In late January, Minnetonka students, teachers, staff, families and community members joined together to celebrate the Lunar New Year and welcome the year of the snake through the District’s Chinese New Year Celebration. Hosted at Minnetonka High School, Chinese Immersion students from across the district came together to enjoy a night of festive fun where students’ developing language skills shone brightly.

“Many times, watching students perform is the first time families have heard their student speaking and singing in Chinese together with others,” shared Joe Wacker, principal at Scenic Heights Elementary. “It’s an opportunity for students to show off what they’ve learned and for families to notice the camaraderie in the classes.”

The evening was filled with a variety of performances by students, staff and community members. “When students perform, they are connecting with aspects of Chinese culture. They’re learning vocabulary and phrases that are put into a new context when they speak, sing and dance,” said Wacker. “It’s really powerful in their learning, to demonstrate their knowledge in this way.” 

For several of the songs in the celebration, students from classes at Scenic Heights Elementary and Excelsior Elementary performed together, giving them an opportunity to connect with their peers in a new way. “It is powerful for students to see how their work is connected to our larger school district,” Wacker shared.

In addition to the performance program, the celebration included more than 30 activity booths where participants could play games and learn about Chinese cultural traditions. Many of the booths were organized by middle and high school Immersion students. Local businesses had a variety of food items available for purchase during the event, as well.

Thank you to the students, teachers, staff and families who worked together to make the event a success! 

To learn more about the Minnetonka Schools Chinese Immersion Program, click here.