Admission FAQ

The school does not provide trial classes for new students, but it recognizes parents' concerns about their children's participation. Students are encouraged to sign up for the class, but if withdrawal is needed due to unexpected circumstances after attending the first day of school, the school will issue a full tuition refund, excluding the registration processing fee, provided the notification for withdrawal must be made on the same day the student attended their first class. 

The schools limit public access to classrooms and the school premises due to concerns about potential distraction to students. disruption to the learning environment, maintaining student privacy, ensuring safety, and the need to maintain a structured classroom setting. Parents are welcome to schedule visits or contact teachers through designated channels instead of freely roaming the school. 

For your convenience, we've included a virtual tour of the school faculty from 2020. School Faculty Virtual View 2020

Feel free to take a peek at our learning and activity areas through the gallery on our site! School Photo Gallery

To accommodate children of all learning backgrounds, the school's exceptional K-12 Chinese programs are offered in three distinct Mandarin courses, catering to the diverse needs of families and students.

Weekday Chinese afterschool program

• The Weekday Chinese Program offers both Traditional and Simplified Chinese instructional materials, with Pinyin being used as a phonetic system

Weekend Chinese School

• 简体 拼音: Simplifoed Chinese written character, and Pinyin (Latin alphabet ) as phonetic system. Heritage Simplified Chinese is for families that speak Mandarin at home and want to learn simplified characters and the pinyin system.
• 繁體 注音: Traditional Chinese written characters, and Zhuyin Fuhao (Bopomofo) as phonetic system. The Heritage Traditional Chinese course caters to Mandarin-speaking households by focusing on traditional Chinese characters and Zhuyin phonics..
• Chinese as Second Language: Traditional Chinese written characters, and Pinyin (Latin alphabet ) as phonetic system. The Chinese as a Second Language course serves learners from non-Mandarin-speaking households.

While we value every student's potential, at present, our school lacks the specialized resources and staffing necessary to effectively support students with developmental needs that require individualized intervention

The weekday and weekend Chinese programs at Irvine Chinese School, for grades K–12, are educational programs, and tuition is billed by school year. These are not child care services, which would require licensing and authorization from the California Department of Social Services to offer daycare. Educational expenses typically do not qualify for reimbursement under a Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA). It is important to distinguish between 'care' and 'education'. A DCFSA is designed to cover childcare costs that enable you to work, not tuition or educational fees. You may need to contact your HR department to confirm whether these educational program expenses qualify under your plan.

While tuition receipts are available upon request, the school cannot guarantee or certify Dependent Care FSA eligibility and cannot complete or sign FSA verification forms.