“It is not my own passion and enthusiasm but that of the two Founders, the Board of Directors of Thai Hung Trading Joint Stock Company, the Board of Directors as well as the entire staff, teachers and employees of Iris School. The unity and solidarity of everyone has created Iris School - the happy school it is today” - Dr. Bach Phuong Vinh - General Principal of Iris School , shared in an interview with us on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of Vietnamese Teachers' Day (November 20, 1982 - November 20, 2023) and the 5th anniversary of Iris School's establishment (2018 - 2023).
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| Open Day 27/07/2019 – The day Iris School first opened. |
During your nearly 20-year career ineducation, what are you most passionate about and most eager to accomplish?
As a fortunate encounter of life, I myself have nearly 20 years of working in the education sector, always yearning to build a truly positive, truly new school that can keep up with the development of the times in Thai Nguyen, the land of tea.
Understanding that, my family, siblings, friends, colleagues and associates have encouraged, supported and motivated me greatly to ignite my passion and aspirations.
When we started the process of brainstorming and planning for the establishment of Iris School, my colleagues and I were initially very excited. Gradually, when we analyzed the operation - existence - development of a quality school according to international standards, I felt restless and worried.
That worry in me mostly comes from thinking about the word “responsibility”. It is not only responsibility to myself, responsibility to my family, but also responsibility to my students, parents, and community.
So, Iris School came to me or I came to Iris School, I don't know. I only know that it is a dream that has come true, because the school was created and nurtured with the passion and dedication of not only me but also the two Founders, the Board of Directors of Thai Hung Trading Joint Stock Company, the Board of Directors as well as the entire staff, teachers and employees of the School.
Looking back on the 5-year journey of starting and building Iris School, what do you remember most and are most proud of?
I remember someone saying “Doing what you love is freedom, and loving what you do is happiness”, fortunately and happily, with Iris School, I find myself and my colleagues having both freedom and happiness in that sense.
Over the past years, the teachers as well as the staff of the School have devoted all their passion and enthusiasm to creating a wonderful learning environment for students, where they are nurtured in their passion for learning, and are free to explore and assert themselves in all fields.
It's wonderful, today I can proudly say that Iris School has truly become a happy school not only for the students but also for the entire staff, teachers and employees of the School.
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| Dr. Bach Phuong Vinh encourages students on the first day of school. |
In the very first school year, Iris School faced a huge challenge, the Covid-19 pandemic that took place globally. As the "captain ", how did she steer her ship to adapt and overcome?
The 2019-2020 school year marks the beginning of the School - officially bringing a dynamic, modern and internationally integrated educational environment to students in Thai Nguyen province and the northern mountainous provinces.
In the first school year, the school had 198 students in 13 classes. Also in this school year, the Covid-19 pandemic has greatly affected all areas of social life, including the education sector.
Never before has the organization of educational activities encountered such obstacles, difficulties, and challenges. However, at Iris School, our spirit is always proactive and positive, so the challenges caused by Covid-19 have been considered by the School as a driving force to overcome and conquer.
With the motto "temporarily stop going to school, not stop learning", teachers and students of Iris School have actively taught and learned online, helping students update their knowledge continuously and without interruption.
At that time, we did not talk much about difficulties and worries, instead we asked ourselves what should we do? We did not rely on or blame the situation, instead we sought to master the situation.
Practical initiatives in educational activities, flexible and effective online lessons, self-made antiseptic solutions… all have affirmed the courage, intelligence and great creativity of Iris members. Now, we can happily look at each other and say that we have had a truly successful and meaningful start.
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| Iris School has been implementing 2-in-1 teaching since the Covid-19 epidemic first appeared in Thai Nguyen. |
According to you, what is the most important thing for Iris School to gradually form its brand and gain the trust and love of students and parents?
One of the most important questions that always swirled in my mind when researching and learning about the educational model to implement the Iris School educational project was: What values will the School pursue to create? Or to put it in a more specific way, I need to seriously answer the question: What makes the Iris brand?
In the past, brands were products, built through advertising and communication, and driven by attitudes. Today, brands are experiences, built on design and technology, and driven by actions. In the future, brands are a school, a trend. They are built with a vision of the future and driven by beliefs.
If we provide a product, we are in the discount race. If we provide an experience, we are in the growth race. If we provide a trend, we are in the future race.
What race is our brand in? Iris School's answer is clear, we are looking towards the future! And that is what has created the trust and love of students and parents in a future that will be built right now at Iris School.
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| Dr. Bach Phuong Vinh led a delegation of Iris School students to participate in the VEX Robotics World Championship in Texas, USA. |
So what are the future development directions of Iris School, ma'am?
In order to move towards the future, the development orientation of Iris School in the coming time is to work together to create the best environment. That is a school where all students and families feel welcomed and treated equally; teachers and students adapt quickly to the needs and changes of the technological age; where there are appropriate and successful solutions that all families and communities understand and value; the school changes students and students make the school great; building generations of students with the full qualities of a global citizen, ready to integrate into the world in the future.
Thank you for this conversation!
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| Some interesting lessons at Iris School. |
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