Wednesday, 30 July 2025
Welcome to our first day of the new academic school year. I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable summer break, and I trust that you are as excited as I am as we embark on this new academic year. This journey is made even more exciting as we would be celebrating together our school’s 65th Anniversary.
Let me now extend a warm welcome to those of you who are new to the Shung Tak family. We are thrilled to have you join our school community, and we hope that you will find this to be a place where you can learn, thrive, and build lasting friendships. To our returning students, welcome back! Summer has been a time for joy, adventures, reflection and planning ahead, and I am eager to witness the progress and achievements you will be making this year. Embrace this opportunity to challenge yourselves, explore new interests, and make the most of your time here.
As we begin this school year, I want to emphasize the importance of our collective commitment to excellence. Our school has a long-standing tradition of academic excellence, and it is up to each and every one of us to uphold and build upon that legacy. Strive for excellence not only in academic pursuits but also in relationship building, character building, and our contributions to the community.
“Servant Leadership” is the theme of this year’s morning prayer, and showing respect for others is a quality of servant leaders. Respect for others is essential in a school community to build positive and harmonious relationships. In the Shung Tak family, I expect all of you to show your respect to each other and also to visitors. In the following, I would like to share with you 10 tips which would give you some ideas on how to be a respectful person in the school community.
1. Active listening: Give full attention when you are engaged in conversations. Show eye contact, nod, and respond aptly to the ones speaking to you.
2. Empathy: Show understanding, acknowledge the feelings and take perspective of others. These traits are essential for developing good relationships.
3. Use polite language: Shungtakians should use words like “please”, “thank you”, and “excuse me” more frequently in everyday life. Avoid using offensive language or negative comments which hurt others.
4. Be open-minded: We are a member of a family — the STC family. As a member, we have to respect the diversity of opinions and ideas. Be ready to take other people’s viewpoints into consideration, engage in constructive dialogue and do not let criticism take the lead.
5. Honor personal boundaries: Respect each other’s privacy. Seek consent before sharing personal information.
6. Avoid interrupting others: Allow others to express their ideas first before giving your suggestions or comments. It is disrespectful to interrupt someone when they are still speaking.
7. Appreciate differences: Respect cultural diversity and individual differences. Pursue open-mindedness and resist negative stereotypes. This is a good way to practise the Catholic core values of “love” and “justice”.
8. Be punctual: As stipulated on p.9 of the Student Handbook, Shungtakians have to return to school by 8:05 a.m. Being punctual for school, meetings, appointments, and commitments demonstrates that you are respectful and considerate.
9. Offer assistance: Be willing to lend a helping hand when someone needs it. No matter it is to your parents, a sibling, a teacher or anyone in school, to a stranger or to others when participating in a service project.
10. Practise good digital etiquette: Use appropriate language in online communication, refrain from cyberbullying, respect others’ privacy and be mindful before you share or comment on social media, etc. All this leads you to be a respectable person.
Respecting others is an ongoing commitment to treating people with dignity, fairness, and compassion. Our school is a diverse and inclusive community, and it is this diversity that makes us strong. Each of you bring unique perspectives, talents, and experiences to our collective tapestry. Let us embrace and celebrate our differences, treating one another with kindness, respect, and empathy. Together, we can create an environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered.
Dr Cecilia Tang
Principal
4 September 2023