Last week was the showcase week for our Chinese Reading Month. Throughout the month, something has been quietly present on campus — students carrying books in the corridors, conversations about stories during lunch, Grade 4 poems posted outside the classroom. The showcase week was a small culmination of that journey. A few things are worth sharing.
In Lower Primary, students held a recitation competition. The youngest were four and five years old, and they were composed on stage in a way that is not always easy at that age. With support from parents and teachers, they found their footing through preparation — and it came through in how they carried themselves on stage. A lot of students said afterwards they want to do it again next year. That matters more to me than the results.
Upper Primary had two things worth mentioning. The first was a cross-grade Book Buddy activity — students from Grades 3 to 5 each brought a favorite book, paired up with someone from a different year group, talked about it, and swapped at the end. It sounds simple, but there is a real difference between a child talking about a book they actually chose and love, and a child writing a book report. The second was Grade 4’s poetry writing. Students wrote in Chinese or English, on whatever they wanted. At the celebration session they read their poems aloud and shared what inspired them. I heard a few. They had their own voice to them.
In Secondary, students competed in a classical poetry challenge — recitation and comprehension, with House points at stake. Getting middle schoolers genuinely engaged with classical Chinese poetry is not easy. The format worked. It was more energetic and competitive than I expected.
The main events of showcase week have wrapped up, but the reading month has left its mark. If your child mentions a poem or a book at home this week, then something from this time has genuinely stayed with them.
Thank you for your companionship and support throughout.
