Our Huixin campus was bursting with cheer under the warmth of the winter sun yesterday. After a three-year hiatus due to unique circumstances, the annual New Year Charity Drive has once again graced the Newton campus, infusing it with a vibrant festive spirit. Children participated in charitable activities, immersed themselves in the lively market, and embraced the arrival of the New Year.
A Buzzing Bazaar and a Jubilant New Year
The lively market, adorned with people in various traditional costumes, showcased an array of delightful items and cuisines, filling the campus with a festive air of celebration and joy.
Highlights 1 — Charity market, Cherishing Traditions
Embarking on a journey to savor traditions at the market. While exploring the market, everyone indulged in delicious traditional snacks like candy-coated hawthorns, cotton candy, and traditional cakes. Activities such as writing auspicious characters, crafting dough figurines, paper cutting, and live demonstrations by traditional artisans allow children to appreciate exquisite craftsmanship and uphold the heritage of intangible cultural traditions.
Highlights 2 — Fun Games and Hands-On Experiences
Newton's teachers transformed into characters representing various ethnic groups, leading children in the lively playground of fun games like ring tossing, stilt walking, and bamboo pole jumping. Traditional craft experiences, including paper cutting and printing auspicious characters, added a touch of whimsy and elegance to everyone's exploration of Chinese folk culture. The vibrant Harbin-themed area brought ice and snow challenges, offering a taste of Harbin's winter delights and the warmth of Northeast China without leaving campus.
Highlights 3 — Culinary Delights, Newton Style
Newton's exclusive culinary creations, eagerly anticipated by all, included carefully crafted rice balls, pan-fried dumplings, beef potstickers, and Chinese chicken wings. These unique and flavorful dishes sold out quickly, providing a delightful culinary experience for Newton families.
Highlights 4 — Dragons Soar and Delightful Performances
Dragon and lion dances, traditional musical performances, entertaining miming acts, fairytale theater, magic shows, and robot performances by various charity groups and organizations added joy and festivity to the Charity Drive. Foreign teachers, dressed in distinct Chinese attire as Mulan, Chinese knights, and Peking Opera performers, added a lot of value in raising funds and our cultural exchange and appreciation of cultures other than our own.
Boundless love, Embracing Warmth
The charity drive, from a month of preparation to its grand execution, encapsulated a series of heartwarming acts of love and kindness, filling this winter with warmth and strength.
"Angel Lucky Bags" Fundraising
Prepared on a class basis, the "Angel Lucky Bags" represent a collective effort of parents, pooling together to gather donated items. When we saw the 25 bags of “food,” “articles of daily use,” “toys & school supplies,” and “New Year items,”we were amazed. Parents and teachers showcased their commitment through benevolent actions, setting an example for the children.
Fundraising through " Donated Items"
Embracing the concept of "let love never go idle, illuminate childhood through actions," we set up donation boxes at the school gate. Over the span of five days, each box went from empty to completely full. It was a continuous outpouring of love from children and parents. The boxes were not only filled with material goods but also with the immense love from the entire Newton community.
Teacher and Student Artwork
Over the span of a month and a half, our students and teachers showed their altruistic spirit by making art for charity. These handmade works represented the new year and the wishes of goodwill that go along with it. Guided by their teachers, children crafted items such as Peking Opera masks, ethnic-themed murals, and traditional bamboo crafts. The teachers, through techniques like embroidery and sewing, expressed their support through beautiful masterpieces.
Sale and Auction
On the day of the charity drive, 25 lucky bags and select handmade crafts by teachers were auctioned on the stage. Parents enthusiastically wrote their bids on auction sheets, with starting prices ranging from 200 to 500 rmb. In a series of bids, the highest bid, supported by the spirit of "love," reached a high of 3000 rmb. After the two-hour long auction, all our lucky bags and teachers' crafts were successfully auctioned off.
Our charity sale became a warm and loving space, as parents and children eagerly selected their preferred items, contributing to the benevolent cause.
The Newton 2024 New Year Charity Drive came to a close amidst warmth and joy, but the transmission of love will not cease! Witnessed by parent representatives, we collectively raised a generous amount of XXXXXXX rmb, which will be donated to our chosen recipients: the Small Animal Protection Association (SAPA), the Snow Lotus Blanket Project, and the Tang Mama Charity Center.
We express our gratitude to every Newton family and staff member who actively participated and generously supported this event. May each heartfelt contribution and act of love bestow upon the children a precious and unique gift for their growth!
Embracing tradition and love in the most festive setting, the legacy of charity continues at Newton!
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