The teachers of Santa Rosa de Lima English Secondary celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on the 8th of December, 2009 in a slightly different way. This year, they spent a more meaningful holiday at the Noah's Ark facility on Ma Wan Island in Hong Kong. After finishing class on Monday, the 7th, the teachers then packed up and took the 5:00 p.m. jetfoil to Hong Kong.

Since it was a new experience, the teachers, like children on an excursion, were bursting with energy and filled with boundless expectations. These childlike feelings were immediately replaced by awe and wonder as soon as they stepped onto Noah’s Ark. A bit tired from a full day of school and the late afternoon trip, the teachers tucked in for the night so as to be ready for the bevy of activities that had been planned for the next day at the ark. Awaking early the following morning, their stomachs filled with a good breakfast, they began their trek through Noah's Ark. Not a photo moment was missed. Comments about the overall experience centred on feelings of peace, and closeness to God.

It was an even more meaningful experience for our Catholic teachers who said that they could actually feel God's presence while they were there. The teachers were grateful for the wonderful opportunity to spend time together and are now considering the feasibility of organizing similar trips for the students so as to encourage a deeper sense of unity, camaraderie and belongingness among them.