The adult bilingual class impressed with their performance of “Commit to Good Deeds and Use Positive Words”.The air was abuzz with excitement at the Tzu Chi Academy in Mississauga, as students and teachers geared up for competition day. They had spent weeks rehearsing and making props, and were eager to present the fruits of their labour to their peers. Junior Kindergarten teacher Marian Huang commended the school for providing students with this opportunity to perform on stage while also incorporating educational content. Both the Senior Kindergarten and Grade 3 classes chose to perform “Please, Thank You, and I’m Sorry”. The younger class’ performance was innocent and lively with cute body movements, while the third-graders put up a more energetic and ernest act. Next, the Junior Kindergarten class—youngest in the school—sang “So Adorable” while wearing paper hats they had made themselves, showing the entire school just how adorable they were.
The first-graders had chosen “Learn to Agree, Learn to Compromise, but Don't Learn to Fight” for the competition, but ended up learning much more than just the lyrics in the process. Their teacher, Grace Li, described an incident that took place during class: “Two boys had a disagreement during break. I gently asked them what they learned from the song. I said we ‘learn to agree and compromise’, and the two children unanimously responded with ‘don't learn to fight’. Then the two of them surprised the whole class by taking the initiative to say sorry to each other.”
Fifth grade teacher Janice Ting hopes the song “I Am Blessed” can teach her students to understand how fortunate they are, to cherish what they have, and to give back to those less fortunate. To complement their performance, the class created two posters illustrating their interpretations of what it means to be happy and blessed, as well as props based on the lyrics of the song including hands, feet, and cartoon eyes. Their efforts paid off; the combination of singing, choreography, and props earned them the most enthusiastic applause of the competition.
Although the singing contest has come to an end, its positive effects will prove to be long-lasting. The process of preparing for this event has fostered a strong comraderie among the students, and the teachers have successfully harmonized the learning of humanities and Chinese language through this entertaining and educational experience.
The Senior Kindergarten class earned the Audience Choice Award with their cheerful performance. 
Ms. Ting beams with pride as she holds the posters created by her class.
Principal Peggy Lin presents the Best Performance Award to the graduating class.