In April, our school hosted an Activities Week, providing our S1-3 and S5 students with a range of enriching experiences beyond the traditional classroom setting. This annual event aims to offer a comprehensive learning experience and cater to the diverse interests and needs of our student community.

Our S1 students participated in STEM workshops and community service and S2 students were engaged in their project-based learning. S3 students challenged themselves in the Outward Bound training camp while S4 students enjoyed overseas extended learning experiences. S5 students joined local extended learning programmes and a mental wellness programme.

S1 Activities Week

During the week, our S1 students delved into the world of STEM through a series of workshops. They learnt how to create VR scenes by using CoSpaces and computer codes. They also created VR mini-games and shared them with other classmates. The Coding Workshop and Competition was a hands-on workshop for students to learn how to write computer codes and build smart models of catapults and remote-controlled cars. Apart from having fun and learning new skills, six groups of students were shortlisted for the Coding competition. They applied what they had learnt in the workshop to solve an authentic problem in their daily life. In the AI workshop, students learnt the basic concepts and applications of AI and machine learning. Students were engaged in different interactive games, including Turing Test and a game on classifying aliens based on the patterns and external features. They learnt about face recognition and computer vision and used Micro:bit to build an AI machine, which could sort out different types of rubbish. These activities raised their awareness of the legal and ethical issues of using AI.

Not only did our S1 students participate in STEM workshops, but they also engaged in voluntary service to develop a deeper understanding of ageing and elderly care. They visited elderly centres and a Residential Care Home for the Elderly. They also welcomed the elderly at the school, with all activities prepared and led by the students themselves with staff from NGOs as facilitators. This experience allowed the S1 students to learn about the qualities and attitudes of a good volunteer, cultivate empathy and understanding towards the service recipients, and develop a greater awareness of the needs of the underprivileged members of the community.

S2 Activities Week

S2 students were involved in design thinking processes during Activities Week. Some students tackled different plans to revitalise historic buildings in Hong Kong, including tenement buildings and Wan Chai Fire Station. They learnt to recognise and treasure the architectural, historical and social values of the Hong Kong historic buildings and shared their plans on revitalising the historic buildings using posters, models and videos.

Another group of students worked on three STEM projects, namely Project on AI, Project on Robotics Dog Coding and Project on VR CoSpaces and 360 Scene Creation. Students presented the concepts, working principles and skills they learned throughout the course. One group of students demonstrated how AI Smart Gate could recognise the face of females before opening the door, which could be used in female washroom entrances. Another group of students showed how a programmed robotic dog could walk up and down a step and dance with music. Students working on a project on VR created a VR scene introducing different parts of the school campus including the Reading Corner, Sacred Heart Spring and Art Room. All the S2 students were excited to showcase their learning to their S1 schoolmates.

Apart from Project-based learning, a group of S2 students embarked on a five-day exchange tour to Shandong, Jinan and had the opportunity to engage in learning exchanges, deepening the understanding between the two cities. They visited our sister school Jinan Shungeng Middle School and explored the Confucius Temple and Confucius Museum in Qufu, gaining deeper insights into Confucian culture. The students compared the different learning approaches and gained a better appreciation of Confucian values and morals.

S3 Outward Bound

The highlight of the week for our S3 students was their five-day Outward Bound Programme. They challenged themselves both physically and mentally, participating in outdoor activities and team-building exercises. Even though the weather was not ideal, the students still did their best in various activities including hiking and kayaking. This immersive experience fostered resilience, leadership, and a deep appreciation for the natural environment. Before the camp, they also learnt various first-aid tips from a trainer at Red Cross.

S5 Activities Week

Our S5 students were engaged in various local extended learning programmes during the week. A group of students hiked to Victoria Peak under the guidance of Miss Human Ip, a local naturalist-cum-writer. They learnt to observe the natural habitat at the Peak with a view to find out more about the plants, flowers, birds and insects. Students produced sketches and made note of association between biological facts of the plants and references in classical Chinese works. While it was a strenuous exercise to some of them, it gave everyone a chance to have physical touch to the local habitat and learn from a prolific local journalistic writer.

Another group of students participated in the Hong Kong Tram Tour and Art Workshop. Through participating in the activities, students could enhance their understanding of the local history and culture as well as the change and development of Hong Kong society. They could also reflect on the importance of cultural heritage conservation.

Apart from local tours, our alumna, Miss Susanna Chiu, also shared with our fellow S5 schoolmates on her experiences in studies and her career. She spoke in the latest session of SHCCAAECF’s ‘WE ARE SACRED HEARTISTS’ Series. Students had tremendous fun listening to Miss Chiu talk about her personal stories and interacting with her.  After that, they visited the Hong Kong Palace Museum, where they attended a special exhibition and learned about Yuan Ming Yuan, the Imperial Garden-Palace.

After engaging in various learning experiences, students spent the afternoon in a meditation workshop. They learnt the proper techniques for brewing and savouring calming tea blends in a soothing tea drinking session. They were then guided through a tranquil singing bowl workshop, the resonant tones helped them relax deeply and focus on their breathing.