It's the Year of the Snake at Barnard Chinese Language Magnet

Donning face paint, singing and dancing to Chinese songs, students and staff at Barnard Elementary School in Point Loma celebrated Chinese New Year, the Year of the Snake, at the school-wide festival.

Each class took turns demonstrating what they have been learning about what the Chinese call the Spring Festival, New Year's on the Lunar Calendar. Students, many wearing traditional outfits, participated in singing, dancing, acting out a rendition of the folktale “The Gigantic Turnip,” and the tale of first Chinese New Year, where the importance of the color red and lighting fireworks had their origins. Each performance was done completely in Mandarin.

For the finale, students holding small Chinese dragons wound their way through the excited crowd while dancers from the Three Treasures Cultural Arts Society performed a traditional lion dance, acrobatically bobbing and weaving the colorful costume to the beat of a Chinese drum, cymbal and gong.

Principal Eddie Park was justifiably excited about the day’s events. Talking about the Mandarin program’s humble beginnings and the numerous accolades his school has received, he looks forward to continued success in the years to come.

“The hope for the future for these kids is that they go through this immersion program through high school and come out having different opportunities, not just statewide, not just nationally, but internationally,” said Park. “You’ve seen the accumulation of what they have been learning. You saw the fluency of the upper grade levels. Today is a testament to this program.”

It was originally a time to honor household deities and ancestors. Today, it is an opportunity to renew family ties and perform rites meant to bring good luck and long life. At Barnard Elementary, it is a chance to come together as a community and showcase student achievement.

Located in Point Loma, Barnard Mandarin Chinese Magnet School has been honored as one of the top Mandarin programs in the world. Students receive daily Mandarin instruction and immersion in the Mandarin Chinese culture, including the arts, music and literature. The Chinese New Year celebrates the achievements of the students and ongoing community support, including the Confucius Institute at SDSU, the House of China in Balboa Park and Panda Express, which catered the lunch and donated $1,000.

This is the last Chinese New Year that will be celebrated at the historic Barnard Street campus. This fall, for the 2013-14 school year, the school will move to the larger Bayview Terrace Elementary location, across from Mission Bay High School in Pacific Beach.

For more information on the program, contact Principal Park at (619) 224-3306.

-- Brett Higdon