During the 2022-2023 school year, teachers and students at SUIS Qingpu Campus have been accompanied by poems and sages. Through reciting the classics, we have explored vast rivers and mountains over thousands of miles; by conversing with the sages, we have felt the power of a thousand years’ worth of words. The Chinese language group will continue to provide a stage for students to showcase their poetry so that poetry and culture can infuse the classroom, soothe the soul, and permeate every corner of the school!
Rhythm and Classics
Poetry can be full of elegant rhymes. Children’s voices recited the classics in our Grade 1 Chinese Classical Poetry recital. Each class prepared carefully and showed their skills, presenting us with an audio-visual feast of Chinese classical poetry.
Over the past year, our Grade 1 students have learned the Three Character Classic. The most beautiful poem, the Sound of Enlightenment and the Disciple’s Rule, teaches us how to behave in the world. The students were all confident and full of energy, expressing their understanding of the classics and interpreting the beauty of language with the most authentic voices. At the end of the day, we also awarded those children who stood out in the Chinese culture quiz competition with the title of “Little Scholar of Chinese Culture”.
The seeds of Chinese culture have taken root in the hearts of the children. More importantly, they have gained applause, praise, and an unforgettable experience.
A Thousand Thoughts, A Blossom of Words
Grade 2 students took part in “A Thousand Thoughts, A Blossom of Words” Idiom Competition and Idiom Story King Award Ceremony.
The students experienced a rewarding time roaming the world of idioms. In the classroom, teachers organized a competition for the children to be the ‘Idiom Story King’, where each child had the opportunity to get on stage and share their accumulated Idiom stories. The children told their stories vividly and discussed the meanings behind the idioms, and each child recorded the new idioms they had learned in the Idioms Box. It was all such a fun and rewarding experience!
Many of the children were very well prepared – some had made beautiful PowerPoint presentations in advance, some prepared a few interesting questions to use with their classmates, and some made sentences on the spot using the idioms they had shared to help the class understand them more deeply. After each student had finished their sharing, classmates scored them according to a rating scale, and three students were chosen from each class as “Idiom Kings” and awarded with certificates. It was a thrill to see the “Idiom Kings” dressed in Hanfu, walking confidently on the stage to showcase their style! How exciting and joyful it was!
On stage, students were also engaged in an exciting “Idiom Knowledge Competition!” Each student tried their best to contribute to the honour of their class, showing off their accumulated idioms without reservation. It was such a proud moment for them to have contributed to their class’s honour through their efforts! The young audience was also eager to take part in the competition, and those who got the correct answer were given a beautiful gift! What a joy!
Enter the Tang Dynasty: Savor the Classics
The Grade 3 team conducted a Chinese language learning week based on the theme of “Into the Tang Dynasty, Taste the Classics – Exploring the Interesting Souls Behind Tang Poems: Li Bai, Du Fu and Bai Juyi”. The poems were read to explore the poets’ anecdotes and styles of writing. Firstly, teachers from Grade 3 collected information on the poets and compiled them into a booklet for students to read.
Afterwards, through lectures and videos, Ms. Yan, Ms. Dai and Ms. Shuang travelled with the students to the Tang Dynasty, exploring the interesting souls behind the poems. Teachers and students prepared a variety of activities for Chinese Language Week. The auditions for the young hosts and the rehearsals for each class proceeded smoothly, and the teachers’ performances entertained all.
Meanwhile, the “Reading Coin Exchange Bazaar” occurred with enthusiasm. Some students took out their reading coins to exchange for prizes, some were eager to try their luck at the pitch-pot game, some took part in the “Feihualing” (an ancient poetry word game) to win more reading coins, and others excitedly waited their turn to spin the big wheel.
On April 27 students and teachers, dressed in Chinese costumes, gathered at the Theatre for a “One minute on stage takes ten years of practice“ event. The hosts were eloquent and humorous, linking the entire event together; the teachers’ recitations were heartfelt and touching; the children’s colourful performances showcased the three poets of the Tang Dynasty in a fascinating and eye-catching way; and the “Reading Stars” award ceremony pushed the entire event to a climax. Language Week was a great success – the students felt the charm of the three poets and the interesting souls behind their poems, and the thirst for learning, memorizing, and tasting ancient poems was increased.
Melodious Poetry and Graceful Prose
“With a heart as vast as a valley, my mind is filled with literary ambitions.” The Grade 4 Chinese language group launched a cultural theme activity entitled, “Melodious Poetry and Graceful Prose”, to promote traditional Chinese culture, showcase the charm of Chinese language and literature, and improve students’ comprehensive literacy.
At the beginning of the semester, the Chinese language teachers and students of Grade 4 delved into the ocean of poetry together. Before each Han culture class, the young poetry enthusiasts talked endlessly, from reciting verses to learning about the background and beauty of the poetry. In the Han culture class, the Chinese language teacher led everyone to encounter the various poetic scences, from the solitary smoke rising from the desert to the spring rain on apricot blossoms in the south of the Yangtze River, from pastoral scenery to the sunlight shining on the armored horses. In their free time, the “Feihualing” game became one of the most popular games among the 4th grade students.
Grade 4 students, inspired by the wisdom of our predecessors, shared their knowledge with each other as if they were in the same classroom. While sitting alone at home, we are able to recite poems with melodious language, discuss our culinary skills, create works of calligraphy and painting, and appreciate the wisdom of our ancestors through ancient poetry. We have gained a lot from these activities. In addition, we invited cafeteria chefs, art teachers, and calligraphy and painting teachers to serve as judges and offer guidance to students.
The language of poetry has preserved the rich history and culture of five thousand years, and its sound embodies the unyielding spirit of our ancestors. On April 28 at 12:00 pm, the final competition and award ceremony for the “Melodious Poetic Rhythms and Graceful Prose” Chinese Culture Ancient Poetry Competition took place. This event aimed to stimulate students’ interest in learning about poetry and culture, improve their comprehensive literacy in poetry accumulation, guide all teachers and students to appreciate classic poetry, and pass on the cultural genes of the Chinese nation.
“Learning through practice and having friends from afar. Isn’t it delightful?” The “Analects of Confucius” is a timeless classic, and Confucius, an eternal role model. The fifth-grade students held the “Crossing Millennia to Appreciate the Analects, Dialoguing with Sages and Learning the Classics” and “Analects of Confucius” exhibition. Through various forms of performance, the students who presented at the exhibition were able to follow in the footsteps of Confucius, listen to the teachings of the ancients, recite sage’s words, and feel the charm of Chinese culture.
The students collected their favourite stories from the “Analects of Confucius” which involved characters like Zilu, Ziyou, and Zigong. Through two-minute recitations before class, they gained a deeper understanding of these characters. The “Analects of Confucius,” a poem that has lasted through the centuries, allowed the students to comprehend through recitation the profound philosophy embedded in the teachings of the ancients. They also gained a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese virtues such as trustworthiness and tolerance. Students, let us all learn and appreciate the “Analects of Confucius” together so that we can become good young people for the new era!
Together, the teachers and students at SUIS Qingpu carry on the profound heritage of Chinese culture and pave the way for its bright future. We are committed to passing on the torch of Chinese culture to the next generation. The annual Shanghai Xiehe Qingpu Bilingual School Chinese Culture event came to a perfect end in this beautiful month of April. See you again next year!