St Mary's celebrates the Year of the Tiger

On 2 February, St Mary's School celebrated the arrival of the lunar calendar Year of the Tiger. In the zodiac calendar, those born in the Year of the Tiger are natural leaders who are courageous, energetic, and love a challenge -- attributes we hope all our students can channel this year. To mark the arrival of this lunar year, the Senior School and Junior School held a range of celebrations.

In the Junior School, Music students had been preparing the week before by making their own Chinese instruments, decorations, and learning traditional songs. Year 5 made their own Chinese drums and composed a dance with their new instruments, while Year 4 learned to sing the Chinese folk song, 'The Dragon Song'. Year 6 made their own Chinese Lantern and then began composing their own melody to the words of a poem about Chinese New Year.

In the Junior School's Mandarin classes, Year 6 pupils learned Chinese idioms and practised a play to celebrate the New Year. Each student created a character crown, based on patterns in traditional Chinese design, colours and also the personality of their role in the play. In other year groups, Mandarin classes explored Chinese New Year stories based on Story of Nian, and made their own fortune stickers and lanterns, as well as other Chinese decorations.

In Mary Ward House, our boarding students marked the New Year with their own celebrations, and a special meal.

We would like to leave you with this message from some of our boarders, wishing you a happy New Year on behalf of all of us at St Mary's: