Hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and organized by the Shanghai Educational Center of Science & Art and Shanghai High School International Division (SHSID), “The City I Live in: Shanghai”—2019 Shanghai Schools for Children of Foreign Personnel Student Essay Competition Ceremony took place in the SHSID Grand Auditorium on December 11th, 2019.

Li Yongzhi, the deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Luan Xuelian, the Deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission’s International Exchange Department, Lu Ye, the director of the Shanghai Educational Center of Science and Art, more than twenty principals from different international schools in Shanghai, many of the award winners and their teachers, and students and teachers from SHSID gathered in the Grand Auditorium for this wonderful award ceremony. Mr. Li spoke highly of this essay competition, and Mr. Feng Zhigang, the principal of Shanghai High School, delivered a welcome speech.

Thirty essays were submitted from SHSID, and many of them received the first prize, the second prize or the third prize award in the primary school, middle school and high school group levels. Seven teachers from SHSID were awarded the title of Outstanding Instructor. SHSID was awarded both the Cultural Communication Award and the Outstanding Organization Award.

Six programs from six different schools were staged at the ceremony, all of which were adapted from prize winning works of this year’s essay competition. Taking on various artistic styles and diverse mediums, the performances showed the students’ love for their second home—Shanghai—as well as their enthusiasm for learning about Chinese culture. The dramatic recitation of “Forty-five-line Poem” performed by SHSID students was adapted from “Ode to Shanghai --- Forty-five-line Poem”, a first prize winning poem written by Jiang from SHSID. Through its concise but lyrical words, this seven-character poem depicted the historical development of Shanghai, showing how a small fishing village changed into the gorgeous metropolis of the present. This stunning piece was met with a warm round of applause.

The ceremony concluded with a dramatic recitation of “I Love Shanghai” performed by teachers from multiple schools for children of foreign personnel.

In organizing this award ceremony, SHSID’s attentive student volunteers and efficient support staff impressed the audience and helped ensure the overall success of the event. We would like to give a heartfelt thanks to all the people who contributed to this outstanding award ceremony!