U19 Girls Basketball: A Journey of Growth - written by Mr Jason Cui.  The 2025 Chang’an Cup was a defining chapter for our young Hanova Hawks U19 girls’ basketball team—a story measured not by a final score, but by remarkable growth and resilience.

As one of the youngest teams in the tournament, our Hawks played with fearless determination. They completed the group stage with a perfect 3-0 record, a testament to the focus and teamwork cultivated through dedicated training.

The team's defining moment came in the semifinal. On a challenging opponent’s home court, they faced an early deficit but never wavered. Through relentless effort and composure, they executed a comeback victory in the final moments—a display of true character and collective will.

The championship game was another valuable learning experience. We faced a strong defensive team that tested us throughout. I have full confidence our players will absorb these lessons and continue to grow; such experiences are invaluable for a developing team.

Our season continues with upcoming friendly matches and the XIAC tournament ahead—each a new opportunity to build on the Chang’an Cup experience.

We extend our sincere thanks to our school community and families for your unwavering support. This team’s true legacy lies in its heart and continual growth. We are incredibly proud to be Hawks!

Congratulations to Han House — Reading Islands Champions! - written by Ms Lydia Song. Congratulations to Hanova’s Secondary HAN House, champions of this year’s Reading Islands! Their victory reflects the dedication of HAN readers, demonstrating curiosity and perseverance.

Reading Islands is a House-wide activity designed to encourage Hanova’s Secondary students to explore books that build up IB Learner Profile attributes—especially Risk-takers and Inquirers. Students selected a book and reflected on its characters or themes, explaining how it connected to the targeted attributes. More reflections submitted earned additional House points, raising the competitive spirit.

From the very beginning, the race was exceptionally close. Each House showed strong determination and cooperation. But in the final stretch, HAN House pulled ahead, ultimately rising above the competition and securing the win. More importantly, the campaign  highlighted the value of reflective reading, resonating with the IB learning concept of reflection. 

Throughout the campaign, students engaged with a diverse range of titles. Some of the most frequently mentioned books included: Wonder by R. J. Palacio, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and the Warriors series by Erin Hunter.

In the Reading Islands competition, students also expanded their reading interests by exploring works by C. S. Lewis, Roald Dahl, Ray Bradbury, Rick Riordan, and many others—discovering new genres and authors along the way.

A big thank-you to students from all Houses for your enthusiasm and participation. Your engagement and reflective thinking made this campaign so very meaningful. We look forward to seeing even more reading adventures next semester!

Results of the Third Hanova Hard-pen Calligraphy Competition.  Last month, our students devoted significant time and effort to practicing their Chinese calligraphy skills, refining strokes, and completing their final pieces. They also actively participated in the voting process, carefully selecting the works they felt best demonstrated creativity, technique, and personal expression.

This year, we are proud to recognize 110 pieces with Highly Recommended Awards, highlighting the impressive level of talent and dedication across our school. In addition, we are delighted to announce the students who achieved First, Second, and Third Place in each group—an outstanding accomplishment reflecting both skill and perseverance.

To better understand the journey behind the winning works, let’s hear from our First Place Winners as they share their inspiration, challenges, and what they learned throughout the competition:

"I believe calligraphy is an integral part of my own culture, which is why, ever since I was young, I would frequently visit various museums to admire calligraphy works. Every stroke and every line in calligraphy conveys not only the literal meaning of the characters, but also a fusion of the calligrapher’s emotions and feelings in that moment. These works contain both restraint and freedom—they are graceful yet bold, much like the balanced temperament that makes up a person’s character. As the saying goes, “The writing mirrors the writer” (字如其人). Practicing calligraphy is, therefore, a way of tempering and refining oneself. For this reason, I hope that, whether I am pursuing the “beauty of writing” or striving to cultivate the “beauty of character,” I can continue to move forward on both paths without ever forgetting my original aspiration."  - Amy, Y12

"Through this competition, I have gained several qualities such as confidence and different useful skills. Even after this experience, I will keep my passion for Chinese calligraphy and work even harder on my Chinese." - Ann, Y9

"Thank you to the students and teachers for voting for my writing. " - Ellie, Y6

"When I heard that I won the first prize in the sixth-grade hard-pen calligraphy competition, I couldn’t stop smiling. My heart was filled with joy. It turns out that all those days of perseverance really pay off. I used to be in a hurry to write fast when practicing calligraphy. My horizontal strokes looked like small waves, and my vertical strokes were always crooked. Later, every day after finishing my homework, I would practice with calligraphy copybooks. First, I would carefully observe the shape of each character, then practice stroke by stroke. If I wrote a character badly, I would erase it and rewrite it—even when my wrists felt sore, I never stopped. I also want to thank all my classmates for voting for me.  This certificate is not the end, but a new beginning. I will keep practicing calligraphy earnestly and write every character neatly and properly!" - Josie, Y6

"I was very happy when I received the award, and I will continue to work hard!" - Selena, Y3

"I got the 1st place in Chinese writing! I’m so proud of myself. Because I practiced really hard. I’m so happy~ If you practice well, you can get 1st place, too！" - Jennie, Y3