For example, the principal said, every year at Chinese New Year assembly, all students participate in this cultural celebration and perform on stage, in different ways, what they recently learned in Mandarin. When a Chinese festival arrives, teachers introduce and celebrate it with students in their own classes.

    Different Chinese contests are held every year at the school to motivate students to improve their language skills, according to Ko, e.g. story-telling contest, Chinese calligraphy contest, oral language contest, etc.

    "2008 Beijing Olympic Games gave a great opportunity for our students to learn more about Chinese culture and recent economic development in China," said Ko. "Our students improved their language skills, increased their knowledge about China and fostered their own cultural identity and pride through this theme study."

    According to Ko, the school has every support from Judith Whitfield, director of the Continuing Education Department, TDSB, who is very fond of Chinese culture and is learning Chinese herself.

    "In the past ten years," said Ko, "due to the steady growth of Chinese immigrant population arriving in Toronto and rapid economic development in China, there has been a large demand for Simplified Mandarin program in the Great Toronto Area. Our school was established in 1999 to respond to these new community requests. With the support from Whitfield, our school has rapidly grown and become a school well known in Chinese community with the largest number of Simplified Mandarin classes in the TDSB. And this year we're named as a Chinese model school in Toronto area."

    Ko also introduced the support from the Chinese Consulate and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of China.

    "In a word," he concluded, "the success of Georges Vanier International Languages School is the result of collaboration fromTDSB management team, Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of China, Chinese Consulate General, on-site administrative staff, instructors, volunteers, parents and students -- all who are committed to improve student achievement and Chinese language education in Toronto."