The 2018/2019 academic year secondary school graduation ceremony was held at 10:30 this morning in the assembly hall.  Officiating guests included: Deputy Director of the Macao Education and Youth Affairs Bureau Ms. Leong Wai Kei; honorary members of the board of directors of Pui Ching Mr. Sio Chi Wai, Mr. Lei Pui Lam, Mr. Au Chong Kit, and Mr. Wong Hin Fai; members of the board of directors of Pui Ching Mr. Ieong Chon Man, Mr. Ho Kin Chon, Mr. Wong Hon Kin, Mr. Lao Weng Seng, Mr. Chan Tek Fei, Mr. Mok Chi Wai, Mr. Cheng Seng Ip, Mr. Chan Mei Tak, Mr. Chan Peng Cheong, Mr. Cheng Ka Kao, and Mr. Lei Sio Wu; Hong Kong Pui Ching Middle School Principal Ho Lek Kou; and Hong Kong Pui Ching Alumni Association President Mr. Ho Hou Un.

Pui Ching Chancellor Mr. Law Weng Cheong congratulated the 206 graduates at the ceremony for their achievement and being accepted into various esteemed universities around the world, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, UC Berkeley, University of Michigan, etc.  Many students were also exempted from the university entrance exam and offered full scholarships to study at the University of Macao. 

2019 is the 130^th anniversary of the founding of Pui Ching Middle School.  Since its establishment, Pui Ching has been dedicated to creating diversified learning experience for its students, in fields such as science and engineering, the humanities and social sciences, sports, the arts, technological innovations, and the area of service.  For three consecutive years since 2017, Pui Ching students have been chosen as representatives for Macao in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held in the United States, winning such awards as the Third Prize and the Special Award.  Pui Ching students have also had the opportunity to attend the China finals of the National Economics Challenge and become one of the 20 schools to win the Best Organization Award. 

Deputy Director of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau Ms. Leong Wai Kei commended Pui Ching on its personalized education, diversified curricula, small-class teaching, systematic curriculum reform, digital learning, autonomous learning, and the various achievements of the students in the international arena.  Director Leong and Principal Kou presented graduation diplomas to the graduates.  The guests of honor then presented various awards and scholarships to the outstanding graduates and award-winners in national and international competitions.  Mr. Law and Principal Kou also presented awards to long-term service staff who have served at Pui Ching for ten. fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, thirty, thirty-five, and forty years respectively.

Valedictorian Ms. Fong Heng Man extended her gratitude for the graduating class to the Macao government, teachers, parents and fellow students for their support, teaching, upbringing, and friendship.     

In conclusion, Principal Kou expressed his gratitude to the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, the school board of directors, parents, teachers and staff members for their support and hard work.  He encouraged the graduates to follow the path of the Bible and live their life to the fullest.  The ceremony concluded in the school anthem, the joy of the graduates, and the congratulations of family and teachers.

The National Secondary School Aqua Technology and Inventions Competition cum Stockholm Youth Aqua Award China Regional Preliminary Competition was held in Nanjing.  Pui Ching was invited to the competition as an excellent project team.  Three students, including Lao Seong Hok, Ho Man Chon and Lei Hei In, attended the competition with their instructor Ms. Lao Kun Wa on May 24^th.  Pui Ching has been the only school from Macao to attend the competition to date and won the First Award. 

The current event has been held for 17 years, attracting hundreds of thousands of teachers and students from across the country.  Pui Ching’s Deep Water Water Quality Monitoring Robot can not only help to monitor the quality of water in water reservoirs, but it can also prevent and control water contamination.  In addition to receiving the First Award, the award-winners were invited to a tour of factory workshops, the smart pump room, and advanced water-processing facilities.  Mr. Lao Seong Hok was even invited to act as a simultaneous interpreter for experts from Sweden and received acclaim for his accurate interpretation. 

The current event encouraged students to participate in the conservation of water resources and raised their awareness of environmental conservation and the innovation of aqua technology.  The event also gave students a chance to present their work in the international arena and showcase inventions from Macau in the conservation of water resources.

The first Judo Competition of 2019 was held today.  Pui Ching students won 2 Golds, 4 Silvers and 1 Bronze.  The award-winners are as follows:

38-kg champion: Cheng Pak Hou of Men’s Youth Category A

42-kg first runner-up: Mai Wang Ioi of Men’s Youth Category A

60-kg first runner-up: Wong Tek Sang of Men’s Youth Category A

30-kg champion: Chan Tin Cheng of Male Children’s Category B

30-kg first runner-up: Lei Ian Sin of Male Children’s Category B

38-kg first runner-up: Lei Ka Chon of Male Children’s Category B

38-kg second runner-up: Lei Wa Lok of Male Children’s Category B

Pui Ching had the honor of inviting Nobel laureate Dr. Erwin Neher to give a speech to the students during the celebration for the 130^th anniversary of the founding of Pui Ching Middle School.  The talk attracted over 400 teachers and students.

Dr. Neher gave a presentation on “Ion Channels: their Discovery and Role in Pharmacology and Biomedicine.”  He shared that he found his research interest when he was a student, studied numerous related research studies and participated in many lab experiments.  The experience he gathered allowed him to discover the functions of ion channels with the help of patch-clamp technology.  The discovery won him the Nobel Prize.

Dr. Neher’s speech attracted many questions from the eager young minds.  He shared with students how to become a good scientist, how to overcome challenges in research, and the prospects of Chinese medicine in Macao.  He believes that to become a good scientist, the key is persistent trial and finding answers through different approaches.  He also encouraged students to find their passion and area of interest.  Student participants in the talk expressed that the event was an invaluable opportunity for them and a mind-opener about research.