Awaken the "New Year " with Cultural Education

Lisa Li Deputy Head of Early Years

Culture is the soil that nourishes children and it is an important part of a Wellington education. In the first and most important 6 years of life, children embrace and learn their home identity, but it is also a wonderful opportunity to understand and learn different traditions and cultures that make up an international community. One of those learning their opportunities is the recognition of traditional celebrations. The Lunar New Year 2020 is fast approaching. NIAN is a time for Chinese people to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new, bearing everyone’s joy and expectation for the future. The lively annual custom of activities began early at Wellington College Bilingual Tianjin with teachers and children planning ahead for the Chinese lunar New Year. Children developed their curiosity and were allowed to explore and participate in hands-on learning in order to deepen their knowledge and appreciation of Chinese culture. The Nest was teeming with the spirit and happiness of the Chinese New Year celebration. When children experience and apply what they learn it has more impact in their lives. With every stroke of calligraphy they write and the hanging of decorations in the classrooms, children begin to realise the importance of the occasion. The New Year mascot, "mouse", became the most popular little animal in the class. Teachers and children decorated our Nest welcoming the New Year with jubilant Spring Festival verses and the word ‘fu’, full of the flavour of the New Year! Teachers were also part of the celebration by preparing a special Chinese fan dance. These events celebrate the beauty of diversity at Wellington where cultures and traditions from all over the world are celebrated. Educating children with a love of culture is never an overnight effort. This love has been cultivated in Wellington through the years. On such a special day, all the teachers of Wellington College Bilingual Nursery Tianjin wish the children a healthy and happy New Year!

Helen Shen Early Years Mandarin Coordinator

To welcome the Chinese New Year 2020, the Nest launched the Chinese New Year Culture week which engaged our pupils in a variety of interesting activities to celebrate the coming Year of the Rat. Both our children and teachers were involved in making traditional Chinese lanterns, dumplings making, reading traditional stories, singing songs and playing games. To encourage and stimulate children’s reading interest, Year 1 and Reception pupils built the reading buddy relationships with Year 5 before the Chinese New Year. Reading together is a powerful tool in motivating children to read, and as the children read to each other, everybody becomes involved by asking and answering questions, and the experience becomes very enjoyable. Our pupils and teachers wore Chinese traditional costumes and together joined in the festival performance. This year, our show focused on traditional culture, parent-child and teacher-child performances. One three-year-old pupil  wished for the Chinese New Year using traditional rhymes, a rhyming chant by a father and son, and also a teacher disguised as a big cat delighted everyone. The stage was filled with lots of fun and happiness! Happy New Year!