1 March 2010

“The tiger is a sign of prosperity through honesty and bravery.”

14th February 2010 heralded the arrival of the Chinese new year, the Year of the Tiger. As an Academy that specialises in Global Citizenship and actively promotes Chinese learning and culture, the Academy celebrated the event in style.

Guided by Ms Buster and Mr Li, the students undertook an assortment of activities, ranging from the design of auspicious Chinese couplets to the making of creative Chinese crafts, such as tiger masks, dancing dragons and Chinese lanterns.

Sixty-four Mandarin pupils ranging from Years 7 to 12 also celebrated with a trip to Chinatown and had a "reunion lunch" of authentic Chinese cuisine. They spent the afternoon indulging in Chinese culture and language.

The two weeks of celebrations were a huge success with students, allowing them to get the full flavour of Chinese culture. Activities such as this demonstrate the commitment of the Academy to not only educating its students in the Chinese language, but also crucially enabling them to experience China’s rich and diverse culture as a whole, thereby making them more internationally conscious.

However, the event was not solely enjoyed by the young people of the Academy. Students from our feeder primary schools also benefited from assemblies and workshops led by the Mandarin team.

In Chinese culture, the tiger is the sign of prosperity, through honesty and bravery. This year, these principles will hopefully inspire the Academy’s staff and students to attain even greater levels of success in all areas of school life.

To see pictures of Chinese new year at the Academy, please click the images below...