Activities and Sport Weekly Update - Nov. 21
APAC ARTS SEASON 1 SUCCESS
APAC Orchestra
APAC Orchestra took place at SAS PX this past weekend, 13-15 November. Students have been preparing the advanced level music since August, and had the opportunity to work with international conductor Wes Kenney. After three full days of rehearsals, they performed their concert on Saturday 15 November to rousing applause.
Repertoire included:
Ancient Airs & Dances - Respighi
Novelletten - Coleridge-Taylor
8 Chinese Folk Songs - Zhou Long
Funky Chicken - Kechley
Bravo to all the string students for their excellent musicianship and hard work!!
Visual Arts Invitational
Five High School students enjoyed three days of learning and creating with Kool Koor at the visual arts invitational held at SAS PX last weekend. This was a pilot program as we test ideas in the hope for the visual arts to be an official APAC festival further down the line. Ms. Vanek and the Concordia students gained a lot from the experience, and were glad to reconnect with Kool Koor.
APAC Dance
The APAC Dance team travelled to Guangzhou last week to participate in three days of dance workshops, collaborative choreography, and cultural activities that culminated in a final dance showcase. Aside from performing their six-minute dance piece, they also performed pieces that they choreographed with students from four other APAC schools during their time together.
Super APAC Choir
Concordia co-hosted the first ever Super APAC Choir with SAS Pudong last weekend, with all 12 schools and over 200 students combining to perform together for the first time since APAC was formed in 1995. It was an emotional and memorable experience for students and Choir Directors alike. Kudos to Concordia HS Choir teacher, Mr. Sam Gaines, for planning such a fantastic event, and well done to the Concordia APAC Choir group for performing so well, and representing Concordia with pride.
Concordia, together with SAS Pudong, hosted the first ever Super APAC Festival last week! Featuring 12 individual school performances and 2 highly esteemed guest conductors conducting two separate mass choirs, these groups combined at the end of the event for the first time to create an ensemble of over 200 singers.
Concordia attended the festival with our APAC Group, Chamber Singers, and we were excited to invite our Men’s Choir Collegium as well. The Asia Choir Guest Conductor, Professor Christine Bass of Temple University, spend 2 days prior to the festival workshopping with our HS and MS ensembles and proving professional development to our choir department. Two Concordia students, Jayven C. and Winston W., were chosen as soloists and represented Concordia well. Congratulations to ALL of our performers and to a wonderful concert! A recording of the final concert can be found here:
Individual school performances
APAC Asia & Pacific Mass Choir Concert
Table Tennis
Congratulations to the Table Tennis team on a great showing at Phoenix Friday and at SISAC last weekend. Concordia secured the 3rd place trophy in SISAC for both the boys and girls. Don't miss the chance to see the Varsity Table Tennis team in action next week, with ACAMIS Table Tennis on campus from Thursday through Saturday. We welcome 13 schools from all across China in what promises to be an outstanding tournament! For more details, see the even website below:
https://www.concordiashanghai.org/experience/sport/acamis-table-tennis
12-Year-Old Swimmer Reaches National First-Class Athlete Standard!
When young swimmers chase their dreams and work hard every day, amazing things can happen. At the recent SSL Round 2 competition at DCSZ, the Concordia Phoenix Swim Team once again showed its strength. Our team brought 50 swimmers from Elementary, Middle, and High School, ages 9 to 15. Even with some High School members missing, the Phoenix spirit remained strong.
One of the brightest moments came from Grade 7 student Angela H., who won two gold medals in the Girls 11 to 12 50M Backstroke and 100M Backstroke. She also broke league records in both events (final confirmation of official records will be announced by SSL after reviewing all division results).
Most impressively, Angela swam 30.74 seconds in the 50M Backstroke, a time that is faster than the USA Swimming 11 to 12 Age Group 4A Motivational Standard and also meets the Chinese National First-Class Athlete standard. For a 12-year-old, this is an extraordinary achievement.
Her coach, Coach Lucky, shared her excitement: “She deserves an even brighter future.” Angela’s success comes from her perfect attendance, strong discipline, and determination. She shows us that hard work truly brings results.
This achievement is also connected to the continuous development of the Concordia swim program over the past five years. Our improved training system, which connects the Silver and Gold squads, focuses on time management, technique, mental preparation, and team spirit. These efforts are helping many swimmers grow and reach new levels.
Other Gold Squad swimmers, including Bella W., Sophia L., Brondon Z., Eric D., and Kobe C., reached the National Second-Class Athlete standard last year and are now aiming for the First-Class level. Meanwhile, the Bronze Squad’s 9 to 10 Girls Medley Relay Team broke a school record with their strong teamwork and determination, showing the bright future of our swimming program.
Every dive shows courage. Every practice brings improvement. The Concordia Phoenix Swim Team continues to show the true spirit of sports: never giving up and always striving to be better. The ACAMIS Championship is only two weeks away. We look forward to watching our Phoenix swimmers rise again and reach even greater heights.
Phoenix Friday
Thank you to everyone who attended Phoenix Friday last week and cheered on our Table Tennis and Basketball teams. Phoenix Friday is a time when the Concordia community comes together to show school spirit, break bread together, and to celebrate the wonderful community that we have at Concordia. Go Phoenix!
8th Graders Triumph at ACAMIS (HS) Cross Country
This past weekend, our 8th grade boys made Concordia history by claiming the U19 High School Boys' ACAMIS Cross-Country Championship in Chengdu. This is the first high school championship captured by a group of middle school students at Concordia. Competing against eleven other international schools, our team demonstrated exceptional grit and determination on a grueling 4.5-kilometer course. Charles L. led the charge with a remarkable 4th place finish, followed by Levi K. in 10th, Jason K. in 11th, and Oscar H. in 18th out of 40 runners. Their individual performances combined to secure a well-deserved team victory that speaks volumes about their training, perseverance, and competitive spirit.
What made this achievement even more special was the heart our team showed throughout the weekend. Daniel W., though sidelined with a broken arm, traveled with the team and provided invaluable support and encouragement from the sidelines—a true representation of what it means to be part of a team. Our boys faced one of the most challenging courses of the season against runners much older than them, but they rose to the occasion with resilience and camaraderie. Congratulations to our champions and thank you to everyone who supported them on this incredible journey!
