News

North Barrington Elementary School celebrates Chinese New Year

Posted February 23, 2018 12:00 am

Daily Herald report

North Barrington Elementary School third grade student Sarah Yang performs in a ribbon dance Friday during a talent show at the school. Barrington Area Unit District 220 has a Chinese immersion program and North Barrington Elementary is one of the schools. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com

North Barrington Elementary School students enjoyed a Chinese New Year celebration Friday that included a talent show.

It was a fitting celebration because North Barrington Elementary is one of the schools in Barrington Area Unit District 220 with a Chinese language immersion program - one of the few in the Chicago area.

North Barrington Elementary students celebrated at Friday's all-school assembly, followed by a program for parents and family in the evening.

Even before Friday, the school was marking the occasion. Third-graders, for example, have engaged in activities including making Chinese paper fans, cooking traditional Chinese food, a chopstick competition and a photo booth with a Chinese dragon for a backdrop.

In 2012, the District 220 school board approved retaining the Chinese language immersion program after it lost its federal grant. A Chinese diplomat visited students in the program in November and said he was impressed with students' command of his native language.

About 320 students are in the Chinese immersion program at three buildings from kindergarten through seventh grade.

North Barrington Elementary School students wave along with a performance Friday during a Chinese New Year talent show at the school. Third grade students put on a show for fellow students in the afternoon, followed by a program for parents and family in the evening. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com

Third grade students at North Barrington Elementary School sing during Friday's talent show. Students at the school celebrated Chinese New Year and performed for fellow classmates. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com

North Barrington Elementary School third grade student Aaron Castic gives a martial arts demonstration Friday during a talent show at the school. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.