Last Friday, Year 4 had the pleasure of attending a Chinese New Year Workshop, which was run by some of the girls’ parents. In the workshop they learnt about the 12 Chinese New Year symbols. The girls also learnt that the year 2026 is the year of the horse and they were taught how to say horse in Chinese. The girls were then given an introduction to the background of writing in Chinese and found out that Chinese characters used to be based on what was seen and that has shaped how they write today. The girls were given a calligraphy brush and were shown the correct way to hold it.
The girls then learnt about a traditional Chinese art form in China, called the Peking Opera which began over 200 years ago. They discussed the combinations it had between singing, movement, costumes and colour. The girls learnt about the different roles in a Peking Opera and what they are called. The parents brought in some traditional Chinese outfits and the girls tried them on, including head gear, and practised how to sing as if they were in a Peking Opera.
The girls went back to their classrooms and practised writing the Chinese character for horse on a red envelope with their calligraphy brush and made face masks that would be seen in a Peking Opera.
“I thought the workshop was interesting and fascinating and I learnt lots of cool facts.” Millie (4C)
“I had lots of fun writing with my new calligraphy brush and learning to write horse in Chinese.” Rhea (4J)
Miss Johnson, Year 4 Class Teacher
