In the previous episode, we said that boarding life can cultivate independence and responsibility. This time we share the extracurricular activities of St. Stephen’s Primary School! Extracurricular activities taught me how to build something of my own from scratch and the importance of teamwork.
A school culture of equal treatment and deep feelings
The students at St. Stephen’s are very simple, because most of the students also go boarding, and the students who don’t board take the school bus back to school. (I don’t know if it is the same now.) Everyone wears school uniforms and shoes, and there is no comparison with schoolbags. At most, some students may often turn water bottles around.I think it is important for children to be classless.Otherwise, you will always be in a disadvantage environment and you will be a little unhappy. Secondly, St. Stephen’s was considered a very young school at that time. Most of the teachers and even the principal had a job after graduation. They were only in their twenties. They met each other day and night in the boarding school, and they quickly got along with each other. The relationship between all the teachers and students was very deep. (To this day, I still make appointments with teachers and parents to go out for drinks or visit my home)
Everyone also has the opportunity to show themselves
In terms of reputation, compared with DBS, DGS, and even St Paul’s Co-ed, St. Stephen’s is far less famous, and its success is not as good as theirs, but our exposure and extracurricular activities are very colorful! Chinese and English recitation, swimming, track and field, choir, orchestra, and later percussion, participation in a variety of extracurricular activities begins in the third grade.
Create your own story from scratch
The school has a tradition that every two years, the middle school and primary school will combine to hold a “Music Night” concert. During the summer vacation of the first grade, we created a musical called “The Selfish Giant”. The giant was a fifth grade classmate who was very big (to I still do now (I saw him in California a while ago). Talking about the musical, at that time almost all students would participate in this musical (my role was a child playing and running around the tree). The trees, birds, dragonflies and bees were also played by people. Sir Li He is our music teacher. He wrote many songs for the musical and wrote the lyrics himself. He is very thoughtful. Sir Long will arrange the procedures for the day and the female teacher will be responsible for our costumes. The whole thing was created by the teachers and students together.
Learn the importance of teamwork
All kinds of musicals made me learn the importance of teamwork, because I have to rehearse, move, and sing. I belong to the team’s position. If someone makes a mistake along the way, they have to remind each other. I learned to face pressure when performing, because I have to perform in a middle school, which is a completely unfamiliar environment, with backstage, preparation room, etc. I still remember how to sing that song, and the spotlight on the stage made me feel nervous and happy at the same time!
Mom thought the singing voice on the record was actually…?
There is an interesting thing to share. In boarding life, there is parent visiting time every Wednesday, so that you and your parents can relieve the pain of missing each other. (Wednesday is orchestra practice time.) At that time, my mother happened to pass by the auditorium before coming to visit me and said: “There is a record playing inside.” I said, “Definitely not, there is a team of something playing inside!” One day when we were watching them practice, we secretly opened the door of the auditorium and saw that the entire orchestra team was playing! When I was six years old at the time, seeing so many musical instruments, I felt really awesome!
“Exception Program” every Sunday
There was no “late night self-study” on Sunday night. Instead, a movie was played in the auditorium, including the foreign language film “Indiana” Jones, Hong Kong movies, etc. In the third grade, we also watched “8964” (more on this later). In addition to movies, there will also be Mid-Autumn Festival parties, guessing lantern riddles, etc., which are also activities that boarders can experience. At Christmas, we will rent a bus to Central Tsim Sha Tsui to announce the good news, and sing Christmas songs when we get bored. I also participated in singing popular songs (for example: Love Trap, ha!) and other activities such as watching operas and “karaoke competitions” at my own expense. I remember singing “Tender You” with two boys and my “best friends” at that time.
A karaoke competition transformed a child?
There was a classmate named Joanne, who was also a dormitory student and was about three years younger than me. She had a very quiet personality and was extremely quiet. One year she actually participated in the “Karaoke Competition”! I still remember that she sang “Just Like Your Tenderness”, which was very beautiful. After winning the award, she entered the Choir, and her whole personality changed, becoming cheerful and confident.
Although teachers have a lot to deal with and arrange in arranging these various activities, it turns out that just a singing competition can change a child’s life. It is a very worthwhile thing. Joanne is still singing to this day!
The idea of making a film was created from a young age
I don’t know if the current filming model of MI MING MART was established back then, because every class in school had to come up with a performance when Christmas came. When we were in sixth grade, we conceived a play, which was a spoof of a TV commercial, and the opening of the play had the MGM lion roaring. I used a hula hoop and asked a classmate to put his head in it and pretend to “roar” at the beginning. It was very funny!
different media interviews
The first time I appeared on TV “430 Shuttle”, I was in fourth grade and talked about boarding life and feelings.
When I was in the sixth grade, “The Sonorous Collection” also talked about our boarding life and our mood when we graduated. One of the stories was about how friendly my “best friend” and I were.
