By Lynne McCall, Institutional Advancement Director
HKA was thrilled to open our newly dedicated community hub, the Poon Chi Keung Community Center, on Saturday 26th August. As a community school, relationships are key as we work in partnership to create an educational environment that leaves a positive, lasting impact on every student. The Poon Chi Keung Community Center provides a welcoming space where the HKA community can come together to celebrate the past, honour the present and embrace the future.
The Poon Chi Keung Community Center was named in honour of the grandparent of one of our students. The Poon family has been deeply connected to the HKA community since we were located in Kennedy Town. The family has made a substantial donation which allowed us to refurbish the UG floor with new features – a timeline of the school’s history since its founding in 2000 highlighting significant events of every year, an exhibition space aiming to showcase students’ works and facilitate collaborative learning, a comfortable lounge seating area where the community can gather and host a variety of events, an array of high-table work spots, the Legacy Club donor wall recognising donations made to the school, and a beautiful centrepiece for the space – a hand-painted dedication mural.
During the opening ceremony, donor Mr Thomas Poon said, “Legacy is important for the future and for every family. I made a gift to the school as a birthday present in honour of my father. We have been with the school since Kennedy Town and moved to Sai Kung as the new campus opened 10 years ago. Having the school in the centre of Sai Kung, my dad’s favourite place where he has so many friends, is so special to our family, and we look forward to being with the school for years to come.”
HKA’s board chair Mr Adrian Valenzuela remarked “HKA is built on family and community values. This beautiful space reminds us of how much has been achieved in terms of the growth and vision of the school, and that HKA is still a very special educational experience for all of us that are part of it.”
