Eugene School District 4J

The search for the new name for Chinese Immersion School has reached a harmonious conclusion. The school board unanimously approved Hé Lín (和林), which translates in English to Harmony Grove, for the school name. The school's full official name is now Hé Lín Chinese Immersion Elementary School.

The vote concludes a year-long process that involved a committee of parents, school and district staff, as well as a online public survey completed by about 450 people. Board members said they were swayed by Hé Lín among four finalist names because it's relatively easy to pronounce, it contains Chinese characters that are easier for youngsters to write – and that it was the favorite among the students themselves.

"I really can't think of a better word than harmony in a school," board member Tom Di Liberto said before the vote at the June 4 meeting. "The winner for me was that this was the winner for the kids."

The elementary school is part of the larger Chinese language immersion program that 4J started in 2017 to provide students instruction to speak and read in both English and Mandarin Chinese, the most widely spoken language in the world. It is the fifth and most recent 4J language immersion program, joining K–12 programs that begin with Spanish at River Road/El Camino del Río Elementary and Buena Vista Elementary; French at Charlemagne Elementary; and Japanese at Yujin Gakuen Elementary.

The Chinese program and school – with the temporary name – began with students in kindergarten and first grade. The program has added a grade each year to eventually become a K–12 program in the Churchill region. The school moved from the Crest Drive site it shared with Family School in 2021, co-locating with Kennedy Middle School. The move occurred ahead of the program welcoming its sixth grade class in 2022 at Kennedy. The program will welcome its first class of ninth graders to Churchill High School this fall.

Here's a short guide to help a non-Chinese speaker pronounce Hé Lín correctly:

• Hé: Pronounce it like "Huh" (as in "huh?" when surprised) with a short, rising pitch, like asking a question.
• Lín: Pronounce it like "Leen" (similar to "lean" or "seen"), but with a rising pitch again.

Learn More

Hé Lín Chinese Immersion Elementary School Website
June 4 School Board Meeting Discussion and Vote