SENSE

(The following information is provided by the school.)

Background

Hong Chi Morninglight School, Tuen Mun (TML), was founded in 1991 and located at hillside in Yuk Tsing Lane, Tuen Mun.  The school campus is surrounded by the tranquil environment with extensive planting.  TML of Hong Chi Association is an aided special school.  The school adheres to the spirit of Hong Chi Association: providing comprehensive education for children with intellectual disability to help them develop their potential and participate fully in community life, while strengthening public awareness and acceptance of people with intellectual disability.  The school hopes that every student would gradually transform from a dependent child to an independent adult with confidence in facing his/her future, each of them is capable to take care of himself/herself and be accepted by the community.  TML develops 3 core values based on students’ needs: “for the sake of children future”, “every child is a seed” and “let children learn all the time”, together with comprehensive planning and support for their all-round education.  The school cares for the needs of students and prepares for their present and future under the school mottos of “Self-improvement”, “Confidence”, “Spontaneity” and “Independent”.

 

Highlights

“My Kitchen” Cooking Competition

“I want to be a chef.” A S6 student with mild intellectual disability spoke with eyes gleaming.  Thanks for “My Kitchen” Cooking Competition, it makes his dream come true.  He is now working in a kitchen of a famous international hotel in Hong Kong.

“My Kitchen” Cooking Competition, which is for all local students with intellectual disability (ID), is a major annual event of Hong Chi Morninglight School, Tuen Mun.  It aims to enable students to apply what they learnt in real contexts and prepare them for their future.  “Self-improvement”, “Confidence”, “Spontaneity” and “Independent” are strengthened in the process of competition through preparation, practice, improvement and experiences gained.

“Self-improvement”: Setbacks are inevitable in the process of practice. Continuous practice is required to improve the skill.

“Confidence”: Students would encounter difficulties during practices. Success, which comes from repeated practices, will enhance their confidence in facing competition and cooking in their future.

“Spontaneity”: Learning to choose and expressing willingness are also a valuable learning journey.  Discussion between teachers and students for the competition dishes, students gain with "spontaneity" from the expression and choice of dishes.

“Independent”: Participants of “mild ID individual group” have to complete the competition on their own without teachers’ prompts and assistance; Participants in the “moderate ID integrated group” with teachers’ verbal prompts (physical assistance is restricted) is acceptable in the competition; Participants in “severe ID group” are able to complete the competition under teachers’ assistance.  This is a lesson for students to learn to be independent.

When students start to love cooking, they are willing to explore the possibility of various ingredients no matter what the ingredients are or how difficult the skills required. For example, students with mild ID can devein shrimps, students with moderate ID can cook deep fried meat balls, students with severe ID can cook beef okra rolls. Then they will learn about balanced diet.  Their outstanding performance impressed audiences. 

There was once a student with mild ID deboned a fish in the competition. A judge, who was a hotel head chef, appreciated his outstanding performance. As a result, this student gained an opportunity to work part-time in that hotel kitchen.

The school believes practice makes perfect.  Following the school’s core values: “for the sake of children future”, “every child is a seed”, “let children learn all the time”, students are allowed to enrich their memories and experiences in school through "My Kitchen” Cooking Competition.