Chinese school brings in the Year of the Tiger

The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most celebrated event of the year in Chinese culture. To celebrate the Year of Tiger, the Chicago Northwest Suburban Chinese School (CNSCS) held its annual New Year Celebration and Performance Feb. 14, at the Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts to an audience of approximately 500 guests.

The audience included not only members of the school, but also local businesses who have supported this nonprofit organization, and administrators and instructors from several local public school districts, including D211 Assoc. Superintendent Jeffery Butzen, D211 Board of Education President Robert LeFevre, as well as teachers from D54 and D25.

The performances consisted of many Chinese cultural programs, in traditional and modern themes, that demonstrated what the students have accomplished during the school year. Among the performances were Chinese dances, Erhu (a classical, 2-stringed instrument), singing, drama, and Wushu Martial Arts which employs acrobatics with simulated ancient weaponry.

Chicago Northwest Suburban Chinese School is an accredited Chinese language (traditional Mandarin) and cultural school which operates on Sundays out of Fremd High School in Palatine. The nonprofit school of over 200 students has grown steadily in it's nearly 30 year history. Run by volunteers, it has evolved into a community of people, mostly of Taiwanese and Chinese decent as well as a wide variety of other Asian backgrounds. School membership also includes American families, some with Chinese and mixed heritage children.

CNSCS participates in community services and holds performances at various charity venues and multicultural events throughout the community and public school system. A walk through the halls on a Sunday morning shows the evolving demographic and increased interest in such cultural programs. Mandarin is taught to children ages 4 through high school and the language credits are transferable to several district high schools. CNSCS also offers many extracurricular classes for children and adults including Chinese.