Let's Fly Higher Campaign kick-off and Theme Talk by Mr. Michael Suen Ming-Yeung

Today was an exciting moment as we launched the "Let's Fly Higher" Campaign.

At the kick-off ceremony, three banners flew from the bottom of the backdrop across to the top of the far right hand side upper corner, the middle and the left lower corner respectively while the party scraps filled up the air of the stage.
Wah Yan has set out a new journey to excel!

Moreover, the theme talk by Mr. Michael Suen was broadcast live to the 12 classrooms of the junior forms for the first time in Wah Yan history. The delay is only a mere 2-seconds.
This Campus TV will also be reviewed later via the Intranet.

Below is the opening address I delivered as the Chairman of the Steering Committee during the kick-off:

It is my great pleasure to be here today to witness the kick-off of the “Let’s Fly Higher” Campaign. As a parent and old boy, I am delighted and hopeful that this campaign will help Wah Yan to continue as one of the best schools in Hong Kong.

You may have heard about the phrase Altius Volemus in the last Open Day in May. We are using the same words but with a deeper meaning.

In short, the aim of the Let’s Fly Higher Campaign is to motivate our students to do their best to fly higher. Not only academically but also in moral, intellectual, physical, social, aesthetic and spiritual aspect.

So we will have theme talk like the one today to have prominent old boys coming back to share their successful life experience with you. You can learnt from their success and failure and how to overcome obstacles.

There will be many projects organized by the teachers and student organizations with funding support from this campaign. Examples are essay writing, basketball and/or football league, public speaking etc. We will publish these projects in our LFH website so do come and visit regularly.

To do our best is not easy. It takes courage, hard-work, dedication as well as wisdom. My recommendation to you is, if you are in the junior forms, just focus in one or two subjects that you like most and spent your time and energy there. You can learn much more by going in depth on one subject than spending time in too many subjects. Those in the senior forms have to learn how to choose the right things to do, as well as setting their priorities.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the School, teachers, old boys and parents to make this campaign a reality and success.

The “Let’s Fly Higher” campaign is for all of you. So do participate as much as possible.

Let’s fly higher together in Wah Yan. Thank you.

JASER - the big brothers

September 10 (Saturday)

Today we witnessed a group of 48 students pledging to become a big brother to assist their younger brother to enjoy their secondary school life.

The ceremony is simple but solumn.

Here is The JASERs' Pledge
We, the JASERs of Wah Yan College, pledge to do our best to serve the College and our fellow students. We strive to help the junior students in their studies and self-development. In the conduct of duty, we promise to be patient, helpful and responsible.

Besides helping their younger brother, I think the process of the training will help these groups of senior form students to grow, to appreciate how to take care of others, to be patient and helpful, to be responsible for all they do.

Let's pray for their spiritual and mental growth.

Blessings
Simon

Discipline & Care

4 Sept 05
Students of WYHK will find a tight enforcement of punctuality when they returned to School last Friday (2 Sept). In particularly, the boys have to arrive at the new main gate 5 (five) minutes before the first lesson starts (at 7:55 am). There were 27 students registered to be late on the first day of normal school days.

Punctuality is just one of the many guidelines at the school to ensure the smooth running of the College and the harmony of the Wah Yan community. These are in fact rules but are called guidelines as it was felt that the Wahyanites should develop their own self-discipline. This is a good intention as this is a characteristic of Wah Yan to give her students considerable leeway and freedom.

However, increasingly these rules are not observed for one reason or another. Typical examples are cleaniness at the tuck shop area and annoying noise of the boys when moving from one classroom to another.

So it is a good idea to reinforce the discipline and let the boys know what the guidelines mean, particularly for the lower forms.

But that is only the first step.

At the mass today, Fr. Yeung Ming Cheung told us that "Love surpasses all laws" 愛
滿全法律. If you care about the campus as your home, will you continue to flow rubbish on the floor? Or disturb those who wish to study by excessive noice? That is why the Jesuit Fathers of Wah Yan have set good examples of love and care of the boys and other people in need. This tradition is one of the main reasons why Wah Yan boys can contribute so much in the community of Hong Kong today. That is the spirit of Wah Yan.

God bless
Simon

Students' symbol of WYHK

30 August Tuesday:
I had the opportunity today to be the judge on some F6 students' project on "Symbol of WYHK". They were having an orientation in the campus as part of their training on leadership and good Wahyanites.

It is an worthwhile exercise as three group of F6 students were given 3 hours and $100 budget to design, construct and present their thoughts on one thing that can represent WYHK.

I was impressed by the thoughts and creativities of the students. Each of the three entries has their uniqueness and values; and they are:
1. Half-cage home, symbolizing freedom to go out to reach the world while nurturing within the green pasture of WYHK
2. Harmonious campus with red-brick chapel and blossoming flowers on top symbolizing caring and growth under the WYHK cross (badge)
3. Open grass slope picture on chest with torch of freedom on right hand and book on left hand symbolizing freedom and five aspects of campus life under WYHK

This shows how much our students value "freedom". I am also glad that the first group goes further to stress the virtue of "self-discipline" of students.
Finally the red-brick chapel with blossoming flowers got the first place due to better cooperation and teamwork.

One reflection which I share with the students is the importance of presentation skill. Besides the body posture, voice and eye-contact etc., the content of organizing the thoughts are crucial with opening and summary in order to impress the (whatsoever) audiences. It is just like playing football, the last kick into the net is the most important, no matter how good you play in mid-field. Communications and presentation are some of the key skills in modern times, particular when the Liberal Studies become mainstreams in a few years' time.

These young leaders of WY will be leading WYHK throughout this year and I sincerely wish them all the best in their endeavors. In Hoc Signo Vinces - In this sign, you shall conquer.

God bless
Simon

Online Games - Freedom & Control

Many parents allow their kids to play online games as a bonus of their good behaviour. Others even allow them to play everyday on condition that they completed their daily homeworks. I do not think these are good ideas. I have seen many kids lost in their online world of games and virtual reality to the extent that the successful performance of the school kids depends on their ability to control their time in online games and chatting. Afterall, this is basic time management. If they spend more than a few hours online everyday, how much time is left for academic study and services?

However, it is a headache to teach the kids to control the time as they never seems to follow your instruction. Some parents will turn to other methods to cut off the online connections, as the example below.

I met a parent yesterday in a banquet and was chatting about computer softwares. When we touched on online games, he said he has to use a programme to control the online game time of his son. It seems to work for a while until he found from the log that his son can still access the Internet everyday beyond the normal allowable time period. He then found that his son has cracked the password of the Cyber Patrol software and can freely bypass it. So he has to find another software to control the Internet connectivity.

Other parents use even more drastic methods, such as pulling off the cable to the Internet and hide it away. Are you one of the worried parents? How many methods have you used to control the online connection?

My recommendation is to help the kid to develop a habbit to control online game time, the earlier the age the better. This includes strict rule not to run overtime, and restrict the game time in weekends only. The latter is necessary as the kids should not think of the online game during weekdays, therefore, have a better concentration in their book work. This is far better approach then do it later with all the controlling method.

Blessings.

Text Book Sales - Apology and Ways Forwards

Yesterday, the PTA organized an time slot for parents to bring back the text books to sell to other parents of students in lower form. This idea originated last summer to help parents to save money and at the same time reuse the books.

After the opening ceremony of the PTA office, we started the refreshment and chatting among parents and teachers. At the same time, we announced the book selling activity to start.

However, to the disappointment of many parents who came back to take a look what is available to buy, there seems to be no seller and hence books to review. A F2 parent complained that she came all the way from Kowloon back to see if she can purchase some books for his son but only found some refreshment available. At the end, I was lucky enough to find one F3 parent ready to sell the text books and I bridged the two ladies together and glad to see some happy faces at the end.

From this experience, where we can find more than 10 potential buyers but only one seller, we can conclude there is interest in Book Sales but more preparatory work is necessary. Many students or parents are not keen to bring back the books because there is no such habbit and no incentive to sell the books as money is not important to them. Therefore, parents and students have to be educated the value of Book Sale is its environmental protection element and not just the financial aspect. If they want to sell, they should not do the exercise on the books. Instead they can do it in a separate exercise book.

As such, I would like to express my sincere apology to those parents came back for the Book Sale. We will pass the experience so that the PTA can organize a better Text Book Sale next summer.

Blessings.

Mrs. Anson Chan on Learning English

Summary of Mrs. Anson Chan talk on Learning English to F2 students at the F2 English camp on 13.7.2005 at Wu Kai Sha

Need for English

• Increase competitiveness
• English is foundation for communications in workplace and future study in HK as an international city
• Chinese, English and Spanish are the most important languages

Attitude

• Determination to learn is key
• Have to learn it in top-notch manner, no point to do it half-hearted

Ways to improve English:

Reading

• Anything you like
• Read several books in summer vacation
• Paper to drop down new words and study afterwards
• Discuss the book with friends
• Magazines like Times, Economist
• Build up the vocabulary and increase your confidence

Listening

• BBC or other English radio
• When asked what to do if the news commentators are speaking too fast, she advised WYOFF or even herself will find out and recommend some commentators or programmes
• Listen to English songs to learn English. Oldies are recommended because of their better English.
  

Speaking

• Assign one day (or sometime) to speak with each other in English
• Practice makes perfect
• Go to an oversea English study tour if you can afford, as it will also widen your exposure and understand other countries and cultures. WYOFF could sponsor some of these tours.
• Participate in English-Speaking Union (http://www.esuhk.org/) activities

How to become a better person

• Learn to have a sense of duty and service
• Can participate in Federation of Youth, UNICEF youth programme, Police Cadet programme, Scout, Red Cross, etc.