Who We Are
Class Location
Charlton Church
5920 Jonestown Rd, Harrisburg, PA 17112
Enrollment for 2023 Fall Semester is now open. Early bird discount will be offered if you return your registration form on or before 8/31/2023
2023 Fall Semester Registration Form
About Us
The Little Star Chinese School was established in 1998 in the heart of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, with the goal of promoting Chinese language and cultural exchanges in the Central PA area. For over 15 years, the school has been committed to teaching everything from beginning Chinese for very young children to conversational Chinese for adults. As long as one is willing to learn Chinese, the Little Star Chinese School is always happy to provide the proper learning environment to achieve that goal. Additionally, the school has been committed to promoting Chinese culture through classes in calligraphy, dances, and folk music. The school holds semester-end events showcasing the work done by both the language classes and the culture classes; moreover, the school attends the yearly CPCA celebration celebrating the Chinese New Year with performances from our culture classes.
The Little Star Chinese School (LSCS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations to the school are fully tax-deductible.
From the Board Chairwoman
Every Saturday morning, as I was entering the education building of the Charlton Church, I was greeted by the lovely young kids, the joyful parents and the cheerful teachers. This was the place where the students spent 3 hours with their teachers to explore China.
Soon I could hear the building full of kids’ voices. They were either reading Chinese poems or singing Chinese songs. This brought back the beautiful memories of my childhood in China. Our Little Star Chinese School experienced its first and sudden growth spurt in fall 2011. The student population tripled since the previous semester. Our students, ranging from as young as 3 years old to over 40 years old, were placed in eight different levels of classes including a class for adult learners. About 60% of the students are from the Chinese heritage families; however, 22% are from non Chinese heritage families and 18% are from multi-racial families.
The sudden growth and diversity of the students’ background forced us to make changes to the school administration, curriculum, class arrangement and teaching methods. Therefore in October 2012, the Little Star had a re-organization. The change benefits the students and the community. Beside the Board, the school established its Administration Committee under the leadership of Dan Li, the school principal. Annie Lu is the Director of Admission and Operation who is responsible for students’ enrollment and registration. She is also a liaison between school and parents. Anna Marshall is the Director of Academic Programs who makes recommendations on class setup, class sizes, class length, teaching material and teaching methods. She also organizes teaching workshops for teachers to share their teaching experiences. Haifang Xu is the Director of Activities who coordinates all the after school activities and cultural events.
To meet the ever increasing learning demand from the community, the school has built up a strong teaching staff team. Currently we have 14 teachers who are all native Chinese, bilingual speakers and experienced in teaching both in China and in America. Five of our current teachers have taught or are actively teaching Chinese at the local middle schools, high schools and colleges. Little Star has also expanded its horizons to reach out to local businesses. Last summer, we held a seminar at the Patriot News. Next spring, we will start a short-term Chinese class at Hershey Foods. Several big businesses in the area have contacted us for possible opportunity of Chinese learning.
On behalf of the school board, I want to take this opportunity to thank the CPCA members who have supported us since the establishment of Little Star in 1998. All our board members are long-term CPCA members as well. Looking back, I know it is a long journey full of challenges, but it is a journey of fulfillment and excitement!
