On Feb. 9, the Chinese Parent Teacher Student Association hosted a Lunar New Year-themed lunch for the teachers inside the Woodbridge High staff lounge.
The luncheon began with an introduction to the Lunar New Year and its significance in Chinese culture. Student volunteers performed a song paying homage to one’s hometown and explained Mandarin characters that are associated with the holiday like good fortune and the spring season.
“All staff [were] invited…and student volunteers [and myself] provided some entertainment…[Lunar New Year] is the most important holiday for the Chinese because it symbolizes family unity and bringing new hope for the new year,” Chinese teacher Joy Chao said.
Also known as the Spring Festival, the Lunar New Year is celebrated on the first new moon of the lunar calendar. Lanterns, firecrackers and the color red are popular symbols during this time.
“Lunar New Year to me represents a time when my family and I get to laugh and spend time together while eating all of our favorite foods! It also represents a new beginning for me, and gives me the motivation to become a better version of myself,” junior Jenny Luo said.
The Woodbridge High Parent Teacher Student Association planned this event as a day to recognize the teachers and staff while also celebrating one of the most prominent holidays in Asian culture.
In recent years, the association has also included Indian, Japanese, Korean and Persian groups that hold more culture-specific events to serve the diverse community at Woodbridge High.
“The mission of the Parent Teacher Student Association is to represent, empower and support our students, educators and parents to make Woodbridge High School the best that it can be,” President Elena Marukhlenko said.
As the president, Marukhlenko leads the weekly association and council meetings with the executive board and sends out bi-weekly member emails.
“This year, we have a very strong executive board, and committee chairs are very knowledgeable, so I mostly only have to cover the areas where we do not have a chair such as the Advocacy,” Marukhlenko said.
Besides teacher appreciation events, the Parent Teacher Student Association also hosts academic team competitions and Career Cafés, which spotlight professionals in a field of work in an on-campus seminar held specifically for students.
“Thanks to great program chairs – Katie McEwen, Lori Igel, Maya Kruger and Alyson Cope, [Career Café] lived through a few iterations until it became what it is today,” Marukhlenko said.
The Woodbridge High community can also look forward to other types of events, like Grad Night for graduating seniors.
Grad Night is coordinated entirely by the association’s parent-led Grad Night Committee, and it is one of the biggest and most popular events hosted by the association.
As its name implies, the association encourages collaboration between the parents, students and staff to provide enriching and supportive experiences for high schoolers and to connect with their families.
By joining as a member and attending their meetings, the association urges parents to become a part of the Woodbridge High community and hear the latest news directly from the principal, Christopher Krebs.
