A grain of rice, not easily come by

Recently we were pleased to welcome Year 5 student, Alice C's, grandparents to speak to some of our native Mandarin Primary students. The discussion served as the first event of the Mandarin department's new annual program, "Living Legacies." The goals of the initiative are to:

• Honour the lives of elder family members;

• Celebrate Chinese identity and culture within our community;

• Enhance communication between the school and families with Chinese heritage;

• Allow students to effectively use their spoken and written Mandarin skills.

During the session, Alice’s grandparents imparted their knowledge to our students regarding various types of crops, the process of rice planting, and how to cook sweet potatoes. The students showed great interest in the production of the grains they consume daily. They also discovered various names for grain crops and learned some basic cooking techniques. By the end of the session, the students held a profound appreciation for the saying, "Every bowl of porridge and every meal should remind us of the hard work that went into it."

Our sincere gratitude to Alice’s grandparents for taking part in this event; our students have gained a wonderful cultural context from the day. We also hope to see more grandparents visiting the campus to share their life stories and engage in discussions on various topics with our students soon.