The Northern California Chinese School Association held its 48th annual Thanksgiving dinner on December 14th (last Sunday) in the South Bay to express gratitude to the overseas Chinese community leaders who have been supporting the development of Chinese education for the past year, as well as to the association’s colleagues, school principals, teachers, and volunteers, extending sincere thanks to everyone.
The event attracted over 70 guests, including Guo Huizhen, head of the news section of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, Dong Qingfeng, head of the education section, Cai Jiahua, Deputy Director of the South Bay Overseas Education Center, Overseas Chinese Affairs Commissioner Wei Dezhen, as well as advisory commissioners Li Hanwen, Lu Yuzhen, Lin Meilian, and Li Wenxiong.
During the dinner, President Fu Qijun and Vice President Liao Xiujing sang “The Same Sky,” setting the atmosphere for the evening. Fu Qijun explained that they chose to sing this song because everyone is under the same sky, sharing the same educational ideals, and hoping to work together to create a better learning environment for overseas students.
He expressed special thanks to the 75 volunteers, known as the “Red Ants” for their dedication and unpaid contribution to various activities, serving as a vital pillar for the association’s operations.
Fu Qijun mentioned that the Northern California Chinese School Association is the largest Chinese school alliance organization in the United States, and he felt honored to lead this team, looking forward to continuously uniting community forces and injecting more energy into Chinese education in the future.
Guo Huizhen, representing Director Wu Zhixiang, delivered a speech, thanking principals, teachers, and volunteers for their long-term dedication to overseas Chinese education. She acknowledged that promoting Chinese education overseas is not easy, requiring the efforts of educators, volunteers, and parents. She praised the TCML and Silicon Valley Chinese schools for collaborating with local governments to promote Chinese language education, hoping for continued cooperation to deepen the inheritance of Chinese culture.
Cai Jiahua also expressed gratitude in her speech to the Northern California Chinese School Association for playing the role of a “locomotive” in overseas Chinese language education, uniting the strengths of various schools and deepening overseas education.
She recognized the professionalism and dedication of Chinese language teachers, mentioning that the Overseas Chinese Education Center and Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission will continue to cooperate with the association and schools to help students further understand Taiwan’s diverse culture and democratic values while learning Chinese.
Furthermore, Fu Qijun reported to the attending guests about the upcoming major events and projects that the association will undertake, encouraging school principals and directors to continue their support and urging students and parents to actively participate, collectively driving the continuous progress of overseas Chinese education in Northern California.