Together, we achieve more! – Our Semester 2 Opening Ceremony

The morning sun bathes the SUIS Qingpu Campus in a golden glow, with dew-kissed grass and cherry blossoms beginning to bloom. On the morning of February 17, SUIS Qingpu’s Primary School ushered in a unique and inspiring opening ceremony. With the ‘Nezha spirit’ as the wind in their sails and innovative DeepSeek as their rudder, teachers and students ignited their new semester’s dream-chasing journey with courage and innovation.

A Prelude of Dawn and Children’s Voices

As the music teachers sang New Year songs along Xiehe Avenue, students, guided by volunteer peers, stepped back onto the campus after a month’s absence. The little ones tiptoed, gazing at the campus with wonder, while older students stood tall, their eyes filled with anticipation for the new semester. At this moment, the Xiehe Campus transformed into a ‘Bay of Dreams’ brimming with hope.

Patriotic Sentiments, Echoing in Hearts

‘Please stand up and sing the national anthem!’ At 08:20, the host’s clear voice rang out. All teachers and students stood solemnly to sing the national anthem. As the melody filled the air, the children’s eyes grew more resolute. In the new semester, they are not only students of SUIS Qingpu but also ‘dream-chasing youth’ with a sense of patriotism.

Deep Exploration, Breaking Through to Renewal

Principal Sunny Huang’s speech was focused on the theme of ‘Breaking Through for Renewal: Drawing Strength from Exceptional Cases.’ By delving into the reasons behind the success of the Nezha movie, she used the values of ‘Perseverance,’ ‘Quality,’ and ‘Unity’ to inspire students to forge ahead with determination. Her words, brimming with passion for education and care for students, urged every teacher and student to move forward bravely in the new year.

The Power of Role Models, Shining Bright

The climax of the ceremony came when student representatives from the four houses of the school — Qinglong, Zhuque, Baihu, and Xuanwu — took the stage. Qinglong House’s student representative, Tao Ruiqing, shared insights on Innovation and Leadership in Technology. He had previously won first prize at the provincial level and second prize at the national finals of the ‘China’s Core’ National Youth Communication Technology Innovation Competition in the 2023-2024 academic year.

Baihu House’s student representative, Yu Zhuwei, discussed Holistic Development and Wisdom. He had previously received the following honours:

Full-Mark award at the North American Mathematics League Cup (CML) National Super Gold Award

Third place for the Beethoven Memorial Award at the International Piano Art Festival

Third place at the International Schumann Youth Piano Competition

First place at the Shanghai station of the 16th ICMC International Robot Competition and second place at the national level

First place at the ‘Oasis Cup’ Smart Creativity Competition in the Asia-Pacific Open Championships

Finalist at the 10th SPBCN Spelling Bee National Finals

Zhuque House’s student representative, Qian Yiqiu, discussed Logical Thinking in Mathematics. He had previously received the following honours:

National Super Gold Award at the Kangaroo Mathematics Thinking Activity (MK)

Full-mark Gold Award at the North American Mathematics League (CML)

Gold Award at the United Kingdom Mathematics Competition (JMC)

Full-mark Achievement Award and National Excellence Award at the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC)

National Gold Award at the Singapore Mathematics Olympiad (SEAMO)

Second Prize at the Hope Cup Mathematics Invitational

Second Prize in the Blue Bridge Cup Computational Thinking Group

Xuanwu House’s student representative, Xu Yibin, shared insights on Striving for Excellence in Sports. Xu Yibin had previously won the following honours:

Third place in the 10th ‘Minli Cup’ 2024 Shanghai Primary and Middle School Swimming Championship in the 4x50m freestyle relay and 4x50m mixed relay; sixth place in the 200m freestyle

First place in the 2024 Shanghai Bilingual Alliance Swimming League 4x50m freestyle relay

Fourth place in the 50m butterfly at the 2024 Shanghai Children’s Sports League

Fourth place in the 200m freestyle at the 2024 Huili Cup Primary and Middle School Swimming Competition

Second place in the 4x50m freestyle relay at the 2024 Yangtze River Delta Youth Sports Series Challenge

Mr. Hockley, Deputy Head of SUIS Qingpu’s Primary School, along with student representatives Nicholas Gu and Angelica Tao, took the stage. Through the growth stories shared by these two students, they illustrated how to become ‘heroes of their own’ through hard work and perseverance.

Together, we achieve more!

Vice-Principal Helen Liu and all the teachers and students of the primary school recited the poem ‘Together, We Achieve More!’ to the accompaniment of music. The poem embodies Nezha’s spirit of ‘My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens,’ as well as his courage and rebelliousness to change the world. May the new semester bring our teachers and students the determination inspired by Nezha’s innocence and the perseverance of ‘Five Years to Forge One Sword,’ as they climb the peak of knowledge together!

The Voice of Harmony, a Warm Resonance

‘United We Stand Together.’ The Nightingale Choir’s song rose melodiously while the big screen displayed campus silhouettes: focused faces in the classroom, dynamic figures on the playground… The beautiful melody and touching lyrics reminded us of the pride and honour of being part of the SUIS family. At this moment, our hearts were wonderfully connected, singing for the future of SUIS Qingpu.

Scaling Heights, Meeting at the Summit

As the closing music began, the opening ceremony concluded perfectly. All teachers and students exited in an orderly fashion, and the new semester’s journey commenced. Let us uphold the principals’ expectations, the representatives’ voices, the resonance of teachers and students, and the power of the school song to face new challenges and create new brilliance. May the children, with the belief of ‘Together, We Achieve More!’ become ‘creators’ who rewrite their destiny. Scaling heights, meeting at the summit!