Mr Wong Shun Tak (B.Eng., P.C.Ed., M.A.) Email: wst @tanghin.edu.hk
Principal's Message
1st September, 2020
After a month of summer vacation, this is the first day of the new school year. The pandemic situation is still on-going. However, we remain connected and proud to be Tanghinians.
Before I start my speech, I would like to introduce new teachers who join the Tang Hin family. First, we have Mr HO, Lok Chun 何諾進老師. He will be teaching Mathematics and Computer. Then, we have Ms KU, Hoi Yee 古鎧怡老師. She will be teaching Chinese, Life Education and Putonghua. The next one is Ms LI, Lok Wun 李樂媛老師. She will be teaching Chinese, Chinese History and Life Education. And we have Ms. LUI, Ka Wai 雷嘉慧老師. She joins our teaching force as a teaching assistant. She will be supporting students with special educational needs and offering English tutorial groups. Last but least, that is me, Mr WONG, Shun Tak. I have changed my role to become the principal of the school. I have been teaching in this school for 20 years. I will still be teaching, but the target group is changed from some classes to students of the whole school.
The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly engulfed the globe. At the time of recording, there are around 4800 confirmed cases causing around 90 deaths in Hong Kong. I do hope that all of us here watching the ceremony stay healthy, together with our families.
For more than half a year, we have been conducting lessons in various modes, for example, video recording, disseminating notes and exercises, and video conferencing. These modes of teaching and learning are new to teachers and students. I have to say that most of our students and teachers have been striving very hard through this difficult period. In the technical aspect, teachers used new ways to collect and mark assignments. Students got used to checking assignments, doing and submitting assignments on electronic platforms. We established channels of communication through which students, teachers and parents are connected. Some students faced difficulties. We sought from outside parties useful resources like mobile SIM cards, computers and mobile devices and lent these resources to those in need. Most of the students were well engaged in learning. This was proven in the final assessment in July. However, some of them lagged behind others. They had no clear goal. Some were addicted to the pursuit of short-term excitement like playing online games. Some were not attentive enough during online conference classes. Some could not manage their time properly to complete tasks given by teachers. I think we all understand that “Time does not wait” and that “Chance favours the prepared mind.” Do you have a dream? Do you have your goals in life? If your answer is “YES”, how are you going to plan your steps towards your goal? If you don’t dream, you might as well be dead.
Do you often give up easily? Once, a 12-year old boy had been champions in numerous swimming competitions. He was seriously injured after an accident. He became paralyzed and had to rely on his wheelchair to move around. His fingers were weak. He was told by his doctor that there was little possibility of studying like others in his future days. However, he insisted on writing with a pen with auxiliary tools. With much practice and perseverance, he managed to write his DSE paper. Who is he? He was once the ‘North District Flying Fish’. He is our graduate, Mr YAU, Tsz Lam.
Tsz Lam does not talk much. In an interview by a local press recently, he said, “Sometimes it’s useless to think too much. I would not be so optimistic as to think that I can recover overnight, nor would I complain about my fate. But I do believe to do my duty well is already an act of being responsible for life.” He scored 25 points for his best 5 subjects taken. He got 5** in Mathematics and 5* in Economics. “Overcome”, “solve” and “change” are the 3 key words of Tsz Lam.
Tsz Lam has given us an inspirational story. What about you? Will you give up easily? Do you have a dream? Have you ever thought of unlocking your potential?
Why not set a short-term goal? Give yourself a challenge! No matter it’s a “Dalgona coffee” challenge or an essay of 4000 words. Have you read the whole series of Harry Potter? Have you ever written a piece of computer program or constructed a STEM project? You won’t understand “who” you are without any challenge or breakthrough.
Due to COVID-19, school was suspended. Form 6 students last year could not even complete their mock examination. The public examination was postponed again and again. Some students demonstrated good attitude for their studies. They could manage their time and rearrange their rhythm of study. I do not intend to push you to study all day long. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” We need to have balance between study and social life. The most important in your life is that “you have the passion to learn”.
I am not going to give a detailed report of the HKDSE results of our graduates last year. You may check it out in the school website soon. In short, 95.3% of them have fulfilled the entrance requirements for enrolling in the universities in Hong Kong. 97.3% of them have enrolled in the universities in Hong Kong through JUPAS. 92% of them are going to take degree courses. The list of outstanding students is longer than that for the past few years, while at the same time, there is an increase in the number of students who score less than 20 for their best 5 subjects taken.
The theme of the moral progamme this year is “Brave hard times in team, set sail towards our dream.” (乘風破浪,夢想啟航). Treasure your time and challenge yourself, especially during the pandemic period when there is only half-day online schooling.
Try your best! Have no regret!