Josephians, affectionately addressed as “St. Joe 仔”, refer to former and current students of St. Joseph’s Primary School. When a group of boys gather together, it is not difficult to differentiate Josephians from others because they have a lot in common. These commonalities of Josephians have forged a strong bonding among generations of Josephians, far and wide, now and then.
Josephians are Doing and Daring. Being the advocates of “actions speak louder than words”, Josephians are down to earth and persistent. In the face of challenges and setbacks, they strive hard to attain their goals with no flinch and fear. They are enthusiastic about thinking outside the box, bringing new solutions to old problems and overcoming obstacles one by one with perseverance.
Josephians are Valiant and True. They are true to their standards and would not yield to go with the flow. When they are at the crossroads of life, they will not waver over possibilities. They judge with their wisdom and move forward with courage and great determination.
Josephians are exponents of Labour and Virtue. “Work hard, play hard” is always their watchword. Whether they are gaming, competing, studying or working, they will do their utmost, pouring their blood, sweat and tears into completing the task with perfection. Apart from gaining remarkable achievements in life, Josephians also care about the people and things around them. They open their hearts to listen, share and render help and support to those in need.
The formation of these good qualities is not done overnight. It is attributed to the consolidated experience of the Christian brothers who had dedicated to boys’ education over the centuries and the tireless effort of their successors to keep the ball rolling by providing opportunities to unveil students’ different potentials; equipping them with the skills to create, communicate and collaborate with others; connecting them with the community and the world; and living by the values of love, compassion and Christian faith to lead their life with purpose.
Notwithstanding, these long-standing practices and beliefs may not be viable if the philosophy of parents in nurturing their children is not in line with the school’s. These disparities will create tension and cause negative effects in the boys’ character-building process if unfortunately, the values and standards set out by the school and their parents are not on the same page, or even worse, contradictory to each other. How to cope with failures is a very common example of this disparity. Instead of wrapping our boys in cotton wool by evading responsibilities or apportioning blame to others, parents should work
together with the school to help our boys reflect upon their own inadequacies, work out the solutions positively and beef them up for the next challenge. In such cases, candid communications built upon mutual trust, respect and understanding will definitely help. Home-school cooperation is no doubt a prerequisite for the good upbringing of our Josephians.
Josephians, you are the pride of the school, the role models of your next generations. Let your Green and White spirit fly high, and continue to excel in every aspect of your life with the school motto and the Josephian ethos always on your mind and in your heart.
