校長隨筆

 Finding Joy in the Company of Children

 

Since childhood, I have cherished one particular passion to spend time with children. This has brought me immense joy. Caring for them has always been a calling, and teaching is my lifelong commitment. Throughout my journey, I have had the privilege of interacting with children from diverse backgrounds, yet to me, they are all the same—innocent, pure-hearted, and lovable! Whether they are intelligent or naive, beautiful or ordinary, wealthy or underprivileged, no matter what clothes they wear or what dialect they speak, they are all children whom I deeply care for.

 

In truth, education is not merely about shaping successful individuals; its true purpose lies in teaching children to learn from their mistakes. They must be allowed to fall, rise again, and be guided in the right direction—that is the essence of education. Consider the example of a highly skilled old carpenter who lamented that despite years of training, his three sons had only average craftsmanship. He had generously shared all his hard-earned experience, the most precise techniques, and the finest materials, ensuring they made no mistakes. Yet, the critical flaw in his approach was that he never let his sons try things on their own or make mistakes, depriving them of the experience of failure. As a result, they were unable to produce exceptional work.

 

Time flies, and I have now been at St. Louis School (Primary Section) for over six months. I have built precious bonds with most of the children here, and the students even describe me as a principal who loves every single one of them. Their recognition of my care and affection is truly heartening. To me, St. Louis School (Primary Section) is a very special place because its students possess a unique quality—they are always brimming with confidence, eager to try new things, and see learning not as a tedious task but as an enjoyable experience. As their principal, I hope that both teachers and students take pride in being a part of St. Louis, standing tall together as we stride toward the school's centennial anniversary.

 

Ms. Chan Hoi Mei

 

與孩為伴，樂趣無窮

 

從小已有一喜好，就是享受與孩子為伴，但覺樂趣無窮。又常以照顧孩子為己任，教學更是一生抱負。而在人生的歷程中，有幸可以接觸不同階層的孩子，惟對本人來說，均無相異之處，所有孩子都是天真爛漫，乖巧可愛！不論他們是聰敏的、愚昧的；美麗的、平凡的；富有的、貧窮的，穿甚麼服飾的；說甚麼方言的，在我而言，盡是我疼愛的孩子。

 

事實上，教育的最大作用不僅是讓孩子成才，更要讓他們從錯誤中學習，容許孩子在摔倒後重新站立，指導他們正確的方向，這才是教育的真正意義。就如一位手藝非凡的老木匠，他總抱怨自己從小用心訓練的三個兒子，技術一般。原來老木匠把自己長年辛苦總結出來的經驗、最正確的方式、選用最好的材料，毫無保留地告訴兒子，令他們不會犯任何錯誤，但是……當中最大的問題就是他沒有讓兒子去嘗試、不容許他們犯錯誤，從而沒有經歷失敗，最後就一定做不出優秀作品。

 

轉眼間來到聖類斯中學(小學部)已半年有多，和大部分孩子也建立了一份珍貴的情誼，尤其學生形容我是一個對每一個學生都愛的校長，這給我尤其大的鼓舞，孩子明白我對他們的愛護之情。在我而言，聖類斯中學(小學部)是一間很特別的小學，因為這裏的孩子都具有一種獨特性，信心總是滿滿的，敢於嘗試，視學習不是一項苦差，而能樂在其中。作為校長，我期望學校的師生都能以成為聖類斯一員為榮，大家昂首並肩，跨步往一百周年……

 

陳靄媚女士