Laughter and joy, the future is promising! —2025 St. Louis Chinese School Graduation Ceremony

Written and photographed by Jane Wang

May is the season of lush grass and flying birds. The weather in St. Louis is as changeable as a capricious child. Strong winds, rainstorms and hail hit this vibrant land, and the raging tornado caused trees to fall and houses to collapse. After the wind stopped and the rain subsided, the dark clouds dispersed and the sun came as promised. The Chinese school ushered in another fruitful graduation season.

The activity center of Efree Church was crowded with people, and it was noisy and lively, just like a festival. A burst of exciting drums sounded in the air. With the rhythmic drums, the two majestic lions stepped vigorously, their eyes were smart, and they jumped and interacted with the audience, and the atmosphere was immediately ignited. This is the famous lion dance team of the Chinese school! The lion dance team of St. Louis Chinese School has repeatedly performed well in community activities. They have a vigorous figure on the Chinese Day, their cheerful rhythm in the nursing home, and the annual Spring Festival is a reserved program of the state government. The enthusiasm and dedication of the children make every appearance refreshing. The red lion shook its head and tail, and the golden lion jumped lively, like auspicious clouds rolling and auspicious, adding a traditional festive atmosphere to the ceremony.

As the drums fell, Teacher Li Sainan brought two young hosts, Hu Jiale and Wang Anlun, to welcome and thank everyone for coming. Principal Gu He delivered a speech. Principal Gu expressed that the school had experienced a lot in this school year, including hardships, difficulties, opportunities and gratitude. The maintenance and development of the school cannot be separated from the joint efforts of everyone. In particular, the dragon boat donated by Nanjing, the friendly city of Saint Louis, has added luster to the Chinese school. The school has established a dragon boat club. The first water training was very cool. The dragon head was majestic, and the dragon body faced the waves, with shining scales. The crew members were full of fighting spirit and spirit. The TV station also conducted an exclusive interview. We look forward to the dragon boat team to achieve good results in this year's competition! The head of the Chinese Christian Fellowship of First Free Church also delivered a speech. The cohesion and appeal of the Chinese community is the best testimony of the Lord Jesus.

Then the first round of awards began. Hard work and love, no regrets for others. The selfless dedication of excellent teachers and board staff has been fully recognized. They are the foundation and pillar of the school's vigorous development. Their faces are also filled with joy and gratified smiles. The annual service award was awarded to the lion dance team of Saint Louis Chinese School. The children were full of vigor and vitality, and their youthful aura was like a flame burning on the stage. Let's applaud the children of the lion dance team!

The most exciting moment came, and the report performance kicked off. The innocent performances of the preschool children made people laugh and brought joy to everyone. The dance medley of the children's class was smart and pretty, and the elf-like children shuttled happily on the stage, like flower fairies swimming in the spring of May.

The poem recitation "I Grow Up" tells the child's deep affection for his mother. The clear voice of the child echoes in people's ears, and the longing for his mother permeates everyone's heart. Mo Yan said that sixty years old is in vain, and old age is still strong and new branches are sprouting. The English song "Edelweiss" in the adult English class added a tenacious persistence under the lead of teacher Zhang Ying. The white-haired grandmothers performed this famous song with clear melody in a gentle and moving way. The musical "The Story of Li Bai, the Poet Immortal" performed by the children in Class K has a strong lineup and exquisite costumes. The story of grinding the iron rod into a needle is vividly interpreted. I hope that the children will also have this spirit of hard work and not giving up on the road to learning Chinese. The skit "Never Open the Door" and the performance singing "Pulling Carrots" are vivid and interesting. The children performed seriously, which aroused laughter and applause from the audience. "Romantic Grassland" led by teacher Hu Chunyu made everyone appreciate the charm of nature and the romantic feelings stretched on the grassland in the soft and elegant dance. The poem recitation "Song of the Wine" by senior students was high-pitched and passionate, full of emotion, and vividly showed the great poet Li Bai's unruly, heroic and open-minded mind.

The book "We All Love to Learn Chinese" was praised by everyone. American students in the adult Chinese class talked about their origins with China, from Chinese food to Terracotta Warriors, from the southern coast to the northern forests, from ancestral blood to traditional inheritance. The words revealed their love and admiration for Chinese culture. As Chinese people, they are proud that their traditional culture can be carried forward overseas.

The most exciting part is here. The second round of awards that the students and parents in the audience have been looking forward to has begun. This school year, the school held a speech contest, a literacy contest and a Chinese proficiency test. The students participated enthusiastically, telling stories in Chinese and expressing their feelings in Chinese. The interesting and varied Chinese characters are no longer a combination of lines but a concrete expression. The overall improvement in Chinese proficiency has made the exam a breeze. Wang Anlun, a fourth-grade student, won the Best Creativity Award in the 2024 Chinese Children's Classics Recitation Competition. He is the only winner of the school in this competition and is the pride of the school. The most inspiring award was given to students in the bilingual class. Thanks to the influence of the family language environment, Chinese students have more advantages in learning Chinese. It really takes great interest and effort for students from English-speaking families to persevere in learning Chinese, and it is also related to the teachers' hard work in taking targeted teaching.

Watching the students file onto the stage to receive their awards, the parents smiled knowingly and were pleased. The effort is like sowing seeds, and the harvest is like flowers blooming. The sweat of struggle will eventually turn into abundant fruits. Every effort will engrave the glory of the future. I wish the students to carry on the past and climb higher on the road of Chinese learning. I wish St. Louis Chinese School will prosper, cultivate more outstanding talents, and become a fertile ground for spreading Chinese culture.