Touching words in the open letter of a school in Da Nang that does not accept flowers or gifts on November 20th

On November 15, Mr. Nguyen Thai Phong, Principal of Vo Thi Sau Primary School (Hai Chau Ward, Da Nang City) said that the school had just sent an open letter to parents, partners and sister units, asking permission not to accept flowers and gifts on the occasion of November 20 this year.

According to Mr. Phong, this is the first time the school has proposed this policy. In the open letter, the teachers expressed their wish that parents would turn their gratitude into practical gifts to send to teachers and students in the areas recently affected by storms and floods in the Central region, through official channels.

Vo Thi Sau Primary School has an open letter asking not to accept flowers or gifts on the occasion of November 20. Photo: GX

The open letter stated that November 20 this year comes at a time when many families and schools in the Central region are overcoming the consequences of natural disasters; many students still lack books and learning materials to return to school.

"As educators , we cannot help but feel anxious when our colleagues still have many difficulties returning to normal life, when students everywhere still have difficulty going to school," the open letter shared.

In that spirit, the teachers and staff of Vo Thi Sau Primary School decided not to accept flowers or gifts on this occasion.

The school believes that the gifts sent by parents to the flood-affected areas are “the most beautiful flowers of gratitude”. “It is also the most meaningful gift that teachers at Vo Thi Sau Primary School received on November 20 this year”, the open letter stated.

Previously, at the end of October, Vo Thi Sau Primary School announced that it would open the school gate for people to bring cars and motorbikes to park to avoid flooding caused by Storm Fangshen (Storm No. 12). The school also arranged 10 classrooms to serve as storm and flood shelters for people.

For 13 consecutive years, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City has refused to accept flowers and receive guests on the occasion of November 20. In 2025, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City will continue to refuse to accept flowers and gifts and will not organize receptions on the occasion of Vietnamese Teachers' Day, November 20. This is the 13th consecutive year that the Department has implemented this policy.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/loi-lay-dong-trong-thu-ngo-cua-truong-o-da-nang-khong-nhan-hoa-qua-dip-20-11-2462971.html