This week, students, faculty, and staff were treated to a new tradition at CDS. As dragons ran through the courtyard and the sound of the drum beats was heard, the Patriot Nation celebrated the Lunar New Year with flair. In his new position as International Programs Coordinator, Brad Hayes went above and beyond, with the help of several CDS clubs, to transform the ECC and Bearss campuses into a celebration of good fortune and prosperity.

The holiday, also known as Spring Festival, is filled with rich culture and tradition. This year, 2023, is the year of the Water Rabbit, which in the Chinese zodiac is said to have the ability to turn unfortunate events around and indicates a good time to try new things. What an appropriate vision for CDS, where our entrepreneurial spirit is woven into everything we do. 

As part of this new tradition, 9th-grade students took a trip down to the ECC to play games, do crafts, and teach our smallest Patriots about the Lunar New Year. There were new treats to taste and rabbits to color and lots of fun games that showcased the East-Asian culture for the young learners. 

Up at the Bearss campus, several CDS clubs created booths for everyone to enjoy and the year of the Rabbit was celebrated with a photo booth and masks to capture the delight. Red and black dragons playfully danced and the sound of drums, gongs, and cymbals reverberated through the elementary courtyard.

The entire celebration was a fabulous way to celebrate the East-Asian culture with our community and is now a tradition that will continue each year.

Thank you to Brad Hayes for his vision and direction for this wonderful new CDS tradition. We also want to thank all the contributors to the event to made it special:

• Dr. Gibson's Entrepreneurship Class
• Mrs. Alan's Engineering Class
• Pan Asia Culture Club
• Round Square
• Spanish Connexion
• Spanish Honors Society
• Model UN
• Diversity Council
• Mrs. George's class
• Mrs. Most's classes
• Mrs. Young's class
• Many wonderful parents
• Dancers from Mt Song Martial Arts Academy