Dragon Tales Blog

What an incredible weekend it was at the SSL Championships 2025! Our Hangzhou International School Dragons were amongst the medals as they put on a strong showing and closed out the SSL season in spectacular fashion, bringing home one gold, two silver, two bronze, and 18 other placements—and setting the pool on fire with their energy, drive, and undeniable Dragon pride.

Hangzhou International School was proud to recently host the ISTA Drama Festival, from 17-20 April. With 60 students coming from Hangzhou, Nanjing International School and Canadian Academy, Kobe, from across Middle School and High School (Grades 6 to 10), it was an incredible cross-cultural experience shared across age groups.

On a beautiful, sunny April morning, we were delighted to recently welcome our Hangzhou International School parent and noted artist, Lucie Loosová, who shared her home-style Czech recipes at our monthly PAFA Kitchen event, held in the school kitchen.

On Friday, 11 April 2025, the ‘Glitz & Glam PAFA Night’ truly lived up to its name, leaving everyone with smiles, beautiful memories, and a deeper appreciation for cultural diversity. Held at the elegant Conrad Hangzhou, the evening brought together over 80 Hangzhou International School parents for an unforgettable night of fun, music, and connection.

On Saturday morning, 19 enthusiastic students gathered at Hangzhou International School, their hiking packs brimming with food, tents, and essential gear. They were about to embark on their Qualifying Journey for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award—a significant milestone that emphasizes teamwork, resilience, and overcoming challenges. Where they show their skills in navigation with map and compass, camping and more.

Two high school sweethearts from HIS share their heartwarming tale of reuniting after a decade apart. Now residing in Kansas City, Missouri, the couple is busily preparing for their upcoming wedding in November this year. Amelia shares their story.

During her time at HIS, Prachi Sukhnani distinguished herself as a standout leader, representing HIS at various MUN conferences and ACAMIS competitions across Asia. After graduating from HIS in 2018, she pursued an engineering degree at the University of Toronto. Achieving her goal of becoming an engineer, she has now embarked on a successful career in the aerospace engineering industry.

Student-Led Conferences (SLCs) at Hangzhou International School (HIS) are a celebration of student learning, designed to empower students to take ownership of their learning journey. During these conferences, students reflect on their progress, share their achievements, and set future learning goals. This process promotes student agency, developing confidence, responsibility, and self-awareness as learners. 

Hangzhou International School (HIS) was proud to host the 2025 ACAMIS Green Division Football Tournament from 20-22 March 2025. Altogether 150 student athletes and coaches from six international schools across China converged on HIS to complete in this year’s divisional football tournament, following on from volleyball and basketball tournaments hosted earlier in the year in Hong Kong and Xi’an, respectively.

Congratulations to all our swimmers, coaches, and parents on a fantastic ACAMIS Junior Swimming Championships, held recently at Shanghai Singapore International School (SSIS). Despite facing long days in the pool, our 21 HIS Dragons swimmers performed exceptionally well, putting in their best effort, bringing home ribbons and medals, and making unforgettable memories.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) Biology curriculum has seen significant updates for the academic years 2023-2025. The revised curriculum deepens the HIS students' comprehension of Biology while also providing them with vital skills necessary for their future educational and career paths.

My passion for teaching English as a Second Language emerged after traveling through Europe, Australia, and Spain. It was during this time that I became fascinated by how English serves as a universal bridge, connecting people from different backgrounds. Being fluent in both Spanish and English, I often found myself bridging the gap by translating for others.

It was time for the unique flavors of Egypt at this month's Hangzhou International School PAFA Kitchen. Parents were thrilled to have Ms. Rene Smal, HIS Lower School Vice Principal and ECE Coordinator, share her exotic Egyptian recipes. Despite her busy and hectic schedule, she graciously volunteered to spare a morning for the PAFA parents. Thank you, Ms Rene!

What an amazing weekend for our incredible Hangzhou International School Dragons at the recent Shanghai Swim League Round 4, held at The British International School Shanghai, Puxi. A huge congratulations to our talented swimmers, dedicated coaches, and supportive parents! Our team achieved impressive results, bringing home 78 personal bests and 24 medals: 10 gold, 7 silver, 7 bronze, along with 14 ribbons for 4th to 6th place.

Our Hangzhou International School Robotics Teams recently competed in the ACAMIS VEX Robotics China National Championships, held at the Canadian International School of Guangzhou. The event brought together international schools from across China for two full days of intense competition.