At the Beginning of the School Year, Chinese Learning is at the Right Time – The Opening Ceremony of Daugavgrīva Secondary School

On September 1, 2022, Latvia time, from 9:30 am to 11:30 am, Daugavgrīva Secondary School held a grand and warm opening ceremony. Anastasija Galkina, secretary of the Confucius Institute at University of Latvia, and Liu Xian, a volunteer Chinese teacher, were invited to attend the ceremony. The teachers and students of the school were full of energy and gathered in the school auditorium to express their expectations for the new school year.

The opening ceremony was hosted by four senior students. The event lasted more than two hours and was divided into six parts. In the first part of the ceremony, the school flag bearer escorted the school flag and the national flags of countries that have conducted international communications with the school to the auditorium, and the teachers and students of the school sang the school anthem. In the second part of the ceremony, the principal of Daugavgrīva Secondary School gave a speech for the new semester. She announced a message to the teachers and students of the school that in the new school year, we must sow the seeds of knowledge and cultivate ability; we must sow the seeds of hope and pursue our dreams; we must sow the seeds of friendship. In the third part of the ceremony, volunteer Chinese teacher Liu Xian gave a speech in Chinese, and Anastasija Galkina assisted with translation in Latvian. She first gave a brief self-introduction, and expressed her expectation for the Chinese class to shift from online to onsite. Then she gave a brief introduction about China and traditional Chinese culture, and encouraged the children to actively participate in the Chinese class. Lastly, she expressed her gratitude to the school leaders and all teachers for their friendly treatment. In the fourth part of the ceremony, the student representatives gave speeches and sang songs. The wonderful singing opened the prelude to the new semester. In the fifth part, the elected representatives of the senior students who held the junior student representative holding the “opening bell” around the auditorium. The clanging sound resounded throughout the auditorium. The sense of ceremony was full, marking the official start of the new semester. In the end, the senior students presented school-opening gifts to the junior students, and led the junior students to familiarize themselves with the school. Everyone walked out of the auditorium to release colorful balloons.

The opening ceremony came to an end with waves of warm applause. The new semester has come to us, and Chinese learning will always be with us along the way.

拉脱维亚时间2022年9月1日上午9:30-11:30，道加瓦河口中学举行了隆重而热烈的开学典礼。拉大孔院秘书高安娜和汉语志愿者教师刘贤受邀参加此次典礼。全校师生精神饱满，齐聚学校大礼堂，共同表达了对新学年的期望。

开学典礼由高年级四名学生主持，活动持续两个多小时，分为六个部分。典礼第一项由学校护旗手护送校旗和与本校进行国际交流的国家的国旗到礼堂，全校师生齐唱校歌。典礼第二项由道加瓦河口中学校长为新学期致辞，她寄语全校师生，新的学年要播下求知的种子，培养能力；要播下希望的种子，追寻梦想；要播下友谊的种子，合作进取。典礼第三项由汉语志愿者教师刘贤中文致辞，孔院秘书高安娜协助拉语翻译。她首先进行了简单的自我介绍，表达了对于中文课从网课转为线下课程的期待；然后对中国和中国传统文化做了简要介绍，并鼓励孩子们积极参与到中文课堂中来；最后表达了对学校领导和全体老师友好相待的感激之情。典礼第四项由学生代表致辞并演唱歌曲，美妙的歌声拉开了新学期的序幕。典礼第五项由推选出来的高年级学生代表托举低年级学生代表手拿“开学铃”绕礼堂一周，叮当声响彻整个礼堂，仪式感满满，标志着新学期的正式开始。最后，由高年级学生向低年级学生赠送开学礼物，并带领低年级学生熟悉学校，大家一起走出礼堂放飞彩色气球。

此次开学典礼在一波又一波热烈的掌声中落下帷幕，新学期已向我们阔步走来，这一路，汉语教学将常伴左右。