Every season is more exciting than the last at SLLIS! Students, staff, and families from all three language programs recently celebrated accomplishments and holidays together.
The Chinese Program kicked off the first of many SLLIS cultural events for the 2023-2024 school year with the Moon Festival program on September 29th. The Moon Festival, also called the Mooncake Festival or the Mid-Autumn Festival, is a reunion time for families, a little like American Thanksgiving. Chinese people celebrate it by gathering for dinners, lighting paper lanterns, and eating moon cakes. It is also celebrated by many other countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Students performed songs and dances in Mandarin, showing their language skills and their appreciation for all countries which celebrate the Moon Festival every autumn season.
Less than a week after the Moon Festival program, The French Program was honored to receive the Label FrancEducation award. The "Label FrancÉducation" seal is granted to schools promoting French language and culture as part of their specific curriculum. It recognizes and rewards public or private schools that offer students enhanced instruction in the French language while also teaching other subjects in French. The label is granted by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. SLLIS staff worked together to submit an application for the Label FrancEducation last spring, and on October 2nd, French Program students and staff gathered to perform French music and a short play before receiving the award from Nicolas Douay, the Attaché for Higher Education from the Consulat Général de France.
Rounding out the three language program celebrations, The Spanish Program performed for the community in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. The SLLIS Spanish Program students performed for parents and staff on October 12, showcasing Hispanic songs and dances from a variety of our teachers’ home countries.
