The New Year Celebration and School Open Day of Tzu Chi North Toronto Humanities School were a complete success
On February 2, 2025, the fifth day of the Lunar New Year of the Snake, Tzu Chi North Toronto Humanities School held a unique New Year celebration and school open day. This event not only immersed overseas teachers, students, and parents in a strong Chinese New Year atmosphere, but also allowed children to learn about traditional Chinese culture and customs in joy.
Early that morning, senior brothers, sisters, teachers, and volunteers arrived at school one hour early and began to carefully decorate the campus. They have carefully created eight challenge stations with a festive atmosphere, namely: Humanistic Sign Language Team Health Station, Yuan Yuan Fu Shi Jie Hao Yuan (Yuan) Station, Jie Yuan Pin Station, Meditation Wheel Station, Twelve Zodiac Matching Music and Pinball Station, New Year's Cuisine Station, Spirit Snake Blessing Competition Station, and Earth Puzzle Game Station. As soon as you enter the school gate, you can hear the joyful songs of the Spring Festival, and the entire campus is filled with a festive and lively atmosphere. Most children are wearing traditional Chinese New Year costumes, and even younger children are wearing snake year headpieces gifted by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission of the Republic of China, appearing particularly cute and energetic. Parents also actively accompany their children to participate, making the entire campus more lively and extraordinary.
Around 9:30 in the morning, teachers and volunteers from each class led the students to start an exciting running activity according to the pre planned challenge schedule. At the Humanistic Sign Language Team Health Station, children follow the teacher to learn sign language singing, singing and dancing at the same time. Although the movements are slightly unfamiliar, each child is immersed in it, with a pure smile on their face. At the Twelve Zodiac Station, children study the animal characteristics of the twelve zodiac animals seriously, deepen their memory through games, and make traditional culture deeply rooted in people's hearts through laughter. The New Year's food station is one of the most anticipated activities for children. This not only showcases various traditional auspicious New Year dishes, but also allows children to personally taste delicious New Year dishes, allowing them to experience the charm of Chinese traditional culture on their taste buds. The meditation wheel station allows children to speak meditation language while rotating the wheel, spreading positive energy. Through the game of throwing circles, children can learn New Year's auspicious words and enhance their understanding of traditional culture. The Spirit Snake Nafu Competition Station and the Earth Puzzle Game Station are joyful places for children. Here, they not only exercise their physical and mental abilities, but also enhance their teamwork spirit through competitive games and puzzle challenges. The whole event was particularly lively amidst laughter, and every child was immersed in this carnival full of Chinese New Year flavor.
Children from each class come to the matchmaking station to receive red envelopes and take photos with the God of Wealth, experiencing traditional Chinese New Year customs. Parents also actively participated nearby, taking photos for their children to commemorate and record this unforgettable moment. This activity not only allowed children to learn about traditional Chinese culture and customs in joy, but also made parents feel the school's emphasis on traditional cultural education, enhancing interaction and communication between teachers and students. In the Bamboo Tube Years Zone, students will collectively transfer the accumulated money from their class's charity bamboo tubes into the Sea of Merit to help those in need.
The Spring Festival event and school open day were a complete success. Through carefully designed eight challenge stations, children learned about traditional Chinese culture and experienced the festive atmosphere of the Chinese New Year in joy. The activity not only enhances children's sense of identity with Chinese culture, but also allows everyone to feel the strong New Year flavor overseas. Through this form, Tzu Chi North Toronto Humanities School enables traditional culture to be inherited among the new generation of overseas Chinese, allowing every child to feel the warmth of home and the roots of culture in a foreign land.
This is an event full of love and warmth, as well as a successful cultural heritage journey. Tzu Chi North Toronto Humanities School has proven through practical actions that traditional culture will always be the most precious asset in our hearts, no matter where we are.