DECEMBER 2010
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 10
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE ONLINE WEEKLY GAZETTE CREATING AN INTERACTIVE COLLEGE COMMUNITY OF INFORMATION & DEVELOPEMENT
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE In this Issue
The Edwardian Gazette Weekly Online College Journal
Chief Editor Mr Chittenden - Headmaster hm@stedwards.edu.mt
Design, Production, Photography & Advertising M Fenech - Marketing Executive
Message from the Headmaster News from the Nutritionist House Shield Points Sports Department
marketing@stedwards.edu.mt
Articles
Weekly Calendar
Notice Board
Celine Ellis - Secretary hmsec@stedwards.edu.mt
Articles
Middle & Senior School Retreat Yr 11
Martin Bugeja OHS Officer Malta Air Traffic Services
Science Department
Front Cover
Weekly Calendar
Kia Motors MALTA Teams up with Winter Moods’ Front-man
Miscellaneous
‘Two Colleges—One Good Cause’ Taken during last year’s match, St Edward's vs De La Salle
ST EDWARD’S COLLEGE BIRGU (CITTA VITTORIOSA) BRG 9039 MALTA, EUROPE www.stedwards.edu.mt
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE Message from the Headmaster Dear Parents and Community Members The PE and Sports Department works hand in hand with the traditional academic departments in the College. The fact that students can apply themselves to their studies more assiduously if they are fit and healthy would come as no surprise. The College, in many ways, promotes fit and healthy lifestyles and this is paying dividends. However, the problem of childhood obesity has become more significant in many countries of the world in recent years. For example, between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents in the USA are obese. Obesity is among the easiest medical conditions to recognise but most difficult to treat. Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise. What is obesity? A few extra kilograms do not suggest obesity. However, they may indicate a tendency to gain weight easily and a need for changes in diet and/or exercise. Generally, a child is not considered obese until the weight is at least 10 percent higher than what is recommended for the height and body type. Obesity most commonly begins in childhood between the ages of 5 and 6, and during adolescence. Ways to manage obesity in children and adolescents include: start a weight-management program change eating habits (eat slowly, develop a routine) plan meals and make better food selections (eat less fatty foods, avoid junk and fast foods) control portions and consume less calories increase physical activity (especially walking) and have a more active lifestyle know what your child eats at school eat meals as a family instead of while watching television or at the computer do not use food as a reward limit snacking I have invited Ms Caroline Scerri, a nutritionist, to write a monthly article on health issues. The first article has some surprising facts about apples. Some of the information is quite technical but I think you will enjoy it. Best wishes Michael Chittenden Headmaster
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE News from the Nutritionist Some sure facts about apples…. The good old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away!” still holds……
Over 7,500 varieties of apple are grown throughout the world.
The average person only eats 65 apples in a year……far from the saying an apple a day…..!!!
An apple is a carbohydrate food with a low glycaemic index (GI). Low GI foods are digested slowly leaving your stomach fuller for a longer period of time. Once they are broken down in the intestine, they are gradually absorbed into the bloodstreams as glucose, causing a gradual rise in blood sugar levels….the ideal situation! They may help with weight control, as well as improving diabetics' long-term control of blood sugar levels.
Apples are packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, especially vitamin C for healthy skin and gums - one apple provides a quarter of your daily requirement of vitamin C, and Iron, a very important mineral for our bodies.
Did you know that the iron content in an apple is the main reason for apples to turn dark when exposed to air…..so the minute you start eating your apple and it turns brown, it means it is a good quality apple, since some apples nowadays NEVER turn brown, no matter how long they are left exposed to air!
Apples also contain a form of soluble fibre called pectin that can help to lower blood cholesterol levels and keep the digestive system healthy.
Quercetin is a valuable anti oxidant found only in the apple skin. The apple skin also contains more antioxidants and fibre than the flesh does, so try and eat your apples with their skin on!
That’s all for today….see you next time and till then……. Happy Apple Eating!!! Caroline Scerri B.Pharm.(Hons.) P.Q.Dip.Nutrition & Dietetics
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE House Shield Points
3rd
2nd
House Points Updates
CONGREVE
10pts
Yr 8
Inter-house Games (Football)
CAMPBELL
25pts
Yr 8
Inter-house Games (Football)
DUCANE
15pts
Yr 8
Inter-house Games (Football)
1st
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE Â
Sports Department Inter-house Competition Ducane vs Campbell Campbell vs Congreve Congreve vs Ducane Ducane vs Campbell Campbell vs Congreve Congreve vs Ducane
Football Yr 8
2-5 3-0 4-6 2-1 8-6 5-5
House Points Yr 8 Campbell 25 points Ducane 15 points Congreve 10 points
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE Sports Department
Two Colleges - One Good Cause
St Edward’s vs De La Salle
After the success of last year’s fund raising event, teachers from De La Salle and St Edward’s will once again take part in a 5-a-side soccer game in aid of L-Istrina. Students will be asked to donate 1 Euro. Last year the sum collected was of 1,100 Euro. Students are encouraged to get flags and horns to make the 15 December another memorable experience.
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE Articles OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY – (6) At Home and Everywhere Else If you look up the word occupation, ‘work’, ‘task’ and ‘activity’ are among the definitions. Therefore, much of what we’ve been talking about up to now also applies to (but not solely)
Unpaid (mainly voluntary) work
Any work carried out in the home e.g. housework, decorating, maintenance etc – and on the computer/laptop
Sports, hobbies and the countryside
Holidays abroad
Means of transportation, including our two legs
Since serious injury (or worse) isn’t restricted to salaried activity, it pays one to always
Plan ahead and pinpoint any hazard (s) that are just waiting to transform one’s life into the stuff of nightmares in a split second
Make use of one’s grey matter to think up suitable risk control measures for them i.e. think “Prevention is better than cure”!
One final word: we squander good money on worthless objects and yet sometimes balk at purchasing a fire extinguisher, first aid box and a place on a basic first aid course that may avert a calamity in our own (and neighbours’) homes.
Martin Bugeja OHS Officer Malta Air Traffic Services
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE Notice Board Dropping Students off at College Please do NOT drop your child off at College at the Main Gate. The North and South Gates are to be used. Mr M Chittenden Headmaster
Casual Clothes day for JS is Tuesday 21 December Casual Clothes for KG, Middle, senior and 6th Form Wednesday 22 December 2 Euros if students wish to participate. Proceeds go directly to technology.
Football Match Two Colleges—One Cause St Edward’s versus De La Salle College 11.40 12.00 12.20 12.30 13.30
Students assemble in the Volleyball Area Departure from College All Seated Football Match begins Return to College
Students from Yr 4 to Yr 11
Quote of the Week Plan for the future because that's where you are going to spend the rest of your life." Mark Twain
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE Middle & Senior School Fort Manoel Last year, we were invited along with several other schools to see the restoration taking place at Fort Manoel and to give us an opportunity to draw parts of the fortifications on-site. We were also given the freedom to choose any part of the fort. In my case, I chose St. Anthony’s Chapel which was heavily damaged in World War II bombings, along with the barracks and ramparts, but had recently been restored beautifully by MIDI. After taking down notes and sketching there, we continued our projects at school to create a final piece. Some of the projects could be chosen for a possible exhibition and the creation of a MIDI Calendar to promote restoration work in Fort Manoel. Recently we found out that three of St. Edward’s final pieces had been chosen. Three out of a possible twelve is a strong statement considering such a large amount of applications. We were invited to a prize-giving ceremony at the Point Shopping Mall where we were congratulated along with the other nine winners whose paintings were also on show and awarded an interesting art-related book to aid our future studies. Max T. Year 10
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE Midi students St Edward’s College
Midi students Max T
Midi students Luigi F
Please follow this link for the newspaper article
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE Retreat Year 11 Retreat at Savio College – Dingli Last week, on Wednesday 24 November 2010, Year 11 students - accompanied by Mr. Gregory Sammut and Mr.George Psaila - were taken to Savio College in Dingli for a half-day Retreat. The theme of this Retreat was: ‘Our Commitment as Christians’. A football match against our hosts was also organized by the College Chaplain, Fr Alfred Sacco SDB, who was once the Headmaster of Savio College. At 8.45 am, we boarded the coach which was waiting to take us to Dingli. We knew it would be a long drive, but none of us could have imagined just how long this journey will take. A traffic accident, involving five cars on the Mrieħel Bypass had a snowball effect, and traffic was at gridlock for around half an hour. We all saw the bright side and laughed about the situation, and we even took the chance to disembark from the coach and stretch our legs. By 9.50 am, we arrived at Savio College and were welcomed by Fr. Alfred Sacco SDB and Fr. Eric Cachia SDB, who was to conduct the Retreat. We settled down immediately and Fr. Sacco introduced to us the Director of the Retreat, Fr. Eric Cachia, a Salesian priest who is the Director of the Salesian Youth Centre in Sliema. After, as short introduction on the theme of the Retreat, Fr. Eric divided us into four groups of seven to eight students. We were told that we would be playing a ‘game’ where we were to imagine that a tsunami was fastapproaching and will hit our shores the next three hours. There was no time to waste. We must pick the most important possessions to take with us and we flee for a safer place on the island. The game would be in the form of an auction. We were handed $275 (in fake money, of course) by Fr. Eric’s helper, James, who was acting as auctioneer. The items up for auction were all different and these included: a guru, a bible, a family member, food, a house, a Mac Book Pro, a car, mobile credit (without the mobile!), a compass and one bottle of Vodka. Fr. Eric went on to explain that the tsunami symbolized life which we have to face after we leave College at the end of this Scholastic Year and that we must all be prepared to move on and make progress to the next level. From corruption claims in Group 1 to the expenditure of a staggering €175 on a sole bottle of Vodka in Group 4, this auction was not short of controversial decisions! Heated, but controlled, discussions ensued after all the items were auctioned. Group 1 had invested in their religious beliefs.
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE They bought a bible, the guru and a family member. Group 2 looked at the technological value of the objects offered for auction: the Mac Book, the mobile credit and the car. The group managed to buy these, feeling themselves secure in obtaining these objects. Group 3, on the other hand, concentrated on securing the basic necessities: food, a compass and a house. The group clearly gave a serious thought before deciding what to buy. Group 4 was left with just the bottle of Vodka. Fr Eric expressed his belief that the choices made in Group 1 were wise, but that Group 3 had done well in securing the basics. Group 2, according to Fr. Eric, had chosen materialistic values which, apart from the car, would be of no particular use on an island struck by a tsunami. Group 4, unfortunately, miscalculated their fortunes and their ‘business strategy’ proved a disaster. They finished with just a bottle of vodka. Fr Eric revealed that he was impressed with the mature arguments which we raised during this activity. He said that even though some students had lost sight of obtaining values in a fair manner, others provided a transparent and ideal way of handling all the groups’ dealings. He stressed the need for teamwork and mutual beliefs within the group. The activity was followed by Holy Mass, which was celebrated the College chapel by our Chaplain, Fr. Sacco. After Mass, the eagerly anticipated match versus Savio College took place on an eleven-side gravel pitch. Our team succumbed to an undeserved 4-0 defeat. However, credit must be given to Savio College students who played a terrific game. The game was played with great friendly spirit and was enjoyed by one all. At 2.00 pm, we all made our way back to College, and fortunately this journey was uneventful. The Retreat was a great success, and through Fr. Eric’s practical approach, we learned that being a Christian is not conditional. If we believe in Christ, we must hold on to our Christian values forever, and we must not abandon them in times of difficulty. We must be Committed Christians! I would like to take this opportunity to thank Fr Eric on behalf of all Year 11 students for providing us with such an eye-opening insight, as well as Fr. Sacco for organizing this retreat. Please follow this link for more pictures
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE Science Department
Science Year 8 Mr Azzopardi's boys working to build electric bells.
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE Science Department
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE Miscellaneous
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE Miscellaneous Christmas Raffle 2010 APPEAL Many Old Edwardians will fondly remember Ms Josephine Spiteri who was a Year 2 class teacher for many years. She is now retired and does voluntary work at the ‘St Jeanne Antide Foundation’ in Tarxien. Among the many services offered by this foundation is the Homework Club. Ms Spiteri forms part of the Homework Services Team.. The club is for children and young persons who cannot cope with their school homework because they may not have enough support at home or for some other reason approved by the social worker. One-to-one homework assistance is given to families selected in consultation with the social worker from the Centre. The assistance is tailor-made to the needs of each child. Ms Spiteri told us that the Foundation is always in need of monetary and/or educational resources and we have decided to fund raise for this noble cause. We welcome any gifts you could donate We will use these gifts as prizes for this year’s Christmas Raffle. The nicer the prizes the more tickets we shall sell!!! Please help us help the less fortunate this Christmas Ms Tania Sultana Librarian
Ms Anne Tabone Head of Junior School
The ‘St Jeanne Antide Welfare Campaign’ was officially registered as a Charity on the 24th September, 1974. www.antidemalta.com
For more details please follow this link St
Jeanne Antide Foundation
THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE This Week at St Edward’s College Public Holiday – Republic Day
Monday 13 December
U/16 Football
Tuesday 14 December
8.40—9.20
Penitential Service for Year 7 students in the Chapel
9.20—10.00
Penitential Service for Year 8 students in the Chapel
11.00
SMT
15.00
Board Meeting in the Conference Room Beginning of Tests for Yr 12 & Yr 13
Wednesday 15 December
8.40 Mass in the Chapel for Junior School Tests for Yr 12 & Yr 13
Thursday 16 December 13.30
Junior School Christmas Concert
Friday 17 December
Saturday 18 December
Sunday 19 December
Calendar Information Please follow this link for the Advent & Lent Calendar The latest version of the Calendar is on the website. Please do not refer to the College Student diary as it contains errors.