BCIC
Barrington Chinese Immersion Council, April 2019
Lunar New Year 2019 Activities!
Read about the various activities our Chinese Immersion kids participated in this past New Year!
Choir at Fashion Outlets in Rosemont (February 2)
Our Chinese Immersion students were asked to assemble a choir and sing some songs at the Fashion Outlets of Chicago, a mall in Rosemont, IL. This Lunar New Year event is a popular, well-attended weekend with many local and regional students performing various acts like traditional dancing, singing, juggling, and more. Sylvia Shen did a wonderful job coordinating about 25 participants throughout the elementary grades. After just a couple practices, the kids were ready to perform "Mimi Panda" and "Two Tigers" to the crowd, and they did an incredible job!
Several Chinese Immersion students and their families hopped on a bus that took them to Chinatown in Chicago to walk in their Lunar New Year Parade. It was a frigid, snowy morning, but it didn't stop these CI supporters from making our presence known with pride! The parade always tends to have interesting floats and people in beautiful costumes. After the families walked, several enjoyed some hot Chinese food before boarding the bus to take them back to Barrington.
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Lunar New Year Activities, cont'd.
To cap off our organized Lunar New Year events, several Chinese Immersion families met at the Chinese restaurant Pl8 in Barrington, where they enjoyed a dinner and a wonderful Lion dance! The lion dance was spectacular, the drums were amazing, and so was the fireworks display (outside in the snow!!). A fun time was had by all!
Our Friendship with Greencastle of Barrington
- During holiday time in December, there was a dual performance by the Chinese Immersion students and the Barrington Children's Choir. Residents enjoyed a hearty dinner donated by another local organization while listening to the choir and then watching the CI students' Talent Show.
- Our BINGO nights always tend to draw a crowd of Greencastle residents and CI students alike! Michelle Chase coordinates lovely BINGO prizes that everyone seems to enjoy! Next time we have another BINGO event, come join us!
- Earlier this month, some CI students presented their Chinese speeches to the Greencastle residents, in preparation for their upcoming speech contest. Other students sang songs, drew characters on the white board, and showed the residents photos of their siblings and pets! It felt so wonderful to watch the children interact with the Mandarin-speaking seniors!
- Smart Farm of Barrington grows Asian vegetables and herbs for Greencastle! This local organization welcomes our BCIC families to volunteer at the farm! Volunteers are needed for spring clean-up and regular work days on Saturdays. More information is available at http://smartfarms.org.
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Some Photos from the CI Talent Show at Greencastle . . .
Other CI News from District 220
In late February, we had a couple visitors present at our BCIC board meeting. Becky Weigel, Director of Language Programs, and Kathryn Wolfkiel, the Department Chair of World Languages at Barrington High School, provided us an update on a variety of topics. They included:
- Pathway to Barrington High School - it was announced that freshman year at BHS will offer a "Mandarin Immersion I Honors" class. This course is on a 4.5 scale as opposed to a 4.0. Planning for class choices beyond freshman year are being discussed. Please contact Becky Wiegel with additional questions
- Elementary CI Summer School - will be held at Rose from June 6-27
- The last day of school is Tuesday, June 4!!
Come to our End-of-Year CI Potluck!
Soaring Eagle Kung Fu will perform at 6:30pm, and some students from BHS will perform thereafter.
We will also be holding a raffle with cash prizes to raise funds for BCIC programs and events in the next school year.
If you would like to make your family contribution for this year or if you would like to make an additional donation to support the CI Potluck, please make your contribution on our website, bcic220.org!
Don't miss this fabulous evening of fun, food and friendship! If you have not signed up yet, click the following link: BCIC Potluck.
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Mrs. Du Creates Artwork for NBS
Mrs. Du's "masterpiece" is currently displayed in NBS's lobby. You've GOT to go see it if you get a chance!
Thanks, Mrs. Du!