Mandarin DLI Students Share Year of the Snake Celebrations with Families, Neighborhood

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (February 12, 2025) – Red fairy lights, boba tea and student artwork helped transform the courtyards between Desert Canyon Elementary (DCES) and Desert Canyon Middle (DCMS) schools into a Chinese night market on a recent evening, as students of the schools’ Mandarin Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program gathered with their families to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Outfitted in red, traditional Chinese wear, students delivered outstanding performances, showcasing what they’re learning about Chinese language and culture through the Scottsdale Unified School District program that has families open-enrolling their children from nearby school districts that don’t have such a program, as well as students from the McDowell Mountain Ranch neighborhood.

The DLI program is optional for DCES students and begins at the preschool level. Elementary school students spend part of the day studying language arts, reading, art and music in English and the other part learning math, science, social studies and Mandarin in Mandarin. At the middle school, students can opt to continue their language and science studies in Mandarin.

Brandon Finnie’s in-laws are from Singapore, so he and his wife chose to enroll their children, kindergartener Kai and second grader Kalia, at DCES specifically for the DLI program. “We live about 15 minutes away, in the Paradise Valley School District, but we love it here. After we came and got started, we couldn’t go anywhere else.”

In between performances of Chinese songs and dances, including the traditional lion dance, in the DCMS gym, families, under the direction of both middle and elementary school DLI students, gathered in the cafeteria to create snake lanterns to mark the Year of the Snake and red-papered New Year’s messages of blessing written in Chinese calligraphy.

The annual celebration has become a staple on the Desert Canyon calendar, filling the gym bleachers with family members, anxious to see students put their learning on display.

“Our Chinese New Year festivity is one of our most cherished family events, providing a wonderful opportunity for students and families to immerse themselves in Chinese culture,” said Principal Kim Mills.

“This year’s celebration,” she continued, “was particularly meaningful as we welcomed back our former DLI students, now in sixth and seventh grades at Desert Canyon Middle School, to be part of this joyous celebration.”

One of them was seventh grader Emma Adland, who has been in the Mandarin program since second grade and plans to continue studying it through high school. “It’s just fun to learn about a new culture and I think it’s going to help me on my college resume to get into better schools.” 

Mills is grateful for the community’s support of the Desert Canyon Mandarin program and the work of the school’s parent teacher organization, which began its planning of the event last fall with Mills and both schools’ Mandarin teachers.

“It warms our hearts to see our entire school community come together, with both DLI students and those not enrolled in the program, actively participating in the festivities, nurturing community spirit and fostering cultural understanding,” Mills added. “We take great pride in the evolution of our Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program, which has been a fundamental aspect of our school for the past eight years.”

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About the Scottsdale Unified School District With more than 20,000 students in 30 schools, the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) has been a premier choice for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 public education for 128 years. Located northeast of metropolitan Phoenix, the District serves the educational needs of students and families in Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Tempe and Scottsdale. A highly experienced, professionally certified teaching staff fosters a diverse and rigorous educational environment that engages all students in world-class, future-focused learning. Offering gifted learning, special education, career and technical education, and a variety of athletics, arts and enrichment programs and clubs, SUSD provides the rich environment today’s students need to explore their interests, develop important social skills and grow into tomorrow’s leaders. For more information, visit www.susd.org and follow along on social media: Facebook: @ScottsdaleUSD, Instagram: @ScottsdaleUnifiedSD, LinkedIn and YouTube.