Under brilliant blue skies on October 13, the NIS community came together for one of the most anticipated days of the year — Sports Day! The weather couldn’t have been more perfect for a day filled with movement, laughter, and Dolphin spirit. From our youngest learners in the ELC to our Grade 5 leaders, students were eager to take part in an event that connects NIS to a cherished Japanese tradition while reflecting the school’s own international identity.
Sports Day at NIS is inspired by undokai, the much-loved sports festivals held at schools across Japan. Traditionally, undokai emphasizes precision, practice, and collective performance — students train for weeks to synchronize movements, perfect formations, and demonstrate discipline and unity. At NIS, we honor that same spirit of togetherness and celebration of physical activity, but we also infuse the day with our own philosophy of playful inquiry, inclusion, and creativity.
Rather than focusing on perfection, our Sports Day invites students to embrace experimentation, teamwork, and the joy of movement. The emphasis is on connection — with peers, teachers, and families. This reflects a key part of our mission: learning through experience, reflection, and collaboration.
The day began on the beautifully resurfaced Dixon Field with an opening ceremony of radio taiso — the classic warm-up that bridges generations across Japan, still to this day! From there, students rotated between the field and the gym, where they participated in events that blended East and West: relay races, sack races, obstacle courses, egg-and-spoon challenges, and even an inventive “Critter Launch.” Each event tested agility, stamina, coordination, and — perhaps most importantly — teamwork.
Maybe nothing more reflected the importance of teamwork than the multi-person “ski race,” where three or four teammates strapped themselves to a pair of long boards and had to move together in perfect rhythm. Success required patience, communication, and a shared sense of timing — much like traditional Japanese undokai team challenges, but with a lighthearted, laughter-filled twist.
While the energy on the field was electric, the true heart of the day wasn’t about winning or losing. It was about learning. Students discovered what it means to cheer for others, to lead, to collaborate, and to persevere — even when things didn’t go as planned. These experiences help nurture not only physical confidence but also emotional intelligence and resilience.
After a lively morning of games, families gathered on the field for a picnic lunch — a time to rest, reconnect, and enjoy the sense of community that defines NIS. The afternoon races and the always-popular tug-of-war (including the epic parents-and-teachers round!) capped off the day with laughter and pride.
Sports Day at NIS celebrates movement, joy, and togetherness — values deeply rooted in both Japanese culture and the school’s own mission to Inspire, Inquire, Include, and Impact. By blending the ‘spirit’ of undokai with our inquiry-driven, inclusive approach to learning, the event becomes more than just a day of games. It becomes a living example of what it means to grow, play, and learn — together. As Justin Yasonia, PYP Primary School Physical Education teacher explains, “At NIS we deviate from traditional “performances” and use the day for students to demonstrate their learning. The activities are designed to foster cooperation within competition while students display the skills, conceptual understanding and dispositions they developed and acquired in their first Units of Inquiry.”
In the PYP framework, learning is not confined to books or classrooms — it’s about developing the whole child. Sports Day embodies this philosophy by encouraging students to be balanced, caring for their physical well-being while fostering emotional and social growth. It provides authentic opportunities to become communicators, as students collaborate, strategize, and support one another; risk-takers, as they step into new challenges; and reflective, as they learn from both successes and setbacks.
To see for yourself… all the joy, the laughter, and the learning, please take a look at the photo gallery below!