Welcome

💫 On December 13th, 32 volunteers from Chalk Road, coming from high schools across Hanoi such as BIS, Dwight, ISPH, Hanoi Amsterdam, Olympia, gathered once again at Thanh Kim Primary School with indescribable excitement and anticipation. As soon as we got off the bus, we were welcomed by familiar faces and warm greetings from over 700 students. The children rushed out, with tight hugs and high-fives, accompanied by joyful laughter. We were deeply moved by the enthusiastic welcome from both the teachers and students from all five grades!

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💡 This time at Thanh Kim Primary School, we brought along two 65-inch Samsung TVs, a Casper air conditioner, and many books and art supplies, totaling 45 million VND. With this contribution, Chalk Road hopes to help improve the quality of facilities and assist the students in working more effectively to achieve better results.

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🎙️ After a few opening words from Gia Khanh about the mission and aspirations of the Chalk Road project, we immediately began organizing four workshops: sports, drama, dance, and art, each with its own content:

 

🏀 Sports: We organized a vibrant sports workshop at Thanh Kim aimed at bringing joy, enthusiasm, and a spirited atmosphere to the students. The activities took place in a fun and laughter-filled environment with enthusiastic participation from the students through exciting games that fostered teamwork and agility, such as "Rồng Rắn Lên Mây" (Dragon Snake Climbs the Clouds) and "Đèn Đỏ Đèn Xanh" (Red Light Green Light). We ended the workshop with a game of tug-of-war, making the atmosphere even more lively as teams competed with all their might amidst continuous cheers. This workshop not only brought joy but also helped the students develop teamwork, flexibility, and creativity.

 

🎭 Drama: This time, the drama workshop aimed to instill confidence and laughter, allowing each student to express their feelings and thoughts joyfully and healthily. Through simple games, we sparked creativity in each child and worked on various skills, such as quick reflexes in "Splat", meticulousness in "Guess the Word by Action", and role-playing in "Killer" and "Zombie". The volunteers felt truly warm-hearted seeing the excitement and enthusiasm of students from grades 2, 3, 4, and 5 participating in these activities, and we hope these small games helped enhance their self-confidence.

 

🪩 Dance: The dance workshop successfully provided a creative playground filled with giggles for the children at Thanh Kim! Before starting, we were a bit worried about the chosen games, but the students surprised us with their quick understanding and adaptability. The most challenging game in the dance workshop might have been "Human Knot" due to the lengthy instructions. However, through this game, we learned how to solve problems together and helped the students bond more closely. Other games like the chicken dance and dancing to cards brought positive emotions to both us and the children, with enthusiastic moves and sweat in the winter creating an indescribable feeling for everyone involved. We hope the entertaining dance activities encouraged creativity and personal style in each student at Thanh Kim.

🎨 Art: In this art workshop at Thanh Kim Primary School, we created ideas for decorating a Christmas tree, aiming to give the children a sense of creativity, freedom, and joy for the upcoming holiday season! Through activities like making ornaments and writing their wishes, as well as coloring Christmas-themed pictures we provided, the volunteers witnessed the students' confidence, enthusiasm, and creativity in their artistic endeavors. Although we faced some challenges with materials and supplies, the outcome was still adorable, with a Christmas tree now vibrant and colorful, created and decorated by the students themselves. Through these activities, we hope the children became more open and discovered their own creativity!

 

📚 After a morning filled with laughter, Chalk Road moved to Thanh Kim Secondary School to interact with students from grades 6 to 9 in the school library. During this visit, we brought numerous books and stories worth 10 million VND. The library now contains award-winning books like "How Much is Youth Worth?" and "Nameless Summer", as well as titles in philosophy, history, economics, and more. With these books and stories, Chalk Road hopes to cultivate the spirit of learning in each student, hoping to open doors to bright futures through the knowledge printed on each page.

 

🎁 At the end of the morning, Chalk Road and Thanh Kim School were honored to welcome a delegation including Mr. Nguyễn Đình Tam - Vice Chairman of Thạch Thành District People's Committee; Mrs. Lê Thị Hoa - Head of the District Inspectorate; Mr. Vũ Đức Vĩnh - Head of the Department of Education and Training; Mrs. Bùi Thị Hiền - Deputy Head of Department of Education and Training; and Mr. Hoàng Khắc Khoa - Chairman of Kim Tân Town to the event. Mr. Nguyễn Đình Tam praised the Chalk Road initiative for not only providing essential teaching equipment to both Thanh Kim Primary and Secondary Schools but also highlighted the challenges faced by the mountainous Thạch Thành district. He emphasized that what the district leadership appreciated most was the activities designed and directly implemented by the students of Chalk Road, which brought a fresh atmosphere, inspired the students, and boosted their self-confidence. The district leadership expressed gratitude to the Nord Anglia Social Impact Fund for their support, thanked the administration of BIS and other schools in Hanoi, and hoped to continue receiving support in the future. The leaders of Thạch Thành District People's Committee, Kim Tân Town, and the District Department of Education and Training witnessed the gift presentation totaling 45 million VND to Thanh Kim Primary School, between representatives of the Nord Anglia Social Impact Fund, Ms. Nia Cooper representing the Chalk Road project, Mr. Phạm Bùi Gia Khanh, and Ms. Nguyễn Thị Hà, the school principal, amid the joy of over 700 students and all the teachers.

 

❣️ #2 The return of Chalk Road not only brought material value but also valuable experiences and moments for the children there. The sparkling eyes and rosy faces of the students after the drama, dance, and sports workshops radiated energy that dispelled the winter chill. The children were reluctant to say goodbye to their older siblings. Pieces of paper, notebooks, and even uniform shirts were used to collect signatures as keepsakes from the volunteers. The atmosphere was incredibly emotional and warm. There were tears of farewell from the children, friendly hand-holding, and a reluctance to part. The affection from the children made Chalk Road clearly see its mission, and we will continue to strive harder in the future to help them even more.