On Saturday, 5th August we spent a day in Sicily together with Year 9, 10 and 11 students who obtained the most positive reports during the last scholastic year.
At 4am we met at the Malta International Airport for our flight to Catania at 6am. When we arrived we had breakfast in Catania at Piazza Duomo and visited the Cathedral dedicated to Saint Agatha. Soon after we headed to Mount Etna where we had time to explore the area and enjoy the spectacular views of the surroundings. Later we left for lunch at Giardini Naxos and then we visited the much awaited valley of Gole Alcantara. This botanic park is a valley surrounded by geological cliffs. Our students had time to enjoy a dip in the freezing water coming from the Alcantara valley. We then spent the rest of the day at Acrireale and had time to enjoy a delicious ice-cream at Villa Belvedere. After we left for the airport and arrived in Malta at around 1am. Our students were tired but happy to have spent a lovey day together.
We would like to thank Mr Tabone and Mr Aquilina, our Year 9, 10 and 11 assistant heads who organised this visit, the staff members who accompanied the group and the parents who give their consent to these students to participate in the activities organised by the school.
Jerome Carabott, has lately terminated Year 10 at our school. He was recently awarded the title of “Fjamma Żagħżugħa” (Young Flame) during a social evening in Żejtun “Ġieħ iż-Żejtun”.
Jerome excels at school. He also plays the coronet in the Beland Band, plays and coaches field hockey with Marsascala Heat Hockey Club and actively participates in all school subjects. At school he actively participates in co-curriculum activities, especially in Eco-School. Seven weeks ago, together with two other students he represented Malta and the school in a GLOBE conference at the Faculty of Science in the University of Prague in Czech Republic. Jerome is a humble youth, and he is always willing to share his talents with others.
After the celebration “Mewweġ mewweġ” which was held last May those students involved in the play were treated to an enjoyable day at Għajnsielem, Gozo. At 730 they left school to Ċirkewwa to catch the Gozo ferry. They walked till the beach of Xatt l-Aħmar were they spent time swimming and diving. Afterwards they set off to Dar Lourdes for lunch and a swim in the pool. They had a lovely time singing some of the Maltese songs they learnt for the May Celebration. Later they went to the Għajnsielem Museum to play football and other games. Before leaving to catch the 630 ferry to Malta they ended this lovely day with a spiritual thought.
We would like to thank Mr Aloisio for organising this day and the other teachers who helped him, especially Mr Miguel Formosa who directed the play in May. It was not an easy task to manage 52 students! We would like to thank these students who took part in the play and those who formed part of the band.
On Tuesday, 4th July the school invited the parents for a social gathering to celebrate the end of this scholastic year. It is always a pleasure for us to welcome the parents at school for an entertaining evening in the school hall. The Headmaster updated those present about the work planned at school during the summer holidays. He urged the students to enjoy their holidays and make good use of this time.
After everyone was invited to gather in the school ground for a piece of baked pasta.
On Wednesday 28th June 2023 the last phase of the eTwinning Project got underway. Ms Abdilla has worked on this project together with Year 8 students studying Italian during these last two years. The students began with their online contacts on the eTwinning platform with St Clare College Pembroke, Maria Regina College Middle School Naxxar, Istituto Comprensivo Salvo D’Acquisto Messina, Sicily, Marina Morales Bailén Carretera de Madrid, Spain and OS Vladimir Nazor Zagrebacka Pisarovina, Croatia.
On Wednesday, 25 students woke up early for their trip to Sicily. Upon arrival at Pozzallo, they visited Donnafugata castle. Afterwards they visited Scicli where they were entertained with a good meal and visited the village centre. In the evening they took a swim in the beautiful bay of Noto.
The second day: The students commenced the day with a visit at Salvo D’Acquisto school in Messina. There they had time to meet with this school’s students with whom they had worked on this project since 2021. Later they visited the city of Messina, with its renowned cathedral and its famous clock. After a good meal they had the opportunity to visit Centro Sicilia. The day ended with a good swim together.
The third day: After a good breakfast, they visited the city of Noto, Palazzo Nicolaci, a historical house which dates back till the year 1737. In the afternoon they visited also the village of Marzamemi better known as the village of fishermen. Here the students took part in a ‘photo hunt’that helped them familiarize themselves better and learn other words in Italian.
The fourth day: This morning the students visited Ortigia. They went for a play in the “Teatro dei Pupi” and also visited the city centre. After lunch they left for the much awaited outing – a half day at “Parco Aretusa”, a waterpark in Melilli.
The fifth and final day: On Sunday, the students and the teachers attended Holy Mass in the city of Modica. Modica is renowned for chocolate and rightly so, our group could not miss a visit to the chocolate museum and taste also the local food!
Afterwards they had an activity where they listened to typical Sicilian songs. Later the students returned to Pozzallo to boarded the catamaran back to Malta.
We would like to thank Ms Sharon Abdilla who in the last two years worked with these students on this project, and for her commitment to organise this visit. Thanks also to Mr Simon Camilleri and Mr Luke Borg who accompanied Ms Abdilla during this visit.
On Wednesday, 28th June our school was awarded the Silver Prize for activities organised during the Book Week during this scholastic year. We would like to thank our Librarian and our Maltese teachers for organising various activities and meetings with famous Maltese authors. This ceremony was held at the Primary School in Paola.
During the above mentioned year, Italian students participated in 3 eTwinning projects with students from other schools in Malta, Italy and Greece. The fourth project, done during the previous scholastic year, is being disseminated since every teacher con only present 4 projects each scholastic year for the Quality Label Certificate.
Un territorio da conoscere e raccontare
https://www.storyjumper.com/book/read/156866211/645d0dc7df93f
Students from Year 7 Faith, Hope and Charity, at St Michael School in Santa Venera, Malta, participated in this project together with students from the Istituto Comprensivo Statale Via Nenni in Torremaggiore, Italy , the 9th High School of Patras and the 3rd High School of Orestiada in Greece.
“To promote their local area, students will have to deal with their peers, get to know different realities from their own and discover common roots.”
Studenti europei uniti nella diversità
https://www.epubeditor.it/ebook2/?static=274843
Students in the Year 9 Italian group 2 at St Michael School in Santa Venera, Malta, worked on this project with peers from ICS Via Nenni Torremaggiore in Italy, and students from two Greek schools, namely, 9th Junior High School of Patras and 3rd High School of Orestiada.
“The project aims to promote in students the awareness of being active members of a wider community, the European Union, founded on common values such as democracy, solidarity, peace and justice, but also enriched by the diversity and peculiarities of each country.”
Leggende del nostro territorio
https://www.storyjumper.com/book/read/146336631/63c78b85c0f3b%C2%A0
Italian students in Year 10 and 11 at St Michael School in Santa Venera, Malta, participated in this project along with Italian students from ICS “Don Lorenzo Milani” Monte Porzio Catone (Rome), ICS 3 di Sora, Istituto Omnicomprensivo di Alvito and the Istituto di Istruzione Superiore di Veroli from the province of Frosinone. Maltese students from St.Augustine College also participated in this project.
“Each territory has its own landscape and a literary, historical-artistic, ethnographic and artisanal tradition that is worth rediscovering and “telling about”. The project therefore proposes to make one’s own territory rediscover, promoting the comparison with different territories. This can be done starting with the legends, and then moving on to the other realities present in the area.”
Corriere dei giovani
https://en.calameo.com/read/00676875354d6b5a68efe
Year 11 students of Italian at St Michael School in Santa Venera, Malta, participated in this project along with students from St Augustine College in Pieta, Malta, as well as with students from ICS “Don Lorenzo Milani” di Monte Porzio Catone, Roma and Secondary School students from Władysław Jagiełło in Płock, Poland.
“On taking up the project named “Corriere dei Giovani”, the students are invited to create an eBook with articles based on themes related to values worth acquiring. All the articles, grouped together following a particular theme, are to reflect a precise topic, set every month. Once the articles are read, the students are enabled to work together, creating “blogs” on Twinspace, through which they are eventually required to share all the knowledge acquired from such articles that they have written themselves.”
On Friday 30th June all the staff of our school gathered at the Pembroke MUSEUM for a get together to end this scholastic year together. After mass celebration the Headmaster thanked all the staff for their work and dedication at school and with our students. In particular, he thanked Ms Doris Ellul, LSE who reached retiring age and Ms Denise Psaila Custò who, from next scholastic year, shall take the role of Assistant Head in another church school. The Headmaster also thanked Ms Manon Deloge, a French student from Le Lycée les ARCADES, Dijon who spent two months of work experience at our school.
Soon after it was time for food preparation. A group of staff members gathered in the kitchen to prepare the salads while another group prepared the meat on the barbeque. Some others preferred to spend time chatting and playing cards. It was a well spent morning with delicious food and good company. Ms Denise then shared a farewell cake and the Headmaster wished happy restful summer holidays and thanked everyone.
It is a tradition at our school that after the last annual exam, everyone gathers in the school hall to celebrate together the end of the scholastic year. During this celebration we awarded the medals to those students who won the football leagues during the last term of school.
Mr Aloisio then conducted an entertaining show called ‘Laugh Island – St Michael’. During this show a number of staff and students participated. Finally, the Headmaster reminded the students to make good use of the summer holidays. He thanked the members of staff for their work at school and thanked the students for their good behaviour and respect they show towards the school. Afterwards, everyone went in the school ground for a refreshing granita.
We wish happy holidays to everyone.
