Issue #9: August 2026
Read the Chinese version here.
Upcoming Events:
September is Respect Month. The school organizes various activities to help students understand the meaning and importance of respect, as well as how to respect elders, themselves, others, and all things in heaven and on earth.
September 6, 2026: Labor Day and Mid-Autumn Festival BBQ Party
Maple Hill Park, 105 California Ave, Middletown, NY 10940 at 12 pm.
September 7, 2026: Labor Day
School Closed.
September 9, 2026: First Parent Club Meeting
Little Lotus Academy, Multipurpose Room, 3rd Floor at 6 pm.
September 12, 2026: Chinese Renaissance Festival
Student Chinese Idiom and Falun Dafa exercise performances at Otisville Veterans Park, 23-79 Main St, Otisville, NY 10963, at 1 pm.
September 18, 2026: Field Trip
Kelder’s Farm, 5755 US-209, Kerhonkson, NY 12446 at 10 am.
September 19, 2026: Moon Festival
School Choir and Falun Dafa exercise performances at New Century, 517 Neversink Dr, Port Jervis, NY 12771, at 1 pm.
2026 Traditional Chinese Culture Week
The last week of Summer School was a collaboration with the New Jersey Minghui School. We were honored to have outstanding teachers from Taiwan through the National Overseas Education Program. In just four short days, they provided fun and educational classes to the students. On the very last day of the summer program, we held a Closing Ceremony to showcase the new skills the children had learned over the last five weeks.
The ceremony opened with inspiring remarks from the Vice Director of the Taiwan Cultural and Educational Center, Ms. Liao Shuhui, and the Northeastern Head of the Chinese Schools Association, Mr. Dai Songchong. Our principal, Ms. Sophie Liu, also gave an overview of our Summer School.
The children performed eight short pieces. These opened with Hong Yin recitation of “An Upright Person” and “Perfect and Illuminate.” Next was an energetic jump rope performance. Both our junior and senior classes performed dances with different props. With one of the Taiwanese teachers, our students brought their new Chinese yo-yo skills to the stage. One of our volunteer teachers, Ms. Ivy Ye, also graced the stage with a classical Chinese solo dance. Our junior class performed an adorable song-and-dance of “Little Angel.” To close the performance, our senior class performed the idiom play of “Bearing Thorns to Ask for Forgiveness.”
May the memories and lessons from Summer School continue to motivate the students in the many years to come. We hope that the summer break was meaningful for the children and that they return to school with refreshed eyes and enthusiasm. We also thank all the teachers, volunteers, and parents for their support in making our program a success.
—Lily Wang, Chinese Director
First Day of School Assembly.
Welcome Back to School
Welcome back, students, parents, and teachers! Especially to our new families and teachers! This new school year brings many new beginnings. We welcome our new teacher, Mr. Simon Dong, who teaches Physical Education, and Ms. Kristina Pentchoukova, who has returned to teach English.
Plans for the new school year include after-school enrichment classes, such as basketball, chess, classical Chinese dance flexibility training, Chinese idiom theater, Chinese classes, homework support, Chinese calligraphy, and crochet; expanding state-funded ESL tutoring; and affordable after-school care. The school will also begin to pursue accreditation with the Middle States Association.
Starting this year, virtue classes will focus on cultivating students’ good learning, daily living, and behavioral habits. By persevering in these efforts, students will have developed strong self-learning, self-control, and self-management abilities by the time they graduate, along with a conscious habit of self-improvement. By the time they enter middle school, students will be on the right track, able to focus and learn a range of knowledge and skills efficiently.
—Sophie Liu, Principal
New Meditation Exercise Schedule
The new school year has brought many new changes. When discussing room for improvement in the schedule, rearranging the schedule to place the meditation exercises earlier in the day was suggested. We hope this update will provide a midday refresher for students and staff, and help all return to class more focused, resulting in more effective learning and teaching. When the weather permits, we will be meditating in the park opposite the school.
—Braz Chau, ESL Director
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