| St. Joseph's College | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Labore et Virtute (Labour and Virtue) |
| Established | 1875 |
| Type | Government-aided boys' secondary school |
| Affiliation | Catholic, Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools |
| Principal | Ms. Caroline Chan Mei-Mui |
| Supervisor | Bro. Thomas Favier, FSC |
| Faculty | 89 |
| Students | c.1198 |
| Grades | Form 1 to Upper 6 |
| Location | 7 Kennedy Road, Central, Hong Kong |
| Colours | Green and White |
| Yearbook | 'Green & White' |
| Newspaper | 'Green & White Gazette' |
| Medium of instruction | English |
| Website | www.sjc.edu.hk |
Established in 1875, St. Joseph's College (SJC; traditional Chinese: 聖若瑟書院; Jyutping: sing3 joek6 sat1 syu1 jyun2; demonym: Josephian) is the oldest Catholic boys' secondary school in Hong Kong. It is located at 7 Kennedy Road, Mid-levels, in the Central and Western District. The College enrollment is about 1198; together with the affiliated kindergarten and primary school at 48 Wood Road, the enrollment of the schools now exceeds 4200.[1]
The sponsoring body of the College is the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Known as the 'Lasallian Brothers', the Institute's spirit is of faith and zeal: to have faith in God and an ardent zeal to teach the children, helping them in developing themselves so to live as brothers and sisters in a world of justice. In accordance, the mission of the College is "to educate students in areas of intellectual, physical, social, moral and emotional development" and "to impart a human and Christian education...and to do so with faith and zeal".[1]
The College provides education which emphasises not only academic but also extracurricular activities. The College also aims at stimulating the social awareness of the students, with a number of alumni becoming important social figures.[1]
The college is best known for its academic results in 2010, St. Joseph's College got 4 students who achieved 10"A"s in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, the result achieved is the best in all secondary schools in Hong Kong.
The freedom that the school grant to the students are also well known, especially through the Green and White Day (Open Day) which is organized by the Students' Union. In the 130th and 135th anniversary, the school pioneered the use of fireworks for the closing ceremony of the days. Theme songs which are written, edited, sung by the Students' Union are also produced in each year's Open Day starting from the 130th anniversary. Students are called as Josephians and are united, old boys always show their full support no matter in renewal project or other school functions like the Walkathon or Students' Festival, this is generally described as the Green and White Spirit or Josephians Spirit.
The north and west blocks of the College are declared monuments of Hong Kong.[2]
Contents |
The College was previously a Portuguese commercial school named St. Saviour's College, established on Pottinger Street in 1860. Father Timoleon Raimondi, who was then the bishop of the Colony, convinced Rome to send the Lasallian Brothers to the British Colony. On 7 November 1875 six Lasallian Brothers arrived in Hong Kong: Brothers Hidulphe Marie (Director), Hidulphe de Jesus, and Hebertus from the Boarding school of Marseilles; Brother Adrian Edmund and Aldolphus Marie from the Novitiate of London; and Brother Isfrid from Paris. They renamed the school after Saint Joseph, the patron saint of workers and the Universal Church.[3]
| School Rally
Brother Marcian (1903) Verse 1
Chorus
Verse 2
Verse 3
Verse 4
|
At the time of the takeover the school had just seventy-five students. That year, hundreds of Portuguese families had taken refuge in Hong Kong as a disastrous typhoon had swept over Macau, so after weeks the enrollment had doubled and it became evident that an extension to the present building had to be contemplated. Mgr. Raimondi purchased a house (Buxley Lodge) situated at 99 Caine Road for $14,000 in June 1876, and the Brothers at once moved into it.
Experiences of the Lasallian Brothers proved to be beneficial to the school, especially when the first Director, Brother Hidulphe Marie, had success with schools in Agra and Colombo. In 1879 the enrollment had already increased to 259, making it the largest grant-in-aid school in the colony and second largest school overall; the largest school at that time was Central School (now Queen's College) with an attendance of 590. In the same year the first class for Chinese students (Anglo-Chinese school) was opened. Academic results were outstanding, with a passing rate at 90.71%.
In April, 1880, Brother Cyprian was appointed Director. He had been a distinguished teacher in New York and Quebec and had held the directorship of several schools in his native land, Canada, previous to his experience in London and Paris. In order to cater for the needs of the fast-growing school, a piece of land in Glenealy below Robinson Road was bought and a two-storey Victorian building became home to the College in 1881.[3]
In January, 1884, Brother Ivarch Louis arrived in Hong Kong as Director. The College had already secured a prominent place among the leading education establishments and its influence radiated through all the countries of the Far East, with boarding students from the Philippines, Indochina, Siam, Malaya and elsewhere.[4] In 1889 he was called to Colombo and Brother Abban took his place. Enrollment had been increased to 409 and two Chinese staff were employed by the college; in the same year a third storey was added to the school building for the accommodation of the boarders. The wings were further added in 1901.
The College soon became outstanding in both academic and sports fields. Students from the three higher classes (the "Oxford Classes") led by Brother Stephen Buckley from Cork got top results in Oxford University examinations. The College also became a cradle for the success achieved on the sports field of the Colony, especially in the area of soccer.
On 13 February 1918, a fifty-second earthquake struck the colony and the Robinson Road campus was severely damaged. Subsequently Principal Brother Aimar bought the Club Germania with its commodious grounds at 7 Kennedy Road on 3 September - the splendid German building was confisicated by the Custodian of Enemy Property of the British Colonial Government since the outbreak of World War I. The top floor of the five-storey Victorian building was the Brothers' Quarters. The third floor was once a dormitory for students and boarders, while afterwards it served as the old Old Hall. The second floor was the office and quarters of the secretary; the first floor located the general office and recreation room. The ground floor was a library.[4]
Noting that pupils living on the Kowloon side had to cross by ferry round-trip every day, Brother Aimar set up a branch school on Chatham Road, Kowloon, which later became the La Salle College in 1932.
In order to accommodate more students, the North Block (Classroom Block) was erected in 1920 and was opened by Governor Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs. The Chapel Block (Science Block) was opened on 24 October 1925, housing the Chapel, laboratories, and Li Shek Pang Hall (the current Old Hall).[5]
During the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong from 1941 to 1945, the College was used as a clinical depot by the Imperial Japanese Army. Some Brothers fled to Vietnam and became guests of the Dominicans and the Jesuits, while others were kept as prisoners of war in the local concentration camps. The campus was kept in shape by a minor staffer called Ah Yiu, who would also smuggle essentials into the camps for the Brothers.[4]
The College soon resumed class after the war. In 1962, Club Germania was demolished and a modern eight-storey building (New Building) was erected under Principal Brother Brenden Dunne. Governor Sir Robert Brown Black and Superior General Brother Nicet Joseph officiated the opening of the new building. Prior to the establishment of St. Joseph's College Primary School, classes in the College ran from Class Eight to Class One, equivalent to Primary Five to Upper Six today.[6]
The College is located at 7 Kennedy Road which is only five minutes walk from Central, the central commercial district of Hong Kong. Neighbours include St. Joseph's Church and Hong Kong Park. St. Joseph's Path, which joins Kennedy Road and Garden Road, runs along the east side of the College.
The College's architecture is an interesting combination of typical colonial European (British Imperialist) and modern styles. The Old Building (north block), constructed in 1920, houses most of the classrooms. The Chapel Block (west block) houses the Old Hall, music room, laboratories, lecture room and school chapel. These buildings were built in a Colonial style reflecting European influences; features include the clock towers, the turret and the verandahs built for ventilation. The two blocks are declared monuments of Hong Kong since August 2000.
The modern New Building (south block), which replaced the original Club Germania on the site, houses the upper form classrooms. The New Hall, senior laboratories, library and computer rooms are located here. The Multimedia Learning Centre (MMLC) on the second floor has been in use since 2000. This special room has been equipped with a number of personal desktop computers and various audio-visual instruments for the enhancement of effective teaching.
In 2003, the school had installed kiosks within the campus for students to log in to the Internet. Due to enormous usage, the number of these workstations will be increased.[7]
In 2007, the school had five new rooms : an art room, two staff rooms, a remedial room and an Information Technology Learning Centre (ITLC) under the new hall.
The College is governed by the School Management Committee. It is formed by the supervisor, the principal, two vice-principals, a teachers' representative, a Parent-Teacher Association representative, an Old Boys' Association representative and three Lasallian Brothers.
The faculty includes 67 classroom teachers, a careers mistress, a discipline mistress, a counseling mistress, a sports master, a librarian, one Native English Speaking (NET) teacher, a French teacher. Laboratory technicians, IT technicians and a library assistant are also employed. A part-time social worker is accessible to the students. The current school supervisor is Rev. Brother Thomas Favier, who was the former school principal until 2002.[8]
St. Joseph's College is an English medium school. French is offered as an alternative to Chinese as the second language. For the first three years of school, various subjects were introduced to students, including English, Chinese/French, Putonghua, Mathematics, Integrated Humanities, Religious Studies (Christianity), Music and Visual Arts. In order to raise students' awareness in business, Business Fundamentals was recently introduced. Integrated Science is introduced in Form One to Two, and by Form Three Physics, Chemistry and Biology are offered to students.
From the academic year 2007-2008, a new subject, Integrated Humanities (IH) replaced the subjects Geography, History and Economics and Public Affairs for Forms one and two; the three original subjects were also replaced by IH from the academic year 2008-2009.
Under the HKCEE system, classes from Form Four onwards are two-stream classes (Arts or Science). Form Four and Five students will prepare for the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) and all students must take English, Chinese/French, Mathematics and Religious Studies (Christianity) as their core subjects. History, Chinese History, Geography, Economics, Commerce, Principles of Accounts, Travel & Tourism, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Additional Mathematics and Computer & IT are offered according to the streaming. The College is among the first schools to offer the highly regarded Travel & Tourism course, and study activities such as visits and study tours are strongly backed up by the industry.[9]
With the implementation of the New Senior Secondary (NSS) system, students from Forms Four to Six will take the four core subjects (Chinese, English, Mathematics and Liberal Studies)as well as choosing up to three elective subjects. Current elective subjects offered include Biology, Business, Accounting and Financial Studies (BAFS), Chemistry, Chinese History, Computer and Information Technology, Economics, Geography, Physics and Tourism and Hospitality Studies. Students can also apply for Applied Learning (ApL) which will replace one of the three electives.
Matriculation classes (Lower and Upper Six) are three-stream classes (Arts, Mathematics or Biology). Use of English, Chinese Language and Culture, Economics, Business Studies, Principles of Accounts, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Pure Mathematics and Computer Application are offered. Students will take Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE or A-level) at the end of matriculation.
Physical education, moral and civic education and reading lessons are compulsory for all students. The College also runs a summer tuition course for newly admitted Form One students who have a weaker foundation in English. There are also small classes of Chinese, English and Mathematics in the first two years for students with special learning needs.
Academic results of the College have been outstanding right from the very beginning. In the pre-war years students from the three higher classes (the "Oxford Classes") would participate in the Oxford University examinations and get top results. In 1959 a Josephian obtained nine distinctions and two credits in the Hong Kong School Certificate Examination (HKCEE). Again, a Josephian achieved the top position in the HKCEE in 1970. In 1972 the Quiz team won the TVB quiz programme ‘On your marks’ for two consecutive years.
In 2002, the College topped all local schools with four Josephians obtaining ten A-grades in the HKCEE. The College continues to strive for academic excellency, setting new school record of a total of 312 A-grades in the HKCEE and a per capita of 1.63 A-grades scored in 2006. In 2010, the College again topped all local schools with four Josephians scoring ten A-grades in the last-ever HKCEE in Hong Kong.
SJC counts a total of 11 winners of the Hong Kong Outstanding Students Awards,[10] ranking sixth among all secondary schools in Hong Kong.
The College has a high university entrance rate and a number of graduates have also gone on to top universities around the world. A lot of high achievers also entered medical schools. In year 2003, 11 graduates entered medical schools in Hong Kong.[11]
Ever since the introduction of the school value-addedness analysis by the Education and Manpower Bureau, the College has been value-added for seven consecutive years.[12]
Official
The Students’ Union(SU) was established in 1981 with several missions in mind. First and foremost, it aims to serve as the bridge between students and school authorities. It provides essential services to Josephians, such as production of Student Identity Cards. It ensures the smooth operation of school functions, through co-ordination of school extra-curricular activities. Furthermore, it stimulates the life of students through various school activities.
The executive committees are elected each year, a committee usually consists of 13-14 students from F.5, they will be responsible for the daily operation of the SU.
Official Students' Union Page
The official Students' Union Page (http://www.sjcsu.com) was launched on 23rd August, 2011 by the 137th SU, it provides a multimedia platform for students to express their views through various ways like directly contacting through mail or through the poll which is regularly updated. A Facebook and Youtube Page was also produced. Students can conveniently get more information of the coming events and the news reports on the webs. Mission Statement The Mission Statement of the Students' Union 2011-2012 is:
-To develop students' self-confidence, sense of responsibility, discipline and to help
them discover their potentials;
-To broaden the horizons of Josephians by presenting them with a colourful and dynamic
school life;
-To improve relations between Josephians and other schools, parents and members of the
public through various events;
-To help students, especially junior ones, develop a sense of belonging to St. Joseph's;
-To encourage students to strike ad healthy balance between studies and Extra-Cirricular
Activities to develop themselves into typical all-round Josephians;
-To serve as a bridge to replect to opinions of students to school authorities and
encourage students to actively do so, so as to inspire them to be aware of
school and current affairs;
-To co-ordinate between school authorities and students to help ensure school policies
are carried out smoothly;
-To pass the school spirit to the next generations of Josephians.
Events
The major events hold by SU include the followings:
Green and White Day
The Green and White Day(Open Day)is the biggest event to the public of the whole school year, the Students' Union is responsible in decorating the school campus, making programme, promoting, finding sponsorships and organizing the bazaar and exhibition.
Students' Festival
The Students' Festival is held around in March, the festival is usually 2 weeks long, consisting Sports Competition between students and teachers and also other performances, it aims at enhancing the relationships between students and teachers through various events that involve both parties. A theme is generally made for the Festival each year.
ITQ
The Internal Talent Quest(ITQ) is organized jointly by the Students' Union and Music Society, it was originated by the famous song producer 趙增熹 who is an old boy of the school. Different artists will be invited to perform on the day, artists that have performed included Faye Wong, Eason Chan, Kay Tse. The contestants are of great quality, the ITQ is a competitive singing contest among those of HK secondary schools
Sports has been at the forefront of the College ever since its establishment. In 1877, just two years after its establishment, the College held the first local inter-school sports competition with St. Paul's College, and around 1880 it established one of the first modern football teams in China. The first local inter-school athletic meet with Queen's College and Diocesan Boys' School was held in 1899, and in 1903 the first local inter-school football league was formed with the two schools.
The College has established excellent results in various sports competitions. In 1909 and 1952 it captured a grand slam in inter-school football, winning both the First and Junior Team trophies. In 1983 the College recaptured the inter-school football overall championship, starting a two-decade long dominance of the position. 1996 saw a record sixth time grand slam in the history of the competition. By 2007, the College has already snatched the overall championship 18 times in 25 years.
From 1913 to 1918 the College was crowned champion of inter-school athletics six years in a row. The athletics team won the Governor's Shield, champion of the inter-school athletics meet, for six times over the twelve years it was being offered (1925–1936).
Swimming is also a particular strength of the College. The College first won the inter-school championship of swimming in 1918. In 1991 the College recaptured the inter-school swimming overall champion title, last won in 1937; and in 1992 it won a grand slam in the competition. By 2007 the school has already captured the A grade inter-school swimming championship title for the tenth time, its eighth in the last decade. Josephians are currently holding nine inter-school and sixteen Hong Kong swimming records.
For basketball, the team first won the Hong Kong Basketball Association Shield in 1925. In 1998 the school captured grand slam as well as the Jing-Ying (i.e. elite) and Marathon title in the inter-school basketball competitions. By 2000 the College had already been champion for six times in seven years in the All Hong Kong Inter-school Basketball Marathon and in 2007 the school captured the A grade inter-school basketball championship title (HK Island) for the tenth time, a record since the competition was split in 1967. In 2008 the College captured the sixth ever overall championship in inter-school basketball competition.
Other major sports achievements included:
In fact, the College is known as a cradle for local elite sportsmen. In 1936 the College produced the first Olympian representing China in swimming. In 1978 two Asian-gamers came from the College. From 1998 onwards the College has a steady output of Asian-gamers (1998: three; 2002: five; 2006: four) and in 2000 two Olympians representing HK, China came from St. Joseph's.
The College established the first Scout troop in Hong Kong in 1913, two years before the Scout Association of Hong Kong was established.[13]
Since then the scout troop has received a handful of awards, and in 1962 it became the first scout troop to hold the Prince of Wales Banner and the Carlton Trophy at the same time. By 1978, the Venture Scout captured the Prince of Wales Banner consecutively for fourteen years. The troop also enjoyed a consecutive win between 1934 and 1940.
In 1967, an ambulance cadet division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade was established in 1 November 1967, and was the first ambulance cadet division after the first re-organization in the 1950s. In 1973, the St. John Ambulance Brigade won the Sir Michael Hogan Trophy three years in a row.
In 1970, Red Cross won the Drilling Shield three years in a row. Cadet Unit 17 is one of the most successful unit in Hong Kong. They have won a lot of competitions during the 90's.
In 1971 the College won its first debating trophy, the Hayes Trophy, in the inter-school debating championships. Since then the school excelled in both Chinese and English debating. In 1988 it captured the Champion of English Debate Competition organized by the Joint School Debating Society (JSDS) and sponsored by the British Council of Hong Kong. The College captured the championship of Chinese debating in Sing Tao Inter-school Debating Competition in 2000 and 2001; furthermore, in 2004 it captured the first ever grand slam in the history of the competition in both the English and Chinese sections. By 2005 the school had won in the English debating section for two consecutive years.
Josephians also excelled in the Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival, and in 1999 the school captured more than one hundred top-three positions in the annual Festival.
In 1974 the College won the champion title in Male Voice Quartet, Folk music: Solos and Duets, the Dorothy Smith Trophy (Boys Junior: Treble Choir), the Music Society Shield (Mixed Voice Choir), the Dr. Karl Hohner Shield (Melodica Band) and the Moutrie Challenge Trophy (Piano Solos: Final) in the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival.
Also, the School Orchestra was established in 2000. Each year, they will organize a concert in early July to raise funds for their development, except the year of 2003 because of the outbreak of SARS. The current conductor of the School Orchestra is Mr. Chow Hing.
Apart from the high achievement in sports, St. Joseph's College is also well famous for student activities and the leadership that Josephians possess. The college provides a free environment to allow students to demonstrate their creativity, team work and leadership. There are a total of forty-seven clubs available for students to join.
Religion
Service
Academic
Interest
Publication
LABORE ET VIRTUTE -- Labour and Virtue—sums up the life of Saint Joseph. He was a workingman, a carpenter by trade and his virtue made him worthy to be the foster-father of Christ. This motto expresses the spirit that it is by hard work and virtue that a Josephian shall make a success of his life, and so remain true to the traditions of the College.
The badge of the College displays a shield divided into three divisions. The top division shows the Signum Fidei (sign of faith) - a five-pointed, radiant star, which is taken from the insignia of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. It reminds people of the spirit of FAITH of the Institute. The right lower division shows three chevrons symbolizing broken bones, reminding students of the bravery and ZEAL the Saint promoted. The left lower division shows the book of knowledge on top (with the Alpha and Omega inscribed) and a lamp below; together they symbolize the importance of education, something which St. La Salle emphasised.
The shield stands with a compartment with supporters each of French lily, since the Lasallian family originates in Rheims, France. The top features a ribbon with the name of the College, and a crest with a cross (Catholicism) and a crown (used to symbolize Hong Kong as a British Crown Colony before 1997). Below the shield are three shells symbolising baptism. The motto of the College in Latin, Labore et Virtute, is also found at the bottom of the badge.
The combination of Green & White has become the official colours of the College over the years. Green represents Ireland's shamrock, while White represents France's fleur-de-lis. The Lasallian Brothers of the College mostly come from Ireland and France.
Shamrock: plant having leaves divided into three leaflets; symbolize the Cross and the Holy Trinity; the emblem of Ireland. Fleur-de-lis: a charge representing lily with six petals; symbolizing purity and the Holy Trinity; the symbol of ancient France.