Shanghai Community International School

As we welcome the year of the Ox, we would like to take some time to celebrate our amazing host culture and the extraordinary SCIS community. Chinese New Year is a time of celebration and family reunions and while we were not able to be reunited onto campus this year, celebrations were in full swing across our campuses.

From hands-on activities to choreographed performances and crafts, our community came together to honor the traditions of our host nation, China. On the last day of school, students were encouraged to wear traditional clothes or red to welcome the upcoming Lunar New Year.

 

Chinese Culture Week

During the week of February 1 - February 9 our Hongqiao Mandarin team facilitated a "Chinese Culture Week" to celebrate the new year. Students explored traditional Chinese culture through a variety of hands-on activities and festival stories in Mandarin class.

Students in grades 2, 4, and 5 learned of the origins of the 旗袍 "Qí Páo", a traditional dress worn by Chinese women. They then created their own Qí Páo crafts from different types of felt materials. Grades 1-3 made other crafts related to the Chinese New Year, such as lucky bags, paper cutting, and New Year Cards. 

 

As restrictions prevented us from hosting families onto campus for our usual assemblies, the upper school mandarin team planed for a range of cultural activities during regular Mandarin class and advisory. Students took part in a variety of interactive activities including Ink Blowing Painting, Calligraphy, Ring Toss, and Tea Ceremony. 

 

Chinese Temple Fair 

Keeping up with yearly traditions, our Pudong Mandarin team planned a wealth of activities during the popular "Temple Fair". 

Students from lower to upper school took part in traditional activities such as playing 投壶 "Tóuhú", or Pitch-pot, which involves throwing sticks into a large pot. Handkerchief spinning was another popular activity as well as fun collaborative-based outdoor games.

 

Unique this year was the creation of a recorded Chinese New Year Assembly. Featuring students representing Preschool through Grade 12, the assembly is a compilation of several weeks of planning, practicing, and performing.

As you will see, an incredible amount of effort went into making this event a success, and it certainly serves as a marvelous tribute to our host country, China. 

 

We wish all families a fantastic Chinese New Year Holiday and happiness and success in the Year of the Ox!

 

恭贺新禧 Good luck in the year ahead!

心想事成 May all your wishes come true!

笑口常开 May your year be filled with abundance and laughter!

 

SCIS. Honoring Traditions.