In consonance with our vision to develop principled global citizens with intercultural perspectives and our mission to encourage the formation of international-mindedness, HWA International School celebrated Chinese New Year (CNY) on Friday, 28 January 2022. The celebration was held on the beautiful campus adorned with festive red lanterns and Chinese knots, which showed students a different cultural perspective from Christmas celebration they enjoyed a month ago. All teachers and students were dressed up for the celebration, no matter where they are from and what faith they have. Their inclusive attitude showcased what international-mindedness should be like.
The celebration was divided into two parts. Our adorable KG students kick-started the show with a dance to the music of ‘Good Luck to You’, a popular CNY theme song. Next, G2 and G3 students performed lion dance, followed by dragon dance by G5 and G6 students, both of which are traditional performances for the festive CNY celebrations and are believed to bring joy, happiness and good luck to the people. Several of our teachers also showed their talents on stage. Mr. Tony, Ms. Mavis, and Ms. Jess played a medley of popular Chinese tunes. Not only were the performances mesmerizing, but they also served as a demonstration of international-mindedness and taught students to understand, respect and value a different culture.
After a short recess, the celebration moved on to the second part: station activities. In heed of the Covid-19 health and safety advisory, the whole school was divided into six groups and took turns to visit seven game stations. Teachers and students learned Chinese paper-cutting, practiced CNY couplet writing, and played the 12-animal imitation game. They also worked together on the bonding games such as balloon games, grabbing the chair and beating the drum and passing the flower. The station activities lent students another perspective to the celebration and deepened their understanding of and respect for the Chinese culture.
