Flag Raising Ceremony Students’ Sharing 2025-9-26

Mara and Arham, both students from Form 6 Juniper, delivered their farewell speeches as the former House Captain (HC) of Juniper and the former Student Union (SU) Chairperson, respectively. They first congratulated the newly elected SU cabinet and all HC members. Then, they recounted their experiences while being the HC and the SU Chairperson, respectively. Lastly, they thanked all teachers and staff for their support and sent their best wishes to the new SU and all HC members.

Written by Marasia BIGELOW (Form 6) and Arham ATEEQ (Form 6)

Mara: Good morning, Principal, Assistant Principals, teachers, and our fellow students. I am F.6 JU Maraisa, the previous House Captain of Juniper.

Arham: And I’m F.6 JU Arham, chairperson of Inicio, the previous Student Union.

Mara: Today, we would like to first congratulate the newly elected SUs and HCs! I'm sure all of you worked tirelessly to meet deadlines and promote your cabinet. We hope you get some well-deserved rest before starting the new roles. On the other hand, it is time for us to step down. We want to take this opportunity to share our feelings and express gratitude to the school community.

Arham, can you tell us your motivations for running for the SU last year?

Arham: Actually, I was fortunate to win the election last year after three previous attempts. During my junior years, I always wished to be part of the SU. When I was in F1, the SU members were so positive and outgoing by hosting a variety of events, which made school life so enjoyable. However, the Covid-19 pandemic shifted everything online. I no longer felt the same school spirit. When my sisters joined the school and face-to-face classes resumed, I wanted to provide similar positive experiences for students and inspire them to embrace leadership roles in their senior years. How about you, Mara? What motivated you to run for the HC captain position?

Mara: I ran for HC captain because I genuinely found that being in the House Committee was a rewarding experience. I was Juniper's Promotional Secretary when I first joined HC. It was actually pretty fun as I was involved in activities that I usually might not have pursued on my own. We built a strong sense of house spirit and community by getting to know my housemates in different forms and running inter-house events.

Being a house committee member can be really difficult sometimes. How do you balance your time with SU work and academic studies?

Arham: Students’ support from different forms was crucial in maintaining the balance between studies and SU responsibilities. For instance, during the Form 5 Final exams, many of the Inicio members were busy studying. We’re so grateful that some Form 4 members in our cabinet stepped up and supported us during this crucial time. What about you? Do you think it was hard to promote house spirit?

Mara: Sometimes it can be challenging to find students who are interested in the interhouse events. So, thank you to the students who stepped up and chose to get involved , you made our life much easier. Besides, I think every house did an excellent job in raising house spirit, which can be seen explicitly on Sports Day, with housemates cheering and supporting each other.

How about you? What is your favorite memory during your time as the Chairperson?

Arham: One of my favourite memories was the Inter-House Football Competition when the staff team played against the student house team champion. It was so thrilling to watch different staff members playing against the students and showcasing their professional football skills. Damian and Akash shared a heartwarming moment by commentating or racing around the school to find a whistle! Thank you so much for that. How about you, Mara?

Mara: I enjoyed watching the inter-house sports competitions too, but my best memory would be the Open Day. Seeing the joy on students’ and families' faces made all the planning worthwhile. All in all, there were many people supporting SUs & HCs in different areas. Let's express our appreciation and gratitude to them.

Arham: Of course! Thank you, Miss Koo, for supporting us during Spirit Week. Thank you, Ms Kwok, for being a supportive figure throughout the entire year. We appreciate how you responded to our messages even past the school working hours. Thank you to Miss Ma, Ah Cheung, and the photography team who helped support all our events and captured the amazing memories. Thank you to Miss Rita Wong, who always helped us print materials on a last-minute notice. Thank you to all the staff members who participated in our events. Thank you to the entire CSS community, who provided us with constant support and feedback. And most importantly, the members of Inicio. Mia, thank you for pouring your creativity into designing thank you cards, posters, and Instagram posts. AJ, thank you for taking on the big responsibility of successfully hosting the C-Rivals 2025. To Isabella, Sakura, and Wing Kiu, thank you for providing us with support in writing event proposals and showing up to provide encouragement and support at all of our events.

Mara: And I’d also like to thank the HC supervisors and Juniper supervisors for always watching over Juniper. Thank you, SU for making all events possible, and my fellow house committee members for their support and enthusiasm. They are always there to help and always cheer Juniper on the sidelines. None of this would have been possible without you all!

Arham: Nevertheless, here are some tips for the new SU. I recommend that you split the workload of each event in order to balance your studies and the SU responsibilities. Always support each other and carry out your roles with the mindset to make school life prosper, instead of just fulfilling the CAS or OLE experiences requirements.

Mara: For the new House committees, communicate with your HC members frequently and learn to delegate tasks to one another. Always keep your true goals in mind, whether it is to raise house spirit, build inclusivity, or to win the House Cup!

Arham: With all that said, we wish the future HC and SU the best of luck!

Both: Thank You.