Jersey Shore Chinese School (JSCS) and Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning (TCML) held a grand End of School Year ceremony on June 8. This ceremony not only recognized the students' academic achievements throughout the school year, but also showcased the school's exceptional contributions to language and cultural education. Many VIP guests were present and enjoyed the celebration, including the director of the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York (TECO-NY) Forrest Chen, New Jersey Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn, Vice President of the Association of Chinese Schools Bright Lin, and board member Jessica Lee.
During the ceremony, students received their diplomas. Three students were awarded for perfect attendance awards. Also, the awards in various academic and art competitions such as book reading, speech, and character recognition contests were presented.
Director Forrest Chen, in his speech, noted that the Jersey Shore Chinese School and Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning not only offers high-quality language and cultural courses, but also a variety of enriching extracurricular activities, making it one of the top centers globally. He warmly invited everyone to tell their friends and family to join the school to learn Mandarin and understand Taiwanese culture.
Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn thank the school for its contribution and dedication in Holmdel for more than 45 years. She said it is very fortunate to have the JSCS and TCML, which offer rich cultural experiences in Holmdel.
The ceremony opened with an impressive performance by graduate representative William Su and the Lion Dance Team. William expressed his gratitude in Mandarin to the teachers for teaching them the language, as well as skills like diabolo, dragon dance and lion dance. He thanked his parents for their dedication in sending them to Jersey Shore Chinese School every Saturday. He shared that spending 14 years at the school, from the preschool class at age four to graduating from 12th grade, was a significant part of their lives, making the ceremony emotionally touching.
Additionally, the dance class performed a dance called "Hope," characterized by graceful and captivating movements; the lower grades class performed a lively and adorable Little Dragon Dance, melting the hearts of the audience; and the martial art teachers gave a fierce performance. These vibrant and diverse performances showcased the students' self-expression and identification with Taiwanese culture.
To conclude the ceremony, TCML teacher Ms. Chimin Hu led a lively dance performance with the TCML students and invited all the guests and the entire school to join on stage, creating a warm and enthusiastic atmosphere that perfectly rounded off the event.
