International Students

Cultural Day New Year Celebration 2023

On Friday the 24th of February, our international students invited the whole school to celebrate Lunar New Year.  This cultural day was a wonderful opportunity to learn about and appreciate the customs and traditions of this important festival.  Lunar New Year celebrates the first new moon of the Lunar Calendar and ends two weeks later with the first full moon of the new year.  In 2023, we are celebrating the Year of the Rabbit in Cambodia, China, Japan, and Korea, which is believed to represent peace and elegance.  In Vietnam, this year is the Year of Cat, which is believed to bring good luck and smooth sailing.

On the day, local and international students formed teams to make paper lanterns and learn calligraphy from our international student representatives.  Lanterns hold a lot of cultural significance in many cultures, and calligraphy, directly translated to ‘beautiful writing’, is an art form dating back to 1600 B.C.E.

Language Centre students developed posters exploring the customs associated with Lunar New Year and describing their own experience of the festival.  We are proud of their efforts and are grateful for the opportunity to learn from their diverse perspectives.

During the celebration, Mr Pritchard wished all the students a happy new year and presented them with a red envelope.  This gesture is a traditional way to send good wishes and luck during the Lunar New Year festival.

We are grateful to our international students for sharing their culture and traditions with us and for organising such a fantastic celebration.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this wonderful event.  We look forward to continuing to learn from and celebrate the diversity of our school community.