School Visit - Class of 1971's 50th graduation anniversary

Stella Chan (’71)

The restored wooden doors and surrounding red bricks of the 1953 Block welcome us at the new Robinson Road entrance.

2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the high school graduation of the Class of 1971.  What could be a more perfect and appropriate celebration than being able to join a guided tour by the Principal?  The date was organised and set for 14 May, thanks to the great effort of Sonja Chan and Grace Chang, not to forget to mention that it was Miranda Chan who came up with the suggestion of a campus tour previously.  On that day, 17 of us were fortunate enough to enjoy a 2.5 hour treat. 

When we arrived at the school, we were greeted with open arms by the Principal Mr. Francis Kwan.  After a brief introduction of the tour itinerary, we followed him out to the main terrace where we were in awe with an unobstructed view of the Hong Kong Central and Kowloon.  In fact, the belly of the building embraces the buzzing energies of the city which lie below. 

The Brick Wall with the Frangipani tree design
Like the old desks and chairs, our friendship is well preserved!

All of us were impressed by the contemporary design of the school, and how the architect conceptualised and incorporated the use of natural light and the location of the site in bringing out the essence of the new building.  All the classrooms and the library are equipped with up-to-date technologies.  We were pleasantly surprised by the new intimate theatre, the So Chau Yim Ping Memorial Hall, in the adjacent Breezy Path Campus, and we had a serendipitous experience when the Principal performed for us therein at the end of the tour.

One unforgettable moment was when we entered a smaller classroom where the yesterday-year’s wooden desks and chairs were conserved and beautifully restored, allowing us to go down the memory lane of our school years.  Once we entered the Silcocks Hall, our impression of its size caused a debate.  ‘It seems smaller than the original one / Is it longer?’  ‘No, it’s shorter!’  ‘It’s wider!’  The consensus was, we all felt the soul of the school that day as we did in the daily morning assembly many moons ago. 

To sum up our experience, here are our thoughts:

Excited, Wow, Grateful, Emotional, Impressive, Memories, Warm, Unforgettable, People - Great people, Hope, Amazing, Love

Tour Itinerary

During the tour, Mr Kwan very kindly showed us highlights in the modern features of the new campus, and also brought us round to view facilities where donations pledged by Class of 1971, individual classmates and their families are being acknowledged.  We were all heartened that our humble donations had helped towards the milestone Campus Redevelopment project.

Robinson Road Campus (Site A)

  1. Silcocks Hall
  2. Brick Wall
  3. Vice Principal's Office
  4. Classroom 4A    
  5. Geography Room
  6. Music Room       
  7. Classroom 6A     

Breezy Path Campus (Site B)

  1. Music Practice Room         
  2. Piano in Auditorium      
The So Chau Yim Ping Memorial Hall in the Breezy Path Campus

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