This past week, we celebrated the Lunar New Year on campus! Parents joined our classrooms to talk about the significance of the holiday, our students did activities to honor this special time, and all of our Lower Elementary students from first to third grade attended a memorable field trip to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center to watch Nai-Ni Chen’s Lunar New York Celebration.
One of the most valued and unique facets of Montessori education is cultural competence and developing respect for all cultures around the globe. Students at every age level study geography, botany, zoology, and the traditions of countries worldwide. Teachers intentionally fill their classrooms with multicultural posters, books, and media. Parents from all cultural backgrounds visit the classroom to teach traditions, read books, share food, or guide special art projects.
There were many examples featuring our parents—school-wide—who visited their children’s classrooms to share their family traditions with our students.
Parents taught children how to say “Happy New Year” in Chinese dialects and heard how people celebrate the Lunar New Year in Asian countries.
Children made a Chinese zodiac in honor of “The Year of the Snake” on the lunar calendar in one classroom.
Another classroom enjoyed delicious dumpling soup made by a parent volunteer.
In an Elementary classroom, parents handed out red envelopes filled with chocolate coins and demonstrated how to make a traditional Chinese noodle dish.
Parents pointed out on maps all the areas that celebrated Lunar New Year.
Others read books that brought the story of the Lunar New Year to life!
Some children participated in making crafts.
To cap the festivities, on January 31, the Lower Elementary students took a field trip to attend Nai-Ni Chen’s Lunar New Year Celebration at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center! The performance showcased traditional Chinese dance, music, and storytelling about the Lunar New Year. This trip allowed our students to witness cultural expression through the performing arts and connect it to our ongoing study of the importance of different cultures around the globe. After the show, students wrote personal reflections on how the show impacted them personally.
To learn more about Hudson Montessori School's interdisciplinary, theme-based learning approach to education, the Montessori philosophy and methodology, or how the school fosters the love of learning for its students, the school welcomes parents to learn more for children aged 2 to eighth grade at our upcoming open houses.
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