Wynn's 3rd-grade classroom

Yinghua's "Curriculum Night" was tonight, and they showed off the new construction completed over the summer!

Here's Wynn's classroom for the upcoming year

 

First Day of Third Grade

Yinghua completed its expansion project during the summer - the entryway is now three stories high instead of just one.  The historic classroom wing for all grades is now just K-4, with grades 5-8 in the newer portion.  The gymnasium has been expanded and upgraded - new lunchroom - new library - better security layout too.  What an exciting year to come!

Dragonboat Races at Lake Phalen

The schedules and weather have just never worked out to take Wynn to see the Dragonboat Festival in mid-July over at Lake Phalen in St. Paul - but this year we had just enough time and the weather was actually pretty nice.

Wynn's school participates in the event, so we wanted to see their team race.  As the Twin Cities becomes more Asian, the bigger businesses in town have started getting involved too - Wells Fargo, Target, Medtronic, and more, plus the universities.  A number of food trucks were there for the two-day event, and thousands of people.  We got to see a few of Wynn's friends and teachers, too!

That's Wynn's principal beating the drum to keep the team on rhythm.

And Yinghua would win two matches that day!

Cherry Blossom Season at Yinghua

No cherry trees here in Minneapolis - all the celebrating was done inside at Yinghua:

Triptychs in the hallway outside the 2nd-grade classrooms

For English class, introduction to haiku

All the flower petals are actually thumbprints

Wynn with her poem

More cherry blossoms inside Wynn's classroom

With Chinese poetry hanging from the ceiling

A Passage to China 2014

Here's a dilemma: this community-led event is becoming too popular, but it can't move to somewhere with more room because then it will lose its traffic.

I believe this is the 5th year for "A Passage to China" at the Mall of America - and its biggest incarnation with vendors and information booths in the East Rotunda and performances in the NE and SE courtyards.

But the full crush of crowds is now working against the goal of being able to interact one-on-one with representatives of the different Chinese schools, merchants, and nonprofits. (And frankly, the food could be a lot better.)

We still managed to have a good time of course - -

There's the booth for Yinghua! And I've used China Sprout's catalog for learning supplies...

 

After the visit we had an authentic treat of bubble tea - Chatime is a brand from Taiwan with franchise outposts all over the world now...

Yinghua Chinese New Year Pageant 2014

The Chinese New Year pageant put on by Yinghua becomes more and more the capstone to our holiday season each year. We get so happy thinking about it and so excited to see what the teachers and kids have come up with.  This year's performance clocked in at 2 hours 40 minutes!

Held at Bethel University again - and this space barely holds us now! Over 500 students were participating!

 

Here's our girl!