Family partnerships bring learning to life in our classroom, and celebrating Chinese/Lunar New Year with visits from Wesley’s family and Lucy’s family gave our students meaningful, hands-on opportunities to explore new traditions and perspectives.
During Lucy’s family visit, students in Spruce learned that Lunar New Year is the most important traditional holiday in China, marking the transition from winter to spring. Through the book My First Chinese New Year by Karen Katz, they explored traditions such as red envelopes, symbolic foods like pomelo, and the ways families celebrate together. Students gained a deeper understanding of the holiday’s meaning while engaging with real objects and joyful surprises that made the learning memorable.
With Wesley’s mom, students learned about festive customs, including decorations, traditional foods, and the role of dragons in celebrations. They applied their learning by working collaboratively to build a long, colorful dragon and then proudly led a parade through the Early Childhood classrooms, sharing the excitement and symbolism with others.
We are thankful to both families for their time, care, and generosity. Opportunities like these help our classroom grow in understanding and appreciation, and we love learning about the rich traditions that make our community so special.
Find out more about Gillispie School's Early Childhood program.