In the refreshing golden autumn of October, the G1-3 Sports Carnival officially kicked off at the Puxi Campus of Shanghai High School International Division. By organizing a wide range of fun sports events, the carnival aims to enrich students’ campus life and cultivate their spirit of teamwork and courageous perseverance.

Accompanied by brisk music, students marched into the sports field in orderly lines, wearing exclusive carnival T-shirts and guided by class board holders. They were full of vitality and joy, eagerly looking forward to the upcoming sports celebration.

Mr. Walker hosted the opening ceremony, which officially commenced with a warm welcome to all distinguished guests. Aria Mi from Class 3-4 delivered a speech as the student athlete representative. Drawing from her long-term training experience in swimming and tennis, she shared her sincere insights. Sports temper one’s willpower and help students grow and improve through consistent perseverance. Although daily training is rigorous and exhausting, and there were moments when she wanted to give up, she always persisted, striving to win honors for her class in swimming competitions. She also shared practical tips on time management and how to balance sports training and academic studies.

Afterwards, Ms. Zhang Yi, Director of Grades 1 to 3, delivered the opening address. She expressed sincere gratitude to PE teachers, homeroom teachers and parent volunteers for their hard work and dedicated support. She encouraged all students that physical exercise not only improves physical fitness but also cultivates teamwork abilities. Rather than competition results, the spirits of wholehearted dedication, rule abidance and persistence are far more valuable. She hoped every student could participate actively, enjoy the fun of sports and gain happiness and growth through immersive experience.

The opening ceremony featured a grade slogan showcase. Following the powerful drumbeats from teachers, students from Grade 1 to Grade 3 stood up in sequence and shouted their grade slogans energetically. The loud and resonant chants echoed across the playground, fully demonstrating the positive team spirit and strong cohesion of each grade.

In addition to the slogan performance, students presented a vibrant group sports dance. After warm-up exercises, cheerful and dynamic music filled the air, and all students danced in neat formation. They waved their arms and jumped nimbly with tidy and energetic movements. Golden and silver pom-poms fluttered in the air, making neat rustling sounds like gorgeous fireworks blooming in the sky.

The opening ceremony also included an entertaining caterpillar dash friendly match between teachers and parent volunteers. Teachers and parent volunteers formed teams to compete on the same field. Cooperating closely and moving in unified rhythms, they sprinted forward together. The field was filled with constant laughter and joy, pushing the opening ceremony’s atmosphere to a climax.

Finally, Mr. Liu Lian, Principal of SHSID Primary and Midddle School, officially announced the start of the G1-3 Sports Carnival. Cheering loudly, students threw themselves into various fun sports events with great enthusiasm.

The official competitions were splendid and diverse. Students from all three grades took turns participating in three classic relay events: Obstacle Relay, Water Relay and Boulder Run. Each relay event featured unique fun and challenges. All students devoted themselves fully and strove for excellence, creating an intense and vibrant atmosphere on the field.

The Obstacle Relay was dynamic and challenging. Students weaved around sports cones in a zigzag path, walked nimbly across the balance beam, and stepped over small hurdles one by one. They then found and tapped the red reaction light under three blue markers, placed the markers back in position, sprinted to the turning point and raced back to high-five their teammates for handover. The next student set off immediately after the handover. With smooth movements and quick responses, every student spared no effort to compete for their class.

The Water Relay tested both speed and carefulness. Some students sprinted at full speed with light and swift footsteps to catch up with the team progress, while others moved steadily to hold the water-soaked sponge firmly and reduce water spillage. All students balanced speed and stability to complete smooth relay handovers. By cooperating and coordinating closely, every team tried their best to collect more water in their class bucket within six minutes.

The Boulder Run required high concentration and precise control. Students bent down to push the ball forward steadily while carefully avoiding collisions with markers. Maintaining full focus throughout the race, they completed every relay handover smoothly. Each group’s competition was well-organized, intense and delightful to watch.

The excitement continued after the relay races. In the caterpillar dash, students competed in teams of six, sitting astride the inflatable caterpillar equipment. They adjusted their steps mutually and advanced forward in unified paces following team chants. When the last caterpillar crossed the finish line, students jumped and high-fived each other in celebration, with bright smiles glowing on their flushed faces.

The corn-hole toss game tested students’ patience and focus. Each student was given three throwing attempts. Standing at the throwing line, every student calmed down, observed the target hole carefully, and adjusted their standing position and throwing posture repeatedly. They fine-tuned their strength and angle before releasing the prop ball steadily. Students never felt discouraged by occasional misses and adjusted their state promptly for another try. Every successful goal won warm cheers, filling the entire field with a relaxed and joyful atmosphere.

The double ice-cream relay was highly interesting and challenging. Paired students each held a sports cone to clamp a basketball and ran forward together. Focusing intently, they cooperated tacitly to bypass obstacles along the track. Some teams accidentally dropped the basketball during their run, but they never gave up. They quickly picked up the ball, adjusted their posture and rushed toward the finish line again.

While various fun events were underway, thrilling 50-meter sprints took place on the east and west runways. Students lined up neatly in designated lanes. As the starting whistle blew, they sprinted forward like arrows leaving the bow. The breeze brushed their flying hair, and their vigorous running figures in the sunshine embodied the most beautiful demeanor of youthful teenagers.

Besides the competitive events, students can also try fun challenge activities such as the Half-pipe Relay, Human Chain, and Sack Race, enjoying the joy of sports to the fullest.

Throughout the entire carnival, all students participated earnestly and devoted themselves wholeheartedly. They strove for the best and encouraged one another during competitions. Beyond speed and skills, they demonstrated fine qualities including solidarity, friendship and perseverance. Students sweated diligently on the field, gained joy from sports, and achieved steady growth through cooperation and competition.

The successful holding of the carnival relied on the elaborate planning and organized arrangement of teachers, as well as the dedicated support of parent volunteers. To ensure standardized, safe and efficient competition, parent referee volunteers attended special training sessions in advance. They thoroughly familiarized themselves with role duties and competition rules to make full preparations. During the event, all volunteers performed their responsibilities earnestly. Parent referees assisted PE teachers with on-site judging, while parent class volunteers helped homeroom teachers take care of students, maintain on-site order and record wonderful moments. Every brilliant scene and every student’s safe and happy participation was inseparable from the diligent work of teachers and volunteers.

Although the Sports Carnival has come to a successful end, the positive sports spirit of diligence and perseverance will always accompany students’ growth. The courage to stand up again after falling and the dedication to strive for a common goal represent the most charming part of sports. It teaches us that one person can run fast, but a group of people can run farther and happier.

May all students cherish the joy of sports and the trust of their partners. Carry forward the tacit cooperation and perseverance gained on the sports field into daily study and life, embrace challenges bravely, pursue continuous progress, and grow up positively and courageously.

(Written by Qian Li

Pictures by Siying Li,  G1-3 Teachers, Parents Volunteers

Reviewed by Yi Zhang, Shiyu Wu, Grace Gilmore)