{"id":17239,"date":"2026-07-03T09:02:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T01:02:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carmelss.edu.hk\/site\/principals-message-24-25-2\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T09:10:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T01:10:14","slug":"principals-message-25-26","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.carmelss.edu.hk\/site\/principals-message-25-26\/","title":{"rendered":"Principal’s Message 25-26 \u6821\u9577\u7684\u8a71"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Be SMART Learners, Care for Ourselves and the Community<\/b><\/h2>\n

Dr. Esther Ho, Principal<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”17241″ img_size=”Full” css=””][vc_column_text css=””]\n

The 2025\u20132028 School Development Cycle marks the embarkation of our new overarching theme: “Be SMART Learners, Care for Ourselves and the Community”\u2014a vision dedicated deeply to the holistic growth of Carmelians. Driven by a strategic focus on cultivating future-ready individuals, this cycle is built upon three major pillars: fostering self-directed, technologically advanced learning; nurturing holistic well-being and social commitment; and building a highly sustainable and innovative teaching team. As a retrospective review of this academic year, we have taken a few bold steps along this transformation pathway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our school-based <\/span>Gifted and Talent Programme (GTP)<\/i><\/b> for ALL is one of the many initiatives that illustrates this paradigm shift. The GTP is structured across a comprehensive, six-dimensional Learning Pathway under the acronym \u201cCARMEL\u201d: <\/span>C<\/b>areer and entrepreneurship, <\/span>A<\/b>esthetics & Sports, <\/span>R<\/b>elationships with Self & Others, <\/span>M<\/b>athematics & STEAM, <\/span>E<\/b>nquiry & Service learning, and <\/span>L<\/b>anguages & Culture. We treasure and recognise multiple intelligences, ensuring that every single Carmelian identifies, appreciates, and cultivates their unique, God-given strengths. Specialised courses such as <\/span>Nexus<\/i><\/b>, <\/b>City Walker<\/i><\/b>, <\/b>Curiosity Lab<\/i><\/b>, <\/b>Genius Hour<\/i><\/b>,<\/b> and <\/span>Self-directed Research<\/i><\/b> provide a fertile platform to cultivate student autonomy and ignite the intrinsic motivation to explore their personal interest.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the heart of this programme lies the power of shared celebration. ALL students, rather than just a selected number, share their unique learning journeys and fruitful outcomes at the end of the academic year through our vibrant, school-wide Annual Showcase. This milestone moves far beyond traditional score-based assessments, allowing students to take full ownership of their learning processes and demonstrate an enduring capacity for self-directed growth. It was truly moving to witness teachers, peers, parents, and friends joining hands to applaud their efforts\u2014a poignant, unforgettable celebration of our collective devotion to growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another signature school-based learning programme, <\/span>Activity Week<\/i><\/b>, takes this very approach to translate abstract classroom concepts into vivid, real-world discovery. Form-based cross-curricular learning experiences have been meticulously designed around developmental, stage-specific focal points. For instance, <\/span>Life Skill Programme for S1<\/span><\/i> equips students with essential life skills, such as cookery, to foster independence, teamwork, and responsibility. Moving outward into society, our S2 students participate in the <\/span>S2 Voluntary Services: First Steps in Service<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>VolunPeers<\/span><\/i> initiatives, which provide structured, community-based exposure that builds genuine empathy and social awareness.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are actively actualising this vision of SMART learning through the <\/span>ABCDE<\/b> approach, which serves as our core vehicle to redesign curriculum experiences:<\/span><\/p>\n