Middle school invites students to write school name to promote calligraphy

No. 3 Middle School in Huishui county, southwest China's Guizhou Province, has initiated an activity called "I Write the School Name" to motivate students to enhance their handwriting abilities.

Photo shows three calligraphy works featuring the name of No. 3 Middle School by the school's students. (Photo courtesy of No. 3 Middle School in Huishui county)

On Dec. 8, the school's name plaque was changed for the fifth time this year. The school name was written this time by Tang Weizhong, an eighth grader.

Photo shows calligraphy works by a student and a teacher of No. 3 Middle School in Huishui county, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo courtesy of No. 3 Middle School in Huishui county)

In less than one year, the school has transformed the students from having zero foundation in calligraphy to becoming good at calligraphy and being able to freely express themselves with their brushstrokes.

In the autumn of 2022, school principal Luo Kun convened a school-wide meeting with all the teachers. Following their discussions, they decided to focus on cultivating the students' calligraphy skills. The goal is to pass down the traditional Chinese culture and refine the students' abilities in both hard and soft brush calligraphy, ensuring that every graduating student can write beautifully.

A teacher imparts the fundamentals of calligraphy to students at No. 3 Middle School in Huishui county, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo courtesy of No. 3 Middle School in Huishui county)

Starting from the autumn semester of 2022, the school has designated the afternoon extracurricular time for calligraphy practice. Students now participate in daily sessions dedicated to honing their skills in hard brush calligraphy, while reserving a day each week specifically for brush calligraphy practice.

The school also includes calligraphy history as supplementary knowledge in extracurricular activities, teaching students to discern the different styles of calligraphy.

Aside from practicing Chinese calligraphy, the students also learn how to write in English. (Photo courtesy of No. 3 Middle School in Huishui county)

Luo said that throughout the year, calligraphy teachers have grown with the students, evolving from being able to teach only hard brush calligraphy to becoming versatile in all aspects of calligraphy.

In September 2023, the school initiated an activity called "I Write the School Name" to provide a platform to showcase the students' calligraphy skills. The activity received the enthusiastic support of the students, with over 1,300 students from all 24 classes actively participating, and eager to write the school name.

As of Dec. 8, the school had conducted five rounds of public selections to determine the winners of the calligraphy activity. The beautifully written school names have been displayed at the school's entrance.