On the eve of Halloween, Irvine Chinese School completed its entrance decorations early, allowing both weekend and weekday students to instantly experience the festive atmosphere as they arrived for class. Ms. Leah Huang, who is responsible for designing and coordinating cultural courses/activities, shared, “For the weekend classes, we specifically invited the Saturday CSL (Chinese as a Second Language) fourth-grade students to tell stories to the younger kindergarten and first-grade students. This was a completely new experience for the CSL students.” Leah explained that, given the limited time, the two classes managed to rehearse for just one hour under the guidance of their language teachers.
Each student focused intently on their role: some narrated the opening lines, others portrayed different characters, and a few managed the shadow puppets.
The performance was a resounding success, filling the audience with laughter and excitement, while parents were delighted and surprised to see their children performing in a Chinese-language drama.
The weekday students also delivered an outstanding performance at two Halloween parties. Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders from the Tuesday/Thursday and Monday/Wednesday classes presented Tiger Aunt.
With additional instructional hours compared to the weekend classes, these students had more time to rehearse. As the title Tiger Aunt appeared on the curtain, the audience watched eagerly as the students recited their lines fluently.
Behind the scenes, other students skillfully operated the puppets, creating a lively shadow play that captivated both children and parents.
This successful performance further inspired the young learners, boosting their confidence as they immersed themselves in Chinese language learning.