LOTE (Chinese)

Welcome to the 2025 LOTE (Chinese) program, Prep to Year 6 students have begun the year with the unit of inquiry: Chinese New Year (中国新年), also known as the Spring Festival (春节)'. They showed great enthusiasm when exploring different cultural aspects of this festival in China. 

Spring Festival is considered the most important festival in China, similar to Christmas in Australia. This year, the celebrations commenced on the 29th of January to the 12th of February (Lantern Festival 元宵节). 2025 is the year of the snake (已蛇年 🐍). Students from Prep to Year 6 watched some cultural videos to understand the significance of the Spring Festival, the traditional customs, and how it is celebrated in China. In addition, they also learned about a myth of the snake and how it is entitled to 6th place on the Chinese Zodiac wheel. Students shared some highlights in class discussions: the snake is a brave animal and shows perseverance throughout the 'Great Race'. 

This year, they particularly enjoyed learning some common Chinese New Year greeting phrases with relevant hand gestures. 

• Happy New Year!  新年好!  xīn nián hǎo
• Hope you earn more money! 恭喜发财！gōng xǐ fā cái
• Please give me the red packet! 红包拿来 🧧！hóng bāo ná lái!

Students also participated in cultural activities, such as Chinese paper-cutting (剪纸) and making a poster for the Year of the Snake (蛇年海报). To increase their intercultural awareness of China, they were provided with an authentically designed LOTE (Chinese) cover page featuring different Chinese cultural elements, such as the Great Wall of China (长城), the Lion dance (舞狮), and the Chinese flag (中国国旗 🇨🇳).

I am proud and impressed by their learning progress in the LOTE (Chinese) program this term. Later in Term 1, I will share more highlights and updates with our school communities.

By Miss Su (苏老师）

LOTE (Chinese) P-6