The 2025 PYP Starlight Storytelling Competition

The 2025 PYP  “Starlight Storytelling Competition” Concludes Successfully.

 

May 30th – The grand finale of the 2025 “Starlight Storytelling Competition,” a campus Chinese storytelling competition, concluded with enthusiastic applause! This event was specially designed for PYP students learning Chinese as an additional language. It not only provided a stage to showcase their Chinese language skills but also offered a meaningful opportunity to deeply experience Chinese culture.

 

Language as the Foundation, Culture as the Bridge

In daily school life, PYP Chinese language acquisition students often lack platforms to demonstrate their achievements. The “Starlight Storytelling Competition” was born to address this gap—encouraging children to speak confidently in Chinese and share their perspectives of the world through storytelling. This aims to ignite their passion and confidence in learning Chinese.

 

Our deeper aspiration is for students to not only master the Chinese language but also to understand, appreciate, and fall in love with Chinese culture. We hope they become little cultural ambassadors who can share the beauty of China with the world.

 

16 Confident Groups, Expressing through Young Voices

Sixteen groups from P3 to P6 stepped into the spotlight with confidence. From traditional festivals to mythical legends, from original tales to classic fables, every story reflected their dedicated practice:

 

Lantern Festival and Chinese New Year highlighted the charm of traditional celebrations;

 

Original works like The Best Mom Competition and I Like to Eat Dumplings brimmed with childlike creativity;

 

Fables such as Never Mind, Three Monks, and The Frog in the Well blended humor with deep meaning.

 

Professional Judging, Witnessing Growth

The judging panel, composed of both local and international educators, evaluated performances across dimensions including pronunciation, intonation, fluency, expressiveness, and content relevance. After a comprehensive assessment, the awards were announced:

 

First Prize (Champions):

Tilly Griffin, Bella Griffin

Ethan Pan, Chloe Li, Kingsdon Wang

 

Second Prize:

Ella Na

Jessica Lee

Ethan Suh, Jaeha Baek, Leo Lee

 

Third Prize:

Mina Baek, Flora Lee, Leeon Kim

Hiba Fiaz

Eunice Cho, Esther Cho

Ella Wu, Avisha Vicho

 

Best Original Story Award: 

Sofiia Kovalenko

Most Promising Award: 

Jay Seo, Leo Ha; Emily Pan; Paul Kim

Best Cultural Story Award: 

Lilly Lee; Jeffrey Li; Jiyul Lim, Kanghyun Lim

 

A Moment of Cultural Immersion

In her opening speech, Head of School Dr. Lily Liu emphasized, “Telling stories in Chinese is not only a remarkable challenge but also a meaningful cultural experience.” Sharing her own language-learning journey, she encouraged students to speak boldly and embrace every opportunity to practice.

 

Deputy Head of School Mr. Lalor praised the students’ outstanding performances and highlighted the growing global importance of learning Chinese.

 

PYP Principal Ms. Marly concluded, “Language brings us together; culture makes our hearts resonate.” Her heartfelt words affirmed the students’ achievements and captured the deeper essence of the event.

 

PYP Coordinator Ms. Nicola noted that the participants embodied IB Learner Profile traits such as being risk-takers and communicators, bravely conveying messages and emotions through Chinese.

 

Telling a Story, Lighting a Star

The impact of the “Starlight Storytelling Competition” transcends competition. It serves as affirmation for language learners, an introduction to cultural appreciation, and an educational bridge that connects hearts across borders. The students, with their sincere Chinese, conveyed the beauty of China as seen through their eyes. That is the most moving kind of starlight.

 

We look forward to seeing more PYP Chinese language acquisition students on this stage in the future—telling stories, sharing culture, and shining brightly. See you again in 2026 under the starlight!

 

Click here for more details.

 

Author:

Primary Chinese Department