As many of you already know, the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) was paused earlier this May. In response, Newton Chinese Language School is proud to introduce a new and prestigious award that recognizes and honors individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment to volunteer service.

As the largest nonprofit weekend language school in New England, NCLS has served as a certifying organization since 2015. Each year, we carefully review all applications and celebrate the outstanding achievements of our students.

The application for the 2025 ELSA is now officially open! Please see below for detailed guidelines:

1. Please click the ELSA Guideline for details.
2. Submit your application materials to ncls_elsa@newtonchineseschool.org by 10/30/2025.
3. When you send us the application materials:
   1) Email subject line should be in this format: ELA + your name;
   2) In the email body:
   a) Write a short application statement summarizing what you did, why you did them, and what you learned.
   b) Provide a list of all the attachments.
   3) The attachment file name format: Your name + list index number + organization name + hours (Example: Victor Li – 1- NCLS TA—39hr).
4. Attach all the supporting documents including the ELSA Activity Summary Sheet to the email.
5. Fill out this google form https://forms.gle/QtATuzic8V6DFn9e9

Date: September 14, 2025
Location: Room 221, FA Day School, Newton, MA
Time: 1:00 PM – 1:55 PM
Minutes prepared by: Christina Lu
Attendance
• In-person attendees: Over 50 students and parents
• Note: Approximately 1/3 are new student members

Leadership Introductions
Parent Leadership Team
• Board Director: Eric Shi
• SEP Directors: Jing Wan, Hua Fang
• SEP Associate Directors: Peng Feng, Ling Chen, Xiaofei Chen
• Advisors: Shirley Chen, Helen Cao
Student Leadership Team
• Co-Presidents: Henry Fang, Jasmine Gu
• Vice Presidents: Christina Lu, Anna Wang, Evan Shi
• Fundraising Directors: Julian Yang, Allison Sham, Sophia Fortuin
• Event Directors: Ella Luo, Jiarong Cui, Jiayi Cui
• Community Service Directors: Evan Shi, Jasmine Gu, Christina Lu, Anna Wang, Margaret Liu

Meeting Highlights

1. Welcome and Overview – Presented by Eric Shi
   Key Announcements:
   • NCLS Emerging Leader Service Award (ELSA)
   • China Trip (Spring Break: April 18–25, 2026)
   • Recruitment Drive
2. Upcoming Event – Presented by Peng Feng
   • Annual Year Opening Event: September 20, 2025, at Regis College
3. SEP Projects Overview – Presented by Student Leadership Team
   (Presented by Henry Fang, Jasmine Gu; with additional insights from Christina Lu, Anna Wang, Evan Shi, Julian Yang, BenXiao and Parent leaders: Ling Chen, and Jing Wan)

• Weekly Bake Sale (Every Sunday, 12:30–5:00 PM)
• Online Tutoring (Ongoing, Weekly)
• Cards for Seniors (Year-Round; Planned Event: October 19)
• Digital Literacy Outreach / IT Support (Year-Round)
  Additional Events (2025–2026 Overview)
• 10 events
  Member Self-Introductions

• Adjournment
  • Meeting concluded at: 1:55 PM

【编者按】8/31/2025, SEP三位学生暑假里自己联系，带着手工自制的慰问卡，去访问第二家老年中心Stonebridge at Burlington，请看 Jasmine Gu的报道。

On August 31st, 2025, three high school students—Jasmine Gu (顾思敏), Evan Shi (史一明), and Christina Lu (陆颖文)—from Newton Chinese Language School had the opportunity to visit Stonebridge at Burlington, a senior center in Burlington, MA, as part of the SEP outreach initiative.

Stonebridge is the second senior center that SEP students have reached out to. After a successful visit to Maplewood at Weston in July, we were excited to continue building meaningful connections within the local senior community by visiting Stonebridge.

Our visit took place just before the residents’ much-loved bingo game, filling the community room with a lively and warm atmosphere. We brought along 45 handmade greeting cards, thoughtfully crafted by students from NCLS, to share with the residents.

During this special hour together, we enjoyed heartfelt conversations with the seniors, sharing stories, laughter, and learning about their diverse life journeys. Many of the residents’ faces lit up with joy when receiving the cards, and several shared touching personal stories, making the experience truly memorable.

For all of us, this visit was heartwarming and meaningful, leaving us with smiles and gratitude. We are already looking forward to the next chance to return to Stonebridge, to continue spreading kindness and nurturing the friendships we’ve started.

SEP Annual Working Group Meeting Summary

Date:  July 20, 2025

Location:  Auburndale Park, Newton

(by Jing Wan,  Hua Fang & Eric Shi)

Attendees:

Eric Shi, Hua Fang, Jing Wan, Helen Cao, Shirley Chen, Jun Liu, Jianqing Luo, Naizhong Qiu, Yunjuan Yuan, Ling Zheng, and Faith Hu.

Meeting Highlights

Accomplishments of 2024–2025

SEP had a successful year with many highlights. Jing Wan, Feng Hua, and Eric Shi debriefed SEP’s impactful programs, including:

• Tennis Fundraisers

• Bake Sales

• Online Tutoring

• Talent Shows

• Fundraising Dance

• Support for NCLS book distribution, Thanksgiving Party, and Chinese Gala

• Award Ceremony for SEP’s high school seniors

• New initiative in 2024 – iCanfly: Successfully organized four times at NCLS.

• New initiative in 2024 – IT Outreach: Successfully run for several months in 2025.

• New initiative in 2025 – Cards for Seniors

• SEP China Trip: Led by Board Member Helen Cao and Eric Shi, the April 2025 trip to Guilin High School in Guangxi Province was a notable success, providing significant support to students from underprivileged backgrounds. Trips to Shandong Jijing High School in 2026 and a revisit to Wuling High School in Zhejiang are also scheduled.

2025–2026 New Initiatives

• The Emerging Leader Award: Endorsed by the Mayor of Newton, with outreach made to the Massachusetts state government for endorsement.

• SEP Team for the Boston Dragon Boat Festival

Financial Review

Peng Feng presented an overview of SEP’s financial status, highlighting the successful management of funds across various programs.

Vision for 2025–2026

• Continuation of Signature Programs: SEP will continue its established programs and recruit new volunteers for the upcoming school year.

Upcoming Actions

• Volunteer Recruitment: Co-led by Hua Fang and Jing Wan, SEP will soon begin recruiting volunteers for the 2025–2026 school year.

• Support for NCLS: Assist with new book distribution.

• Student and Parent Meetings: Establish key groups and roles for ongoing programs such as bake sales, online tutoring, and talent shows.

• Program Development: Prepare for upcoming events and programs, including the China trip, fundraising events, and community support activities.

• Explore New Opportunities: Maintain contact with schools and organizations to discover and develop new partnerships.

The SEP Working Group values the contributions of all members, volunteers, and supporters, reflecting on the past year’s achievements and looking forward to continued success in the new school year.