Mandarin students at all three North Shore elementary schools celebrated the Lunar New Year by singing, playing music, and joining in a lion and dragon dance parade to signify the beginning of this joyous occasion. 2025 is the Year of the Snake, associated with transformation, renewal and spiritual growth.
Snakes are known for their ability to shed their skin symbolizing the process of letting go of the old and embracing the new.
Mandarin teachers gave each student in the parade a role including singer, money giver, drummer, lion dancer, or dragon dancer.
Students in their costumes pushed into classrooms and performed in the hallways to the delight of their peers singing one of the
most popular Lunar New Year songs called “Gongxi Gongxi.”
In North Shore elementary schools, Mandarin begins early. Younger students begin singing in Mandarin and learning the characters. As they progress, they learn more about the language, the symbolism of the Lunar New Year and its traditions, and China’s geography and history by researching many facts about China.
Information submitted by the North Shore Central School District
