In this golden, fruitful autumn, the 2nd inaugural “SUIS Voice” English subject competition kicked off. This event was one of many diverse activities occurring during our “Intercontinental Carnival – the Americas”. During the Carnival, and led by teachers, students have learned about mysterious animals, listened to vivid and interesting folk tales, were shuttled through modern Western cities, and admired magnificent cultural sites, all through which ancient and enthusiastic pictures of the American continent unfolded in front of the children’s eyes. In class, students explored the customs of the Americas, and in speech presentations, they presented what they have learned in a variety of ways such as mini-plays, storytelling, and introductions to scientific knowledge.
Book Recommendation is all-encompassing
Every Grade has unique features
After reading books on the Americas, the students passionately participated in class auditions. We found that their enthusiasm for reading and expressing themselves was even higher. So, this year’s SUIS Voice added many highlights that feature each grade based on last year’s experiences. Some grades encouraged students to work in teams so that wonderful fairy tales would be presented through rich characters; some grades added fun quizzes to give students who have learned much in the Carnival the opportunity to express themselves; some grades added judges sessions to test the young contestants’ rapid reactions. We also offered “Amazing Composer “and “Popular Composer” Awards in higher grades for those students who were skilled at describing their love for writing. These ingenious designs made this SUIS Voice event even more fascinating.
Grade 1’s Theme: Feel the Americas
In this year’s SUIS VOICE, the first graders opened the door to the world through reading, and learned about the animals, cities, food, culture, and more interesting things about the Americas from a variety of recommended books. Through this extensive reading, the first graders were exposed to various cultural environments. They then shared about what they have read and their interpretations through presentations. The teachers prepared videos and warm-up activities for the first graders with great care, which all then served to kick off the G1 SUIS VOICE event. We believe there will be more students actively participating in SUIS VOICE – let’s have fun reading, experiencing colourful cultures, and enjoying the “nourishment of the mind”!
Grade 2’s Theme: Enjoy the Americas
Grade 2 students put great effort into discussing stories from the Americas, including the one about the freshly-baked gingerbread man escaping from the oven to avoid the doom of being eaten at Christmas, and the one about the smart, old Caribbean woman cooking delicious Carraro vegetable soup for the poor, or the stories about the kindness of Disney princesses and Miguel’s mixed feelings of choosing dreams and family on Death Day. These intriguing stories reached the students’ hearts deeply and aroused strong interest in American stories. The second graders shared their favourite plays and acted out parts of the scripts. With their clever body movements, their smooth speeches were highly praised by their classmates, who remarked, “Wow, this story is so interesting, I will read it when I go home today!” The students who made it into the final selection of the auditions devoted themselves to further rehearsals after class – there were students excitedly performing everywhere in the classroom corridors. Let’s give a collective ‘thumbs up’ to the little book worms and let’s all applaud the young actors and actresses!
Grade 3’s Theme: Present the Americas
Grade 3 students had a taste of mysteriousness together with Chinese and foreign teachers in English Reading classes and explored the cultures of the Americas in Inquiry classes. Students who were eager to share brought us an introduction to the Americas, and some showed us the folklore of the Americas through lively and vivid performances. A special quiz session was added this year, and students eagerly took part in it as little ‘experts.’ Overall, the third-grade students discovered the Americas and unveiled the mysteries of the continents. How meaningful!
Grade 4’s Theme: Link to the Americas
Grade 4 students not only helped us to appreciate the mysteries and vastness of nature across the Americas and learn about successful celebrities, but also to feel the warmth of family affection. Through a series of activities, students’ public speaking skills improved and linked themselves to the models as well. As children create dreams and teenagers chase them, the young make them come true! What we should bear in mind is that life will not disappoint the hardworking, persistent and brave dream maker!
Grade 5’s Theme: Discover the Americas
Grade 5 students applied what they learned in books to their speeches on the cultural customs and geographical features of the Americas. They admired exotic species in the Amazon rainforest, known as the ‘lungs of the Earth’, and called on everyone to protect our planet. From historical North America to attractive Mexico, the students gained a lot from the wonderful speeches. The fifth-grade presentations also included group work, where students learned from each other’s strengths. Let us embark on a magical journey to the Americas!
Reading nourishes the students in various aspects. In this year’s event, we have been delighted to see that what they chose and the statements they made were richer and deeper. When the students were sharing with us the sonnet “The New Giant”, inscribed on the cornerstone of the Statue of Liberty, they started to ponder about ‘freedom’ as they read the verse “Give me your tired your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free!” When the students arrived as Benjamin Franklin and introduced his life, they experienced his effort and dedication. There were also students who vividly described to us the current destruction of rainforests and, through a presentation of big data, the impact this will have on humanity. Some told the story of Walt Disney’s life using his cute cartoon characters, saying “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them!” Believe in the power of dreams! These wonderful surprises by our students cannot be described in words.
This year’s SUIS Voice competition has already sowed the seeds of love for children and has let the flower of reading bloom in their hearts.
