Hong Kong’s Discovery Mind schools teaching young students the art of giving
- The school network, a long-time supporter of Operation Santa Claus, this year hosted a virtual party for students, parents and teachers to raise funds for the needy
- ‘It’s built into our curriculum. It’s not just about academics’, says head of school at the network’s kindergarten in Tung Chung
Staff, children and parents at Discovery Mind schools dressed in festive red and green earlier this month to both celebrate Christmas virtually and raise money for a good cause. Some put on reindeer antlers, while others wore Santa hats. A pair of enthusiastic parents even decked their outfits in strings of lights.
“Dress in Red/Green Day” is part of the school network’s yearly fundraising activities for Operation Santa Claus (OSC) – an annual charity drive co-organised by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK. This year, 19 organisations have been named beneficiaries.
Discovery Mind, a supporter of OSC for nearly two decades, raised a total of HK$43,000 (US$5,500) for the drive this time.
“It’s built into our curriculum. It’s not just about academics,” said Kabeeta Gurung, head of school at Discovery Mind Kindergarten Tung Chung.
“And at Christmas, where it’s so much about ‘I want, I want, I want’, we want our young learners to also understand that giving back is very, very important.”
“We couldn’t be more grateful,” added Michele Fernandes, head of school at Discovery Mind Kindergarten in Discovery Bay, when speaking of the amount donated by students’ families.