Every year, over a thousand students from across the country compete in the Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools (CLASS) Essay Contest. We are thrilled to announce that of those more than a thousand students, IMS had five students participate in the contest this school year, and all five received prizes for their writing.

This year’s theme for the Essay Contest was centered around sports in honor of last summer’s Olympics. Our sixth through eighth graders were tasked with answering the question, “What benefits do sports and exercise have on you, your family, and your community?” while our ninth graders were posed with “What does practicing a sport allow you to accomplish?” Two questions that IMS students are very familiar with answering as our school fosters a love for sports and the outdoors with our mountain at the center of our culture and community. 

Students were invited to participate in two categories of the contest. The Heritage Group, which includes students whose first language is a Chinese dialect or who have achieved fluency in Mandarin through extended residence abroad. And the Regular Group, which consists of students who are learning Mandarin as a second or foreign language.

The following students received recognition for their writing in the corresponding categories:

Heritage Group

🥇 Gold Prize (Advanced Level): Kristin Wells

🥈 Silver Prize (Advanced Level): Elyse Lau

🥈 Silver Prize (Intermediate Level): Justin Lei

Regular Group

🥈 Silver Prize (Intermediate Level): Albert Kim

🥈 Silver Prize (Intermediate Level): Si-Yoon Rhee

"These students have demonstrated incredible talent, creativity, and commitment to Chinese language learning. Their success is an inspiration to all of us!"

Thomas McGlone, IMS Global Languages Department Chair