The May breeze swept across the SUIS Qingpu campus, gently rustling the pages in the hands of the students. Every child, engrossed in reading, shone with unique brilliance throughout the month. Would you like to know how this year’s Book Festival helped each young star to sparkle? Follow on to relive these moments of growth, illuminated by the joy of reading!
This year’s Book Festival began with the 21-Day Reading Marathon. Inspired by a creative ‘Chess Challenge PK Match’ concept proposed by Middle School seniors, the event sparked a three-week reading frenzy! Throughout this engaging challenge, students collectively read over 5,000 English books, surpassing 70 million words. They also tested their understanding through post-reading quizzes, aiming to upgrade their chess pieces to the coveted ‘Queen’ rank—proof of their strong comprehension skills.
Spark Zone: Let Reading Shine with Unique Brilliance
This year, the school meticulously designed a series of featured activities, creating personalised reading showcase opportunities for every student. Whether they excelled at expressing ideas through speaking, demonstrated understanding through reading aloud, or articulated their thoughts brilliantly in writing, each child had the chance to shine. By choosing activities that matched their strengths, they not only highlighted their own reading literacy but also inspired those around them with their enthusiasm.
Debate Show:
“Speaking” Reading Thoughts
What happens when bookshelves meet the debate podium? Organised by teachers and supported by the English Debate Team, nine student debaters from Grades 3 to 5 took turns presenting thought-provoking arguments in English. With clear logic and persuasive delivery, these young orators captivated the audience, earning frequent applause for their articulate viewpoints.
The debate’s interactive segment ignited tremendous enthusiasm! Eager students spontaneously formed impromptu teams for ‘mini debates’, while even our youngest participants waved their hands enthusiastically, calling out, “I want to share my opinion!”
Reading Models
Reading Models:
“Reading Aloud” the Essence of Books
英语阅读榜样活动在The English Reading Role Model selection process for Grade 3 and Grade 4 students commenced in April. After multiple evaluation rounds assessing daily word counts, Lexile levels, and overall reading performance, 25 selected models visited Grade 1 and Grade 2 classrooms to share their expertise.
These budding mentors became ‘little teachers’, enthusiastically discussing their English reading journeys, personal growth, and practical strategies—effectively passing on both techniques and inspiration. The sessions buzzed with energy as younger students listened attentively, engaged with thoughtful questions, and sat captivated by their senior peers’ presentations.
“Look! This book cover glows!” The Grade 4 ‘young authors’ poured their boundless creativity into fantasy tales, mastering every aspect from storycraft to cover illustration. When lunchtime arrived, the library’s signing area transformed into a celebrity hotspot. Adoring fans clutched their signed copies like prized treasures, while the budding writers—signing earnestly—became the campus’s newest luminaries!
Core Growth Hub: Igniting the Spark of Reading with Perseverance
After spotlighting individual talents, the campus transitioned to a school-wide celebration of language and knowledge—the highly anticipated Spelling Bee and Quiz Show! Chinese and international teaching staff collaborated tirelessly, curating book selections, developing tiered vocabulary lists, and crafting challenging questions to sharpen literacy skills.
During three weeks of classroom preliminaries:
• Grade 1-3 students methodically enhanced their spelling proficiency.
• Older grade groups cultivated analytical skills through textual analysis.
All participants discovered the profound satisfaction of reading beyond the surface.
Spelling Bee: “Spelling” the Code of Reading
Fairytale Costume Show, First Taste of Spelling
The Grade 1 ‘Little Beans’ brought literature to life through character cosplay, with the most authentic costumes earning the spotlight. Smartly dressed contestants from each class demonstrated remarkable spelling precision, while the audience cheered with encouragement. Their heartwarming applause for competitors who stumbled proved even more moving than their celebrations of correct answers.
Composure Under Pressure, Spelling with Flair
Transforming from budding spellers to assured wordsmiths, our Grade 2 contestants delivered each letter with resounding clarity and unshakable confidence. After eight grueling elimination rounds, the newly crowned ‘Supreme Bee’ stood as living proof that determination truly wears the crown.
Creative Explosion, Spelling Mania!
“Hi! I’m a chocolate bar!” announced a student in a melted-brown confectionery costume, promptly answered by a classmate sporting a bottle-red ketchup outfit: “I’m ketchup!”—transforming the Grade 3 Spelling Bee finals into a whimsical vocabulary fashion show! Reading Role Model Ethan (3F) orchestrated a school-wide recitation of the reading pledge, sending the electric atmosphere into overdrive!
Quiz Show: “Testing” the Mysteries of Reading
When the Quiz Show introduced textual inference challenges, the true value of critical reading became visibly apparent through team-based problem-solving and rapid cognitive responses. Following meticulous study of four prescribed texts and four elimination rounds, the top five performers from each class progressed to the year-group finals.
On stage, contestants engaged in fervent competition, tackling complex questions that ignited intellectual fireworks through both independent analysis and collaborative problem-solving. In the audience, clenched fists and held breaths mirrored every twist and turn of the contest. Supporters from various classes shared both the tension and heartfelt encouragement.
Then, as the first notes of ‘Over the Rainbow’ filled the auditorium during the interlude, the entire audience rose spontaneously in unison. When the lead vocalists began, the crowd joined harmoniously—swaying arms, eyes glistening, their collective hum creating a powerful wave of sound. The lyrics’ yearning for ‘somewhere over the rainbow’ perfectly captured the triumphant determination of the competitors conquering challenges, their shared resonance lingering beneath the theatre dome.
This May, from the first flutter of an opened page to the satisfying closure of a finished book—from absorbed young readers to self-assured student authors—every child discovered a refined version of themselves hidden within the text. Those sparkling eyes filled with literary wonder, the animated debates, and the heartening words of support twinkled like constellations across the pages, guiding each step of our collective journey. With renewed anticipation, we await next year’s adventure, ready to uncover fresh literary treasures alongside ever more kindred book-loving spirits!
