Herriman High senior Bonnie Chow was born in Hong Kong, but she grew up participating in Jordan School District’s Chinese dual immersion language program.

“Schools here have so much freedom,” she said. “Back in Hong Kong, students work until 11 p.m. and we start in the morning around 7. It’s all about studying, with no fairs or fun events like here.”

Chow was referring to the school district’s fourth annual Chinese New Year Celebration, held at Mountain Creek Middle School. The event was not only for students in the DLI program but also welcomed
the community. 

Chow and Herriman High junior Lizzy Thorup hosted a booth showcasing various New Year traditions. 

The celebration featured around 45 booths created by secondary students from both Herriman and Bingham high schools and Mountain Creek Middle School. These booths allowed patrons to learn about traditional customs, while teachers emphasized the projects helped students dive deeper into these practices in preparation for the Chinese Advanced Placement exam.

“We created a cultural presentation about the custom of giving red envelopes with money inside for children, having spring couplets put around the door, the new year house-cleaning tradition,”
Thorup said.

However, Chow admitted she didn’t take part in the cleaning custom.

“I’m too lazy,” she said.

Eastlake fifth-grade DLI student Sawyer Christensen was at a booth trying the Chinese yo-yos.

“I like learning a new language and culture,” he said. “It’s fun to celebrate the traditions of Chinese New Year. My favorite is making lanterns; I made them in third and fourth grades.”

Eastlake librarian Piper Wise, who has supported the DLI program since her child participated, noted the unique opportunities the program offers.

“Without it, I would never have known so much about another culture; it brings us together as a community,” Wise explained. “It’s amazing to see teachers from different schools collaborate to make these celebrations happen. In the past, high school and elementary teachers didn’t interact much, but now they do, and that connection is
so valuable.”

Herriman High Chinese teacher Kimberly Chen-Pace said the event also serves as an inspiration for younger students while showcasing the achievements of older students.

“We aim to show the beauty of Chinese language and the culture,” she said. “We do this so people can see the whole picture of the Chinese dual language program from first grade all the way to 12th grade and then even beyond in college. It’s a chance to see how much progress our students have made and celebrate their
hard work.”

The event attracted about 1,200 attendees who explored the booths, sampled the cuisine from food trucks and enjoyed student performances, including dragon and lion dances, ribbon dance, songs and an award-winning short film created by Herriman High students.

Mountain Creek Middle Chinese teacher Michael Lu expressed pride in both the booth presentations and stage performances. 

“Our students have worked hard for years, and they did an amazing job here,” Lu said. “It’s great that so many students get a chance to shine on stage.”

Lu credited the support of families, administration and the community for the event’s and program’s success.

“It’s great to have this party for the community to celebrate not only just Chinese New Year, but also to recognize our students’ success and celebrate our program,” said the native of China. “It’s a way we can offer all students and the community an authentic Chinese New Year celebration.”

Jordan District Superintendent Anthony Godfrey emphasized the value of cultural understanding.

“With our dual language immersion students, it’s not only about the language, but also about culture,” he said. “When you learn another language and you learn about another culture, at the root of that is an emphasis on empathy, on understanding things from someone else’s perspective. Empathy is a key element of who we are as human beings, and learning that as a student while you explore other cultures in another language really helps you examine yourself, your own culture and your own language in ways that would not otherwise be possible. We’re thrilled about the dual language immersion programs we have in Jordan and the incredible opportunities they provide for students. These festivals are part of that, and it helps their Chinese.”

Then, he added, with a smile: “My Chinese is very, very limited, but my enthusiasm for students learning Chinese is very high.” λ