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.
