Dwardu's Scoops

Volume 3

Number 2

20 October 2023

Dwardu’s Scoops ST EDWARD’S COLLEGE NEWSLETTER

A tear does not make you less of a man

By Amanda Grech

This month various social media platforms with millions of users were full of reminders around the importance of mental health awareness. Whilst it is crucial to talk about mental health, it is even more important to implement the awareness in our daily lives.

Children and adolescents, like adults, many times find it very difficult to open up to others. They want to be understood, yet at they may be fearing that they will get in trouble or they worry that

they should not be feeling the way they are feeling.

Myths, specifically around boys, can have negative consequences on mental health. Society has been telling boys not to cry in order to preserve what is masculine, that is to be rough and

stoic. This leads to shame around the articulation of emotions leading boys to believe that they must bottle their emotions. Yet we have enough evidence showing how conformity to dominant masculine norms correlate with mental illness such as depression, self-harm and a negative attitude towards reaching out for help (Chandler, 2019).

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“Everybody, out!”

By Daniel Caruana Smith

Teachers are constantly seeking ways to make lessons more interesting. Granted but then there is only s much you can do.

However, a campus such as ours offers opportunities which may not be available in environments which are less rich. So, it was time to think outside the box with the Geo 9Y students. It

went something like this: Me: “Can we agree that lessons outside are cooler?”

Class: “Yes, sir!”

Me: “Everybody, OUT!” And they all trooped out very willingly. The geography option lesson was carried out on the grounds where the students were asked to map out a number of features on a map using the correct symbols. The boys also used their previously acquired knowledge to work out directions and distances from one location. This was also an exercise in adaptation. The students started to come to grips with less than ideal or even cushy situations, where work has to be compiled in unforeseen constraints. Because life is not a desk, now is it?

For parents, it is important to make home an emotionally safe place, a place where a child knows that what he thinks and what he feels is important. It is pivotal to listen attentively to your children as this helps in building a relationship around trust. Open ended questions not only give children the space to narrate their story but also helps them reflect and express their emotions.

When words fail, observe your child and try to join them in their world. At times asking a child if you can colour with him, or a teenager to have a turn in a game that he is absorbed in helps in fostering a healthy relationship where the child feels seen and

important. Through activities one builds connections with children and adolescents which are pivotal in upholding mental health.

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20 October 2023

Presidential visit

By Sylvana Debono

St Edward’s College was proud to host the President of

the European Parliament. Dr Roberta Metsola visited the College as part of a tour of schools an colleges throughout the EU, in the run up o the MEP elections due to be held in June 2024. The aim of these visits is to make the students aware of the importance of democracy and how vital it is for the citizens to participate in that democracy.

In addressing the students, Dr Metsola spoke of the various ways in which such participation was possible.

She then fielded several questions raised by the students. The questions ranged from SLAPP legislation to the current situation in the Middle East, from environmental concerns to eco-

nomic globalization, from migration to a common defense policy. Dr Metsola professed to be impressed by the high quality of the questions posed by the students.

The President of the European Parliament encouraged students at St Edwards College to get involved, including in the student politics. She reiterated that they should stand up for our way of life, defend European values and fight back against disinformation and the anti-EU narratives.

President Metsola said the European Union represents hope and opportunity, especially at their ages with the DiscoverEU and Erasmus+. She remarked that Erasmus+ gives young students the

chance to grow up both by an educational and a human point of view. "Sharing such an experience with peers coming from other countries and cultures is an enrichment for

the entire life," she reiterated. President Metsola said, "We want people to talk about Europe, we want people to go out and vote.

It is important that people take an interest and care. Every vote matters. Only the proEuropean centre can deliver."

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Making memories

By Stephanie Grech

In the first full week of school, the Early Years were busy making memories and building new friendships. The whitest of shoes in orderly fashion (which no doubt will change colour soon enough), and resources all ready to be explored, our youngest students settled in remarkably well. The excitement could be felt as getting back into routine was viewed in a very positive manner.

Welcoming the students back in is always a blessing. Seeing them enjoy themselves with everything the teaching teams have prepared for them always gives us the courage to carry on and challenge barriers.

Our focus for the first couple of weeks is usually to get to know each and every student individually, and to target their social skills in building and developing healthy new friendships as well as maintaining previous ones from previous years. This is crucial in establishing a healthy environment for the students, in creating a home away from home. Be it during free play, or creative play, or during team building tasks both indoors and outdoors, the focus remains solid friendships.

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Counting in hundreds

By Margaret Bartolo

Counting in hundreds tens and ones has never been this fun.

Through Maths Mastery the boys take part in engaging and hands-on activities. They use different blocks to build 3 digit numbers and move from the concrete to the pictorial stage with ease.

The CPA approach helps children to develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts whereby they take an active part in the learning process.

Thinkers and Collaborators

By Ann Cassar Torreggiani

Our IB students are developing a learner profile which includes being thinkers and collaborators. This blends beautifully with our school policy of TUL - Think Understand Learn.

Apart from just learning content, students need to learn how to access knowledge, how to recall previous knowledge and how to put everything together in order to learn. Collaboration is a useful tool when

going through this process. IB students use whiteboards as a tool on which they can put down their ideas in order to share their knowledge and discuss problems. This helps them sort out their thoughts and learn from each other.

They can then organize what they have learnt and create a presentation - oral or written - to share this with other members of their class.

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20 October 2023

Curious Minds

By Etienne Deguara

The project lesson in Year 5x is used as an opportunity for discovery. Through the use of a simple

box, the students are allowed to write questions on sticky notes and place them in this box. Every Monday, this box is opened revealing all the questions posed by the students. The variety in questions offers a fun opportunity for the students to learn about a multitude of different subjects, all in one lesson. On our latest quest for knowledge, questions ranged from how many bones the human body have, which was then followed by animals such as dogs, cats, etc. Then we ventured into outer space where we ended up discussing different lifeforms around the universe, the existence of aliens and the number of stars in our galaxy. NASA’s expeditions to Mars were then looked at in slightly more detail. The interest of the students always seemed to be peaked up and some were also given the opportunity to answer each other's questions. Students enjoy the diversity this lesson brings along and the myriad of possibilities that can be explored.

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A DAY TO REMEMBER...

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20 October 2023

...CELEBRATING ST. EDWARD’S DAY

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My High 5 Maths Competition Experience

By Noah Houghton In Year 6, together with 4 other classmates, I was picked for the qualifying test of the High 5 Maths

Competition. Myself, along with two other boys, passed the test and were invited to attend 5 workshops. Two of these workshops were online and three were carried out socially. From the ones held socially, one was held at Fort St Elmo (The War Museum), one at The Fortress Builders Interpretation centre and one at the Museum of Archaeology. These workshops were very interesting. We did a lot of group work and and learnt

lots of new things. Then we had a final test and group work challenge which took place in the 2nd of June.

The test took place at a school in Mosta. I found

the test very challenging and was also very nervous. The group work too was quite hard. I waited anxiously for the results which were announced a few weeks later. To my delight I found that I had placed among the top 10 students. My friend, Jason who was also participating placed second.

Soon after school started, we had an award ceremony where we were presented with medals and certificates for the achievements concluded.

I was grateful for the college having given me this opportunity to participate in the Maths challenge and I hope to be able to do so again.

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20 October 2023

Kick starting economics

By Catarina Passariello

First weeks of school and new subjects for year 9 students!! Economics students began to discover and analyze the basic concepts of economics and had fun building their own four-door diamond to store the most important definitions!

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20 October 2023

Reading Champions Each year the National Literacy Agency coordinates the “Reading Champions Award”.

This is targeted at Year 7 students, nominated by schools’ administrations across Malta, who have stood out for their love of reading, promotion of books among their peers and for their literary skills. T he presentation for this award was held on the 19th October 2023 during an evening organised for this purpose at the theatre of the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre, Ta’ Qali during the National Book Festival.

St. Edwards’ College awardees were the Year 8 students: Max Ghio Marcus Camilleri Vassallo,

and -

James Scicluna

Headmaster Mr Nollaig Mac an Bhaird congratulated the students for this recognition and said that books are windows into different worlds: books can make us live a thousand different lives. He encouraged them to continue pursuing their love for reading throughout their life!

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Volume 3

Number 2

By Kiki Mizzi

Challenges tend to take us by surprise.

This is why the

Scouts’ motto “Be Prepared” tends to be applicable in so many situations. This is a simple pro me-

moria: easy to learn and to internalize and can serve us all I time of need. It speaks volumes about students (and

adults) manifesting challenging behaviour and how we may de-dramatize a

situation.

Founded in 1929, St Edward’s College is an all-boys college for both day and boarding students. Boarding is offered between the ages of 11 to 18. At nursery and kindergarten as well as at post-secondary level, the college is co-educational. As a private educational college, St Edwards offers excellent teaching facilities, high teacher-pupil ratio, a very wide range of sports facilities and scrupulous personal attention to the students.

St Edward’s College Malta Triq San Dwardu Birgu BRG 9039 Citta Vittoriosa

At St Edward’s College, students receive a well—rounded education ending up in the IB Diploma. Most of the students go on to study at world class universities. Our top students are leaders in society ranging from Science and Business to traditional professions and the arts. Most Edwardians retain a love and appreciation of sports throughout their lives.

Phone: +356 27 88 11 99 Editor: Sylvana Debono Email: communications@stedwards.edu.mt

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