🎁 A Season of Giving: Our Cross-Cultural Gift Exchange with Taiwan

 Friendship Across Borders: Our Special Holiday Gift Exchange

From left to right: Mr. Kenney (Program Coordinator), me, the Principal, and the Director of Student Affairs.

While the holidays are a time for rest, the connection between VAS Sala and 嘉義市南興國中 (Nanxing Junior High School) grew even stronger! This Christmas, we moved beyond digital screens to share something tangible: a heartfelt exchange of gifts and holiday wishes.

🎄 From VAS: Handmade Christmas Wishes

During the Christmas break, I had the wonderful opportunity to personally deliver a special collection of gifts and handmade Christmas cards from our G6, G7, and G8 students to our partners in Taiwan.

Our students poured their creativity into these cards, using their artistic skills to design unique holiday greetings. Written in both Chinese and English, these cards were a beautiful way for our students to showcase their personality and their growing language abilities.

🧧 From Taiwan: Heartfelt Lunar New Year Greetings

The holiday spirit is now coming back to Vietnam! Our friends at Nanxing Junior High are currently preparing a return package for the Lunar New Year.

While their cards may be printed, they are filling them with detailed messages written with great care and love. These letters give our students a deep look into the lives and thoughts of their Taiwanese partners, creating a meaningful emotional connection. Along with these letters, they are also sending local Taiwanese gifts to share a piece of Chiayi City with us.

🧠 Why This Matters (ATL Skills)

This exchange is more than just a nice gesture; it is a vital part of our Approaches to Learning (ATL) framework:

• Communication & Literacy: Students are practicing different styles of communication—from the visual art of VAS's handmade cards to the deep, descriptive writing from Nanxing.

• Social & Affective Skills: By exchanging physical gifts, students build empathy and learn the importance of "gift culture" in both Vietnamese and Taiwanese societies.

• Global Mindedness: Comparing how we celebrate Christmas and the Lunar New Year helps our students become more culturally aware and globally connected.

✨ Coming Soon!

We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the package from Taiwan. Once it arrives, we will share photos of our students reading these heartfelt messages and unboxing their New Year surprises.

Stay tuned for more updates on this beautiful cross-cultural journey!