Thang Long English and Vocational training School exceptionally end their academic year in December. After not having an in-person year-end ceremony for two years due to Covid-19, the school was finally able to host a special event on the 11th December celebrating the special achievements of all the teachers and students.
The event was held in the morning and provided a welcoming and exciting atmosphere for all attendees. Parents along with their children, whose faces of unhidden contentment and pride, also came and filled the venue. The ceremony opened with a spectacular dance performance from students of the Dance class.
A few words were shared by Mr. Damien Roberts, Executive Director of saigonchildren, where he stated: “When you come from tough circumstances, you must overcome more challenges than many people, and that makes you strong and resilient. By focusing on your education, recognising how strong you are, and by accessing the support and guidance this school provides, you will have all you need to be successful. So, congratulations on your commitment and hard work so far, congratulations on overcoming your challenges, and congratulations on your achievements.”
Ms. Thúy Hằng – the Principal of Thang Long school, summarised honourable achievements in teaching and learning throughout the past school in the past year. “The Covid-19 outbreak brought many challenges into our previous school year. But when looking back, we should be proud that we acknowledged, conquered and kept getting stronger day by day. And now, we are here to glorify what we have achieved, to congratulate our students who got outstanding results from international skills testings. There were 12 students earning MOS certifications (scored 769-1000/1000) and 17 ones passing the TOEIC exam (scored 510-955/990). Also, 20 young adults graduated from Vocational training courses and 18 of them have found jobs.”
Two students representing the group of graduands also gave a speech. The students were Nguyễn Vỹ Minh (who attended Culinary Training and has got a stable profession for 3 years) and Trần Ngọc Phương Thùy (who has studied in Thang Long School for 10 years and scored the highest mark on the last TOEIC test (955/990)).
Hi everyone, I’m Phuong Thuy. It is an honor for me to speak on behalf of all Thang Long School students and share how I feel about my experience at our school.
I’ve been a student at Thang Long School for roughly 10 years since I was a kid. Maybe I’m one of the most senior ones here.
When I was 6 or 7, I joined Ms. Thuy’s Art class. Five years in the art class has helped a lot in developing my skills like forming creative ideas or being meticulous in work or study.
Until I was 15, I had a lot of trouble using English. I could not speak English with other people, I was shy, and lacked confidence when using English. Then I came back to Thang Long School and joined an English class and it was a chance for me to have a far step on my educational journey. Besides learning English, especially in speaking, I have been trained in essential soft skills. I am really happy to join those classes because they are practical and necessary in my life. Moreover, I have opportunities to do volunteer work, go to many different places that I haven’t reached, and have many unique experiences with my teachers and friends. They are all unforgettable memories.
After completing the English course and joining the TOEIC test with a result beyond my expectation, I’m on my way to achieving the MOS certificate in our school’s computer class. Having these certificates will give me advantages in my future career. Actually, at the moment, I am an English tutor thanks to my English proficiency and soft skills. And next year, I wanna apply for an internship program . I’m sure that the things that I’ve learned from TLS will help me a lot.
TLS not only provides us with good education but also assistance when we have any difficulties. As you know, in 2021, we went through a really tough time when the whole world was fighting against Covid 19 pandemic. During that hard time, saigonchildren and TLS helped students, especially children who lost their parents with both physical things like the necessities and mental things like motivation. I’m sincerely grateful for that.
I am Nguyen Vy Minh, 22 years old, currently living in a small rented room.
I became an orphan when I was a little child. My mother handed me to my grandma for raising and nourishing me then. I grow up in the love and affection of my old grandma and my ants. They are also very poor and have to struggle with their difficult lives every day so even though they tried a lot for my studying, they could not afford me more studying. I have to leave school at the end of Grade 12 (High school) and cannot step into university, because we do not have enough money to pay for school fees.
I was luckily introduced to Thang Long School by Ward People’s Committee. I have a great opportunity to join Cooking Class, which I like a lot and I also have a dream to be a Good Cook right after leaving high school.
At the end of 2018, saigonchildren supported me for fulfilling my course of Western Cooking Class in Saigon Tourist. I graduated with Good Grades. Right after my graduation, Mrs. Phat introduced me to work in a wedding and convention centre. After the Covid pandemic subsided, I have been working for a restaurant in District 2 with a good salary that can help me support my family.
Even though I do not have good conditions to fulfill university studying, I still feel very happy and lucky to be able to support myself, have a good job and will continue devoting myself to this job.
The pinnacle moment of the celebration belonged to awarding individuals who had excellent accomplishments over the school year. After Ms Hà announced the list of academic result recognition, one by one the students queued in line and waited to receive their certificates of merit and to take commemorative photos.
The last two musical stagings included singing and dance performance of “Bống bống bang bang” and solo vocal performance of the well-known Christmas song “Feliz Navidad” to finish the school’s closing celebration.
The 2022 graduation ceremony at Thang Long School ended favourably and successfully. Saigonchildren, together with all teachers and students, will continue to work hard and strive to get ahead in order to reach higher achievements in the upcoming school year.