The final school day of the year has arrived, and with it the start of our Christmas break. Throughout December, IGS Hefei has been getting into the festive spirit with a range of holiday activities—bringing warmth, creativity, and community to every corner of school life.

And this winter, warmth met love. On 14 December, we joined hands with OBLOCK and Forest Land to host the Winter Charity Sale. Children baked cookies and created handmade greeting cards to support the “Mask Angels”—brave children fighting cancer who wear masks each day during treatment.

To make the day extra special, we were delighted to welcome professional chef Mr Curt Evans, who guided our learners through the baking session. In the morning, the IGS kitchen filled with the scent of butter as children stood on tiptoes, kneading dough and carefully shaping their cookies—putting genuine care into every batch.

In the afternoon, visitors stopped by the charity stalls at OBLOCK to admire the cookies beautifully presented in gift boxes. All proceeds will be donated to families of children with cancer, offering practical support and a little extra warmth along their journey.

On 6 December, Der Landgraf was filled with Christmas cheer and authentic German charm. Guided by our teachers, students made Christmas cards and wrote heartfelt holiday wishes. They also selected festive decorations to craft small, creative Christmas trees. Exchanging their handmade creations with one another brought the spirit of the season to life—through thoughtful hands and happy hearts.

Our Christmas celebrations stretched across several weeks, filling our campus with festive energy. The school echoed with music performances and karaoke, while the cafeteria displayed students’ Christmas-themed artwork. On St Nicholas Day, teachers and learners honoured tradition through storytelling and games—sharing the season’s message of kindness in a fun and meaningful way.

Our Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten groups enjoyed a wonderfully cosy pre-Christmas tradition: baking festive cookies together. The scent of butter, spices, and fresh dough drifted through the room as the children mixed, shaped, and explored—truly a celebration for all the senses.

In the end, it was more than cookie-baking. It was a moment of togetherness, warmth, and joyful anticipation—a day when you could not only smell and taste Christmas, but genuinely feel it.

We joyfully celebrated the Christmas Party in the Kindergarten by eating together, sharing presents, reading and playing fun games.

As the year draws to a close, these moments become the memories we carry with us. Wishing all our families a joyful Christmas and a wonderful New Year filled with love and laughter.