Chinese New Year is a joyful, vibrant celebration - Just like our school and our cheerful preschoolers! This year, we decided to explore the magic of the holiday even deeper. In our Kinder 2 classroom, the little ones gathered as if they were a family of playful dragons, watching a delightful presentation about the meaning behind Chinese New Year. Ms. Tricia then read a story “How to Catch a Dragon” by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton. The story was so captivating that the children listened as quietly as a sleeping dragon, their eyes wide with wonder.
Throughout the week, our teachers introduced a mysterious arts and crafts project. While some children thought they were painting pretty flowers, they were, in truth, creating a very long and nimble Chinese dragon—a nod to the legendary creatures that soar lightly among the clouds. Behind the scenes, our devoted staff crafted their own dragon masterpiece, a life-size creation with a long red and blue body crowned by a colorful cardboard head. At CLC, we love to bring stories to life, knowing that hands-on experience is vital to learning and we were excited to give this friendly dragon a try.
On January 28, the magic truly came alive. As the children arrived, they were greeted by Dragon No. 1—the very dragon they helped create—hovering by the gate like a friendly guardian, smiling and welcoming every student into the schoolhouse. Its long body, made of the “flowers” crafted by tiny hands, waved in greeting. Later, each class met Dragon No. 2, where the children became the puppet masters in a lively dragon dance.
For the younger ones, Ate Susan and Teacher Sofia took the lead during the dragon dance, guiding the dragon and the puppeteers through the school, snaking gracefully through the classrooms, dancing to the beat of Chinese music in the background and to the drumming of their classmates.
Legend has it that CLC had a magical celebration that day! Happy music and laughter filled the little preschool, little minds and bodies were filled with the spirit of exploration, and everyone from the young dancers, the teachers and even the guardians had a blast!
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