International Christian School is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The school asked for short written tributes for a booklet to be distributed at the celebrations, and that gave me pause to reflect and consider that we have been blessed to be part of this community for a great majority of those years.
Maggie started ICS in 2001-2002 at the Fisherman's Wharf Laguna Verde (Kindergarten) campus in Hung Hom. She was in Eileen Yuen's K3 class (before the name change to P1). Alex and I would sometimes stay around the area walking through the mall, park or along the waterfront. The Christmas concert performance in the mall was a highlight that year.
Fall Festivals at Bethel campus in Kowloon City were also highlights before the new school was built, but Walkathons were the most fun for our family. I found an old Walkathon tee from 2003 and remembered that it was the first walkathon after a few years' hiatus. The scenic (but hilly) walk was around the University of Science and Technology followed by praise and worship on a field overlooking the sea. The following year was another scenic (but long for little ones) excursion - 5km in Sai Kung Country Park (5km fun-run for the secondary students). Praise and worship was at the covered pavilion where the road forks around the High Island Reservoir followed by the return walk back out to Pak Tam Chung, whew! Subsequent years combined Fall Festival and Walkathon so the walks were shorter, but they were still a wonderful community event.
Alex joined ICS in 2005-2006 as a student in Alison (Tsang) Lo's P1 class, and so began my many memories of the Fotan Jubilee campus, volunteering as a Room Mom, rubbing shoulders with others in the close quarters of our work room, peeking in the Multi-Purpose Room at the students practicing music or at recess, running upstairs to help in the library, downstairs to the lunch room, outside to the next building's Art Room, over to the Royal Ascot playground... Those were the days!
As the years passed, the school started outgrowing its separate campuses. A most memorable moment - after encouragement from Tim Wong and despite my dislike of public speaking - was actually voicing out to the Shatin district council at a Royal Ascot meeting, imploring them to grant us a piece of land to build a school on - one campus to unite Elementary and Secondary.
Amazingly, three parcels were offered with Shek Mun deemed best of the three. There was a Ground-Breaking Ceremony in 2005 before the work began and we were honored to be part of the the Topping Ceremony in March 2007. Maggie was asked to be the student representative and joined other members of the ICS community - teachers, administrators, board members, parents, etc.
I remember the excitement of touring the concrete frame of our New School Building (NSB) as we climbed up the many stairs to the roof. The group of representatives gathered to place the last symbolic shovels of cement and give thanks and praise.
The space seemed immense! While there wasn't much outdoor space, only an open podium area between the Elementary and Secondary wings, there were facilities such as two gymnasiums, two libraries, art rooms, science labs, music rooms, a beautiful chapel, a performing arts theater, and a big swimming pool. (See if you can figure out what places are in the photos below.)
Elementary students bade farewell to Jubilee campus and moved in November 2007. Maggie was starting Semester 2 of 6th grade after commuting by public bus for the first semester (on her own) when the secondary students moved from Bethel campus in January 2008.
It's hard to believe that in a few months we will have been on this campus for ten years and a few months after that, Alex will be part of the ICS graduating class of 2018.
From parent volunteer and joining parent fellowships, serving as a Parent Association Executive Committee member, and now working with the Bridges students (after encouragement and a gentle push from Keith Welch), my family and I have been blessed to be members of the school community and to be a part of the big changes that have happened during our time with ICS. The favor of the Lord has certainly been upon us - best wishes and blessings to ICS for many more successful years!
The Su family,
Paul and Becky
Maggie, Class of 2014
Alex, Class of 2018
Maggie started ICS in 2001-2002 at the Fisherman's Wharf Laguna Verde (Kindergarten) campus in Hung Hom. She was in Eileen Yuen's K3 class (before the name change to P1). Alex and I would sometimes stay around the area walking through the mall, park or along the waterfront. The Christmas concert performance in the mall was a highlight that year.
Fall Festivals at Bethel campus in Kowloon City were also highlights before the new school was built, but Walkathons were the most fun for our family. I found an old Walkathon tee from 2003 and remembered that it was the first walkathon after a few years' hiatus. The scenic (but hilly) walk was around the University of Science and Technology followed by praise and worship on a field overlooking the sea. The following year was another scenic (but long for little ones) excursion - 5km in Sai Kung Country Park (5km fun-run for the secondary students). Praise and worship was at the covered pavilion where the road forks around the High Island Reservoir followed by the return walk back out to Pak Tam Chung, whew! Subsequent years combined Fall Festival and Walkathon so the walks were shorter, but they were still a wonderful community event.
Alex joined ICS in 2005-2006 as a student in Alison (Tsang) Lo's P1 class, and so began my many memories of the Fotan Jubilee campus, volunteering as a Room Mom, rubbing shoulders with others in the close quarters of our work room, peeking in the Multi-Purpose Room at the students practicing music or at recess, running upstairs to help in the library, downstairs to the lunch room, outside to the next building's Art Room, over to the Royal Ascot playground... Those were the days!
As the years passed, the school started outgrowing its separate campuses. A most memorable moment - after encouragement from Tim Wong and despite my dislike of public speaking - was actually voicing out to the Shatin district council at a Royal Ascot meeting, imploring them to grant us a piece of land to build a school on - one campus to unite Elementary and Secondary.
Amazingly, three parcels were offered with Shek Mun deemed best of the three. There was a Ground-Breaking Ceremony in 2005 before the work began and we were honored to be part of the the Topping Ceremony in March 2007. Maggie was asked to be the student representative and joined other members of the ICS community - teachers, administrators, board members, parents, etc.
I remember the excitement of touring the concrete frame of our New School Building (NSB) as we climbed up the many stairs to the roof. The group of representatives gathered to place the last symbolic shovels of cement and give thanks and praise.
The space seemed immense! While there wasn't much outdoor space, only an open podium area between the Elementary and Secondary wings, there were facilities such as two gymnasiums, two libraries, art rooms, science labs, music rooms, a beautiful chapel, a performing arts theater, and a big swimming pool. (See if you can figure out what places are in the photos below.)
Elementary students bade farewell to Jubilee campus and moved in November 2007. Maggie was starting Semester 2 of 6th grade after commuting by public bus for the first semester (on her own) when the secondary students moved from Bethel campus in January 2008.
It's hard to believe that in a few months we will have been on this campus for ten years and a few months after that, Alex will be part of the ICS graduating class of 2018.
From parent volunteer and joining parent fellowships, serving as a Parent Association Executive Committee member, and now working with the Bridges students (after encouragement and a gentle push from Keith Welch), my family and I have been blessed to be members of the school community and to be a part of the big changes that have happened during our time with ICS. The favor of the Lord has certainly been upon us - best wishes and blessings to ICS for many more successful years!
The Su family,
Paul and Becky
Maggie, Class of 2014
Alex, Class of 2018
More photos: NSB album
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