Middle School Gets STEAM-y for Chinese New Year

Evergreen Academy Middle School in Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood has gone all out for Chinese New Year, celebrating the Year of the Horse with a big focus on the school’s programs for STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math – and a whole lot of partying.

“To celebrate the Lunar New Year, the entire staff collaborated to turn their building into a massive, hands-on learning laboratory, seamlessly integrating STEAM, Mandarin, and the arts,” said Dr. Fabiola Fadda-Ginski, director of world language programs and multilingual-multicultural education for Chicago Public Schools (CPS).

Students rush to complete the ping pong race at Evergreen Academy's Chinese New Year celebration.The school hosted its day-long Spring Festival STEAM fair on Thursday, February 19, 2026, the third day of the Lunar New Year, with STEAM program coordinator Amy Daggy and veteran Chinese language teacher Jinhua Lai leading planning for the event.

Truly Inclusive Environment

“What a way to celebrate!” said Gilberto Piedrahita, chief of schools for CPS Network 8. He lauded the event’s “truly inclusive environment where every student can find their voice.”

Evergreen Academy and CPS staff celebrating the Chinese New Year include, from left, Evergreen STEAM Coordinator Amy Daggy, CPS world language Director Fabiola Fadda-Ginski, CPS Network 8 Chief Gilberto Piedrahita, Evergreen Principal Marian Strok, CPS Chinese language Coordinator Jane Lu and Evergreen teacher Jinhua Lai.During the school day, students rotated through hands-on activity stations that brought together the school’s STEAM specialization with cultural connections to the Chinese New Year.

Dragon's Heartbeat

Highlights included a zodiac escape room with math codes to crack hidden within 12 red envelopes of the Chinese zodiac, dumpling-making and chopstick practice, Year of the Horse crafts and table tennis contests.

The celebration reached a crescendo with “The Dragon’s Heartbeat,” with students learning rhythmic percussion patterns to accompany a traditional dragon dance.

Year of the Horse

Evergreen Academy students create Year of the Horse crafts in celebration of Chinese New Year.Students born in the Year of the Horse — now 6th graders — sang Happy New Year in unison, accompanied by 7th grade students on drums and gongs, and 8th graders performing the dragon dance.

“It was a masterclass in what is possible when we carve out space for experiential learning to take root,” Fadda-Ginski said. “When
leadership and vision align, students do not just attend school, they inhabit a world of discovery.”

Evergreen Academy students practice their drumming in preparation for the dragon dance.

CPS and Evergreen Academy staff and students celebrate with the dragon used for the school's dragon dance.