We are delighted to announce that our school held an author talk organized by the Hong Kong International Literary Festival on March 7, 2023, featuring the accomplished writer Christopher Cheng.

During the talk, Christopher spoke about his own writing journey and shared valuable insights on how to gather inspiration and write a compelling story. He discussed the importance of finding inspiration in everyday objects and experiences and offered practical tips on how to turn these inspirations into well-crafted stories.

Christopher's engaging and informative speech was followed by a lively Q&A session, during which our students had the opportunity to ask him questions about his writing process and life as an author. The students' enthusiasm and curiosity made for an inspiring and memorable event.

We are thrilled that our students had the opportunity to learn from such a talented and experienced writer, and we hope that the insights shared by Christopher will inspire our students to become more confident and creative writers. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Christopher Cheng for his visit.

Congratulations to our School Choir for achieving the Silver Award in the Tai Po District Schools Singing Competition 2022-2023.

3C SIU Cheuk Ting

It's unbelievable that our choir received the silver award in the Tai Po District Schools Singing Competition. Whenever I have seen the Silver Award trophy, I have always felt warm.

A few weeks ago, Miss Wu told us we would take part in a competition on the 17th of February. At that time, I was extremely serious about that because I know all choir competitions have been suspended since the covid-19 broke out. However, now we can have competitions again, which means we can win glory for our school again. It's my dream and my pleasure to do this.

Initially I felt that we were not that united as I had to encourage and appeal to our choir members many times to memorise the music and lyrics. However, only a few people or even no one came to extra rehearsals together during recess. Although I know they're busy, it still made me a little bit anxious. Nonetheless, one week before the competition, our performance was so beautiful and fluent, just few people had some careless mistakes. I soon became more confident as I could see that they had practiced enough at home before the competition.

During those weeks, Miss Wu arranged more training for us. She practiced with each voice part respectively. She assisted us to correct every note and beat with plenty of patience. Additionally, we were been guided how to sing the end sound of the words clearly by our conductor, Mr. Hui. He also taught us how to relax and to be in our element to sing well. They are the people I want to thank the most. Because of their support, and our members' diligence, we achieved a fantastic result.

When I recall the memory of that day, I remember that when we sang the first song 'Zum Gali' , we were quite nervous but soon we recovered and we got more confident when we sang the later part. Our final ranking was top four out of ten schools and we got the silver award. It is the fruit of our hard work. Getting this award, I feel proud of the WSC choir because we can prove to others that the WSC Choir is capable. We can prove to them that Wong Shiu Chi Secondary School students are not only good at sports, but also music. That afternoon, I watched many schools' brilliant performances. Although we are not at their level yet, I believe in the near future, we can overtake them and I hope we can win a gold medal during my time at secondary school.

3C 丁思雅

很榮幸能夠在合唱團擔任鋼琴伴奏的角色，並在大埔區校際歌唱比賽2022-2023（中學組）中獲得銀獎。

合唱團中的每一個角色都缺一不可：無論是指揮、老師、還是團員；但伴奏這個角色比其他更大壓力，不容有失。

這是我第一次加入合唱團並參加比賽。經過這次比賽後，我最感謝的便是我們的指導老師——胡老師。起初，我的心情固然緊張，當時甚至連最簡單的開聲練習的和弦我都錯漏百出。不常與人合作的我也在為歌曲伴奏的時候出過不少差錯。胡老師都會教我如何改進。她常常鼓勵我，在練習至比賽都陪伴我，成為我的「強心針」。

這位良師讓我在進步的過程中取得了質的飛躍——我非常感謝她在比賽前幾個星期主動提出要與我單獨練習，不惜犧牲她的休息時間來教導我。

除此之外，我也感謝一直以來陪伴者我們的指揮——許老師。他的認真態度感染了我們，讓我們勇於面對挑戰。他輕聲的鼓勵和豎起的拇指，都是讓我們前進的動力。

說實話，比賽即將來臨時我並沒有想像中緊張。我一進場，就聽到了幼兒園組別的小朋友可愛純真的歌聲，他們的動作笨拙可愛，我從他們的表演中得到啟發。

我不禁在想，從小到大，我上過大大小小的舞台。可是，我真正享受過幾次？每次都戰戰兢兢，直到比賽完畢了才鬆了一口氣。我意識到，好像從來沒有去認真體會舞台帶給我的感覺。所以，儘管這次我只是司琴，台下的觀眾未必看到我；但是他們可以享受我們整個合唱團富有感情的美妙歌聲，享受我指尖奏出的妙韻。這次我才真正感受舞台下觀眾評委給予我們的掌聲，感受這令人難忘的合唱團比賽，讓我永遠銘記於心。

Reflection by 5D Tse Wing Sum, Summi

Invited by Ms. Ng, I accepted the offer of applying for Hong Kong 200 Leadership Training Program organized by the HKFYG Leadership Institute 2022-23 beyond doubt. Amidst pandemic, HK200 applicants were required to write an essay about our commitment to Hong Kong --the thing I have done for Hong Kong. It was a big struggle for an ordinary secondary student like me to figure out what I had ever contributed to our city. After successfully enrolling in the leadership programme, it was my great pleasure to understand more about how influential stakeholders around us expect the quality that young leaders should process by learning from the interviews and sharing of diverse representatives and talents from all walks of life in Hong Kong. I was most impressed by Mr. Wong Tung-shun, the CEO of HSBC Asia-Pacific, in his sharing about “to understand, as to be understood”, which is also one of the seven habits of “Leader in Me”.

During the intensive, hybrid training and local field-trips within these few months, I delightfully attained greater insights and a wider horizon over the societal problems and the needs of different groups of our population, such as that of the elderly and the ethnic minority. With a deeper understanding about the community, the programme participants developed and constructed the Community Map and Project for Hong Kong. I could still clearly recall the tough time we worked on these projects and tasks with intense deadlines. I was ecstatic to share Tai Po in my Community Map, and was honoured to be awarded with the Top 3 Community Map. Despite losing the top place in the Project for Hong Kong, efforts did not go futile and they gave me an extensive view on Hong Kong and hands-on, practical experiences on writing proposals.

Thomas (another HK200 participant from our school) and I went through an exhausting and packed schedule in the HKFYG Leadership Institute in Fanling 2022 Summer and Fall. Nevertheless, I am certain that a sense of commitment to Hong Kong has sprouted in my heart -- even though a remarkable and significant change was yet to be made. As one of the youths, who are the most valuable asset in Hong Kong, we could surely brush colour into Hong Kong's future.

Reflection by 5D Lau Tsz Yu, Thomas

From July to November 2022, I successfully completed the 60-hour Hong Kong 200 Leadership Training Program organized by the HKFYG Leadership Institute. In this progamme, we were honoured to converse with the judges who were prominent leaders in Hong Kong, and received intensive training in the leadership introductory course, core leadership training and team spirit training in order to complete the Project for HK, as well as the social experience and practice in the community.

I have learnt a wonderful lesson that the world is bigger than what I had seen. I met a lot of outstanding students and realized that comparing with them I am also competent enough. In HK200, I had lots of chances to meet the influential and famous leaders in HK such as meeting and exchanging ideas with the judges including the chairman of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government, and the vice-chairman of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau. I have developed my self-confidence under different circumstances. Besides, in the preparation and the pitching of the project for Hong Kong, I learned a lot about team work and independent stamina. Completing a project is not easy because it involves a lot of time, effort, data analysis and project design on behalf of yourself as well as your product users.

Lastly, I was also delighted to explore various social issues and join the workshops about the entire society, elderly care, environmental conservation, inclusion and more issues. I visited different elderly technology and innovation centres, elderly homes and environmental protection centres. What I have learnt from these experiences is that there are still a lot of people who need a helping hand from the society. There are still a lot of social issues and problems awaiting for solutions.

The Annual Speech Day 2021-22 was successfully held on 2 December 2022. We were honoured to have invited Prof. Cheung Yan Leung Stephen, SBS, JP, to be our guest-of-honour to address the ceremony as well as present certificates and prizes.

Professor Cheung obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1982. Having won the French Government Scholarship, he went on to get his Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Statistics from the University of Paris VI. He then spent the following years furthering his studies and was awarded his PhD Degree in Finance from the University of Strathclyde. In 2001, he completed a programme on the Global Financial System: Structure, Crisis, and Reform at the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University.

Since 1985, Professor Cheung had taught in various tertiary institutions, including City University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Baptist University. In 2013, Professor Cheung joined The Education University of Hong Kong (formerly Hong Kong Institute of Education) and is currently the President and Chair Professor of Public Policy. One of his remarkable achievements is the Institute's successful application for university status in 2016. This achievement did not only recognise the good establishment of the Institute in the education field, but also promised brighter prospects in the competitiveness of graduates and opportunities for academic exchanges, which will facilitate the future development of the education field.

With special focus on corporate finance, investment and financial market development, Professor Cheung has been playing a prominent role in research in the related fields. In 2001, he was ranked the sixth most productive finance researcher in the Asia-Pacific region during the period 1990-1999. In 2005, he was ranked the 14th most productive author in Asia-Pacific universities during the period 1991-2002. In 2014, he was presented the Sun Yefang Financial Innovation Award, which was also known as China's Nobel Prize in the field of economics, for his co-authored publication titled “Privatisation and Risk Sharing: Evidence from the Split Share Structure Reform in China”. Professor Cheung's prominence in the academic research arena is unequivocal.

Apart from being a researcher, teacher, administrator, and fundraiser for his University, Professor Cheung is very active in local and regional community services. He has extensive consultancy experience in the Hong Kong financial sector, including once serving as the Project Coordinator for the Consumer Council in its examination of the Hong Kong banking sector and at present, as the Chairperson of the Supervisory Committee of the Asian Bond Fund Hong Kong Bond Index Fund of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. As well, he is the Chairperson of the Transport Advisory Committee and a Member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. As a recognition for his myriad contributions to the community, he was awarded Justice of the Peace in 2007 and the Silver Bauhinia Star in 2019. It is worth mentioning that he was internationally recognised in 2017 by the French Government with the award of Officier dan l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques, which can be translated as Officer of the Order of Academic Palms in English.

Being a committed educator, Professor Cheung has published a number of newspaper articles discussing his educational beliefs. In one titled “ 'Winning at the starting line' is a losing formula”, he suggests “Character-building is more important than examination scores. Positive attributes [...] will contribute to [children's] well-being and empower them to become agents of social betterment”. His advocacy of character-building for a better society echoes our school commitment in promoting students' holistic development for the future well-being of the community. He embodies all that we hope our students aspire to and for this reason, he is definitely a role model for our graduates and prize winners to follow.

In his congratulatory address, Prof. Cheung inspired our students and graduates by sharing with them his enlightening speech. He stressed that education is not just about academic results. It is about learning how to learn, how to keep an open mind, how to respect other people's points of view and how to dedicate oneself to something that will benefit society. Success in life is not measured by how much money one earns or by how many followers one has on social media, but by how much one can contribute to society. He reminded the students that they can gain a much longer-lasting sense of achievement through giving rather than receiving, and encouraged them to help those who are vulnerable or who have not had the same benefit of education as theirs. At last, Prof. Cheung ended his speech by giving a warm blessing to the audience. The graduates have benefitted a lot from Prof. Cheung's inspiring speech.

My aspiration of being a teacher began to germinate when I was a S2 student in this school – probably from the satisfaction of successfully helping others understand a knowledge point. I believe I am one of the very few fortunate ones to have decided my future pathway at such an early stage. However, the key to success definitely lies in not taking this advantage for granted. University provides access to abundant resources and opportunities other than your formal studies. To make the best out of it, you need to be proactive. During my undergraduate years, apart from studying, I constantly engaged myself in voluntary teaching for local non-government organisations and education-related programmes held by institutions worldwide. I also worked as a Research Support Fellow in my faculty for two years, to get myself involved in local educational research projects. By doing all these, I reached an understanding of the actual challenges frontline teachers face. These experiences have been just as essential as my course content and training, as they have helped me develop the international insight and consider the practical aspect of issues in education, encouraging me to weave theories into practices while taking into account the distinct societal context in which our schooling is embedded.

There have been incidences where I have come across thoughts that teaching is almost like a backup plan for degree holders from different disciplines. However, I responded with what Principal Cheng once said, "Our city needs outstanding teachers". Indeed, it requires more than the commonly held attributes to be a good teacher. My undergraduate training and years of service have helped me realise that teachers have to not just be knowledgeable in their subject, but to be wise in content delivery; to not just ask students questions skillfully, but to create a stimulating and supportive learning environment; to not just discipline and guide students, but to model the way a mindful adult and citizen should behave. The professional training and development of we practitioners starts as we enter university and there is no end date. Every little incident is an opportunity for us to reflect upon, to drive us forward and to shape us to be better teachers. Rather than having someone spot the errors and tell you ways to improve, it is essential for teachers to have this self-reflecting awareness from within ourselves, which cements so much our belief that teaching is also as much a learning process.

This is also the reason I decided to go back to university to have my professionality stretched further despite my enthusiasm in teaching in classrooms. I have a strong desire to explore more within the field of language education, particularly Language across the Curriculum (LAC). This research interest has emerged from my personal experience and my school-based observations. I hope, after gaining in-depth professional knowledge in this area through the Masters programme, I will be able to participate in teacher training and English curriculum development in Hong Kong, in order to support language and content-subject teachers in developing LAC teaching strategies that will benefit students' language learning. I remember how I spent days and nights feeling so intimidated by the interview invitation; during the actual process, surprisingly, I found myself very comfortable in elaborating on the reasons for my application and research interest, because those ideas were genuinely my beliefs. I do think it was this confidence I expressed that convinced the institution of offering me a place to study. This entire process highlighted to me that having a clear vision of your ambition is important, as much as your confidence in believing what you will achieve.

I have already embarked on my new journey with the Department of Education at the University of Oxford. My first week here was swamped by new information and induction seminars, as well as opportunities to meet people from around the globe specialising in different disciplines. I feel deeply, through interacting with my colleagues, that the most precious parts of this Master's degree journey are the intellectual exchanges as well as the interaction of the variety of cultural background and living experiences that we are bringing to one another. We need these interdisciplinary dialogues and genuine ties more than ever in the unprecedented challenging time we are in.

I am really grateful that my Master's study is financially supported by the HKSAR Government and the China Oxford Scholarships Fund. With their financial aid, I am able to focus on my studies without worrying about the tuition fees. I am also allowed greater flexibility to participate in social events with other international students during my free time. I will definitely treasure my time here at Oxford and take the most with me to contribute to the betterment of language education in Hong Kong for many generations of learners to come.

Ms. HO Tsz-ying
- S6 graduate in 2014
- Admission to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Language Education (English) in the University of Hong Kong in 2014
- Admission to Masters of Science in Applied Linguistics and Second Language acquisition in the University of Oxford in 2022
- Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme 2022/23 Cohort Awardee

The English Debate Team took part in the Hong Kong Secondary Schools Debating Competition (HKSSDC) 2021-22. Our debaters 5D (currently 6D) Wong Tsz Ching Michelle, 5D (currently 6D) Ma Lok Yiu Yoyo and 4D (currently 5D) Tse Wing Sum Summi won Term One Round Two against The HKCCCU Logos Academy on 25 November 2021. The debate motion was that “THW fine companies who use greenwashing advertising campaigns”. Along with the team's victory, Tse Wing Sum Summi was even awarded the Best Debater in two consecutive rounds of HKSSDC in Term One.

Moreover, in Term Two Round Two, our debaters 3C (currently 4A Tam Ka Kit Leo, 4A (currently 5A) Lam Jamie Ching Yu and 4A (currently 5A) Ma Xin Lin Tessie reached another glory for the English Debate Team and won the debate against CCC Chuen Yuen College on 1 June 2022. The debate motion was that “THW create and enforce filial responsibility laws”. Ma Xin Lin Tessie was awarded the Best Debater in the round.

The concerted efforts of the debaters were greatly appreciated. It is certain that the debaters were well developed with critical thinking and team spirit through debating.