Thanh An commune (Can Gio district) is the only locality in Ho Chi Minh City with a geographical location far from the mainland. To reach the students on this island commune, teachers have to travel more than 40 minutes by ferry. Despite the difficult working conditions, the school still strives to bring a joyful and warm Tet atmosphere to the administrators, teachers, and students.
Warmth and joy at the end of the year.
For Ms. Tran Thi Nhung, homeroom teacher of class 5/1 at Thanh An Primary School (Thanh An commune, Can Gio district), the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Dragon 2024 marks her first time away from home after many years of working. Born and raised in Ha Nam province, after graduating from university, Ms. Nhung applied for a civil servant position in Ho Chi Minh City. After many years of teaching, she got married and had children in the island commune. This year, due to difficult economic circumstances, she and her husband decided not to fly back to Ha Nam for Tet, instead staying in Thanh An to celebrate the New Year with her colleagues and students at the school.
This year, for the first time, Thanh An Primary School organized a traditional rice cake-making festival with the participation of all students, teachers, and parents. After cooking, the rice cakes were distributed to the classes for students and teachers to enjoy, while the remaining cakes were donated to needy families on the island commune. In addition, the teachers gathered for a year-end party with various cultural performances between different groups, creating a joyful atmosphere for the upcoming Tet holiday.
“My union group performed the song ‘Going Home’ by composer Hua Kim Tuyen with the message we wanted to convey to our colleagues: after a year of hard work, Tet (Lunar New Year) symbolizes reunion and togetherness, so everyone should try to return to their families, be with loved ones to chat and share the joys and sorrows of the past year,” Ms. Nhung said. Prior to this, from the beginning of January 2024, the classrooms were decorated with apricot and peach blossoms, and red couplets, bringing a spring atmosphere to the school grounds.
Similarly, for Mr. Bien Quoc Trong, a Literature teacher at Thanh An Secondary and High School, before the Lunar New Year holiday, teachers and students throughout the school participated in the "Celebrating the Party, Celebrating Spring" event with many team activities, folk games, and food stalls to create a joyful atmosphere at the end of the year. For the school's management staff and teachers, the school organized a year-end gathering to bid farewell to those teachers who were returning home for the Tet holiday. Those teachers remaining on the island commune received gifts from the school's management and trade union to ensure they had a comfortable and fulfilling Tet holiday.
Taking care of the well-being of the staff.
Mr. Nguyen Bao Ngoc, Principal of Thanh An Secondary and High School, happily stated that thanks to cost savings during the school year, the additional income for the school's administrators and teachers this year is higher than last year. This money helps teachers have more resources for shopping and enjoying warm Tet holidays with their families. In particular, the year-end gathering aims to create a joyful atmosphere and strengthen unity among school members.
“My school has a total of 38 administrators, teachers, and staff. Due to difficult transportation conditions and limited income, the school leadership always pays close attention to motivating the team, helping teachers feel secure in their work and stay committed to the students in this island commune,” the Principal of Thanh An Secondary and High School expressed.
Regarding Thanh An Primary School, Principal Le Huu Binh shared that previously, the school had a large proportion of teachers from other provinces and cities across the country. However, after many years of service, most of the teachers have started families and settled down in Thanh An, considering it their second home.
Currently, the school only has three teachers from the mainland who travel by ferry to the island daily to teach. To boost morale, this year's Lunar New Year celebration included many activities such as decorating classrooms; a traditional rice cake-making festival; cultural exchanges; and scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. These activities aimed to create a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere, while also educating students about mutual support, solidarity, and sharing with the community.
At the 13th session of the 10th term of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, held in December 2023, the People's Council approved a Resolution on some specific policies for preschool children and primary and secondary school students in Thanh An island commune, Can Gio district, starting from the 2023-2024 school year.
Accordingly, the city will provide tuition support for preschool and primary school students residing in Thanh An island commune who are attending public educational institutions in the area. In addition, the city will also provide financial support for organizing two-session-per-day schooling for primary school students and lunch money for preschool children. Specifically, from 2024, students residing in Thieng Lieng hamlet, Thanh An island commune, who are attending public schools will receive support for lunch and ferry transportation costs.
MINH THU
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