School Ethos
St Michael School strives to receive its students with the same healing and teaching attitude that Jesus showed towards all those who befriended him. Thus, Christ the Teacher is our model on whom we cast our behaviour and all our activities.
Inspired by the call received by St George Preca, St Michael School lives a particular spirituality where the virtues of humility and meekness are the prevalent attitudes that guide us. At St Michael we work through our daily routine with the knowledge that we are constantly nourished by the presence of God and strengthened by the protection of St Michael the Archangel.
To provide a holistic education, we endeavour to form an educational environment which encourages the student to develop new talent and obtain the necessary knowledge that empowers him to live up to his potential.
Mission Statement
St Michael School is a Catholic Secondary School run by the Society of Christian Doctrine, M.U.S.E.U.M. The school caters for boys between the ages of 11 and 16.
Our community continuously strives for a better life inspired by the teachings of the Gospels and other human values. Together we assert that every individual is unique and that his/her dignity is to be fully respected. Therefore, we do our utmost to instill in every student a vision of hope based on our faith in Jesus Christ.
We work hard to prepare each student to take up the challenges of an active and responsible participation in society, along with its varied cultures and environmental heritage.
Our Vision
As an educational institution, we regard ourselves as part of a bigger educational body that works both within the local and the European level. By opting to take an active role in all educational activities, we open ourselves and get to know what other schools and institutions are thinking, planning, and doing.
Our school believes in inclusion and we work hard to make this ideal a reality. By inclusion we understand that every student, irrespective of his degree of abilities, has something particular and concrete to contribute towards our school, and it is only when all these diverse elements come together that our school becomes a family, complete and united.
While every task is approached and executed with an awareness of our limitations and with respect to the environment around us, we firmly believe it is our duty to actively contribute to society and pass on what we have so gratefully received.
Conscious that we are living in a world where basic values are constantly being challenged, we focus our energies on empowering our students with a critical sense of discernment towards all that seem to glitter but is not gold. We believe that it is only by being critical that one comes to obtain true freedom from being enslaved by our materialistic and consumerist society.
We do believe that if we are to succeed in inspiring students to live according to these values, we also need to work closely with all the parents and guardians, who have entrusted us with the education of their sons. Together, we all pull the rope in the same direction as we walk the path of our life.
Our Strengths
St Michael School focuses on the following six aspects
Personal Attention
St Michael School provides a loving and caring environment which enables students and staff alike to grow holistically and feel accepted. No one is left to fall behind as everyone is offered a genuine helping hand. Counselling and guidance, as well as live-ins that deal with personal and social issues and Personal and Social Development lessons, are services that we offer on a regular basis. While respecting the individual beliefs of its members, as a Catholic Church school, St Michael’s strives to offer a meaningful education system which is inspired by the Gospel and the spirituality of St George Preca and that in turn invites our youths to grow in their faith as well. On special liturgical days, our community gathers to celebrate the Holy Eucharist and actively participates in religious celebrations and activities.
Inclusion
Our school admits boys* that range from eleven to sixteen years old and does not discriminate in any way against different religions and beliefs, race, social classes or other differences. On the other hand, we welcome with open arms any students who have different needs and who have difficulty in reading and writing. To reach our goal and provide the best professional service, we currently employ 15 full-time Learning Support Assistants.
*In Malta, state and church schools do not offer co-education.
Academia
As exemplified by the wide range of subjects on offer at our school, the sharing of expertise and transmission of knowledge are a tradition we have always treasured. At St Michael’s, we respect the different levels of our students’ competences while at the same time we strongly encourage and support each student to exploit his full potential. Our main aim is to accompany each student in his quest for knowledge, which reaches its peak when he sits for the University of Malta SEC exams and successfully furthers his studies in other post-secondary institutions.
Environment and Ecology
With everyone’s help, our school enjoys a clean and safe environment. We constantly and continuously endeavour to respect and protect the very space which allows us to learn as we believe that every little thing counts: unnecessary printing is avoided, paper use is controlled, electricity and water are used appropriately, waste separation and recycling are practised daily, and efficient electric energy is used. We have also made good use of the European Union’s funding schemes in order to install photovoltaic panels and Intelligent Lighting systems.
EU Programmes
Our involvement within EU programmes is proving to be a huge and successful investment in our teaching programme. In the past few years, students and teachers have benefited immensely from such encounters with other European institutions and cultures. At our school, students are given the opportunity to travel abroad, immerse themselves in other cultures and traditions, live with families during exchange programmes, and participate in courses and activities abroad. Such wonderful experiences broaden the students’ minds and expand the learning horizons of our teachers.
Digital Information and Technology
St Michael School has made it one of its priorities to offer its students all the means to learn the necessary competences to survive in a fast-changing, digital and technological world. As anyone lacking these competences in today’s workforce is considered to be illiterate, our school has invested in a technological infrastructure, wifi over its premises, and an ePlatform which every teacher can use to upload important notes and information and which every student can personally access in his own time. In addition to this, students are guided to make use all technological means responsibly.