day was set up on a 50-50 model, with the state-approved course of study, just adapted to a bilingual day. The Verdugo Woodlands Japanese Dual Language Immersion Program has grown to become one very few of its kind in the U.S. to offer a seamless bilingual pathway from kindergarten through high school.
Provost said not only have kids grasped Japanese, but on the whole tend to perform better in English than their non-dual counterparts.
“The immersion model really does work. When I go in and observe the teachers, I don’t really speak Japanese, but a lot of the time, I can understand what the lesson is because of the way they’re presenting the material and the way the kids are responding.”
Customs as well as language are learned in the Verdugo Woodland Japanese Immersion program. Teacher Ayumi Ingram welcomes her students as they bow before entering the classroom. A sign on the door reminds students, “It’s time for Japanese.” (MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS / Rafu Shimpo)
A generation or so later, the tuition-free program has continued, but in recent years has faced a substantial decline in enrollment — the result of a pandemic, shifting demographics and the inevitable budget cuts that public schools statewide are being forced to grapple with. Provost worries that cuts to her classes might be necessary if the numbers continue to fall.
“We had a dip after COVID, but our wonderful parents rallied and we were able to get our numbers up,” she noted, but added that this year in particular, financial constraints have been harsh, leading to elimination of vital positions, such as dual-language teacher specialists.
The principal also speculated that the current changes in federal immigration policy have made it more difficult for instructors and families alike to settle in local communities and attend schools.
In addition to Japanese, the Glendale Unified School District offers immersion programs that pair English with six other languages, including Korean, Armenian, German and French.
At Verdugo Woodlands, some 100 students are enrolled in dual-language instruction, pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. After kindergarten, the school day is split evenly – instruction in one language in the morning, the other in the afternoon, without repeating the material.
The school will host an in-person open house tour this Friday, Jan. 23, welcoming prospective families to visit and learn more about the advantages of a language-immersive education. Provost said the growing interest in Japanese history and culture among Americans is intriguing and that fully half the students at the school have no experience in Japanese language when they enroll.
“This is a great program for anyone who’s willing to accept a new challenge, and are looking to come into a tight-knit community,” she said. “Our kids are in the same class with each other from kindergarten through sixth grade, the families are friends, play together, vacation together, and many family members hold leadership positions and join the PTA.”
Kindergartener Luna Yui Amador tries her hand at the kine (mallet) during a mochitsuki at Verdugo Woodlands on Jan. 16. In addition to language immersion, the students take part in Japanese cultural and holiday activities throughout the school year. Courtesy Verdugo Woodlands Elementary
That sense of community was on display Tuesday, with students cheerfully greeting Principal Provost in the hallways, classrooms and schoolyard. The kids in Melissa Arias’ third-grade English class were enthusiastic to respond to a few questions, and rallied to help explain what was being said to a new student, whose family recently returned to the U.S. after living for several years in Japan.
“Starting in kindergarten, students learn together in two languages and quickly learn to support and appreciate one another’s strengths,” Arias said. “This shared sense of belonging helps students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.”
By 2013, the program and student body at Verdugo Woodlands had grown to more than 850 total pupils, so the Japanese immersion program was expanded to nearby Dunsmore Elementary. Students can then move on to an elective-based Japanese program at Rosemont Middle and Crescenta Valley High, and can earn a state bilingual competency seal on their diplomas upon graduating.
Applications for the 2026-27 school year are currently being accepted, and families from all school districts are welcome to apply. The priority deadline is Saturday, Jan. 31. More information can be found at www.GUSD.net/apply, or by calling (818) 241-2433.
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