Editor’s Note:
As the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association and Irvine Chinese School near their 50th anniversary, a special editorial team is collecting reflections from former presidents and principals to preserve this half-century journey.
Cultural Express launches the “Brilliant Fifty” series, featuring selected essays that illuminate the people and stories that shaped our community.
Everyone knows Irvine Chinese School
Has a large student body,
An academically advanced principal and faculty.
The teachers instruct us in the Zhuyin phonetic system,
written Chinese characters, poetry, all (school subjects);
As well, singing, martial arts, and dance.
From Chinese books, I learn
One puts on new clothes, dons new hats at New Year’s.
What I like best is
The School gives us red envelopes for the New Year.
Young Voices · Growing Legacy
This poem won an award in the beginner category of the 1985 writing competition hosted by the Southern California Chinese School Association.
Bill Shen, a young beginner student at the time, used this short poem to describe the curriculum and extracurricular activities offered by the Irvine Chinese School.
When one opens the ICS 10th anniversary commemorative issue, a 108-page folio-sized publication, one finds that it meticulously documents the school’s achievements through the first decade :
A profile written by I-tuan Wang of the succession of principals - Mitzi Fu, founding principal, Terry Lee, 1982, Phen Cheng, 1984, and Jiapyng Niu, 1985.
The school’s administrative structure Reports from the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA),Report of South Coast Chinese Cultural Association (SCCCA) activities,Reflections shared by the Chinese language teachers on their experiences,
ICS Tenth Anniversary publication
An introduction to the Tai Chi Chuan class,Group and class pictures - kindergarten through the upper 15 classes, A section featuring student writings,A directory of Association members.
Photographers Mingqi Cha, Yujing Lee and Don Niu used their lenses to capture beautiful moments, and arranged for group photos of all faculty and staff, the succession of SCCCA trustees, leaving valuable records.
They missed no opportunity to present historical reporting on ICS activities or events, either on- or off-campus, including oratorical and calligraphy contests; poetry recitation competitions; ball games, track and field, tug-of-war.
They portrayed ICS students in specially designed and well-coordinated uniforms, their spectacular performances on stage, in the auditorium ; male and female students and their parents wearing yellow T-shirts imprinted with “Irvine” in blue.
On ball courts, they feared no competition. The synchronized moves of the cheering squad bore further witness to their team spirit.
Students came to play at the principal’s house after class
Mind and Might · Rising Stars
The other schools met them with respect, knowing they are faced with strong competition, and recognizing that every ICS student is well-versed in the arts, educational and physical, excelling in every category, ready to amass medals, gold, silver, etc.
As the tenth principal (1985-86) I was responsible for editing the 10th anniversary commemorative album. There were ten editorial committee members.
The cover was designed by Huo Rong Ling, one of the few minority members of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI). The calligraphy on the cover was by Qing-fen Pan, a calligrapher in Australia.
Fellow workers on planning, communication, data-collection, editing, photography, design, writing, securing advertisers included SCCCA and PTA members, faculty and staff, as well as friends from various other fields.
Everyone recognized sowing the seeds and passing the torch on overseas Chinese education, and preservation of Chinese culture were arduous tasks one could not shirk, and the undertakings exacted full commitment and dedication if they were to open another window for Chinese in Irvine to shine ever brighter.
We also printed a small handbook for distribution to each student with contact information on administrative personnel, the on-duty PTA member, school map, location of regular and elective classes, the school calendar, and class and school rules.
That year, the enrollment was over five hundred, making the school one of the largest Chinese schools in southern California. Regular classes were divided into kindergarten, beginner, intermediate and upper classes. Electives were singing, folk dance, kung-fu, string instruments, conversation, tennis, and basketball.
The string instruments class was a pioneering effort, led by Robert Lau, who was once a conductor at the Hong Kong Royal Symphony Orchestra. He taught students to play Chinese music on Western instruments.
There were over thirty faculty and staff members, including Academic Dean Whei-Jen Chen, Guidance Dean Terry Lin, and General Affairs Dean Cheng-Chi Huang.
PTA President Hedy Ho, Vice President Susie Chu, and Secretary Shirley Cha. Apart from the fifteen regular curriculum and seven elective class teachers, everyone else was a volunteer who took on important responsibilities.
From the very beginning, the school's culture called for the principal's spouse to serve as an “honorary school go-fer”, to work, run errands, distribute handouts, patrol classrooms, convey messages, even take out the trash, all as a matter of course.
From Tsun-Sen Fu, Tom Lee, Tingli Chen to Don Niu, the role was passed on like a baton. For the 1985 academic year, the school rented classrooms from University High School.
Careful Craft · Lasting Record
The annual New Year's party was a major event for which active preparations began well before the start of the school year. That year, it was held in the Irvine High School auditorium.
The stage design was in accord with that year’s Chinese zodiac sign, the tiger. Parent Charles Huang painted the majestic and powerful tiger with black brush strokes on gold, a backdrop of visual beauty.
On stage at the 1986 Lunar New Year’s gala performance (L to R) Mr. & Mrs.Shih-How Chang, their daughter Julie Chang (female emcee and parents); Jiapyng and Don Niu (Principal and her husband); Eddie, Terry and Tom Lee (male emcee with parents)
The two-hour event with seventeen programs including folk dance, kung fu, chorus, playlets, etc. received thunderous applause. The performance was outstanding, eliciting many invitations to showcase the programs externally.
The selection and training of emcees was a serious undertaking. A male and female pair was to work together; their Chinese and English enunciation had to be perfect; they had to be able to engage in conversations, as well as confidently and skillfully navigate the premises.
The young man was to wear the traditional long gown and mandarin jacket, and the young lady, a historically correct long skirt. From head to toe, they were to present themselves as professional hosts.
Dance - Lunar New Year’s gala performance
The costumes for the folk dances, from Fengyang Flower Drum to Xinjiang Drum Dance, from "The Phoenix Arrives" to "Auspicious Lion Presenting Rui (good fortune)”, the accouterments and props, whether professionally made or crafted by zealous parents, were all incredibly beautiful.
Especially those stitched by mothers under midnight lamplight, the children danced gracefully with sweet smiles on their faces, their steps, facile.
The adorable little lion costumes, specially purchased from Taiwan, allowed their kindergarten wearers to romp, tumble, dance, shake their heads and tails to playful abandon.
The air of lightness and fun celebrating the beginning of a new year utterly delighted the audience, foreign and Chinese alike.
Serving the community has always been an ICS motto.
In the summer of 1985, parents from the Chinese School wrote 200 petition letters in a matter of two days, to appeal to the Governor and state legislators for childcare facility construction in the city of Irvine, successfully securing a $200,000 allocation from the state government.
To enhance friendship with the local community, the school often accepted invitations to perform various types of dances at different area schools, displaying traditional cultural content and rich ethnic customs.
Colorful ribbons and tambourines, vibrant and diverse, started to be seen on playgrounds and by lakes.
IUSD Superintendent Joseph Holder enjoying the Lunar New Year’s gala performances
Passing Flames · Shaping Lives
Of course, Chinese language education was our primary concern : To teach students listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in Chinese.
Teachers met monthly to discuss and exchange ideas on teaching methods and materials. Textbook selection was a careful process.
We used the Mandarin readers provided by the Overseas Community Affairs Council, supplemented them with auxiliary materials carefully compiled by the teachers, adding the practical and easy-to-learn 500 essential Mandarin sentence patterns.
Student proficiency levels were strictly regulated, assessed regularly to determine the need for intensified training. Parents were urged to take part and lend their assistance.
The strong support and dedication on the part of the parents enhanced communication among the school, parents, faculty and students, to help the school operate more efficiently.
Starting in the 1985 academic year, the PTA regularly issued newsletters reporting on matters discussed. The year-end thank-you banquet for teachers, and the nomination of candidates for the following year’s principal were main PTA responsibilities.
That year, enthusiastic parents Mr. and Mrs. William Wu designed and produced the ICS badge. Its charity sales proceeds were designated to go to the school fund.
As the principal in ICS’s tenth year, I saw the seeds sown back then diligently tended by many people and to their gradual branching out to become huge trees.
Education entails planning for the centuries. The inheritance and continued transmission of Chinese culture depends on this spirit of baton-passing from generation to generation, to live on to perpetuity, never to be extinguished. (Brilliant Fifty VI)
Ten former ICS principals