Principal’s Message - November 2021
Following is the speech by the Principal at the 45th Speech Day:
Dr Lee, Supervisor Sze-To, Directors, School Managers, Distinguished Guests, Parents, Teachers and Students,
I am very happy to announce that despite the pandemic and school suspension last year, the school grew in many areas - new projects were started, new facilities were unveiled, and our students made outstanding achievements both academically, and in many extra-curricular activities, and you can get a glimpse of all these in the booklets placed on your seats. Now, I would like to take this opportunity to say a few words to our graduates, all I want you to remember are three words: faith, hope, and love. This phrase is from the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13: ‘And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.’
We need faith. You may not be religious, but you must have faith. Faith refers to what you believe in and hold on to. When you believe, your dream can become reality. Have you heard of the term, ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’? Believe you will succeed, and you will be able to achieve the impossible. Athletes win gold, inventors forge new ideas, and writers create timeless classics—all because they hold on to their beliefs. I believe there is a gift in everyone, and this gift can transform into remarkable deeds. Students, trust yourself and your potential; when you dream it, you do it.
Faith is built upon the foundation of hopefulness and aspiration, which is why the next word you should remember is hope. Do you feel hopeful about your future? Have you ever imagined your future workplace, job, and spouse? Hold on to your imagination and aspiration, because this is what propels you towards your goals. Imagine the delightful company of your friends after the pandemic, aspire to the freedom to build your life, family and career upon your graduation. With hopeful imagination, we find meaning in the present to make way for the future. The future’s not ours to see, but now is not the time to fear the change the future brings. Embrace change, change for the better, better the future, and the best is yet to come. Let bygones be bygones, seize the day, march forward, stay hopeful regardless of the obstacles in front of you. Live on, and you will live well.
If faith motivates and hope inspires, then love must be the source of it all. We keep living and aspiring because we love the people around us and the environment we live in. We are born to feel: we show compassion for the meek, we are deeply touched by remarkable feats of humanity, we respect our parents, we care for our brothers and sisters, we cherish our friends, and we love our planet. We give what we have because we want to do good for others, we want the world to be a better place—all because we have a heart that feels. Dr. Lee, our alumnus, is here today to share his experience with you; the mask you are wearing was designed by your Form 2 schoolmate; manufacturing this mask is another alumnus who graduated twenty years ago; yet another alumnus paid for all the masks and donated them to the school. Their contributions came from a love for Hoi Ping and a heart that cares. Dear graduates, I hope you love those around you, think less of what you can gain, and more of what you can give. Happiness won’t last if you only benefit yourself; real joy comes from sharing what you share, not owning what you own.
When we talk about love, you should think of your parents. Today we have over 150 parents attending the Speech day. So for the following, I would like all the graduates to stand up 請各位畢業生現在起立，身向右轉，向住你們的父母。各位同學，在你們眼前的，是含辛茹苦將你們養育成人的父母；不要嫌他們囉嗦，只是他們把重要的事說了超過3次；不要怪父母不給你自由，選擇自己的路，只是他們不忍心看見你走崎嶇的道；不要怪爸爸媽媽不明白你，只是他們用了自己的方式去愛你們；正正是你們的父母給了你們無比的大愛，成就了今天的你。請各位現在一同鼓掌，感謝你們的父母，他們值得你們用最熱烈的掌聲，表示答謝！各位畢業生，請坐。
Dear graduates, you are raised by love, and your applause is the answer to this love. Always remember, love is the greatest of them all, the source of your hopes and dreams, the foundation to your faith. Fear not change: where there is love, hope and faith, there is a way. I wish Hoi Ping and everyone all the best! May God bless you all, thank you!
以下是第四十五屆畢業典禮的校長致辭
李醫生、司徒校監、各位校董、各位商會董事、各位嘉賓、各位家長、各位老師、各位同學：
今天是你們畢業的大日子，我很開心的宣佈，縱使面對疫情及停止面授課堂的影響，本校仍發展不斷。我們仍開展不同的計劃，又啟用各樣的設施，推動學生學習。而我們的同學更在去年表現出色，在學業及課外活動上有亮麗的成績，各位可以在場刊的學校報告中一瞥箇中的成果。今天我只希望各位畢業生記得三個字，信望及愛。信望愛是來自聖經哥林多前書第十三章：「 如今常存的有信、有望、有愛這三樣，其中最大的是愛。」
首先，我們要有信。大家可能沒有宗教，但一定要有信仰。信仰指的是你們的信念及執持。只要相信，夢想就會有機會實現。大家可有聽過「自證預言」？只要你相信你有機會成功，你就有可能成就看似不可能的事。運動員獲取金牌、發明家的創造、文學家寫下不朽的經典，全因他們有堅持的信念。我相信你們每個人均有其天賦，只要恰當的發揮必成大器。各位中六的同學，你們也要相信自己，相信自己的潛能，只要堅持，你的信念就會成真。
信之出現源於盼望及憧憬，這是信的基礎，因此第二個想跟大家分享的是望。你們對未來的生活有憧憬嗎？各位會不會有時候也思考自己將來工作的地方、從事的工種、將來的伴侶？我們要有願景與理想，因為這是我們的目標與動力。只要我們想像疫情過後可以跟朋友歡聚，畢業以後可以營建自己的生活，建立自己的家庭及事業，我們可以為當下的努力及生活賦予意義。未來是難以預測和把握，但大家不要懼怕改變，反應要擁改變，要創造未來，嚮往未來，常存盼望。不必緬懷過去，只需把握當下，開創未來，無論眼前的困難如何艱辛，只要有盼望，我們就會活得更美好。
如果信念是動力，盼望就是目標，那麼目標的來源就是愛了。我們想活下去，對將來有盼望，其實皆因我們對身邊的人及對身處的環境有愛。我們生而有情，會對弱小同情惻隱，會對人性光輝動容流淚，我們會孝順父母，我們會兄友弟恭，我們會關愛朋友，我們會愛護環境。我們會奉獻因為我們有想人好的心，我們總是世界變得更美好，因為我們有情。李明沖醫生，我們的校友，回來分享，各位現在戴的口罩是我們中二的學生設計，是我們畢業20多年的校友協助生產，是我們另一位校友全數買下，然後捐予學校。他們的奉獻及付出，只是因為他們對開平有愛，對各位有情。各位畢業生，我希望你們對身邊的人有愛，不要只考慮自己的好處，多想思考其他人的需要，因為只有自己取得所有的好處並不是真正的快樂。見到別人的快樂才是無比的快樂，真正的擁有不是你身上有多少物件，而是在於你奉獻了多少。
當我們談到愛，你應會想起你們的父母。今天我們有超過150位家長出席畢業典禮，因此以下的環節我希望各位畢業生起立，身向右轉，向住你們的父母。各位同學，在你們眼前的，是含辛茹苦將你們養育成人的父母；不要嫌他們囉嗦，只是他們把重要的事說了超過3次；不要怪父母不給你自由，選擇自己的路，只是他們不忍心看見你走崎嶇的道；不要怪爸爸媽媽不明白你，只是他們用了自己的方式去愛你們；正正是你們的父母給了你們無比的大愛，成就了今天的你。請各位現在一同鼓掌，感謝你們的父母，他們值得你們用最熱烈的掌聲，表示答謝！各位畢業生，請坐。
你們的成長是愛的印證，而你們熱烈的掌聲也正是對愛的回應。希望你們記得，世上最大的力量就是愛，它你對憧憬未來的來源，是你一切信念的基礎。無懼世事變改，只要內心有愛，有望，有信，凡事皆可成，祝福大家！祝福開平！
