2022-2023

When I was in S4, I was honoured to be nominated to join the Hong Kong Outstanding Students Award by my school. Established in 1985, HKOSA recognises promising students with outstanding academic, extracurricular, and community service achievements and morality. All Finalists of the Award are invited to join the HKOSA Association, which has evolved into a diverse community of more than 1,000 Award Alumni, including social leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals. ‘Giving is Outstanding’ is the slogan of the award, which encourages us to contribute to society. I have learned so much and broadened my horizons on this one and a half-year journey. From the 400 candidates that sat the written test to the final 20 individual interviews, I have met so many different OSArs. Each stage of the award interview is unforgettable and will definitely be a lifelong memory for me. One highlight was the assessment camp which was held in June 2021. Due to COVID-19 restrictions at the time, the usual overnight camp was not possible, so a two-day camp was held instead. Even though it was not overnight, we had enough time to be with the other participants and learn about each other. Being an OSAr does not only require our academic abilities, but also calls upon our personalities, actions, and understanding of society. We formed teams and played different games to train our team spirit as well as show our own uniqueness. My team colour was green, and my team was called ‘Greenish Green’. Although we didn’t know whether we would meet again in the future, we treasured the moments we had at that time. We were all genuine with our peers and showed the real version of ourselves during the camp. After passing the assessment camp, we became official OSArs. There was a wide variety of ‘enrichment programmes’ provided by the Youth Arch Foundation, such as excursions sharings about different topics from past members of OSA. We could ask questions and chat with them to share opinions at dinner or lunch gatherings. Moreover, past members were paired up with students who are interested in studying overseas, to act as their mentors. In the programmes, we would learn more about real experiences from past OSArs and get their genuine and valuable opinions. In the finalist sharing session, I chose to present on “Special Educational Need Students”. “Every kid is unique” was my presentation title. Every student has their own personality and hobby and no one should be discriminated against because of their differences. I also heard some brilliant talks from other OSArs. Some of them who are also secondary school students had organised NGOs and were even representatives of the Hong Kong girl’s football team. Most of them targeted education inequality and even organised different enterprises like second-hand book shops and tutoring platforms. Seeing these outstanding performers, I truly understood the meaning of the term – “There is always a taller mountain”. We may think we are strong already, but we should never be overconfident or arrogant. On the other hand, we should not look down on ourselves or others because everyone has hidden talents and abilities. In a nutshell, I learned so much and broadened my horizons with the HKOSA, and I am glad to have been a part of it. I still couldn’t believe that I have been through so many stages and interviews, and it has been a blessing for me at each stage. The OSAr family is very special. There is a bond between present and past members and they are all willing to share and give opinions to each other. I met truly talented peers in society, and I was able to interact with them. This was undoubtedly a rare and precious experience and now, I have a brand-new interpretation for the meaning of ‘outstanding’. I hope whoever is reading this can also step out of their comfort zone and remember that ‘outstanding is giving’. Contribute to society while being excellent with your own skills!

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

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