Photos: Plavan Celebrates Lunar New Year

There was excitement in the air Friday as the approximately 500 students at Urbain H. Plavan Elementary assembled on the school blacktop. Peppered among the diverse group of students, some were adorned in colorful ao dais and chang paos and other traditional Asian garb. The children quickly organized their chairs into a square and waited anxiously for the school’s first-ever Asian Lunar New Year celebration to begin.

The holiday, which started on Monday and lasts 15 days, was celebrated at the school with a performance by dance group Ane Thanh. The group captivated the students with time-honored lion dances. The purpose of the assembly was to integrate cultural awareness into the student’s lives. It also served as a means for cultural self-pride for the 47 percent of Asian students who make up the school’s population.

“I thought is was a wonderful way to celebrate the Lunar New Year," Principal Julie Ballesteros said. "This brings awareness and appreciation for other cultures and it was nice to see a lot of our Asian population light up when they saw the lions. This brought a connection between home and school."

Other Plavan staff members were also in agreement over the school’s approach to cultural recognition and tolerance. Second grade teacher, Debra Keefer, said the celebration “brings the community together and lets the kids see different values and cultures and celebrate their own.” Fifth grade teacher, Amelia Terich said, “This school particularly has a large Vietnamese population and this celebration is good for all the kids to see.”

The school’s celebration of the Lunar New Year appeared successful as kids excitedly reached out to pet the fur of the lions as they glided by them, and after the festivities, the students posed for pictures with members of Ane Thanh.