Spirit Week at Hiba Academy Nantong
Seventeen national flags rippled like a rainbow against the azure sky, marking the beginning of an extraordinary cultural celebration at Hiba Academy Nantong. Far more than five special dates on the calendar, this Spirit Week unfolded as a transformative journey where each pupil experienced a week long celebration of diverse food, culture, and people.
Monday's focus is Food Sustability. Our cafeteria became an immersive eco-classroom. A vibrant vegetarian feast, both healthy and visually appealing, even the pickiest eaters quietly cleaned their plates. Their spotless trays serving as silent vows to protect our planet. These small acts revealed not just good manners, but the sprouting seeds of environmental protection. Sustainability takes root through daily act.
The essence of our "Be You. Be United." philosophy came alive in countless unscripted moments: when pupils spontaneously burst into traditional folk songs during the International Day parade; when the victorious House erupted in triumphant cheers at the Earth Day bottle-cap recycling challenge; when two formerly quarreling classmates exchanged handmade apology cards on Pink Shirt Day. These moments tell us: only by embracing one's authentic self can we genuinely honour the uniqueness in others.
Each carefully crafted activity served as a portal to global understanding. The Clean Plate initiative taught reverence for every grain of rice; the International Day festivities transformed abstract "cultural diversity" into tangible scents, flavors, and textures; Earth Day's interactive quizzes turned environmental awareness into heartfelt conviction; while every pink shirt became a walking manifesto against bullying. Behind the laughter and games, pupils grasped International Week's profound lesson: differences aren't barriers, but rather interesting stories waiting for us to explore.
"Unity in diversity" in this Spirit Week could be tasted in homemade empanadas, felt in the weave of a Korean hanbok, and heard in the multilingual chorus of children's laughter. At Hiba Academy Nantong, every distinct "you" finds belonging, and through these authentic connections, our collective "us" story grows ever more extraordinary.
