Salt is still salty, ginger is spicier

(Baonghean) - For teachers and students who have taught and studied at Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted, the ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the specialized system, the 40th anniversary of the school's founding and to receive the title of Labor Hero is a great festival. Everyone feels proud and moved to return to the "old roof", to relive the feelings of a big family. Returning on holidays, to feel "salt is still salty, ginger is still spicy" and also the affection of yesterday, the trust of today...

… The Phan School Festival was sprinkled with rain in March. But when they arrived, no one felt cold, only the warm affection of a family: The students of the past came to find and chat with their old teachers; happy that the teacher was still healthy, sad because her hair was covered with chalk and time dust, which had turned white. In this corner of the schoolyard, there was a group of "grandparents" bustling, laughing loudly, teasing each other like when they were 16-17 years old, chattering about their school days "you like me"; over there, old friends who had not seen each other for a long time hugged each other and shed tears. In the middle of that bustling and crowded schoolyard, there were still moments of silence: someone was picking up a fallen leaf as if looking for traces of the past, sad because their homeroom teacher had gone far away, old friends did not make it back to the hall in time,...

Students of Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted happily welcomed President Truong Tan Sang and delegates to the celebration. Photo: sm

“Phan School Festival” is very sacred in the minds of many generations of students. Before the festival, students of classes 20, 21, 22 who now live and work in Hanoi gathered together to “get on the train, return to their beloved school”. On the Facebook page “Memories of Phan School in Nghe An” in the past few days, thousands of photos and thoughts have been written and posted. Those who were lucky enough to return to school shared their happiness as an announcement to those who were far away and could not afford it; some exclaimed with emotion, “Teacher! We are back. You are well, we are so happy. K18”; those who could not return on this important occasion wrote tearful words: “Seeing friends excitedly returning to school, I suddenly felt so many emotions. I miss school, I miss teachers, I miss friends. So many memories came flooding back, this emotion has long been forgotten because of daily bread and butter. I want to drop all my work and run back to school.” An emotion shared by Mr. Tran Vinh Tu (a former student of the school) is still more impressive than "50 years, half a century/ So many historical changes/ So many splendors then fading/ So many great companies then falling apart/ So many lives come and go/ In 50 years, the world map, science and technology will certainly be very different/ But this school will still go further/ Thank life".

Teacher and student meeting day. Photo: Dao Tuan

“Salty salt, spicy ginger”, the unforgettable teacher-student relationship, Ms. Hoang Thi Thanh Huyen, a former student of the 1984-1987 class, majoring in Literature, and her friends were chatting with their teacher, the head teacher, Meritorious Student Le Thai Phong. With the teacher, everyone felt like they had returned to their childhood, the little student they were. Sticking close to the teacher for a long time, everyone wanted to sit close and ask questions, take pictures with their beloved teacher… Among the thousands of former students attending the ceremony, everyone was solemn in their formal attire, many people were holding bouquets of fresh flowers on their faces, each person’s lapel had small, pretty round decals attached: The older students were serious with decals that read 50 years of the specialized system, 40 years of Phan Boi Chau Specialized School; the younger students were playful and cute with youthful decals “I love PBC” (I love Phan School). We understood: They loved and were proud of their school very much….

At 8:00 a.m., the ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the specialized system, the 40th anniversary of the school's founding and to receive the title of Hero of Labor began with the epic performance "Glory of a school" performed by the teachers and students of Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted. Witnessing the program imbued with the identity of Nghe An, with these unique features, everyone was moved. "Students of Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted" - over the past 40 years, that phrase has been the pride of many generations of students of the school, the aspiration of millions of students of Nghe An. "Phan School" to former students is not only a meaning and affection, but also an aspiration and motivation to rise up. Meeting at the school festival, Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Xuan Thang - Member of the Party Central Committee, President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Vice President of the Central Theoretical Council - former student of the Literature class (the predecessor of Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted) said: “Belonging to the generation of students of the first class specializing in Literature and Mathematics, we have experienced the days of evacuation, bombs and bullets of war, but with the tradition of studiousness and overcoming difficulties of the children of Nghe An, both teachers and students encouraged each other to overcome hardships regardless of difficulties to make teachers teach better, students study better, make students both good and specialized, talented and virtuous. Without the teachings of teachers, we would not have today. Teachers taught us how to be human, how to live honestly, uprightly, compassionately and tolerantly, to study to contribute. Those are the most profound things that we have learned and I believe that not only our generation but all generations of students have learned from the deep school this color and humanity".

The factors that make up the glorious tradition of Phan School are: the tradition of studiousness, the pride of the homeland of the great President Ho Chi Minh, the faith in Nghe An, the spirit of progress, the desire to contribute of generations of students and the spirit of all for the beloved students of generations of teachers. – Agreeing with this, former student of the school, Doctor of Science Phan Xuan Dung - Member of the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, 11th tenure, Chairman of the Committee on Science, Technology and Environment of the 13th tenure of the National Assembly, added: “Students at Phan School are all very talented people; they live together, unite, love each other like brothers and sisters. Generations of teachers teach wholeheartedly, love students like their own children. In that environment, we students all have to try hard. Out of 23 people in our class, 21 got high scores, many later became great scientists”…

Looking at the artistic performances, former student Ho Quang Loi, former Editor-in-Chief of Hanoi Moi Newspaper and now Head of the Propaganda Department of the Hanoi Party Committee, one of the first students of the school's Literature major, was moved and recalled the days when he was a shy, awkward 7th grader from Quynh Luu who enrolled at the school. For him, today is a mixture of joy and disappointment. Disappointment is that he no longer has the opportunity to meet his homeroom teacher Phan Huy Ty - the teacher he considers as a father who helped him a lot in his first days at school. Time has also left its mark on the faces of his old friends and teachers; happy is: He seemed to be back to his sixteen, eighteen years old, calling his friends "mi tau", recalling with emotion the moment the whole school was lucky to escape the bomb that the US dropped on the school in 1973. Mr. Ho Quang Loi confided: "I have grown up like today thanks to the education of the school, of the old teachers. Coming back to school today, knowing the successes the school has just achieved, looking at the faces of the next generation of students, I am very happy because I have seen the future of the school and the province, seeing a generation full of promise".

Recalling the meaningful years in their teaching career, every teacher's eyes were filled with tears. With Meritorious Teacher Dinh Van Thong, former principal of the school: “Returning to the old school, my heart is filled with joy and pride. Looking back at the history of the school, I see that the Party Committee and the provincial government have made a wise decision with a long-term vision. The school was born as a gathering place, a place to nurture talents in the land rich in patriotic, revolutionary traditions, and the land of learning of Nghe An. For more than half of my teaching career, I am very proud to have been a manager and teacher for nearly 23 years at a specialized school where "teachers are teachers" and "students are students". Attending the meeting is an opportunity after many years to meet friends, colleagues, and old students. Many teachers have retired for a long time but are still healthy. What I am most happy about is that the children of teachers and school staff are all developing well. Generations of students have all grown up. Many have grown up in various fields, across the country and abroad. No matter where they are, what job they undertake, they always bring with all their capacity, intelligence, and civic responsibility to serve the country. They always remember their school, their teachers, and their friends. That is the greatest gift they have given to their teachers; to their school.

After the welcoming art program, Meritorious Teacher Dau Van Mui - Principal of the school respectfully reviewed the 50-year tradition of the specialized system and 40 years of establishment of the school to nurture talents for the country. This honor is even greater when, at this celebration, Phan School was personally presented with the noble title by President Truong Tan Sang, who also gave a warm speech, full of hope: “I hope that Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted will promote the tradition of the heroic unit, the experiences and achievements gained over the past 40 years, will continue to strive, strive to compete in teaching well, studying well, improving the quality of comprehensive education in morality - intelligence - physical fitness - aesthetics, taking the lead in implementing the Resolution of the Central Committee on innovation in education and training, always maintaining and promoting the role of the leading flag in the education sector of Nghe An province and the whole country... I believe that, on the path of development, although there are still many difficulties and challenges, Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted will definitely always be worthy of being a specialized school in the homeland of beloved Uncle Ho, the cradle of high-quality training of the education sector of Nghe An province and the whole country, making a practical contribution to the economic, social and educational development of the province and country".

At the end of the ceremony, Le Thi Khanh Huyen, class 10 C6, English major, happily boasted: Today, Uncle Truong Tan Sang shook my hand, patted my head, and encouraged me to study well; met the idols who are "older brothers and sisters" who are the country's leading politicians and scientists, talented businessmen... At the ceremony, there was a continuity: The students did not hesitate to talk and interact with "brother" Nguyen Xuan Thang - "brother" Thang happily advised: "I just want to tell you young people that, in the conditions of the country's innovation and integration today, you are very lucky to live and study in a favorable environment. I would like to send you the strong belief of our generation in the future of the country. That future belongs to you and starts from you, from your awareness of studying, your talent to contribute to the country right from when you were in school. We must always support and keep the fire burning so that Phan Boi Chau School can promote the tradition of good teaching and good learning; so that the glorious history of the school can continue. I believe that the next generation of students will make the school even more famous"...

On behalf of more than 1,000 students of the school, Hoang Thi Thuy Trang, class 12 C3 specializing in Geography, expressed her feelings and vowed: “50 years with many changes, but certainly the constant is the studious spirit and the aspiration to excel of the students; the dedication of the teachers; the affection of friends... our generation today, is always proud to live under the roof of a loving school, with teachers who love to teach, with seniors who have brought many proud achievements to our homeland Nghe An. We know: Our homeland is still poor but still gives us the best conditions for us to realize our ambitions. All of that has given us more spirit and strength. We promise, we will try our best not to disappoint the efforts of our teachers, the expectations of our homeland, the fine traditions that many generations of teachers and seniors have built, worthy of the heroic school named after the patriot Phan Boi Chau”.

Thanh Chung - My Ha