In Chinese culture, Chinese New Year is kind of like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the Super Bowl all rolled into one. So, if Chinese New Year in 2024 was the biggest Chinese holiday since Chinese New Year in 2023, in a city with a significant Chinese population, where were the Chinese festivities? The answer: Ray Chinese School.
Ray Chinese School is a weekend and summer school with a variety of classes to offer; Chinese literature, chess, drawing, speech, and choir are just a few of the many courses offered by Ray Chinese School.
As someone who spent every Saturday at RCS for a decade of my life, I am a living testament to the educational opportunities of RCS.
On February 17, 2024, RCS hosted the biggest Chinese New Year celebration in the area at Kennedy Junior High School. Attended by hundreds of parents and students as well as prominent figures in our community like Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli and Congressman Bill Foster, Ray Chinese School’s Chinese New Year celebration is the most important organized Chinese cultural event in the Naperville area. From beautiful cultural dances to adorable children reciting poetry, the RCS celebration was bursting with entertainment value.
I had the opportunity to speak with the Principal of Ray Chinese School, Jin Ai Sun. She explained that the celebration “isn’t just pretty clothes or singing, it’s more about the story and telling who we are.”
She also told me her philosophy of how “entertainment creates culture, culture creates values, and values shape the future of the kids.”
Keep an eye out, because Ray Chinese School is planning to host an open night on May 4 at Kennedy Junior High School to showcase their students’ progress and invite new students to dip their toes in the water.
