29 May 2026
On 16 May 2026, Lutanda McLeod (Year 11 DAC) and Nicholas Edwards (Year 9 HWD) competed in the 19th Hanyu Qiao Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students (SA Region). The competition took place at the Plane Tree Centre and required all contestants to complete a written examination, deliver a speech in Chinese, and perform a Chinese cultural item on stage.
Lutanda delivered a speech in Chinese reflecting on how his Year 9 China study tour inspired him to continue learning Chinese. Nicholas spoke about how Adelaide’s Chinatown can be utilised to deepen understanding of Chinese culture and provide opportunities to practise Chinese language skills.
For their cultural performances, both students chose the clarinet as their musical instrument. Lutanda performed the well-known Northeast Chinese folk song Cradle Song (东北民歌《摇篮曲》), while Nicholas performed the famous Chinese song I Love You China (《我爱你中国》), incorporating both piano and clarinet. It is worth mentioning that Nicholas undertook the challenging task of rearranging the music himself so he could perform piano accompaniment alongside the clarinet on stage.
It has been wonderful to witness the learning journeys of both students. Lutanda delivered a fluent and confident speech in Chinese, while Nicholas demonstrated perseverance and courage in achieving his result despite challenges prior to the competition.
Through their commitment, resilience, and willingness to embrace new challenges, both Lutanda and Nicholas reflected our school motto, Strong and Lovely – Shining through in all endeavours. Their participation and achievements are a celebration of sustained effort, growth, and enthusiasm for learning.
Special thanks to the Head of Languages, Dr Gracia, for attending the competition and providing encouragement to both Lutanda and Nicholas.
Fangfang Qiu
Coordinator of Chinese
