On October 21, sixth and seventh graders held an English storytelling competition in the big auditorium. After two rounds of selection both in individual English classes and the entire grade, four students from each year entered the final showdown. It was clear to all listening that the performers were excellent storytellers. In the annual storytelling competition, students not only need to write their own stories, but they also must vividly narrate them so as to demonstrate their theatrical as well as linguistic skills. For many students, both performers and audience members alike, this is one of the best events of the entire year!

The sixth-grade students were tasked with writing either adventure or mystery narratives depending on their English level. Anthony from 6(1) wrote a story about two cookies who challenged a villain named The Devour, a monster who had forcibly taken over the kingdom. These two brave cookies displayed immense courage and wisdom by ultimately defeating The Devour and reclaiming their beloved kingdom.

Lorrain from 6(5) wrote about a boy, George, and his sister Doris, both of whom wanted to run away from an orphanage. A magic hammer helped them escape smoothly, but toward the end of the story, George and Doris realized that it was not the hammer but rather their kindness that made their escape possible.

Harvard from 6(2) imagined a world rocked by a mysterious murder. Over 206 bones were discovered in a random family’s backyard following a series of killings by a cloaked man. The only clues left behind pointed to something that happened to the family’s grandmother. Tom, the elder son of the family, tried to unmask the mastermind behind it all and made astonishing discoveries in the process.

Victoria from 6(5) entitled her narrative “The Fire of Revenge.” In it, the famous Dr. Watson, Charles Dickens, and Florence Nightingale were all having dinner together in Sir Collins’ house. That is, until Sir Collins was found dead in the study after attending to a mysterious telegram. The guests then searched for the murderer and eventually uncovered the culprit with the help of a servant.

All of these stories were riveting from beginning to end, providing the audience with imaginative and thrilling entertainment. They were deeply immersed in the worlds that these performers created, both through their written words and passionate narration. We already can’t wait for next year’s stories!

For the Storytelling Competition, Grade 7 was tasked with creating a coming-of-age story or retelling a myth in a modern setting.

This time, four students passed many rounds of selection and finally came to the finals. Among them, 7(10) Spring mentioned in her speech that she once hated homework and refused to focus on it, but throughout the coming of her age, she learned and found her mistakes. Eventually, she grew into a girl who had positive energy and passion for studying. 7(5) Harvey told a story about the main character Kalo defeating his childhood super villain—Ulto-man and learning to respect and love his parents. 7(1) Sara's story is about a young orphan named Megan who follows her ideals to save her impoverished family but little does she know what she is about to unleash on her loved ones. The story by 7(3) Victoria is a retelling about the magnificent Norse god Loki Laufeyson who has started another crisis within his family. To save his career, he ordered for a competition to be held for two groups to save him from certain doom.

The students gave full play to their imagination, combined their thoughts in life with the writing skills learned in English class, and created many moving stories. The speakers spoke fluently, the stories were exciting, and the audience was deeply attracted. The warm applause is the best reward for their performances.

In the end, Mr. Key announced the result of the competition. Lorraine from 6(5) and Spring from 7(10) were the winners of S/S+ level, and the H/H+ level winners went to 6(5) Victoria and 7(3) Victoria. Mr. Shen Tianyuan, director of grades 6-8, presented the award certificates and prizes to the winners. And after awarding, the finalists picked the lucky draw among all the students of the whole grade. Each lucky student also received a special gift. This year’s storytelling competition ended smoothly. Let’s look forward to meeting again and going to the wonderful story feast next year!

(Written by Liu Chen, Gu Yuting, Hannah Bush Pictures by Ginger Edited by Huang Shiyuan, Brie Polette)