Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration

Several activities like Kahoot! quiz, postcard- and mooncake- making were conducted during languages classes. However, lantern riddles are a must so lanterns were put up at the Student Centre with a QR code attached to each. Students were seen flashing their phones around while they gave it a try at guessing the riddles. Alongside this, bookmarks produced by the Chinese Calligraphy CCA were sold to raise funds for the Chinese Development Assistance Council.

Student Reflections

Chinese traditional festivals always have a special place in my heart. Therefore, it is important for me to plan everything well to provide the school community with a chance to experience the Mid-Autumn Festival this year.

During the process, my greatest challenge was to manage my time between my IB course work and this project. In the beginning, the coordination work seemed to pile up and I felt hopeless and wanted to give up. However, my Chinese teacher, Mdm Cheng Wei, guided me through the process by distributing the tasks to team members, creating a timeframe so I could work step by step. All these skills helped me manage my stress and complete the project without interfering with my IB course work.

From this experience, I believe I have become a better leader through working closely with my team while communicating with the teachers. I also learned more about how the traditional festival is celebrated in  different ways, for example, China versus Singapore. I am glad that my friends told me that they enjoyed the activities that we planned. And hopefully I will have one more chance to help organise this kind of project before    I graduate.

Victor Wang Zhijun, 5 TKK Student Organiser

When I first heard about this Mid-Autumn Festival riddle event, I had no interest in participating – even if it was   for bubble tea. I thought I would not even have the chance  to  answer  the  question  correctly,   as   I   am  not a fluent Chinese speaker, and Chinese is one of my weakest subjects.

During tutor time, my House tutor brought the class to  the Student Centre to look at the decorations. Influenced by my classmates, I thought I might as well attempt one of the easier riddles. Without my classmate’s help in explaining what the Chinese phrase meant, I don’t think I would have got it right…

After this experience, I have learnt a new Chinese phrase 为虎作伥, which means to do evil things in the service of the wicked. I have also learnt that the Mid-Autumn Festival or 中秋节, isn’t all about the vibrant lanterns and the delectable mooncakes; it is a celebration of one’s hard work and harvest, and spending time with your family and friends. Coming from an Indonesian household, I did not have much knowledge about this joyous festival and the history behind it. Then later on in Chinese class, I learnt a lot more about the festival.

Zefanya Loretta Sarianna Sianipar, 2 TKK