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Welcome to Our School

Welcome to the home of the highly successful Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program (JBBP), one of the truly unique language programs in San Francisco.

As one of two flourishing programs here at Clarendon Alternative Elementary School, JBBP has been offering Japanese language and culture to San Francisco elementary school children for more than 30 years. JBBP discovered the value of a multicultural education long before the term “multicultural” became part of the lexicon in education. Our highly talented and dedicated teachers use Japanese language and culture to open an exciting window to the world for our students, and broaden the rest of the curriculum.

The San Francisco Unified School District passed a resolution in 2006, endorsing multiple languages at all of our elementary schools. We take this District action as a validation of JBBP, and a challenge to bring even more language and culture to all of our students.

More About JBBP

The Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program (JBBP) at Clarendon Alternative Elementary was founded in 1973 to enrich the multicultural educational opportunities available to children in grades K-5 in the San Francisco public school system.

JBBP promotes educational excellence while fostering an appreciation of international diversity. It is one of the few public elementary school programs in the nation where children can learn about Japanese culture and language. At the same time, JBBP students excel in the primary public school curriculum - consistently scoring in the top ranks of San Francisco elementary school students for math and English skills.

The JBBP student community embraces children of non-English speaking Japanese families living in San Francisco, Japanese-American children, as well as children from a variety of other backgrounds. This culturally diverse environment nurtures respect for people different from oneself, an important ingredient in the learning experience.

Parent and community involvement provides much of the vitality that distinguishes the JBBP program. Parents and other volunteers contribute to classroom learning and participate in special projects. Their dedicated efforts have raised funds to support art and music education, computer instruction, physical education, and a basic understanding of Japanese culture and language.

  • Academic basics assure intellectual growth.
  • Cultural enrichment activities promote social growth and diversity acceptance.
  • English-speaking students are culturally enriched by exposure to a second language.
  • Japanese students receive support as they acquire English as a second language.

More details: School Profile, Academic Plan, SARC, Parent Reviews.

School Tour Hotline: (415) 759-2782