06MarTung Wan Mok Law Shui Wah School and Island Hostel - Open Day

Tung Wan Mok Law Shui Wah School (TWS) and Island Hostel (IH) held its first Open Day on Friday (3 March) following a long-awaited relocation. Also on the occasion a plaque unveiling ceremony was held for The Jockey Club Academic Building and Jockey Club Black Box Theatre. Dr Choi Yuk Lin, Secretary for Education of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Dr Gabriel Leung, Executive Director of Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, attended as officiating guests.

Dr Choi Yuk Lin, Secretary for Education; and Dr Gabriel Leung, Executive Director of Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, officiated the plaque unveiling of The Jockey Club Academic Building and Jockey Club Black Box Theatre.

(From left) Ms Elinda Cheng, Chairlady of Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Student Aid Society; Dr Gabriel Leung, Executive Director of Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Dr Choi Yuk Lin, Secretary for Education; and Professor Kenneth Sin, Supervisor of The Incorporate Management Committee of Tung Wan Mok Law Shui Wah School.

TWS and IH were originally located in Shek Pik on Lantau Island, and moved to the current site in Tuen Mun in 2019 after the relocation commenced in 2015. As the pandemic eased, TWS and IH hosted its first Open Day to acknowledge support it received from the Government, donors and media during the relocation period. Students led the public on a tour of the school’s new facilities to help them gain a better understanding of their learning environment. To address students’ learning needs, TWS has adopted the theme of “Energetic Campus” and developed a curriculum with a focus on sport, art, creativity and life education. TWS also received a donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, enabling it to engage the Absolutely Fabulous Theatre Connection to help implement the Jockey Club “Arts & Actions” Project - Tung Wan Mok Law Shui Wah School “Growth Power”. The funding was also vital in supporting construction of a black box theatre and related facilities (including a mindfulness room, STEM Lab, campus TV station, greenhouse, dance room, rooftop soccer pitch, wireless network system, audio-visual equipment in the auditorium and a campus broadcasting system, etc) in the academic building. To express appreciation for its support, the buildings are named "Jockey Club Academic Building" and "Jockey Club Black Box Theatre".

Dr Choi Yuk Lin, Secretary for Education; and Dr Gabriel Leung, Executive Director of Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, visited Jockey Club Black Box Theatre.

The Plaque Unveiling Ceremony kicked off with a band performance and flag-raising ceremony by students, while the "Tung Wan Lion Dance Team" led officiating guests onto the stage with an outstanding lion dance performance. Professor Kenneth Sin, Supervisor of The Incorporate Management Committee of TWS, thanked the Education Bureau and the Social Welfare Department for their support and cooperation throughout the relocation. He also expressed appreciation for the donations received from different sectors, and the positive media coverage that helped the public understand works of schools for social development and residential care services. Additionally, Professor Sin thanked The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for its donation, which aided the school’s transformation. Its new, well-equipped campus enables students to enjoy the learning process, cultivates different interests and develops their potential. It promotes diversified education development and improving the quality of teaching.

Dr Choi said the Education Bureau has been committed to taking care of the different needs of students through the dual-track approach of special education and inclusive education, investing massive resources to provide extra manpower and subsidies for special schools, strengthening teacher training, optimising school facilities, and supporting schools to respond to students with different characteristics with various supports, so that students can overcome their own limitations and have achievement. During the epidemic, TWS continued to communicate closely with professionals from different sectors and parents, provided support according to the learning and development needs of students, and set appropriate annual goals. As the school resumes full-day face-to-face classes, TWS also specially arranges relaxing and interesting learning activities to allow students to adapt to the pace of full-day school life. She wishes all students to thrive happily and make good use of the facilities of the new campus to develop their strengths.

Dr Gabriel Leung said in his speech that the Hong Kong Jockey Club not only funded the hardware upgrade at TWS but also offered software support, such as the Jockey Club “Arts & Actions” Project - Tung Wan Mok Law Shui Wah School “Growth Power”. The project brought together various partners to incorporate different elements into school facilities and classroom design, which serves to support students’ diversified development needs and unleash their long-term potential. It helped students nurture empathy and positive values through the integration of arts and learning. Dr Leung also wished the students of TWS a bright future.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has spared no effort in promoting children and youth development, providing diversified support and learning environments for students of different backgrounds, abilities and learning needs. The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s support for this project, like all of its charity donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate tax and charity support for the community.

At the ceremony, members of the school’s drama troupe performed a short play for guests, earning the talented actors a round of applause from the audience. Chan, the drama’s protagonist, is a former winner of the Best Actor award in a public inter-school drama competition. Chan used to be timid in class. Since joining the troupe, his instructor has encouraged him to express his ideas with confidence. He also practiced diligently after being cast as the protagonist, which boosted his self-confidence.

The Jockey Club Black Box Theatre promotes drama education; student-actor Chan has gained confidence since joining the troupe.

As a highlight of the Open Day, students introduced the school facilities and learning environment to guests. Dr Choi and Dr Leung visited the "TWS Eco Bus Lab ", which was remodeled from a decommissioned bus and integrates elements of STEM education and school-based environmental education curriculum. To assist students in emotional and behavioural management, the upper deck has a casual and comfortable counselling corner, which allows teaching staff to conduct counselling with students in a peaceful environment and relieve their stress. An aquaponics system is installed on the lower deck, where students can learn about the natural ecosystem and the harvest can be shared with elderlies in the community.

Dr Choi Yuk Lin, Secretary for Education; and Dr Gabriel Leung, Executive Director of Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, visited “TWS Eco Bus Lab”.

The STEM Lab helps students learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as programming, model making, virtual reality and mechanical principles. The mindfulness room on campus, where teachers and students practice mindful breathing together every morning, promotes physical and mental health and helps students manage their emotion and build resilience. TWS is also a seed school of the Jockey Club “Peace and Awareness” Mindfulness Culture in Schools Initiative, which promotes the well-being of the school community through mindfulness. The Jockey Club Black Box Theatre places emphasis on direct emotional communication and interaction between performers and audiences. Through drama, students can improve their communication, collaboration, innovation and problem-solving skills. In order to cultivate and enhance students' interest in reading, the school library has a variety of books, including 3D content, VR and pop-up books; there is also a nature corner, which houses a variety of fauna including geckos, hedgehogs, bearded dragons and tree frogs, teaching students to respect life, care for and learn more about animals. TWS also integrates life planning education into the school curriculum. The Jockey Club Black Box Theatre provides students with professional training in stage design, lighting and sound. The Technology and Life Room (Home Economics Room) is used for teaching high school students cooking skills and catering industry trends, while students can also cook up delicious dishes using ingredients harvested from the aquaponics system in the "TWS Eco Bus Lab".

The mindfulness room on campus helps students improve emotional management and resilience.

The STEM Lab allows students to gain knowledge in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The school library has a variety of books to cultivate students' interest in reading. There is also a nature corner to teach students to respect life, and care for and understand animals.

The Technology and Living Room allows senior secondary level students to learn cooking skills and catering industry trends.