Canberra Secondary School celebrated Chinese New Year 2012 which saw the ushering in of the Water Dragon, in great style, thanks to the effort of the Mother Tongue Department. The decorative lanterns hung along the school’s bridge, the attractive foyer display which included the traditional Chinese symbols of wealth, luck and prosperity, and a variety of activities organized, all helped put students and staff in the mood for a celebration. In fact 91.9% of staff and students surveyed, expressed that they liked the festive decorations.
On 17 January, 145 Secondary One students, accompanied by their form teachers and 8 members of our school’s Parent Support Group, went on a learning journey to Chinatown. The objective of this trip was to expose the students to traditional Chinese culture and also to create an awareness of the more symbolic fare normally served during this auspicious occasion. For instance, the students learnt that melon seeds symbolise family unity and that the family will be blessed with abundant children. They also discovered that it is considered good luck to eat ‘nian gao’ (sticky rice cake) because it has the symbolism of increasing prosperity every year.
