DGS wins Inter-School Squash Competition (26 January 2025)
On January 26, our Squash Team competed brilliantly and clinched the championship title for the 6th consecutive year of the Inter-School Squash Competition 2024-2025.&nbsp;
Our team celebrated the win, which came right before the Lunar New Year holidays. We thank our coach for his continued support and our alumni squash players who came to cheer our team on.
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1739932993958" width="450"> <img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1739932994013" width="450">

DGS wins Inter-School Squash Competition (Jan 26, 2025)

<h3>Zhixin High School Model United Nations Conference (15-17 November 2024)</h3>
Seven members of the DGS Model United Nations Team participated in the Zhixin High School Model United Nations Conference (ZXMUN) in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region in November this year, travelling to China for this exciting programme. This event primarily included a one-day visit and a two-day conference at Guangzhou Zhixin High School (Tianhe Campus).&nbsp;
Leaving Hong Kong on 15 November, we arrived at Guangzhou East Station at around 6:30pm and met up with the student ambassadors and students from other schools. We then had dinner together, and the meal was delectable and definitely satisfying. We communicated with the ambassadors and learned a lot about Guangzhou&rsquo;s rich and diverse cultural background and lifestyle that differ from Hong Kong, expanding our horizons. The student ambassadors also patiently helped us set up and taught us how to use the app &ldquo;QQ&rdquo; to communicate with them.
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1742946573364" width="400">
After a night of rest, we went to ZXMUN on a coach arranged for us. Student ambassadors of ZXMUN gave us a tour of their school, and we were able to learn about their architecture, hobbies, and clubs which varies from ours in Hong Kong. This was a memorable part of the weekend. Not only were the students extremely helpful and very friendly, the campus was truly stunning. Beautiful buildings and peaceful nature dotted the campus, creating a lovely atmosphere for students to learn there. It opened our eyes to so many different things, leaving us with profound appreciation for the sense of community and opportunities that lie in both schools. After a short break, we gathered in the auditorium to attend the opening ceremony.
After the captivating performance by the students from Zhixin High School which introduced the council backgrounds and themes, we were allocated to our council rooms respectively and the conference officially began. However, we found the council sessions extremely hard and challenging due to the unique and unfamiliar procedure which was very different from the regular MUN procedure in Hong Kong. But thanks to the help from the chairs and other delegates, we soon adapted to this special mode and started participating actively in the council sessions.&nbsp;
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This ZXMUN exchange opportunity was truly eye-opening, and the three days passed by quicker than we expected. Not only did we learn about the Zhangzhou way to conduct a MUN conference, countless friendships blossomed in this short amount of time. The collaboration and hard work between our double delegate partners led to a deeper understanding of MUN, and everyone in the council was curious about the Hong Kong ways to conduct MUN. Heated debate and in-depth discussions sharpened our MUN skills. Most importantly, we got to know our MUN peers better during this trip. We stayed in the same hotel, prepared speeches together and helped each other. Overall, this was an enriching and unforgettable experience, and we would love to participate again.
We would like to express our gratitude to the Zhixin High School student ambassadors for showing us around and showing their hospitality as we got to know about their school and culture more. We would also like to thank the Chairs and the Secretariat for inviting us to participate in their wonderful conference. Their hard work and effort is evidence in the pleasant experience we had since the moment we received their invitation and till the social dinner night. Our deepest gratitude also goes to Mr. G.M. Lent, our teacher-in-charge who looked after us throughout this trip. His guidance made our trip safe and memorable for all of us. Lastly, we are grateful to our principal Mrs. Lau for providing us with such an opportunity to take part in the ZXMUN. It is only with the unwavering support and efforts of all of these people that our trip was carried out successfully, and it has certainly left a lasting impression in our hearts.

Zhixin High School Model United Nations Conference 2024

<h3>Asia Pacific Information and Communications Technology Alliance (APICTA) Awards 2024 (4 December - 7 December)</h3>
Regarded as the Oscars of ICT Awards, the Asia Pacific Information and Communications Technology Alliance (APICTA) Awards is an international awards program organised by APICTA, which aims to increase ICT awareness in the community and assist in bridging the digital divide. In the academic year 2024-25, the UMeta team from S4-S5 had the privilege of travelling to Brunei Darussalum for a 4-day overseas competition from 4th to 7th December 2024, after winning the Silver Award in the Hong Kong ICT Awards. We were ably led by our teacher-in-charge, Mr C.Y. Poon, to whom we are grateful for the guidance and care he accorded.
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Our team embarked on this project in July 2024, inspired by the many difficulties in self-learning with online resources. As we began coding and sculpting our metaverse, we encountered a series of challenges, each one pushing us to innovate and refine our product.
We were fortunate to receive invaluable feedback from our judges in the HKICT, our mentor Dr. Louis Ma, Mr Stephen Lau and Mrs Agnes Mak from HKCS, and Irene from DOGA. Their collective guidance steered us towards improving both our pitching strategies and the quality of our end product. Through their mentorship, we not only overcame obstacles but also significantly elevated the standard of our work, ultimately resulting in a more polished and impactful final outcome.
When faced with unknown obstacles, we as a team were able to work together, providing support and exchanging ideas to enhance our educational metaverse. Each team member contributed a distinct perspective, which combined together to form a captivating and intriguing project.&nbsp;
Our time overseas also was an eye-opening experience. Brunei hosts some of Asia&rsquo;s most beautiful examples of Islamic architecture. Exploring places like the Kampong Ayer water village, Gadong Night Market, and the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque gave us deep insight into the rich culture of Brunei. Since it was the first time for us visiting an Islamic country, we were captivated by the exquisite Islamic architecture and cuisines. Our excursion not only allowed us to admire the architectural marvels but also provided profound insight into the vibrant culture and deep-rooted traditions that define this remarkable country. It was a journey of cultural appreciation that left an indelible mark on our hearts and minds, fostering a deep respect for the rich cultural heritage of Brunei.
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One of the most memorable aspects of APICTA was the chance to meet like-minded individuals from various countries. Through events like Hong Kong Night and the Student Networking Session, we connected with talented students who share the same passion for technology and innovation. These interactions were not only enriching but also eye-opening, as we got to learn about their projects and gain insights into their cultures, habits, and ways of life. It was amazing to see how creativity and technology transcend borders, bringing people together. These conversations inspired us greatly and encouraged us to think of new ways to improve our own project. Meeting such enthusiastic and skilled individuals motivated us to continue pushing ourselves and our ideas further.
&nbsp; <img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1737358605076" width="350" height="232"> &nbsp;<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1737358613517" width="350" height="233">
Another key takeaway from this experience was the opportunity to improve on our presentation skills. Throughout the event, we presented our project to different audiences, including at Hong Kong Night, where we explained our ideas and the technical concepts behind them. These presentations challenged us to articulate our ideas clearly and confidently, even for complex technical details. One of the judges also gave us valuable feedback on how we could further improve our project, which was incredibly helpful and gave us new perspectives to refine our work. This process taught us the importance of effective communication and how to better present our ideas to others.
APICTA also gave us a chance to learn from other participants&rsquo; projects, which was a truly fascinating experience. We saw firsthand how ICT can be integrated into so many aspects of our lives, from solving everyday problems to addressing global challenges, for example using OpenSource code to create a text-to-speech chatbot. The creativity and innovation displayed by other participants broadened our understanding of the endless possibilities of technology, and it was deeply inspiring to witness the incredible work of our peers.
Overall, this experience has been incredibly fun and rewarding, and it will undoubtedly remain an unforgettable memory of our secondary school lives. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in such a prestigious event. We thank Mr. Poon for guiding and supporting our team throughout the trip to Brunei; Ms Carol Ho, Ms Grace Lo, and the HKCS team for organising this valuable opportunity and handling all the logistics, from flights to accommodations. We also owe our gratitude to the school and Mrs. Lau, for her generous support and unwavering guidance. Without her steadfast support, we wouldn&rsquo;t have been able to grasp such an opportunity to represent the school and Hong Kong in participating in APICTA and achieving such amazing results. Lastly, we must extend our gratitude to all the APICTA committee members and judges for their hard work in making this event such a success.
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Asia Pacific Information and Communications Technology Alliance (APICTA) Awards 

Twelve students and two teachers from Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Secondary School (CHIJ) in Singapore visited us for two days, reciprocating our girls&rsquo; visit to their school in July 2024. The two days, though short, proved to be an enlightening experience for both our girls and their counterparts, with our CHIJ friends participating in classes, extra-curricular activities, and various other aspects of school life with their S2 school buddies. We look forward to further fruitful exchanges in the future years to come.&nbsp;
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1733199580197" width="450"> &nbsp;<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1733199588510" width="450">

Nov 2024 - Visit by Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Secondary School, Singapore

<h3>Overseas Exchange Programme with Methodist Ladies&rsquo; College in Melbourne, Australia (26 July &ndash; 5 August 2024)</h3>
During the summer holidays, 11 of us were given the valuable opportunity to visit Methodist Ladies&rsquo; College (MLC) in Melbourne and spend 11 days with our hosts from MLC as the second part of our exchange. It has been a delightful and fruitful experience for all of us to learn about the culture of Melbourne and Australia, have lessons with MLC students, as well as explore the city and enjoy a lot of new experiences. We have all created beautiful memories through this exchange programme, and we also grew and broadened our horizons by making numerous new friends and having another taste of life in the Southern Hemisphere.
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727072315848" height="250">&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727072326168" height="250">
On the day of our flight, since we arrived extra early, we finalised and practised the performance song that we would be singing at MLC&rsquo;s assembly. After a few laughter-filled trials, we finally got the hang of it.
After a long 8-hour flight, we finally landed in Melbourne! Despite most of us having only a few hours of sleep because of the excitement, we were all fully energised as we stepped out into the cool winter air of Australia.&nbsp;
Our buddies excitedly welcomed us at their school and we took a tour of their school. MLC is quite different from DGS, covering a very vast area of land with a cafeteria, boarding house and buildings for different subjects spread out on the school grounds. Greenery and various decorations were dotted in between, creating a sense of harmony among the buildings of different ages and styles.&nbsp;
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727072425269" height="250">&nbsp; &nbsp;<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727072436973" height="250">
Later, we had a tea gathering with the headmistress of MLC, where we got to enjoy sandwiches from their cafeteria and meet our hosts&rsquo; families for the first time. They warmly welcomed us with open arms and we quickly got comfortable with each other, setting off for the weekend.
Melbourne is rather different from Hong Kong, with culturally diverse residents mostly living in short houses, a busy business area with high-rise buildings and historic places known as &ldquo;the city&rdquo;, enormous open rolling green parks in neighbourhoods serving as the habitats for wild native Australian animals, a lot of beaches, clear skies and beautiful natural scenery. People usually travel by car, as it is more convenient than the public transport in Melbourne, unlike the efficient services provided in Hong Kong. However, our buddies gave us the opportunity to get on trams and trains, and we were fascinated by how comparatively vacant they were. We also got to experience the Myke card system and visit the historic train stations, like the Flinders Street Station.&nbsp;
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727072489610" height="250"> &nbsp;<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727072500673" height="250">
We all visited beautiful and interesting places during the weekend, such as Melbourne Zoo, Sea Life, Lightscape, Brighton Beach and more, plunging into the fun of the city.
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727072544734" height="250"> &nbsp; <img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727072554981" height="250">
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727072579572" height="250"> &nbsp; <img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727073106124" height="250">
After an eventful weekend, we went to school with our buddies, experiencing life as a Melbourne student. At their morning assembly, we performed a well-known Cantonese song, 紅日. Despite the fact that the backing audio failed to work, the students still enjoyed our performance and clapped along to the beat, making us feel welcome.&nbsp;
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Afterwards, we went with our buddies to their respective homerooms, where their classmates excitedly welcomed us and introduced themselves, some even eagerly asking about our lives in Hong Kong.&nbsp;
We attended all sorts of lessons, from subjects we have in our school like Mathematics, Science and English Literature, to some new subjects like drama, health and foreign languages. Despite sharing some similarities, learning at MLC is actually quite different from DGS. School starts at 8:20, or sometimes even at 8:50. The classrooms have a totally different look as well: while DGS has neat rows of desks and chairs for each student, MLC&rsquo;s classrooms have a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere with students sitting in groups at big tables on swivel chairs or couches, or even a bar stool for the extra tall tables. This makes it really convenient for group discussions and even strengthens the class bond as students can sit wherever they like. There is also a 5-minute buffer between lessons, as some lessons require students to go to another room in a separate building.
Despite the lessons each being an hour long, we were so immersed that we didn&rsquo;t realise how time flew by as we learned about algebra, the Bayeux Tapestry, commedia dell'arte with a thick Italian accent, or even what to do during an emergency situation in the sea. Soon enough, it was lunchtime.&nbsp;
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727073163319" height="250"><img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727073170128" height="250">
Unlike DGS, MLC has a cafeteria, where most students opt to go no matter if they&rsquo;re bringing lunch or buying from Star Cafe, which provides a variety of food from mac-and-cheese bolognese, yoghurt, chewy cookies, sushi, pastries and more, to even milo cups, popsicle sticks and slushies!
Chatter filled the air as more and more students piled into the cafeteria, creating a sense of belonging and home as we all had lunch together and shared interesting things with friends from different classes. The other students were very eager to know us, and some even stopped by to have a short chat. I even met with my buddy from the online exchange in the previous year, and we laughed a lot watching her friends arm wrestle each other to prove that they are the strongest in their group.&nbsp;
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727073206314" height="250"> <img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727073211567" height="250">
Apart from attending lessons, MLC also arranged a wide variety of special activities for us exchange students to participate in, such as a cooking session to make the traditional renowned Anzac cookies, a tour of their historical boarding house, an art session about ink printing with plants, a lunch chat with their international relations prefect, and the much anticipated Wild Action presentation, which allows us to interact with native animals, from a mountain pygmy possum and wombat, to even a wallaby and koala! It was surely a one-of-a-kind experience, and the wide smiles etched on our faces revealed all.
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727073228639" height="300"> <img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727073234197" height="300"> <img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727073239529" height="300">
After school, some of our buddies brought us to stroll along Glenferrie Road, which is a street lined with innumerable snack shops. Our favourite had to be a shop selling frozen yoghurt in various scrumptious unique flavours and a lot of toppings. One of the evenings, we even went back to MLC to enjoy their student musical, Annie. It was played very professionally, and the catchy songs kept lingering in our minds.
&nbsp;<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727073253015" height="250"> &nbsp;<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727073257086" height="250">
During our last weekend in Melbourne, our hosts brought us to even more places, such as the NGV, Luna Park, Dandenong Mountain, Melbourne Skydeck and more.&nbsp;
&nbsp;<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727073267197" height="250"> <img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1727073271160" height="250">
11 days flew past much quicker than we had expected, and soon it was time to say goodbye. After having our last class with our buddies and their homerooms, we all exchanged sad farewells and hugs with all the friends we have made during our stay. Some of them wrote sweet messages on our cardboard folders, and my buddy&rsquo;s classmates even made me a paper star jar filled with well wishes from every one of them.
&nbsp;

Overseas Exchange Programme with Methodist Ladies’ College in Melbourne

<h3>Cultural Exchange Programme with Convent of Holy Infant Jesus Secondary School in Singapore (13-20 July 2024)</h3>
This past summer, six of us Secondary 1 girls were chosen to participate in a valuable exchange program with the Convent of Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) Secondary School students in Singapore. This was the first exchange programme for every one of us so it was indeed a remarkably eye-opening experience. Over the week, we got a glimpse of what it is like to live in Singapore while staying with our respective host families and immersing ourselves in an unfamiliar culture, experiencing the dynamic city. Also, going to school with our buddies allowed us to get to know more about local Singaporean schools, which had a somewhat similar system to our school. Furthermore, we had the opportunity to meet other students from CHIJ, which was a great opportunity for us to develop long-lasting multinational friendships, enhance our communication skills with people from different countries, and help us to be nurtured as individuals.
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1726196995440">
Before the exchange, we were extremely excited and began preparing for the upcoming trip. We communicated with our friends in advance, discussed potential places to visit in Singapore, and gained a general understanding of their weekly schedules. Upon our arrival at the Singapore airport, our host families warmly welcomed us at the arrival hall, marking the beginning of our exchange experience in Singapore.
Over the weekend, we visited various attractions and tried different restaurants for food and entertainment. Each of us stopped by famous tourist spots, including the Merlion, Universal Studios, Gardens by the Bay, Orchard Road, and more. It was extraordinary to see in person what we had only heard about or seen on television. The days passed by quickly as we had an amazing time there.&nbsp;
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1726197004138"><img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1726197006946">
One thing we realized during the trip is that the Singapore culture is quite different from the culture in Hong Kong. Singapore is a city with many different ethnic groups, consisting mainly of Chinese, Malaysian, and Indian groups. As a result, you can often hear different languages being spoken around Singapore when you walk on the streets. In addition, food in Singapore is relatively more strongly flavoured than that in Hong Kong. Singaporeans enjoy seasoned food like satay and bak kut teh which have a distinct flavor. I enjoyed tasting famous local dishes such as the Hainanese chicken rice, a dish often found in Hong Kong.
At CHIJ, assembly starts at 7:30 a.m. each day, so we had to wake up relatively earlier in the morning to get to school by 7:15 a.m. to prepare for lessons. There is a well-equipped canteen facility that our school doesn't have, providing a diverse range of culinary options, such as Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and Western delicacies. This wide variety of affordable and delicious food made it quite challenging to choose what to eat each day.
Besides the canteen, the lessons at CHIJ were also a bit different than ours. For example, they had mother tongue language lessons, where students had to learn either Chinese, Malay, or Tamil; and drama lessons, where they had to script and act out a play at the end of the year according to the topic they had chosen. Overall, I think that the lessons at CHIJ are equally enjoyable as the lessons in DGS and are a very memorable part of our exchange program.&nbsp;
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1726197621430" width="416" height="313"><img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1726197625961" width="313" height="400">
Personally, the most unforgettable part of CHIJ for me is the people I met there. I was really nervous at first because I had no experience with foreign students from other countries and didn&rsquo;t know what to expect. But to my surprise, on the first day I joined my buddy&rsquo;s class, her classmates were already so welcoming and enthusiastic towards me &mdash; a newcomer and stranger. They eagerly introduced themselves and treated me with so much kindness and affability that I blended into them instantly, soon helping me get to know more about them and eventually develop friendships with a few of them.
After an eventful week full of fascinating outings, lessons at CHIJ, meeting a lot of transnational students, and developing valuable friendships in the process, our journey in Singapore came to an end. 
<img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1726197642079"><img src="https://www.dgs.edu.hk/api/file?id=1726197644824">
During this trip, we experienced Singapore culture thoroughly and fully indulged ourselves when attempting something new, making the most out of whatever came our way. Thanks must be given to Mrs Lau and Mrs Lee, the headmistresses of both schools; Mrs RL Wong, the teacher in charge; and Mr K Cheung, the teacher who accompanied us during this trip, for giving us this precious, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Without their guidance and support, this trip would not have been possible. Lastly, we would also like to express our sincere gratitude to our respective buddies and host families for treating us with great warmth and hospitality throughout the entire trip, and accompanying us to explore and dive into the culture of Singapore. We look forward to our buddies&rsquo; visits to Hong Kong next year.&nbsp;
&nbsp;