The Purple School

"Mbahasa Melayu, a Malaysian language, has different words signifying several degrees of saltiness (for example, as salty as soy sauce, as salty as sea water, as salty as salt, and horribly salty). Speakers of this language can make finer distinctions about how much salt is in a solution than can English speakers tasting the same solution. Thus an extra language may actually influence our senses in subtle ways, causing us to experience the world a little more discerningly." -- Living Language, a Random House Company

The Purple School was founded in 2001 by Joyce Nadolny Shui in order to support and sustain bilingualism among children. Joyce's (then three-year-old) daughter named the school the "Purple School." Joyce, believing children are the heart and future of the universe, honored that name selection, and the name is happily celebrating almost seven years!

In raising her own children tri-lingual (English, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese), Joyce realized that lifelong bilingualism would depend on access. With English being so dominant in American society (particularly after starting kindergarten), preservation of bilingualism would be possible only with active measures to provide her children with access to other children who spoke Chinese and Japanese and access to educational and cultural opportunities!

Starting with just one classroom and one language in 2001, the school continues to expand with more classes and more languages. It is Joyce's hope that increased access to bilingualism will increase children's potential and and also create a more tolerant, understanding world where all cultures are valued and embraced.