This week at DaShin elementary school, we’re looking forward to a normal week of classes. Following weeks of celebration, typhoon days and national holidays, everyone is happy to return to a normal week of school and get back to full-time learning. This week, students have been busy practicing all sorts of activities. Chinese yoyo, unicycle, war drum, ocarina and English are practiced by our older grades, with younger grades focusing on their classes and having fun. 

Our next school event will be held on November 30th. Celebrating our school’s 60th anniversary, as well as the athletic abilities of our students, we hope sports day will be a big hit! As students continue to practice, we encourage the school community to show up and show out for this event, and to bring their best cheering spirit. 

This week, fifth graders at DaShin Elementary School headed to the reading competition in ErLin to show off their English reading skills. The fifth grade class practiced for many weeks leading up to the competition, and worked hard to put on their best performance representing DaShin elementary school. Even though they did not win an award this year, we should all be proud of their performance. 

As midterm exams approach, we are all preparing to be very busy here at Dashin elementary school. I’d like to encourage students to have fun while studying, and to take care of their health as midterms and winter approach. Students: you can do this! Don’t worry. 

Last week, students across Taiwan were given two days off of school for a typhoon, which made landfall on the southern part of Taiwan. Even though our area received little rain, we gladly had two days to rest at home, to prepare for next week's festivities as this week, the DaShin elementary community is celebrating the 60th anniversary of DaShin elementary school! Hurray! 

The celebration will be held on Tuesday, October 8th, at the Beidou public library, where parents and community members can come see all the festivities. The celebration will feature a war drum performance by students, as well as an art gallery showing students works, titled “my artistic world.” We hope all our community members will come and join us for a morning of celebration! 

This week at Dashin elementary school, students are preparing for teacher’s day, which is celebrated in Taiwan on September 28th. This week, students are drawing pictures and writing notes to give to teachers to thank the teachers for helping them learn. 

In Taiwan, teacher’s day is celebrated on September 28th in honor of Confucious’ birthday. Confucius was an ancient philosopher, who wrote many classic books and poems, and is known for his beliefs on being peaceful and respectful to parents and elders. 

Teacher’s day in the USA is celebrated at the beginning of May, and is a smaller holiday. I’m happy to celebrate teacher’s day here in Taiwan! 

DaShin elementary school is also preparing for the 60th anniversary celebration that will be held on October 8th in the Beidou Public Library. Students and teachers are getting excited! 

This week, students at Dashin Elementary School celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival, commonly called the Moon Festival. Students and teachers had Tuesday off of school to celebrate with family and watch the moon as it passed by at night. Many students ate mooncakes, pomelos, and barbeques with their families. I celebrated the moon festival with my friends, and ate lots of delicious food. At night, many families set off fireworks to celebrate, and enjoyed looking up to the sky to remember Chang’e during the festival. I hope all students and teachers had a wonderful and restful moon festival. 

Students and teachers are also preparing for the yearly Earthquake Disaster Prevention Drill, which will happen this Friday, September 20th, so I’d like to remind everyone to be prepared!   

This week, students at Dashin Elementary School started their second week of school. During the first week of school, there were many celebrations to welcome returning students back to the school, as well as provide a warm welcome for incoming first-grade students. On their first day of school, first grade students. entered the school with their parents, where they beat a drum three times to signify good luck for the school year, and took a picture with the principal. Once the school day began, students and their parents gathered once more in the multipurpose classroom to attend an introductory assembly, where they met school staff and received required materials for classes. Each student received a uniform, as well as many school supplies, which parents helpfully labeled for each student. First graders once again took a fun picture with the principal while receiving supplies. Now, as the first graders start their second week of school, we all wish them and all returning students the best of luck!