All members of Tsinghua International School (THIS) community – including faculty members, students and their parents – participated in the long-awaited annual Sports Day on Sept. 20, 2025.
Sports Day is a traditional THIS event to strengthen friendships and community and a joyous occasion where THIS Core Values – wellbeing, collaboration, respect, integrity, innovation, leadership – as well as harmony and sportsmanship will shine.
Sports Day showcases a strong sense of unity and dynamic energy that defines the school year ahead.
At Sports Day's opening ceremony, THIS Executive Principal Zhu Ying (Renee) said THIS is a community where every student is valued.
Principal Zhu encouraged students to dedicate their energy and joy to this day, explore the field, exhibit the courage to try their best and share laughter with their teammates.
Principal Zhu:
"Sports are not just about scores. They are about learning, resilience, testing your limits – and that is growth."
To commence the Sports Day was a 30-minute Lap-a-Thon to see who would display the most Spartan Spirit and run the most laps. This item also encourages everyone to participate in sports and a healthy way of life.
The Spartan Family / Homeroom or individual that have completed the most laps would be honored at the closing ceremony with the Spartan Spirit Awards.
On the sun-drenched track, every community member ran with full dedication. Soaked with sweat yet unwavering in determination, they embodied the spirit of "No Sports, No Tsinghua" with every step. Among them, Noel Wang from Class 6W delivered a particularly outstanding performance. With remarkable endurance and perseverance, he became the undeniable focus of the event by completing an impressive 22 laps.
Meanwhile, the "Amazing Cheetahs Team" from the Primary showcased exceptional teamwork. Through mutual encouragement and unwavering support, they earned the "Spirit Award" by achieving the highest total number of laps as a group.
(Full list of awards given is at the bottom of this post).
This year's Sports Day, as usual, was divided into the Primary Group and the Secondary Group.
For Primary Students, THIS PE Department thoughtfully arranged fun events such as Crab Relay Race, Shooting Target Kick, Circle Target Throw, Shooting Target Hand, and two Obstacle Courses, which created enough fun for everyone, prompting their best laughter.
For Secondary Students, a Basketball Target, Football Target, Obstacle Courses and Tetris were equally interesting whereas sprints (50m) and a relay run (4x100) were a serious test of their physical strength, especially the explosive power.
THIS PE Department
Ultimately, this year’s Sports Day embodies Growth we embrace this year. The PE Department has poured weeks of hard work into planning this event, and we are delighted to see our entire community come together to enjoy the day, share in the camaraderie, and celebrate our collective spirit.
Parents' Involvement
Students' parents are always part of THIS Community. It is our gratitude that the Parent Council and parent volunteers once again took an active role in this year's Sports Day.
Logistics Group: meticulously transported items to and from the venue, neatly organizing everything.
Sales Group: transformed into top-notch salespeople, brimming with creativity, and prepared gifts for the parents participating in the Lap-a-Thon, conveying warmth.
Cheerleading Group: were also incredibly effective, fully engaging the parents in the activities and ensuring they spent an unforgettable Sports Day filled with laughter and joy.
Photography Group: ran around with their cameras, capturing every exciting moment of the sports meet for everyone.
Their presence was instrumental in enhancing community engagement. In addition to their participation in Lap-a-Thon, the parents enjoyed the activities planned for them as well – Race Bags, Dragon Caterpillar and a mini-American football match.
The success of every THIS event hinges on the strong support of the parents, whose actions exemplify THIS as a warm and loving community.
At the same time, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the parents who sponsored this Sports Day. Your generous contributions provided essential support, including bottled water, sports beverages, and funds for prizes, making you the solid backbone of the event.
Special thanks go to the following parents: Irish Du, mother of Alaia Yin (1P); Feng Lin, mother of Evelyn Song (3P); Huang Danning, mother of Ethan Lin (7P) and Mackenzie Lin (3P), and Meng Bin, dad of Libby Meng (10P); Lu Dongming, father of Nathan Lu (6L); and Zhang Jiarong, mother of Tank (2P), along with many other parents.
List of Awards
Primary Spartan Awards: One to each Spartan Families for participation.
House Award: Purple (12P will keep it, Purple Homeroom won the greatest number of points from G6 to G12).
Spartan Lap-a-Thon Individual Award: Noel Wang (6W)
Spirit Award: Amazing Cheetahs
G6 Respect: 6W
G7 Wellbeing: 7P
G8 Integrity: 8P&8L
G9 Collaboration: 9P
G10 Innovation: 10P
G11 Leadership: 11L
G12 Tsinghua Spirit: 12P&12L
