Students in grades 4-7 studying Chinese language did research on Chinese New Year traditions and the holiday's history.

"Doing the wall newspaper, we learned about the traditional 'Dance of the Lion' for Chinese New Year," reports 7th grader Maria Mironova. "It's also called 'Lion Lantern'."

"What I learned was that the New Year has been celebrated in China for more than 4,000 years," adds Alena Ignatova of section 5M4. "Chinese farmers created the holiday to mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

Alena's classmate Rinat Nigmatulin comments: "We found out that fish and pelmeni are traditional dishes on the New Year's table. People have pelmeni on the fifth day of the holiday, and they symbolize wealth, as they are shaped like gold ingots."

More than 70 students are currently learning Chinese as their second foreign language at ILS, thanks in part to the country's proximity and the students' interest in its culture.

"Studying a foreign language also means learning about the culture and traditions of the people who speak it," notes ILS Principal Olga Shevchenko. "Learning about Chinese New Year is another way of expanding our students' understanding of the world around them."