Principal's Message
The Spirit of Hong Kong
Have you been paying attention to the Paris Olympics this year? Have you cheered for our Hong Kong athletes or stayed up all night to witness the birth of medals?
In the women's foil finals, Hong Kong fencer Cheung Ming-Hui made an astonishing comeback, recovering from a 1:7 deficit to draw level at 12:12 and ultimately winning the gold medal against home favorite Marie Petiot in a sudden-death situation. After being eliminated in the round of 16 at the Rio Olympics and finishing in the quarterfinals in Tokyo, Cheung finally realized her dream at this Paris Olympics, marking a historic moment for the Hong Kong fencing team, winning gold for two consecutive Olympiads.
After the match, when asked how she managed to change her mindset and rally from 1:7, she said, “I didn’t want to lose face,” and “I didn’t want to give up without showing the spirit of Hong Kong.” What is the "Spirit of Hong Kong"? It embodies facing challenges positively, self-improvement in adversity, courage to fight, resilience, and the ability to adapt and innovate. Cheung's triumph from adversity perfectly exemplifies this spirit.
Students, have you had similar experiences?
1. You resolved to be on time for school, but after two days, you found yourself late again.
2. You promised your teacher to submit your homework, but ended up playing computer games and didn’t even open your backpack.
3. You wanted to break a bad habit, but within three days, you fell back into it.
When facing such adversities, have you demonstrated the "Spirit of Hong Kong" by persevering? To be self-reliant means making a firm decision to overcome challenges. For example, sleeping half an hour earlier or doing homework right after getting home. If your willpower is not strong enough, it’s easy to give up. Once you learn to give in, it becomes a habit, and if you refuse to move forward, you’ll forever feel distant from your goals.
Of course, support and encouragement from those around you are vital. Cheung remarked after the match that this gold medal is the result of years of hard work from her coach and team. Likewise, the teachers at our school will undoubtedly do their utmost to walk alongside our students with love, support, care, and encouragement, preparing them for the future and helping them become their best selves!
As we enter the new school year, I hope everyone can uphold the "Spirit of Hong Kong" to face the challenges in learning and personal growth. Remember: it doesn’t matter how slowly you go, as long as you don't stop moving forward, you will eventually reach your goals!
Ms Leong Oi Chan
Principal