Donning the Red Scarf

Monday was Children's Day. To celebrate, we had an assembly with two purposes. First, to induct the first graders (or the vast majority of them) into the Young Pioneers of China, a group for children aged six to fourteen, run by the Communist Youth League. Second, to give awards to students who had participated well in recent competitions and activities.

You may have noticed in the pictures of my students that most of them are wearing a little red bandanna around their neck. This is the symbol of their status as a Young Pioneer. Thus, the assembly began with fifth and sixth graders helping the first graders don their red scarf, or 红领巾 hónglǐngjīn, and teaching them how to salute properly. It was pretty adorable.

Reciting the pledge.

The other students waited around for all of this to finish before the award giving.

And then they gave out the awards.

The students run up to accept their certificate and notebook....

Salute...

And pose for a picture: an arduous process involving at least three teachers, dragging the students into appropriate rows,
and telling approximately half the students--individually--to stop covering their face with their awards!