Lone Peak Elementary’s halls didn’t echo with the usual hum of math lessons and spelling tests in February. Instead, they shimmered in red and gold, pulsed with festive music and swirled with a dragon dance. The school’s annual Chinese New Year celebration ushered in the Year of the Horse with crafts, performances and traditions that many students look forward to all year.

Early in the month, select grade levels performed on stage at the Corner Canyon-hosted Lunar New Year celebration. A few days later, the Chinese dragon was weaving its way past students sitting in hallways at the elementary school. It all led up to Lone Peak’s assembly, which featured both fifth graders performing a shadow puppet show and a performance of traditional Chinese yo-yo tricks by Su Mama Chinese Club from Taiwan.

Principal Shad DeMill said the annual celebration leaves a lasting impression. During the assembly’s yo-yo performance, the presenter talked about hours of dedication and practice.

“Even experts make mistakes, so she said they have to keep trying,” he said. “She tried to relate that to the kids and every day at school. I thought it was a good takeaway message for kids.”

Following the assembly, students participated firsthand, learning the dragon dance, trying calligraphy, and Chinese painting using chopsticks and painting a horse for the zodiac year. Older students also tried the Chinese yo-yos.

For Lone Peak’s Topher Hill, the decorations alone sparked excitement. 

“I like the decorations,” Topher said. “There are so many creative ways to celebrate the Year of the Horse. It’s fun.”

Beyond the shimmering lanterns and colorful painted horses, the third grader appreciates the uniqueness of learning Chinese.

“I like studying Chinese because you don’t use letters. You use strokes and that makes it interesting,” Topher said.

In first-grade teacher Mika Xu’s classroom, every activity includes meaning.  

She teaches students red banners are traditional decorations meant to bring good fortune and drive away the mythical Nian monster. She also has a colorful poster displaying the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac so students understand the year of the horse.

“I want them to learn the culture behind the Chinese language, like the color red means good fortune,” she said. “I want them to know the traditional Chinese clothes, which is different than the modern style. I want them to know about the dragon, the legend of the Nian, the zodiac and all the culture behind them. I want them to know the significance of Chinese New Year means reunion. It's about the family connection and bonding; we love our families and friends. It's the time of the year when we gather with our families.”

Students in her classroom also experience the culture. Xu gives every student a red envelope with Chinese currency inside.

“It’s real money, like the equivalent of $1, then I give them a lollipop because in China, we had red candies for good fortune and to grow healthy. Many kids keep their red envelopes in special places,” she said. 

Students also create paper lanterns, traditionally hung outside homes for protection from Nian, and they sing Chinese songs together.

“The music is vibrant and festive, which brings the feeling of the festival to the classroom,” Xu said.

Parent volunteer Pia Englund, who has both a preschooler and a dual immersion third grader, helps to ensure students have a rich experience.

“I hope they learn there are different ways to celebrate a new year,” she said. “I think the Lunar New Year is rich in culture and it exposes them to a different experience. It’s beautiful and so fun. Plus, learning a new language opens other parts of the brain so they can experience another way of learning in other subjects.”

For Barbora Nelson, a parent in her fifth year volunteering with the event, the excitement never fades for her children — a fifth grader and twin second graders with a kindergartner who will be in the program next year.

“They’re always excited for this celebration, and it’s different every year,” she said. “Chinese is different from English and the language I know (Czech). I love being bilingual, and I love they can be as well.”

First-grader Indie Tomlinson loved participating in the festival.

“I like celebrating with all the crafts,” she said. “It’s fun learning the language.”

Sarah Erwin, who has led or co-led the event for 12 years, credits the school community for the celebration.

“The amazing parents we have at our school, they always rally and really care about our programs,” she said. “The other great highlight is watching how much the students care.”

DeMill agrees: “Kids love this every year; they love experiencing a culture. It helps bring and build community with all our students, even those who are not part of the dual immersion program. It brings kids together and they enjoy getting to understand people.”