About Us
Your child’s global future starts here. Schedule a tour and experience our diverse community for yourself.
Mission
At HudsonWay, we believe that when our students are fully immersed in a second language at a young age, it has a powerful and lasting impact on their ability to read, write and think in more than one language. It also positively affects all other aspects of their development, including academic achievement, cognitive/intellectual functioning, and emotional intelligence. Through our supportive, highly personalized learning environment, we prepare our students to become the globally competent leaders of the future.
History
When Sharon Huang was looking for a Chinese preschool where her twin boys could become fluent in Mandarin, she just couldn’t find one. But that didn’t stop her. Instead, in 2005 she founded a preschool in her New Jersey home. This soon grew into Bilingual Buds, a school of 7 teachers and 72 students located in a rented church space. And that growth continued until Bilingual Buds became the first independent Mandarin and Spanish immersion preschool–Grade 8 program in the Tri-State Area - HudsonWay. A school that started in Sharon’s home now has campuses in New York and New Jersey serving hundreds of students.
Our Values
Henry Hudson, the English explorer who provided inspiration for our school name, sought a passage from England to China via a route above the Arctic Circle. That’s why HudsonWay uses the mnemonic “ARCTIC TIE” to remember the 9 values important to us:
Accountability. We take responsibility for our individual and collective actions.
Respect. We value and celebrate all members of our community.
Community Service. We strive to make a difference, especially by providing our talents and means to the community at large.
Teamwork. We recognize the talents of our students, staff, and community and believe that we can accomplish more together than individually.
Integrity. We seek to do what is right and do what we say we are going to do.
Communication. We strive to listen, understand and communicate openly and clearly.
Transparency. We share information to enhance collaboration, cooperation, and collective decision-making.
Innovation. We foster creativity, encourage risk-taking, and continuously seek to improve ourselves and our school.
Excellence. We commit to doing our best work and pursuing excellence.
HudsonWay Immersion School at a Glance
20
A leader in immersion education for 20 years
300+
students enrolled across 2 campuses
3
3 divisions: Preschool 2’s through Grade 8
6:1
student to teacher ratio
12
average class size
80%
of families do not speak the target language at home
10-20
English and Math standardized test scores are 10-20 points above the Independent School norm
45%
higher score for Mandarin and Spanish proficiency compared to other immersion schools
100%
of middle school students achieve the Global Seal of Biliteracy
90%
acceptance rate to first choice middle or high school
60%
of staff have advanced degrees
70%
are students of color
27
different countries represented in our community
1:1
chromebook program starting in Grade 2
20,000
Over 20,000 square feet at each of the NY and NJ campuses
12+
after school programs available at each campus