In keeping with the Franciscan spirit of helping others, Friars minor arrived in Ma On Shan in the 1950s. At that time, the area was isolated, inaccessible, lacking in resources, and without public facilities, not to mention a school. When Belgian Fr. Van Hoye saw that the children of the miners did not have access to education, he decided to set up a mission school.
In 1952, the Catholic mission in the Ma On Shan settlement included a chapel, convent, a rectory and St. Joseph’s Primary School for the children of Ma On Shan. The school then consisted of only one classroom and about ten students, As the number of residents grew, the number of places became insufficient and Fr. Van Hoye expanded the school by building a branch at the habourfront settlement, so that more poor children could attend school. In 1971, a third campus was opened in Wu Kai Sha to serve the residents of the village. All the students enrolled in the school were from relatively poor families, but under the Franciscans’ rigorous approach to schooling., all the students acieved good results.
In the early 1980s, the Government planned to develop Ma On Shan as an extension to Shatin. Hence, the residents moved to Shatin one after another so that the Government could start the reclamation project. Due to the suddent drop in the number of students, St. Joseph’s Primary School had to close part of its premises. In 1986, a standard school building was completed in Heng On Estate and the school was re-opened, turning a new page for the Franciscans in the Ma On Shan area. As the demand for education grew with the economy and the population of the Ma On Shan area grew exponentially, the Franciscan Order, recognising the need for education in the community, applied to the Government to establish St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Ma On Shan. After several setbacks, the school was finally opened in 1996. The founding supervisor, Fr. Henry Woo, and the founding principal, Mr. Yan Wai-ying, did their best to develop the school so that local students could receive secondary education, thus enabling the Franciscans’ love for serving the community to be passed on from generation to generation.
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Major School Milestones
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1996
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- Opening of the school premises
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1997
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- Opening of a special Franciscan Garden in keeping with the Franciscan spirit of environmental protection
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1998
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The Blessed Sacrament and the First Graduation Ceremony was held with the then Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese, Joseph Zen, officiating at the Blessed Sacrament
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“Cyber – Saddle” – Integration of Social Sciences Subjects through Community Research (Curriculum Development Institute – School-based Curriculum)
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1999
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- Legislative Council Mock Election “Vote! Influence the Government Policies on Public Affairs” (Curriculum Development Institute – School-based Curriculum) was implemented
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2000
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Election for our first Parent-Teacher Association
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Building a Green Campus and winning 2nd runner-up of the “Hong Kong Green School Award
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Participation in Quality Education Fund Exhibition
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2001
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The 4th Graduation Ceremony and the 5th Anniversary Celebration were held
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The Beijing Great Wall Study and Research Trip: “Growing up on the Great Wall” took place
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Opening of the Information Gallery
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2002
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2003
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Establishment of St. Joseph’s Radio Station
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Participation in Aesthetic Education Project - “On Shan in Fantasy Dresses” Musical - Performance at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
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Lunar New Year Fair: Celebrating Chinese New Year with the World
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2004
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- Participation in the “World Reading Day” - Reading by a Thousand
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2005
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- Inauguration and Consecration of the New Wing
- Establishment of Electronic Classrooms
- Implementation of Smart Board and First Class (FC) Intranet
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2006
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- The EDB conducted External School Review. Our School received positive feedback and recognition for school development
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2007
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Awarded the Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence
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First group of teachers and students became Catholics
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Participation in Caring School Award Scheme (2007)
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2008
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Selected as a “Child-Friendly School” under the UNICEF -“Child-Friendly Schools Programme”
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Awarded Merit in the Caring School Award Scheme (2008)
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Participation in “The 2nd Liberal Studies Award Scheme” organized by Law’s Charitable Foundation and EDB
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2009
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- Awarded Excellence in Caring School Award Scheme (2009)
- Participation in Beijing Study Experience
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2010
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- Awarded as Honorary School under the Caring School Award Scheme
- Awarded under the Caring School Award Scheme for five consecutive years
- Participation in Beijing Study Tour
- Participation in Seminar Series for Mainland Experts and Scholars [Certificate]
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2011
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Awarded as Honorary School under the Caring School Award Scheme (2011)
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Participation in Beijing Study Tour
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Awarded Gold in the Social Welfare Department Volunteer Movement
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Latest development in Electronic Classrooms - All classrooms are equipped with Smart Board, First Class Intranet, with short throw projectors introduced
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EMI classes are offered in Junior Forms which promote a smooth interface between the junior and senior secondary curricula
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2012
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Awarded as Honorary School under the Caring School Award Scheme (2012)
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Awarded Gold in the Social Welfare Department Volunteer Movement
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Interdisciplinary collaboration among English, Mathematics, Science and Arts subjects to promote Language Across the Curriculum (LAC) and Reading Across the Curriculum (RAC)
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Creative Curriculum Development for Junior Secondary
Schools: Set up Interactive Dialogue Room, Creative Animation Design Room, Project Exploration Room
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2013
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- Establishment of Incorporated Management Committee on 31 August 2013
- Awarded as Honorary School under the Caring School Award Scheme (2013)
- Establishment of iClass, promotion of iLearning, and introduction of iPad in learning and teaching
- Arrange After-school Gifted Student Development Curriculum in Chinese, English, and Mathematics
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2014
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- Awarded as Honorary School under the Caring School Award Scheme (2014)
- Expansion of the school library and establishment of a new lecture theatre
- Awarded 1st Runner-up in Hong Kong Communications Festival 2014 Wireless Network Location Tracking Competition
- Implementation of iReading curriculum
- Latest developments in eLearning curricula in various disciplines
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2015
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- External School Review Report
- Visit by the Education Bureau (EDB) to film excellent classroom teaching
- Awarded Bronze in “The Jockey Club “From Page to Stage” Programme 2015 –Around the World in 80 Days”
- Awarded Merit under the Caring School Award Scheme (2015)
- Secondary 1 Growth and Career Planning Learning Camp was organized and Senior Secondary Career Planning Mentor Programme was launched
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2016
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- WiFi900 - Launch of the “Enhancing Wireless Network Infrastructure in Schools” Project
- School iClass (electronic) classrooms are equipped with Smart Board, First Class (interactive learning platform), short throw projectors, and wireless networking
- Development of student-led learning curriculum and optimisation of school-based iLearning curriculum
- Awarded Silver in The Jockey Club “From Page to Stage” Programme 2016–Les Misérables
- S1 and S2 Growth and Career Planning Learning Camp were organized, Junior and Senior Secondary Career Planning Curricula were introduced
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2017
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- 20th Anniversary Theme: Franciscan Youths of Ma On Shan [Opening Ceremony, Unveiling of School History Room, Open House, Evening Gala Performance were held]
- Visit by Under Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, JP (current Secretary for Education)
- Awarded Gold in International Outstanding e-Learning Awards (2016/17) presented by HKU
- Awarded Gold in The Jockey Club “From Page to Stage” Programme 2017–FRANKY
- Visit by Education City to film excellent classroom teaching: eREAP - BrainPOP School Case
- Implementation of S2 STEM curriculum
- WiFi900 - Implementation and Optimisation of the “Enhancement of Wireless Network Infrastructure in Schools” Project
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2018
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- Full implementation of SMS in the school
- Installation of telephones in classrooms
- Promotion of online teaching curriculum, optimisation, and development of STEM curriculum
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2019
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- Adoption of e-notice in the school
- The Quality Education Fund:“The Belt and Road Initiative” : Czech Republic & Germany Study Tour – Co-Creation, Co-Sharing, Collaboration, for the Common Good was approved
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2020
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- Focus Inspection was carried out which allows EDB to understand the school progress in planning, implementing and evaluating the relevant curriculum and education policies, as well as the follow-up upon class resumption. The school is deemed to have effectively achieved the goal “Suspending Classes without Suspending Learning”.
- “The Quality Education Fund: St. Joseph’s Campus TV: Facilitating Students' Self-directed Learning & Developing Multiple Intelligences” was approved
- Participated in the “Language across the Curriculum” (LAC) Study organized by the EDB and The University of Hong Kong, and received positive feedback and recognition for our interdisciplinary English curriculum
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2021
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- Implementation of S1 BYOD programme
- Implementation of the 3X curriculum in response to the “Measures to Optimise Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects“
- “The Quality Education Fund: School-based Junior Secondary STEM Education Programme” was approved
- The implementation of “IT Innovation Lab” was approved
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