Fremont Chinese School held a teacher and cadre appreciation dinner at the South Bay Overseas Chinese Education Center on the evening of May 17 (last Saturday), attracting over a hundred attendees. During the event, Director Zhuang Yashu of the Golden Mountain Bay Area Overseas Chinese Education Center personally presented certificates of appreciation, commending more than thirty teachers who have been dedicated and quietly devoted to their teaching. The atmosphere was warm as they took a group photo with all the teachers and students.
Principal Zhu Youyun expressed that the purpose of this thanksgiving banquet is to show gratitude to the teachers for their hard work and selfless dedication over the past year. Attendees of the dinner included former principals, volunteer cadre members, and their families. All cadre members assist in administrative and event affairs as volunteers, and the school took this opportunity to express their gratitude.
Principal Zhu emotionally mentioned in his speech, “With love and patience, teachers accompany students in learning Chinese, from characters and idioms to culture and tradition. Your teaching not only imparts knowledge but also deeply cultivates culture. Every progress made by the children stems from the incremental efforts of the teachers, and we are filled with gratitude.”
On the same day, a graduation ceremony was also held, with touching moments throughout. Some students have been enrolled in Fremont Chinese School since the age of four, studying for a total of 13 years until high school graduation, witnessing the profound achievements of Chinese education. This year, the AP credit class performed excellently with outstanding exam results. Furthermore, the school’s curriculum has received formal recognition from the Fremont School District.
During the dinner, teachers and their children presented heartwarming performances, and there was also a lucky draw for everyone to participate in, adding joy and a friendly atmosphere to the banquet. Director Zhuang Yashu also delivered a speech, expressing that the Overseas Chinese Education Center is honored to collaborate with Fremont Chinese School in organizing events, and highly appreciates the teachers’ continuous efforts and dedication in promoting Chinese education in overseas environments with limited resources.
She introduced various support programs by the Overseas Community Committee to the teachers present, including the “Two Plus Three” teacher training camp (two days online, three days offline) to be held from July 16th to 20th. Renowned teachers from Taiwan will be invited to give lectures, with rich content, welcoming active participation from teachers.
Additionally, she encouraged teachers to promote the “Mandarin Speaking Contest”. Students who record themselves reading the “Advancing in Chinese Learning” textbook can participate, with a chance to win up to $700 in prize money and the school receiving a $200 teaching subsidy. The second phase of registration is open until the end of June, with the final competition taking place in September.
Vice President Fu Qijun of the Northern California Chinese School Association also delivered a speech at the event. He expressed that when visiting various school graduation ceremonies every year and seeing students delivering speeches fluently in Chinese, he is deeply moved. Behind all these achievements are the results of the teachers’ silent dedication.
He paid special tribute to the teachers and parent volunteers at the event: “You are not here just for the paycheck, but for a mission; not just sending children to school, but investing effort in serving the school. It is with all of you that we have achieved the results of overseas Chinese education today.”
Vice President Fu concluded by blessing all teachers and students to have a wonderful summer vacation, and looking forward to everyone coming together again in the new school year to continue striving for Chinese education. ◇