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United States, Stirling
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HudsonWay Immersion School began in 2005 as Bilingual Buds in the basement of founder Sharon Huang's home with five students and one teacher. It relocated to St. Mary's Church in Livingston, NJ in 2006, then moved to Summit, NJ in 2007. The school added a Spanish immersion program in 2009 and opened a New York City campus in 2010 at 175 Riverside Boulevard offering Mandarin immersion. Bilingual Buds rebranded as HudsonWay Immersion School in 2014, expanding to elementary grades and later to middle school; the school earned Middle States Accreditation in 2020 and celebrated its first eighth-grade graduation in 2022, including the first Mandarin and Spanish AP tests. HudsonWay celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025 and operates across two campuses serving preschool through middle school.
The HWIS community is international, diverse, and closely connected, comprising leaders, staff, parents, alumni and students. As a small independent school, HWIS fosters community through events such as the Autumn Moon picnic, Spanish Winter Show, Lunar New Year Show, and the Arts Festival. The parent association is welcoming and vibrant, organizing fall farm visits, a parents' night out at a comedy club, and ice cream socials, and supporting the school with events such as the annual gala auction. Communications with families are coordinated through Veracross.
The HudsonWay Immersion School Parents Association (HWISPA) represents the diverse parent community and promotes a sense of community, supports the administration, and enriches the student experience through events, activities, and fundraising campaigns. HWISPA's mission includes representing parents, promoting a sense of community, supporting the school in creating an outstanding learning environment, and enriching student life through activities and fundraising campaigns. HWISPA undertakes ongoing fundraising to provide technology support in classrooms, purchase more books for the library, and support teachers. All parents and guardians of HWIS students are welcome to join HWISPA, with NY and NJ contacts, and opportunities to serve as officers or volunteers.
HudsonWay Immersion School operates two campuses, Midtown Manhattan (525 W 52nd St) and Stirling, NJ (249 Bebout Ave), each about 20,000 square feet. It offers full bilingual programs for ages 2 through 14, with Mandarin or Spanish immersion supported by both Singapore and American curricula integrated. Preschool immersion is 100 percent, gradually lowering to 90 percent by age four and about 80 percent in kindergarten, with English instruction increasing in later grades to balance biliteracy. Language arts and mathematics are taught in both languages using targeted curricula, while science uses FOSS Next Generation and a bilingual science fair. The program culminates in AP Chinese Language and Culture in grades 7–8 and the Global Seal of Biliteracy. Facilities include dedicated music, art, science, library, and maker spaces, plus gymnasia and playgrounds on both campuses. After-school enrichment covers language, STEM, chess, robotics, cooking, and Chinese dance, with camps in summer and breaks. Worldwide.
