Chinese Reading Marathon

Since November 2021, Chinese language students from GSN participated in an interesting and meaningful reading activity called the "Chinese Reading Marathon". In this challenge, students ranging from Grade 1 through Grade 8 were required to read for 42 consecutive days and at least one hour per week to complete the competition. In addition, students had to read one of the recommended books at their grade level. More than half of the students completed the reading marathon! Grade 7 student, Yoyo Xu shared that "Through reading books, I gain more knowledge and broaden my horizons. People say that reading can improve your writing ability, give yourself more inspiration for writing, and make your articles more knowledgeable."

After finishing the competition, students received awards such as customized stationary, pencils and notebooks. More importantly, with the encouragement of their teachers, not only did students have access to a wealth of high-quality books, expanding their reading range, but they also became more enthusiastic about reading. Many students continued to read each day after the activity, having successfully turned it into a habit and a hobby! Grade 2 student, Howie Dou, said "I learned a lot through reading. For example, I learned about the Ancient Chinese mythical animals and the buildings of the Forbidden City from the book Monsters in the Forbidden City."

The campaign also received recognition and support from parents, many of whom say their children not only continue to read at home, but also read for longer periods of time. Another participating student from Grade 3, Umi Xu, mentioned that: "Reading makes me feel happy and I gain a lot of knowledge. When I read Romance of the Three Kingdoms, I saw the heroes and their friends helping each other and working hard. It was such a wonderful thing!”