Dwardu's Scoops no 8

By virtue and honour

St

CrossCountryMoments

Photo Credits: Jeremy de Maria, Analise Cioffi

EDITORIAL

Chariots of Fire

In spite of the biting humid cold spell, our brave lads took to the tracks and participated in this year’s cross country. As the Latin saying goes, MensSanainCorpore Sano,a belief strongly held at St Edward’s. As these young people raced by, grunting and pushing themselves to the limit, three other boys were displaying similar skill and endurance on boats, able sailors they.

These young men will, together with their female counterparts, be the cornerstone of society. Effort in the field, the struggle for that chariot of fire, helps in the formation of a character where what is worthwhile does not usually come easily. This latter-day trial by combat is especially vital in a society where entitlement seems to be the order of the day, when reward has been devalued.

We will keep pushing out students to be the very best version of themselves, so that , to paraphrase William Blake, they will not cease the mental fight till they have built a better society.

ByStephanieGrech

In the garden with Joey

In the past days, some of our early years classes had their gardening sessions with Joey our college gardener. These yearly sessions are always eagerly looked forward to and this year the students are planting beans and potatoes in their designated garden patches. Next week the rest of the classes will have their sessions. Each time Joey explains what he did beforehand to prep the land and what they will do together to plant the seeds and help the crops grow. Over the coming months, the children and Joey will be looking after the garden patches.

Debates in the Upper Early Years

The debates that go on in the upper Early Years classes are always exciting ones. As the boys learn through hands-on activities as well as peer activities one can hear the encouragement and see the joy of these students. Their discussions and alternating communication are a crucial part of the learning process. From numeracy group activities, to science discoveries, to peer reading, the boys cheer each other on and are encouraged to hear one another out. No theory is useless. On the contrary, it teaches us and helps us get to the learning goal.

KG1 outing to Little peeps pop up town

KG1 students finally went on their long awaited outing to Little Peeps Pop Up Town this week. The children loved hopping onto the big bus and enjoyed their trip as they spotted and called out a number of things as they went from village to village. However, their time at the setting definitely had everyone full throttle as they explored the different set ups presented and took on a number of different roles during their visit. The youngsters loved using the varied props and tools to aid and develop their play. It was definitely a wonderful morning spent together.

Cross-Country results

Staff Member of the Month

Dr Jean Paul Zerafa is the new Staff Member of the Month. Young in age but rich in experience, Dr Zerafa is a firm favourite with the students, as evidenced by the loud cheers for his crosscountry achievements! A ‘can-do’ attitude, overlaid by a sunny and cheery disposition make this teacher a blessing to work with on days when everything seems heavy and impossible...just figure on the good days what a blast that is!

Well Done Dr Zerafa!

Rest In Peace

Mrs Josephine Spiteri, formerly teacher of Prep 2X

The Middle School Science fair was a roaring success. Over the span of two days, the boys in Years 7 and 8 had to present projects on either of two themes: Myths and Legends and Planet Earth. Creativity and research were key ingredients but, there was also that special ingredient: communication skills. It was a joy observing the boys explaining themselves to the judges, something which not only helped them (unknowingly) in their self esteem but was also a lie-detector on the amount of work they put in. Parents too got to visit the fair and observe the handiwork of the students. Oh, and the skeleton is not a failed student!

SedqaTalk

ByMargaretBartolo

Just say NO is a phrase that may roll off the tongue. But oh how difficult it is to say when peer pressure and life challenges get in the way. Well aware of the dangers of addiction, at St Edward’s College we enlisted the help of Aġenzija Sedqa to help the students learn to say ‘NO’

Not Hogwarts

Proving the efficient transportation system within the flower stems, the Year 3Y students managed to turn white flowers blue. Harry Potter? Nope, just science!

Geometricalfun

When we think about Maths what comes to mind might be old wrinkly Pythagoras who also used a tablet with clay though, to teach his students the basics of geometry and other mathematical formulas! Yet at St Edward’s and more specifically in the Middle School with Ms Malani, our boys use their electronic tablets, mobile phones and laptops to take part in interactive quizzes to revise geometric principles and directed numbers. The excitement could be felt in the air as the questions popped up on the board. The boys worked in pairs with their buddy to reach solutions and answer all the questions in the quiz. The geometry rules that were learnt in the past weeks were crucial to obtaining a high score. The first three runner ups were greeted with cheers and applause. Through the medium of technology, Maths revision was held in a fun collaborative way making it relevant to the boys and encouraging them to always push themselves and test their skills.

The 2023 Careers Fair at St Edward’s College was a great success. Attended by all students from Year 7 upwards, the students got to discuss career options with 25 different exhibitors ranging from degree-level courses to employers and captains of industry. Besides exhibitors, the students could also attend up to 10 different talks in as many sectors which would give them an idea of the way various industries work.

“The idea was to ensure that the students gain exposure to as many different sectors as possible so that they will start slowly building bridges into the work-place requirements. Over the next few years will be constantly changing foci annually so that by the time the students will come to leave college, they will have obtained a wide spectrum of contacts in various industries,” said Sylvana Debono, Communications and Marketing executive for the college.

The fair spanned two days and was compiled in collaboration with SEPTA.

TheScottishPlay

By Anabel Laus

On Friday 17th February, the years 7, 8 and 9 students had a great experience watching a brilliant production of Macbethat the Manoel. The teachers of English Ms Laus, Ms Szatkowska and Mr Schermbrucker had organized activities in the days leading to the play, including getting students to create a main character profile, discussing prominent themes such as ambition, guilt, loyalty, and fate vs free will. Students were also assigned an Angelsvs Devilsactivity, during which 'the angels' needed to come up with convincing arguments about why Macbeth should not kill Duncan, and 'the devils' were to argue about why he should. Both students and teachers really enjoyed watching the play! Given the enthusiastic response, the Department of English looks forward to organising similar activities in the future.

This year’s Sponsored Walk is just round the corner! Finally free of all Covid 19 restrictions, this year we are going back to our routes. At the moment, teachers and sports masters alike are scouting out the routes and preparing the backup such as the first aid vehicles.

Last year we raised money for the table tennis tables which have proved to be a huge success. This year we would like to set up an Obstacle Course which will hone stamina and muscle power (Little Ninjas, anyone?)

Themasksthathideourcheeksandeyes

I love Carnival and since the age of 5 my mum got me involved in Carnival preparations. This is because my family is part of ‘Tal-Banda Carnival Troupe’ and every year we prepare a lot of beautiful costumes, with loads of colours and a huge float!

By Michael Lee Year 3Y

The Carnival Float of this year was called: IklapreparajtlekubilMużika jienbrillajtekand it had people dressed in the costumes inspired by Brazil and France. My mum was one of the main dancers for the French themed part of the float. I too had a special role this year. I was dressed up as one of the rich French nobles and took part in the coreography. I had a very eleborate costume in yellow, gold and green and it was all hand made by a group of seamstresses that are part of the Carnival troupe.

It takes a long time to prepare for the float and there are many rules and regulations. We start preparing after we take 1 month break. My dad is involved in building the float and the engineering part of it as it has moving parts and loads of lights. I sometimes go to Ghaxaq where they have a big storage and I help out with the building too. Its very exciting. We make our own homemade glue, shred loads of papers and add water to create the different parts of the float. They are huge! We use spray paint with highlighter colours to have a fantastic impact on the audience.

My love carnival because it brings a lot of joy and happiness. When I grow up I want to continue to help out my family and our friends however I want to be a showman and be more involved in the dancing show as it makes me super happy and proud of myself. I look forward to next year’s adventure however it is a secret and we can not reveal any information... shh......

Apassionforfootie

By Rowan Ciantar Year 8

Since I was very young, football has always been my passion. A few months ago I was selected with other children my age (12 yrs old) to represent my club at some Futsal trials at Ta’ Qali. Hundres of children from all over Malta were present. At the end of the traials, that were by elimination, only the best 20 players were choosen to form part of the FUTSAL National Team of the under 13s for the 2023 season. Luckily I was one of the choosen ones and I couldn’t be prouder!

Futsal is a 5- a side indoor game and its much more intense and harder than the normal 11 a-side footbal match. Why? There is no rest, you are always involved in action as the pitch is much smaller too. Once you are attacking and you loose the ball, you have to drop back and defend. It is also a fast thinking game. You must always know your next move before you get passed and receive the ball!

When the trials started, every week they were a knock-out competition. The judges observed us and took down notes based on our speed, skills, agility etc… however, most importantly they judged us on how good of a team player we were. An important lesson I’ve always practiced is that: who doesn’t play for the team but for himself can never be a real good player!

I was always on tenderhooks awaiting news after every trial session. When I reached the final 32 players I was over the moon! It felt like a dream achievement already. I had only to face the second and last traials during which the final 20 players ahd to be choosen. I tried to concentrate and have a ‘mantra’. I told myself that I needed to collect myself, not give up and do my best with all my heart.

Over the Christmas break, my parents received the much awaited email just shy of 2 days from the new year! My Dad called me very excitedly and emotional to tell me the good news. I was excited because not only did my hard work pay off but I was also going to play for Malta and with some of the best players which will enable me to better my skills further. My goal is to persvere, always push myself so that in the future I can play with the best clubs.

Football is not only a fun game to play but it is also about discipline. The way you train, you act etc reflect your avilities. There is a time for rest and for sleep. You also need to find good balance between training and your school responsibilities because they are equally important.

In Sports, as with everything in life, you should never give up! Every little achievement is a step to making a bigger dream come true!

Sailing to victory

That the Vassallo brothers have the sea in their veins is uncontested. In December 2022, just before breaking up for the Christmas Holidays, Timmy and Ben Vassallo were crowned National Champions. For Timmy this was the second time he was awarded this honour in the Optimist Open and Ben in Laser 4.7.

They carry the Edwardian name with honour.

St Edward’s College

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 postsecondary level, the college is coeducational. 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.

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.

Little Thomas Pullicino has taken up the duties of ‘Assistant Greeter’ conferred on him by the Headmaster by virtue of the little boy’s kindness and politeness. Mr Mac an Bhaird was struck by the boy’s manner and in the ensuing conversation Thomas confessed that he loves the school because he has a great teacher and ‘It is my school’. “I asked what he wanted to be when he grew up and he said ‘I want to be kinder’. I asked was he not kind now and he answered that he wanted to be kinder to Ms. Mifsud because she is a good teacher. I asked what she teaches him, his reply, “Maths, Maltese, English, she teaches me everything’, smiled Mr Mac an Bhaird who later wrote to the pleased parents that the two had walked to Thomas’s class together.

St Edward’s College Triq San Dwardu