2019 TIA’s Chinese New Year Celebration

Every year all four campuses come together for TIA's Chinese New Year celebration. The students put on a performance in Mandarin Chinese for family and friends to watch.

Xiuqing Sun - Chinese Program Teacher

”TIA’s very own students perform at the Chinese New Year celebration. Most of the students have no Chinese experience whatsoever prior to attending TIA. We take all students, even Kindergarten, and teach them how to speak Mandarin, pronounce the words correctly.  We teach about Chinese culture and the difference between American cultures and also the similarities. All the students will sing or rap in Chinese, dance Chinese dances while wearing traditional Chinese clothes. Our Schools mission is to prepare students to be global citizens. If you can speak English, Spanish and Chinese, you can communicate with 70% of the entire world population. I try to make the show as exciting as I can. Also, I hope the audience can get a taste of Chinese culture and language, how we speak, how we pronounce words. I hope that the audience can get interested in the Chinese language.”

Dr. Jennifer Herrera - School Superintendent

“This is an annual Chinese New Year’s event. This is a chance to showcase the Chinese Mandarine language that is taught in our classes from kindergarten through 12th grade. The kids are very excited. They get to dance, sing, recite poetry. Sometimes they get to share information that they have learned about in their Chinese class. It’s a very exciting event for our whole community! All four of our campuses are represented here tonight to perform a dance, song, and poem all in Chinese and even to share historical information they are learning in their Chinese classes. We are Tucson International Academy. The reason we put “International” in there is because the world has become a smaller place. With the internet, businesses, and the sharing of ideas - it’s all global now. So it’s very important as we educate the kids, that we constantly give them the global perspective through history, math, and in every subject that we teach. By offering foreign languages of Spanish and Chinese, the students are able to understand foreign concepts that only the language supports. It teaches them how to get along in this world and appreciate the diversity that we have.” Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUnYDyoAad0  

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2019 Chinese New Year Event at TIA

Chinese Language Programs at TIA

A major component of the Chinese Language Programs at TIA is the annual Chinese New Year Celebration. The family event is designed to showcase the students’ language skills and expand their appreciation of Chinese Culture.

Why Is Everyone So Excited About the Chinese Language Programs?

Everything about the event, from the lively performances, colorful wardrobes, and authentic food, reflects the excitement the children have for the Chinese Program at TIA.  “Our students are the most attentive and eager during Mr. Wu’s lessons. It’s very appealing to them,” says teacher Heather Hilliard. And the reason for their enthusiasm is apparent: Chinese Language Teacher Mr. Wu. If the kids’ loud cheers for Mr. Wu at a recent celebration are any indication, they love him. “Having a language teacher from the specific country really helps the kids understand and be more concerned with what they’re learning and why it’s important,” Hilliard explains. “The fact that Mr. Wu is from China helps them relate because they know him. He can say, ‘This is where I grew up, and this is what this is like’.” Chinese New Year, now also called the Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar. Each year the celebration falls on different dates in January or February, and is associated with one of 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Traditional celebrations lasted 15 days, in which family reunions and feasts were an important component. Other traditions include fireworks, a lantern festival, a dragon dance, the color red, and giving children money in red envelopes. The holiday is also celebrated in numerous cities and countries outside of China where there are significant Chinese populations.

New Year and New Opportunities

Just as the Chinese New Year symbolizes new life and new beginnings, the New Year event at TIA symbolizes new opportunities for our students, which are made possible by Mr. Wu and the Chinese Language Program.
Chinese language programs at TIA