Warwick Valley students explore Chinese language and culture through art

Students have been loving the Chinese Language & Art class that's part of the Warwick Valley Central School District Summer Enrichment Program. The class blends creativity and culture, giving students in kindergarten through eighth grade an engaging five-day, hands-on introduction to Mandarin.

_{See a gallery of pictures from class below this story!}

This is the first time that Dr. Ping Moroney, who teaches Mandarin at Warwick Valley Middle School and High School, has offered the class. She has been delighted by how easily the younger students are embracing the language.

“Many people start off afraid to learn Chinese,” Dr. Ping explained. “But Chinese characters are just simplified images of the words they represent.”

Dr. Ping, beside her teacher role, is an accomplished artist, so art plays an essential role throughout her lessons. Students began the week learning about the symbols for each season, including what each stroke represents, before painting them on rice paper to be framed as keepsakes.

The group also enjoyed playing Jianzi, a traditional Chinese game similar to hacky sack, where players try to keep a weighted shuttlecock in the air without using their hands.

The next day, students explored the dragon fruit and its cultural significance, painting it alongside its character onto canvases. They also got to sample the fruit at the end of class!

Upcoming lessons will have the students learning about their Chinese Zodiac symbols, expanding their Mandarin vocabulary, and more painting. On Friday, the students will celebrate the successful week of camp -- and all of the new knowledge they've gained -- by learning how to make wontons. 

GALLERY