Participating Schools

Barnard Elementary School website

Edward Park – Principal

Mr. Edward Park became the principal of Barnard Elementary School since 2008. With the focus on China’s global status influencing the rest of the world, Point Loma schools have been preparing for that country’s continuing economic advent. Among them, Barnard Elementary School teaches the Mandarin Chinese language and culture as part of the school’s magnet program — the first of its kind for San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) elementary schools, according to district officials. Mr. Park has helped promote Korean language courses in middle and high schools in Los Angeles and now wants to help SDUSD children learn Mandarin. With about 13 years as an educator and school administrator for the Los Angeles Unified School District under his belt, Park has been working with educators in China who have the experience needed to teach children and who can provide resources for teachers. Mr. Park received his Bachelor of Science from BIOLA University in 1994 and his Master of Science in Instructional Leadership and Curriculum from National University in 2003 and Master of Arts in Education Administration from California State University, Northridge in 2003. He also received the Multiple Subject Clear CLAD Credential in 1995, Preliminary Administrative Services Credential in 2003 and the
Tier II Administrative Services Clear Credential in 2006.

Riverview Elementary School website

Olympia Kyriakidis - Principal
Olympia Kyriakidis is currently the principal at Riverview Elementary School and International Academy in Lakeside, CA. Students at Riverview International Academy are English speaking students, immersed in Spanish and provided with Mandarin instruction as a third language. This program is one of the few trilingual programs for students in the nation. Olympia served as an elementary principal for three years, a middle school vice principal for one year, and a middle school humanities teacher for 6 years. When Olympia was 11 her father was killed in a car accident and her mother primarily spoke Greek. Olympia helped her mother run the family restaurant from the age of 11 to until she became a teacher. Her restaurant management experience has helped her as a principal. Olympia speaks Greek, Spanish, and English. She hopes to learn Chinese as a fourth language. She is married to an aerospace engineer and has an eleven year old daughter. In addition to being a principal, Olympia is a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program at San Diego State University.

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