Recounting My First-ever School Days in Ying Wa

Gordon Shaw Ka Shing (1955, Senior Kindergarten)

I am excited being able to finally reconnect with my first-ever school in Hong Kong, and received news about our alumni and teachers. 

Ms Chiu (趙鈞鴻) was my first school teacher.  I am happy to know that she is healthy and keeping busy at the age of 90.  I hope she remembers me by my name, since she taught all four of my siblings at Ying Wa - my older sister (蕭嘉華), younger sister (嘉美) and younger brother (嘉璋). 

My Three wise men Christmas act (middle)
Miss Silcocks (left) presenting the graduation certificate to me

I entered Ying Wa Kindergarten in 1953.  My family lived in Hong Kong’s Mid-Levels, and thus Ying Wa was the choice school to start our education.  Ms Chiu was an excellent teacher, always full of energy and love.  I was so blessed being nurtured by her in those two years.  Ying Wa also provided me with a very secure and warm environment to start my learning years.  I remembered that the School was located somewhere up on Seymour Road, right next to Hop Yat Church (合一堂) and Sir Robert Hotung’s (何東爵士) residence.  It was on a terrace, and we had to walk up the slope every day to class.  The Kindergarten section was a single-storey structure away from the main school building, housing both the junior and senior classes.  It was there that I spent my best two years of my school days.  In my senior Kindergarten year, I was chosen as one of the Three Wisemen in the Christmas Nativity play and that was the highlight of my days at Ying Wa.  I still kept my Ying Wa Graduation Certificate and a picture of Principal Silcocks presenting it to me.

My junior kindergarten class photo (I was at middle row, second left)