By Fr Jos. Toan, SDB

Huong Tran, Vietnam, 4 September 2023 -- On September 1st, 2023, at Don Bosco Huong Tran Community, Cam Khe District, Phu Tho Province, the Opening Ceremony of the New School Year 2023-2024 took place with the presence of all Salesians of the community, teachers and about 200 students with special needs from grade 2 to grade 9. This was also a very valuable opportunity for the Salesians and teachers to meet with the children to encourage them about morality, humanity, and knowledge.

Although teaching has always been of great interest to the Salesians and teachers at Don Bosco Huong Tran Community, this year, in a special way, it has been prepared in a more systematic and professional manner with curriculum, rules, and more qualified teachers. We know that Phu Tho - a Northern Midland province, where the Salesians of Don Bosco are serving, is home to people with low cultural levels, and families do not pay much attention to their children's education. Therefore, it is very difficult to find qualified teachers for general education. In addition to a few teachers and a few friends who have finished university to help, all the Salesian priests of the Community have to participate in teaching.

With the presence of a Salesian priest in the classroom, parents are very happy and excited to send their children to evening cultural tutoring. On the first day of school, students came in large numbers and participated actively. At the beginning of the opening ceremony, Father Joseph Nguyen Van Toan, who is in charge of the school, gave a speech encouraging the children to love learning because only learning can help people develop comprehensively. The learning he referred to includes intellectual, ethical, and human learning. Father Joseph also invited all students to SAY NO to cell phones and cigarettes, especially e-cigarettes. He also explained to the children about the harmful effects of misuse of cell phones and e-cigarettes. This was followed by a speech by Father Joseph Nguyen Vu Thanh Xuan, who encouraged the children to be grateful, then, a speech by a teacher, a speech by a parent representative, and finally, the promise to study well and respect the rules of a student representative.

The opening ceremony ended at 10:00 a.m., teachers and students left with joy because they believed that the new school year would be successful. Together we entrusted the new school year to the providential hands of God through the intercession of the Virgin Mary.

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