St. Luke’s Marks Lunar Year with Schoolwide Celebration

In mid-February, the St. Luke's School Mandarin department hosted a schoolwide Lunar New Year Celebration that embodied the concept of “One St. Luke’s” to build community by embracing, respecting, and celebrating our individuality while always showing up for each other. 

The standout activity was the “mystery box” game, where students participated in a fun and interactive experience identifying objects associated with the Lunar New Year. Students eagerly reached into boxes and used clues from a worksheet and their senses to determine the object and its significance to the Chinese New Year. Participating students were rewarded with Lunar New Year-inspired prizes that added to the festive atmosphere.

Reflecting on the success of the mystery box activity, Upper School Mandarin Teacher Jingjing Lai said, “The game was a fantastic way to celebrate and engage our community in one of the largest holidays in Chinese culture.” 

“It was wonderful to witness the student’s excitement and curiosity," Lai added.

In the Forese Family Fireplace Commons, TE(A)CH TECH set up a live stream of the 2024 Chinese Spring Festival Gala, a Chinese New Year television special. The gala featured captivating performances, traditional music, and mesmerizing dances, further immersing students in the rich heritage of Chinese culture. 

To complete the Lunar New Year experience, Mandarin students worked with FLIK dining services to coordinate a series of special menus featuring food from cultures that celebrate the Lunar New Year, including the Philippines (Pancit), Korea (Korean-style chicken), and China (dumplings). 

A special thank you to the following SLS parents who assisted with making this event a success: Adam Blank, Jenny Levin, Leila Shields, Kelly Squitieri, Eileen Thomas, and Robyn Winarsky. 

Lunar New Year celebrations were happening in the classroom as well. For example, Mandarin III students learned the story behind each of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals.

With the support of CJ Agro from the designLab and Matt Bavone and Veronica Dimberio from TE(A)CH TECH, students performed and filmed a traditional Chinese shadow puppet presentation for the community. The video was also submitted to the first annual Chinese Talent Show organized by CLASS (Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools). We are proud to announce that their video was selected as the winner (watch below)!