Willowbrook celebrates Lunar New Year/Spring Festival holiday

Willowbrook science teacher Eastman Tiu knows firsthand how someone’s cultural background can make him or her feel like an outsider. Growing up in suburban Chicago, he was embarrassed of and felt “different” because of his Chinese heritage.

Through the years, he grew to appreciate and celebrate his culture, and he’s working to make sure Willowbrook students feel the same and have a positive experience. He and other members of the District 88 CARE (Committed to Academics, Resiliency and Equity) Team – which concentrates on the well-being of students and staff – recently worked with a group of about 10 students to celebrate the Lunar New Year/Spring Festival holiday at the school for the first time. That event takes place from Feb. 1 to 15, and 2022 is the Year of the Water Tiger.

To honor the Lunar New Year, decorations filled one of the corridors at the school (see photos above), announcements were shared and music from Asian artists will be played during passing periods later this month. In the future, the group hopes to incorporate food into the festivities.

Examples of ways to observe the Lunar New Year include wearing red for good luck, eating noodles to represent long life and for parents to give red envelopes containing money to their children for prosperity. There also are Lion Dances and fireworks to bring joy and luck and to scare off evil spirits.

District 88 has about 40 languages and more than 30 countries represented among its families, and almost half of the nearly 4,000 students speak a language other than English at home. District 88’s core values include ensuring all students, staff and community members feel safe, valued, respected and welcome. The district focuses on fostering an inclusive environment and a sense of belonging. At Willowbrook, about 190 Asian students make up more than 10 percent of the student population.

“This is a way for these students to unify,” Tiu said. “Our hope is this provides a way for students and staff to embrace and be proud of their cultural background and to recognize that people celebrate a variety of holidays.”

To read more about the Lunar New Year, go to https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/lunar-new-year-2022-cmd/index.html.