On October 2nd, 2022,  returning and new students gathered at FGS Temple of Toronto to launch our first in-person semester which had been interrupted due to the global pandemic. We expanded our invitations to accommodate students from around the Markham Buddha’s LightCentre. There were about 50 participants, consisting of students, their families, teaching assistants, and their teachers.”

Fall2022 started with the singing of “Ode to the Triple Gem as per our tradition.All the Children wore light blue “Three Acts of Goodness” T-shirts which they had chosen beforehand. Various activities were designed to reflect the program theme of “The Gift of Faith.

The warm and welcoming ice-breaking session led by Sofi and Kiana was well received by all. A close-knitted team spirit was quick to foster through collaborative art projects led by the TA. The children enjoyed unleashing their creativity while mingling with their fellow classmates.

The lively “lines and blobs” interactions were so fun that most students were so engaged in meeting new friends and forgot about their parents for the whole duration of the program and activities. The team of Angel, Leo, Ben, and Juju collaborated to explain our community guidelines accompanied with a simple introduction to Buddhist etiquette. Our former students Aaron and Jessie were excellent helpers in doing a live demo of how to pay respect to Buddhas andBodhisattvas!

Every single student paid close attention to the lessons and created unforgettable memories with their newfound friends. Besides enjoying interacting with members of the teaching team, they loved the delicious handmade pastries made by Petecia. A round of applause showed our appreciation for her service!

The children were a little nervous preparing to read Buddha’s Light Three Acts ofGoodness Children Oath leading up to the performance in the Main Shrine. Their timidness dissipated the moment they began to read the Oath with the Abbess,Venerable Chueh Fan, and the congregation of the Light Offering Service in the audience. The children promised to propagate goodness by doing good deeds, speaking good words, and thinking good thoughts. The Abbess handed the ThreeActs of Goodness badge to every student. Ven. Chueh Fan emphasized the importance of passing down the “Gift of Faith” to our youth. Localization ofBuddhism helps to cultivate seeds of goodness in Canadian society at large.

The post-event debriefs, led by our advisor Ven. Ru An, marked a happy ending to a happy start!
Teachers in attendance gave feedback and reflection of their experiences working and interacting with children. The teachers aspire to facilitate lively yet meaningful classes in the coming semester, to let children discover their inner spiritual treasure.

Translated by Angel

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