New school year opening ceremony is special and full of emotions

Yesterday morning (September 15), students at all levels in the province joyfully welcomed the 2021-2022 new school year. Province-based schools held the new shool year opening ceremonies online, due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. This was a special school year opening ceremony ever for teachers and students of schools in the province. However, the opening ceremonies still left unforgettable emotions in the hearts of teachers and students on the threshold of the new school year.

Nguyen Hoang Thao (left), Pernament Vice-Secretary of provincial Party Committee presents a flower basket from provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, Fatherland Front Committee as congratulation to teachers and students of Hung Vuong specialized high school in Thu Dau Mot city on the occasion of opening the new school year.

Students attending new school year opening ceremonies online

As usual, the day of opening the new school year is the day students are excited because they can wear beautiful clothes and see their friends again after summer vacation. However, schools in the province kicked off the 2021-2022 school year opening ceremonies online, aiming to ensure teachers and students ‘health during the pandemic.

Nguyen Thi Nhat Hang, Director of provincial DoET received a symbolic board of online learning equipment support for students from VNPT Binh Duong

Yesterday morning, Hung Vuong specialized high school in Thu Dau Mot city held the opening ceremony of the 2021-2022 new school year directly in combination with online form. In the difficult circumstance, due to the pandemic, teachers and students of the school still felt warm when the ceremony had the attendance of Nguyen Hoang Thao, Pernament Vice-Secretary of provincial Party Committee; Vo Van Minh, Vice-Secretary of provincial Party Committee, Chairman of provincial People's Committee; Nguyen Van Loc, member of provincial Party Standing Committee, Head of provincial Party Committee’s Mass Mobilization Commission, Chairman of provincial Fatherland Front Committee; Truong Thi Bich Hanh, member of provincial Party Standing Committee, Head of provincial Party Committee’s Propaganda and Education Commission; Nguyen Loc Ha, member of provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice-Chairman of provincial People's Committee. Also attending the ceremony were representatives of teachers and students in all classes of the school. The rest of the school's students watched the ceremony online at home.

Being honored to represent the school’s students to attend the meaningful ceremony, Nguyen Ngoc Thao Uyen, a 10th grader of geography and history, touchedly shared: "Although we have welcomed the new school year opening ceremony many times, today we have a very special feeling. We can't wear new uniform to welcome the first day of the new school year. We can't hold hands with our friends and can't also make new friends. Learning online will also have certain difficulties. But with the honor of wearing a shirt named Hung Vuong, we will study hard to continue writing the yellow page of achievements for the school's tradition."

There were too many emotions on the special opening day of the 2021-2022 new school year. Although attending online new school year opening ceremonies at home, students were still neatly dressed in uniforms, standing solemnly to salute the national flag. Some also had the national flag prepared from their parents to perform the flag-saluting ceremony to welcome the new school year. This shows that students' desire to learn is extremely strong. For Pham Bang Bang, a 3rd grader at Lai Thieu primary school in Thuan An city, although watching the new school year opening ceremony online, she decorated her desk very beautifully with lovely vases of flowers. ..She was also dressed in uniform to celebrate the new school year opening ceremony. Having the same feelings with her classmates, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nhi, a 9th grader at Phu Chanh secondary school in Tan Uyen town shared: “We have entered the journey of discovering new knowledge. The 2021-2022 new school year opening ceremony was held without flags, flowers and animation from drum-beats, due to the pandemic. However, this does not affect the will of students in learning in general, and myself in particular."

Not only students, teachers are also looking forward to the new school year opening ceremony. Although being held online, the new school year opening ceremonies of schools were prepared very thoughtfully and took place solemnly, aiming to create a memorable impression for students. With schools being requisitioned as medical isolation areas, school administrators flexibly borrowed other schools' facilities or the halls of the People's Committees of communes and wards to organize the new school year opening ceremonies…

There are still teachers on frontline against pandemic

The new school year has begun, but the pandemic is still complicated. Many schools are still being requisitioned as concentrated medical isolation zones and many teachers are participating in Covid-19 prevention and control. Sharing with teachers and students of schools on the new school year opening ceremony, Tran Van Dong, Head of Tan Uyen town’s Education and Training Division said that the town still has teachers who did not attend the new school year opening ceremony. They  are still supporting the local Covid-19 prevention and control…with such significant activities as collecting samples for Covid-19 testing, delivering food and foodstuffs to people…They have brightened the image of the people's teachers who are always in the vanguard of all tasks.

Although schools hold the new school year opening ceremonies online, many students are still very eager and serious for participation. In picture: Nguyen Gia Linh in class 8A9 of Nguyen Trung Truc secondary school in Thuan An city salutes the national flag when participating in the online new school year opening ceremony.

“I hope that in the new context, teachers and students of all schools will overcome difficulties together to have a successful new school year. For  teachers, I hope they will constantly improve the quality and effectiveness of educational activities. For students, I hope they continue accumulating knowledge; practicing morality and lifestyle, overcoming difficulties when lacking learning devices to get the best learning results, deserving the expectations and sacrifices of family, teachers and society," said Mr. Dong.

Up to now, the whole education sector of Thuan An city has had 1,174 teachers participating in supporting Covid-19 prevention and control.  Although there are still many difficulties, teachers and students here are still determined to well perform the tasks of the 2021-2022 school year. Huynh Thi My Ngan, Head of the city’s Education and Training Division said that 100% of schools in the town have organized the new school year opening ceremonies online. They have also connected teachers, students and parents to well organize online learning amid the pandemic. The sector also well performed enrollment and replacement of books for grades 1, 2, and 6. In the situation of teacher shortage, the sector has directed schools to assign appropriate teaching tasks to teachers who do not participate in the fight against the pandemic by teaching online...

School drum was beaten, officially beginning the new school year. The Covid-19 pandemic has not been completely controlled in Binh Duong yet. It is a challenge for the province’s education and training sector in general. But, with teacher's enthusiasm, student's studious spirit, it is believed that the province’s education and training sector will strive to overcome difficulties to further reap success in this 2021-2022 school year.

The province’s education and training sector has organized online teaching in the first 2 months of the 2021-2022 school year, due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. However, the whole province now has more than 70,000 disadvantaged students who cannot participate in online learning. Provincial Department of Education and Training (DoET) has called on organizations and individuals to join hands in supporting these students, creating more opportunities for them to participate in learning. On the occasion of opening the new school year, units, enterprises and individuals gave over VND 1 billion, including cash and online learning support equipment, more than 90 sets of computers and equipment…to provincial DoET. The above valuable donation contributes to helping disadvantaged students further pursue their learning amid the pandemic.

Reported by Hong Thai-Translated by Kim Tin