A fundraising example for a Mandarin school in St. Louis

Proceeds benefit The Chinese School’s Library and Technology Center

The Chinese School, part of The St. Louis Language Immersion Schools organization, is holding its inaugural Chinese Moon Festival Celebration and Art Auction this Friday, September 27th, 2013 from 6:30 pm to 9 pm. SLLIS, 4011 Papin Street, St. Louis, MO 63110 on the playground.

The Chinese School is a public charter school in the city of St. Louis, sponsored by UMSL. Children are taught all day in Mandarin in an immersion setting. The school currently serves grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade, and will grow a grade level every year through 5th grade. Students will be bi-lingual and biliterate in Mandarin and English by the end of 5th grade.

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $20 per person by contacting Amy Trapp at tcsparents2013@gmail.com. Tickets will be $25 at the door. Silent Art Auction from 6:30 – 8:00pm, will feature artwork from Beijing artists, local artist and the TCS children. Chinese Beer, Wine and Tea tasting, and observe and learn a traditional wine service. Beer, wine, Mooncakes, appetizers and desserts included in the evening’s celebration.

The Moon festival (also called the Mooncake or Mid-Autumn festival) fell last week on September 19th in 2013. What is the Moon festival? Every year on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, when the moon is at its maximum brightness for the entire year, the Chinese celebrate “zhong qiu jie.” Children are told the story of the moon fairy living in a crystal palace, who comes out to dance on the moon’s shadowed surface. The legend surrounding the “lady living in the moon” dates back to ancient times, to a day when ten suns appeared at once in the sky. The Emperor ordered a famous archer to shoot down the nine extra suns. Once the task was accomplished, Goddess of Western Heaven rewarded the archer with a pill that would make him immortal. However, his wife found the pill, took it, and was banished to the moon as a result. Legend says that her beauty is greatest on the day of the Moon festival.

Please read more here.