China week

One of the richest parts of being an international school is that we get to celebrate cultures from around the world. Every year around Spring Festival, we set time aside to celebrate our host country, China!

Students in Chinese classes from Foundations through Grade 12 got to participate in a variety of cultural activities around the building all week long. Handicrafts like making dragon hats and dragon puppets were exciting for ECC students, while perfecting Chinese knot-tying skills engaged our older grades.

Mr Yu, secondary art teaching assistant, helped students use traditional calligraphy to write blessings for their front doors. Performers joined us on campus to demonstrate the traditional Lion Dance before giving students a chance to join the dance themselves. The tastiest part of the week was of course sugar painting as each student got an opportunity to create their very own edible artwork!

On Friday morning, the school community gathered in front of the building to enjoy a professional Dragon Dance. Bright sunshine and crisp air were a great backdrop to the undulating moves of the 7-meter long golden dragon that graced our playground. The ECC students screamed with joy at the dragon's approach and even the older students thought it was a great way to usher in the year of the Dragon.

China week annual performances are something of a tradition at our school and this year was no different. In the morning, our ECC and elementary students gathered to celebrate China in song, dance and poetry recitals. The assembly was opened by a professional group of acrobats who not only performed amazing feats, but brought a laugh to everyone's lips. Congratulations to our amazing Chinese language classes for their courage, persistence and creativity in bringing Chinese culture to the stage!

Our middle and high school students joined together for a special assembly in the afternoon as they too celebrated Chinese culture. The secondary students were enthusiastic about the acrobatic performances, clapping in time and echoing the performers calls. Students performed a series of musical pieces helping to usher in the new year in style. Between performances, a China Week Jeopardy game was held with students from different houses competing in their knowledge of Chinese culture.

We are thankful for our amazing Chinese language teachers who work tirelessly to share their own language and culture with our students. Our week-long celebration of China was a huge success, building connections, bridging cultures and celebrating community.