We recently celebrated Chinese New Year with a variety of fun and educational activities. This year is the Year of the Rabbit, traditionally viewed as a time of renewal, unity, and prosperity, bringing joy and good fortune to families and communities.
One of the main highlights of the celebration was the Mandarin club, under the guidance of Ying Li, giving a special assembly to showcase their Mandarin language skills. The students entertained the audience with a presentation on the Year of the Rabbit.
In the puppet-making club, the pupils made dragon stick puppets. This was a fun and creative activity that allowed students to use their imagination and develop their fine motor skills.
The Prep School students received traditional red envelopes, which contained a proverb and a financial reward in the form of a chocolate coin. This was a fun and meaningful way for the students to learn about the Chinese New Year traditions and customs.
Year 1 students were also busy making Chinese lanterns, which they displayed in the school. This activity allowed the students to learn about the significance of lanterns in Chinese culture and appreciate the beauty of the traditional craft.
They also had the opportunity to learn and perform the Chinese Lion Dance, a traditional dance that is performed during Chinese New Year. The students put on a fantastic performance and received a warm round of applause from the audience.
Year 1’s efforts didn’t stop there and they closed out the celebrations by opening a Chinese restaurant, where they enjoyed preparing vegetables, noodles and rice. This was a hands-on activity that allowed the pupils to learn about the cuisine of China and develop their cooking skills.
The event was a great opportunity for students to learn about Chinese culture and tradition. Teaching Chinese culture and Mandarin in a British prep school will provide pupils with a competitive advantage in the global job market and it helps to promote cultural understanding and tolerance. Learning Chinese can be challenging, but the benefits are well worth the effort, as it is an increasingly important language in the modern world and is an important step in preparing students for a rapidly changing world and a globalised future.