2022-2023

With the weather noticeably warming up, you may recall, on a cooler, more drizzly day last December, our annual Operation Santa Claus (OSC) was held on a dreary but cheerful Friday afternoon. Our efforts and charitable spirit have now been acknowledged by RTHK and SCMP, the joint organizers of the fundraising event. Shung Tak Catholic English School has been recognized and awarded as the ‘Most Creative School Fundraiser’ this year.
This award certainly demonstrates that our school has the common spirit of helping those in need as well as being creative in the methods of raising funds.
Operation Santa Claus (OSC) is an annual charity campaign with the aims of making a difference in the community and to spread joy and goodwill. 15 local charities and organizations were chosen by RTHK and the SCMP as the beneficiaries of OSC 2022. In keeping with our STC tradition, we choose one of the 15 to focus on so that our students can gain more insights about the beneficiary. Pathways Foundation, who help local children with learning challenges complicated by dyslexia, was chosen by the Organizing Committee. After the charity’s visit and sharing at the school in December last year, our students and staff had a better understanding about the work of this organization and had a clearer picture of how the money raised would be utilized.
The day was yet another one to remember. It was clearly seen in the enthusiasm and the way that both the PTA and student groups provided mouth-watering food for all participants; it was also seen in the many varied and fun game booths that had to be set up in the hall due to the wet weather; and it could be seen in our students’ faces as they were enjoying the festivities of the day and tucking into the tasty treats and delicious drinks. The festive and enjoyable atmosphere brought in a staggering HK$73,888 in support of OSC 2022.
Well done, Shung Tak and thank you to all those responsible for making it run smoothly, effectively, and creatively! We hope you had an absolutely fantastic time at this year’s OSC@STC!
The award is certainly the icing on the (Christmas) cake for the school!

Video Link of OSC Awards: Youtube Link

The Competitive Spirit in Track and Field By 5P Tiffany Cho Sports Day 2022 was an event worth waiting for. It was great that Shungtakians could once again get onto the track and field and get some exercise as the Annual Athletic Meet 2022 was planned and held this year. On the two-day event, Shungtakians shone in various events, fighting for the championship for their classes and houses. Evident were the spirit of sportsmanship and the cheers from the different houses as athletes raced to the finish line. We were thrilled that Blue House has got the overall champion this year! On behalf of Blue House, I would like to thank all house members for their contributions. I felt very excited and grateful when I saw my house members trying their best to finish their races. Some did not get a prize, but neither did they give up. We can truly see the relentless passion from all the athletes. Ex-principal and ex-supervisor, Mr. Malcolm Long, reminded us of STC and to be smart, trained companions of each other as we walk the road of life. We also learned that Mr. Long, the principal of STC for thirty-four years, was the person who introduced our traditional “Three Cheers” and we were truly blessed to have him ‘cheer’ in the real Malcom Long booming way, the three cheers. “Alone, we go faster. Together, we go further.” May all the Shungtakians share joy, success and team spirits, and continue to run further in life!

30th of August marked the first day for our new S1 students to explore the school and interact with their student leaders as a Shungtakian. With their curious eyes and inquisitive minds, the S1 students were very active and lively throughout the activities. They got to know more about the campus and where to roam around in the coming academic year. Besides chatting with our student leaders and senior students, they have met new friends and classmates that might accompany them in their secondary school life, or even years beyond.

In the past few days, our teachers invited us to be the masters of the S1 Orientation Day ceremony and we were much honoured to take the job. Undoubtedly, it was a wonderful experience for us. It was so incredible that we saw the seniors talking on the stage in admiration one year ago, and it was our turn this year.

It was our first time serving as the MCs and it was challenging for us. We were anxious in the beginning, but of course, we tried to overcome the obstacles by keeping improving, practising, and cooperating. Trusting what we had prepared was the only thing we could do. As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect”, we rehearsed and rehearsed for many times to perfect our performance. We were grateful for teachers’ assistance and support which helped us be in good shape. When the day came, we performed to the best of our abilities with no regrets. We were glad that we could do it well. But there are always things that we can improve, and we hope we can get better and better next time.

We were also happy to have the opportunity to be the MCs. The experience we acquired was irreplaceable. Being the MCs as S2 students, it was our pleasure to share some of our experiences with new Shungtakians. Introduction of various aspects of the school, such as the school e-circular system and student activities, was also given by our Principal Dr. Tang, Vice Principal Mr. Ho, Assistant Principal Mr. Kwan, PTA representative and the head teachers of different departments or committees.

The ceremony ended successfully, and it will be etched on our memories forever.

2J Leo Lam & 2J Coco Lam

On 17 AUG 2022, thirteen of our S4 and S5 ICT students have joined the AI Literacy Programme organized by the Hong Kong Education University. The activity gave students the chance to learn the theory and algorithm of Artificial Intelligence through a series of online remote lessons in July and August. Then each group has to brainstorm and think about an application that AI can be used to solve a daily life problem. Students trained in AI through machine learning platform presented their results in mid-August. All participants enjoyed the face to face presentation on that day. They surely have benefited a lot because now they know how AI can help people live a better life!

A Valuable Opportunity Gained from Joining the Japanese Club
On 5th August 2022, three executives of the Japanese Club and I were invited by the OISCA Hong Kong and the Yuen Long Town Hall to attend the Awards Ceremony of an environmental promotional project ‘Green Wave’. We had a wonderful experience as awardees and had opportunities to meet honorable guests including Consul-General of Japan in Hong Kong, Ambassador Okada Kenichi and students from different schools.

Two of us were invited to give a speech in Japanese on the stage. We shared our experience of learning about Japanese culture from Wakyokai in the sharing session which was held in June. Since we had never given a speech in Japanese before, we practiced hard on Zoom. Moreover, guests and members of the OISCA Hong Kong and Wakyokai were very friendly. We took lots of photos with them. At last, we were thankful for Mr. C.W. Wong and other executives’ support. We would not have done so well on the stage if we hadn’t received their support.

I hope that our sharing will help Shungtakians gain more interest in Japanese culture. We also encourage students to join the Japanese Club to get more exposure to Japanese culture.

5J Sophia Kwok