Middle School students shine in inaugural poetry competition

Ms. Jin points out that more than a dozen students were involved in the preparation work for the poetry competition. At the onset of the process, the students felt somewhat intimidated by the many tasks they needed to complete. However, after Ms. Jin explained the purpose of the preparatory work, the students diligently sprang into action. For example, the team proposed using a buzzer system - similar to those used in game shows. The students held an exciting trial session to test the devices, allowing them to review the process together and discuss possible adjustments.

The preparatory team started preparing for the poetry competition at the beginning of the second semester. When recalling the first planning meeting, Y7 Jamie, a member of the event preparation team, said: "When I learned that I was planning the Middle School’s first poetry conference, I was a little nervous.”

Jamie notes that planning for such a large competition is no walk in the park, but that she and her team members had confidence they could organize a successful event. Thanks to close cooperation between team members and teachers, the preparatory team quickly set a timeline and identified key milestones to be reached during planning. Each team member had specific tasks based on their expertise, including host selection, poster design, event promotion and the arrangement of performances.

In addition to the event preparatory team, a special host group was set up. Ms. Chen was primarily responsible for this group, which included four hosts: Y8 Anna, Y7 Miranda, Y6 Chris and Y6 Bobby. In her role supporting the hosts’ preparation for the event, Ms. Chen focused on several key goals. One was to ensure that the hosts’ distinctive personalities were able to mesh together seamlessly during the event. It was imperative that the students’ facial expressions, volume of speaking and the way they made eye contact were uniform. During the training process, Ms. Chen made recordings of each host’s rehearsal, so that each students could observe his/her performance and find areas for improvement.

Another key goal of Ms. Chen was to ensure the hosts could respond quickly to things that happened during the course of the poetry competition and maintain control of the situation. Unlike in the past, the four hosts led this event, with the teacher only providing support from the side-lines. 

It was crucial that the hosts had the ability to think on their feet and quickly steer things back on track if any unexpected situations arose. Further, the complexity of the questions and the need to coordinate rehearsal times required a well-organised approach.

President Wu presented award

certificate to Joshua.

Joshua, the champion of the poetry competition, has developed a keen interest in language translation since entering Pao School's bilingual environment. After reading the translated version of an English piece, he always returns to the original text and reviews it carefully. This method has allowed him to slowly but steadily strengthen his bilingual skills.

At the same time, he has benefited from the support of his teachers, who have encouraged him to delve deeper into Chinese poetry and learn more about Chinese culture outside the classroom. For instance, in his co-curricular time, Joshua visits the library and takes out books on ancient Chinese poetry. However, he does not just read poetry silently; he memorizes the poems and recites them aloud, so he can fully appreciate the poem's rhythm and cadence. 

Joshua has always been fond of Classical Chinese culture. As a child, he would often stand beside his grandmother as she copied Tang and Song dynasty poetry and landscape paintings. In his view, China’s ancient poetry brims with beauty and each idiomatic expression tells a small historical story. It was the richness of Chinese characters and their expressive power that inspired him to pursue a deeper understanding of China’s traditional culture.

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The preparation team encountered some difficulties as they planned the event. The most frustrating of these was the postponement of activities due to the pandemic. Although contestants and hosts had plenty of time to prepare, it was a different story for the preparatory team as planned activities had to be changed and altered. Moreover, the CCA time originally used for discussion and communication about the event was replaced with other activities due to scheduling conflicts. Eva from the preparatory team said that although it was unfortunate that certain parts of the event had to be cancelled, the students still managed to develop a good alternative plan for the competition. 

Ms. Jin, Head of Middle School Chinese, 

at Student Poetry Competition

According to Ms. Jin, she and the team referred to the types of questions used at CCTV’s Chinese Poetry Congress and carefully selected the best topics to use during the event. Each poetry competition has a distinct theme, with the inaugural event focusing on Tang Poetry. The authors of these poems featured at the Middle School’s poetry competition are all luminaries in the history of Tang poetry and literature. The poems’ elegant rhythm and vivid descriptions are moving, and the timeless themes the authors explore are still relevant today.