Outlook 2020 - 2021
Issue: 12
Sir Michelangelo Refalo Sixth Form Victoria Gozo, Malta
Contents 3 3 4 6 7 8 15 16 17 18 19 25 26 27 30
Head’s Message Editor’s Message Deputy Heads’ Corner Guidance Team The Council Departments Library Services The Pastoral Team Health and Safety EkoSkola Alumni Qalb Waħda Maltese as a Foreign Language Mindfulness eTwinning
Headmaster Daniel James Cassar Dear All, Sir Michelangelo Refalo Sixth Form has once again published Outlook, its popular annual magazine. Within itself this feat highlights the ‘business-as-usual’ mentality all the staff has adopted to guarantee that the teaching-learning process continues unabated at one of Gozo’s leading pre-tertiary Institutions. The Pandemic has not changed our profession or our will to impart knowledge, skills and competencies to our students; it has only brought out the very best in all of us where adaptability and flexibility are concerned. True, it may have made life a little less exciting, to be put it mildly, removing from Sixth Form the beauty of pertaining to a group on a regular basis, of socialising on the premises, of doing the simple things any student of this age would be doing – chatting, cracking a joke or two, sharing worries on an upcoming exam faceto-face rather than through some screen which has become part of our life even more than the very air we breathe. These simple yet beautiful things we have temporarily ceded, but the drive to deliver still remains our focal point. The student remains our raison d’etre, the cornerstone of our profession, or rather, the caring profession we all pertain to and try so hard to uphold, no matter how difficult the task proved to be due to the pandemic. Despite our ‘new normal’, as many have dubbed it, we have still managed to keep our annual appointment with many of our activities and events, albeit in a different way. I firmly believe that some of the novel practices we have adopted as a result of the pandemic can actually serve as tools to reach out to students who would have previously found conventional learning an arduous task, or even a deterrent, to further their studies. A special note of thanks is due to Outlook editor Ms Abigail Camilleri for her co-ordination and continuous efforts to bring this annual magazine to fruition. The seemingly impossible task of publishing the magazine in the heat of the pandemic last year has been repeated this year too. Once again, Outlook is showcasing the salient events of the current year we are just about to conclude, whilst simultaneously giving valid insights into the institute’s daily operations to prospective students.
The overcoming of hurdles, the constant support in times of doubt, the successes we have enjoyed during the current year, could not have been achieved without the input of the Deputy Heads, teaching and technical staff, administrative, messengerial and ancillary staff, who have all walked the extra mile to ascertain Sixth Form thrives in these troublesome and challenging times. We hope that the experience you have enjoyed at Sixth Form will act as a catalyst for future achievements, also catapulting you into a career full of success. I wish you all a life full of God’s blessings and good health.
Editor’s Note Ms Abigail Camilleri Dear readers, Welcome to the 12th edition of Outlook. As this magazine was coming together, I realized that Sir Michelangelo Refalo Sixth Form could boast of a strong, dedicated community because even though this academic year was quite a difficult one, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we surged on together, showing tenacity of purpose and adapting ourselves to the new reality. Outlook represents each and every one of us, it marks our achievements and our growth and it gives life to our thoughts and aspirations. It unleashes the creative and writing skills of each and every one and is an album of memories year after year. In life there are no rewinds but only flashbacks and our magazine marks these defining memories. Undoubtedly, without your support this edition of the Outlook magazine would have never materialized. Thus I wish to thank you all; the Head of the Institute together with the SMT, colleagues, administrative and ancillary staff and students for your collaboration and cooperation. I wish you all a Happy Summer and hope to meet you all next academic year at the Institute. Published by - Sir Michelangelo Refalo Sixth Form Editor - Ms Abigail Camilleri Proof Readers - Mr Alfred Grech, Ms Jane Galea (English) & Ms Bernardette Gatt (Maltese) Layout & Printing - JDB Printing
The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s). All rights reserved. 3
’ s d a e H y t u p De r e n r Co DEPUTY HEAD Ms Maureen Muscat
My Sixth Form Experience Being a Deputy Head is no easy task, but it has always been a role which I have aspired to, mainly because I enjoy challenges and the tougher, they are, the more I embrace them. From a tender age, I always found myself taking on leadership roles and being a caregiver in many different situations. I also enjoy organisation, management and strategic planning in general. When I embarked on my teaching career fifteen years ago, I realised that my joy and satisfaction at work was centred around getting to know the student, sometimes more than the teaching of the subject content itself. Thus, I was always actively involved in extra-curricular activities where I had the opportunity to work with students outside of the classroom context. Students are the world’s future – listening to them talk about their daily lives, what they were going through, what they enjoyed doing, what made their day, finding out more about them and their talents - I slowly realised that in my career I needed even more contact with students beyond the teaching of the established curriculum. This post of Deputy Head has provided me with that contact and more. I commenced my role as Deputy Head in September 2019. Little did I know what was to follow during that particular academic year. Jokingly, I like to say that my joining the SMT since then has been “a baptism of fire” due to the Covid-19 situation which has created such a lack of stability and so much uncertainty but at the same time has taught us all so much. It has helped me break free from 4
my natural tendency to be meticulously organised and forward planning and instead adopt a new approach, that of embracing the fluidity of the unexpected in life without losing efficiency. We have all learnt that adapting is the only key to survival especially during such uncertain times. At work, this mind shift has helped me deal with the daily unpredictable situations which we have all been forced to face day-in day-out during the last two academic years. My roles at Sir MA Refalo Sixth Form are multitasked and there are moments in my daily itinerary when I feel sad especially when students have to be disciplined. However I have also realised that this duty as Deputy Head in charge of Discipline has provided me with the opportunity to be “cruel” in order to be kind, because this ensures that a student develops holistically and that our Institute is helping the student grow, mature and get ready for adult life in society which again is not so simple. Assessment is another area which I am in charge of and we have done our best to ascertain that our students are provided with the fairest evaluation process by which their progress is adequately gauged along the two-year course. Our teaching staff have also assimilated new digital practices and have adapted very quickly to the changing educational needs in the shifting context. This major shift to online pedagogical practices has happened very rapidly but our teaching staff have risen to the occasion with flying colours. In this respect, I would like to thank the Head Mr Daniel James Cassar for taking so many crucial decisions for the well-being of staff and students alike during this pandemic. I would also like to thank him for the words of advice during this process on inception and his leading by example. A word of thanks also goes to my colleagues - the other Deputy Heads, the academic, the administrative and ancillary staff for their unfailing support.
I would also like to take this opportunity to bid farewell to our Second-Year students (2019-2021) who unfortunately have had a completely different Sixth Form experience than what students normally have with us. I will remember you fondly and I wish we had more time to get to know each other. We have tried to give you the best experience, considering the circumstances and we wish you all the very best for your future endeavours. Sir MA Refalo Sixth Form will always be there to support you.
DEPUTY HEAD Mr Joseph Xerri
Necessity is the Mother of Invention During these last two academic years life at our Institute has been very different from what we are normally used to. Apart from strictly adhering to the Covid–19 protocols, we had to resort to online teaching and meetings while certain activities, like Sixth Form – taking you a step further were held virtually, postponed or cancelled indefinitely or redrafted as in the case of the Annual Examinations.
we could engage with our duties in many different or perhaps better ways than we had been used to previously. We learned how to face life in unforeseen circumstances and during adversities. We worked as a team in a stormy sea while facing many uncertainties and insecurities. It would be grossly unfair if I had to omit a reference about how positively impressed I was by the resilience of our staff – being the Headmaster and colleagues in the SMT, administrative, lecturing or ancillary. I cannot forget the concerns of our lecturers about their role to impart their knowledge coherently to our beloved students via online channels. They were mostly upset about missing the face to face contact with the students to whom they were so much dedicated. Many went out of their way to organize themselves effectively from home in these special circumstances. As we say - necessity is the mother of invention and to the surprise of parents and the admiration of the Education Authorities lecturing ran smoothly and efficiently. Indeed our Institute can pride itself of a mature and highly responsible staff who in turn have made Sir Michelangelo Refalo Sixth Form the brand name that it is. Our hope is that God willing this situation will soon be behind us!
As the Deputy Head responsible for the Science Wing and the ancillary staff, during Summer 2020 I had several meetings with the Architect responsible for Schools’ safety to organize the distancing between desks according to the guidelines issued by the Health Authorities. This was not straightforward at all, but with the help of our ancillary staff we succeeded in welcoming our new and older students to a safe and clean environment. To this effect, during the first semester we organized several sanitization afternoons and fumigated rooms as deemed necessary. Despite the hardships certain members of staff and students went through during this period, it was not all doom and gloom. I regard this phase as a teaching experience since we learned that 5
The Guidance Team Ms Miriam Portelli, Ms Bernardina Attard, Mr Domenic Cutajar Academic year 2020-21 had been particularly tough due to the pandemic. During most of the year students and teachers worked from home. As a result the Guidance team had to make a number of adjustments to offer its services to the students, parents and teachers. We tried to provide the same package and offer relevant programmes which we thought would help the students make the right choices and support them in this difficult time. The year started in June 2020 when the Guidance team held a number of webinars to explain courses and requirements to prospective students. Owing to the pandemic the prospectus for Sir M.A. Refalo had to be changed and so the students needed to know what was expected of them. In July the Guidance team offered one to one service to all the students who wished to discuss their choice of course and subjects. This was carried out within the Covid-19 restrictions and regulations. In collaboration with Dar Guzeppa Debono, Sir M.A.Refalo organized an online seminar for all second-year students with the theme Mission versus Profession. During this seminar Dr Matthew Bartolo helped students to focus on the essentials in the process of choosing a career. A virtual UoM orientation visit was organised, with our second-year students getting the opportunity to access the various Faculties. This was organised in collaboration with the Student Advisory Services of the University of Malta. The meetings were spread over a number of weeks. Students were given the possibility to choose which sessions they wanted to attend. All this was done from home since at that time Sixth Form was closed due to the pandemic. Coordination between the Guidance team and the Senior Management Team supplied the input for the production of a virtual tour of the Institute in compensation for the fact that year 11 students could not visit Sir M.A. Refalo physically. The tour was complemented by online meetings for all year 11 students. During these meetings students were given relevant information about the courses offered by our Institute. It was also the first time that year 11 students met the sixth form guidance teachers and so it helped to build a bridge between their respective schools and our Sixth Form. 6
During the Sixth Form - Taking You a Step Further, a meeting was held by the Guidance team, for all the prospective students to give them vital information about Sixth Form and the way forward. Throughout the academic year, virtual meetings were held with students who needed support from the Guidance team both on a personal level and with regard to change of subjects and career guidance.
The
l i c n u o C
Ms Joanna Zammit Forming part of the Sixth Form Council for the past four years gave my teaching career a holistic touch as it effectively complemented lecturing duties with active participation in the extra-curricular sphere. While the Sir MA Refalo Sixth Form Council is a forum where the voice student and educator interact, it is a platform for the organisation of major events including Sixth Form Day and the Annual Public Lecture which promote Sixth Form to the general public. Alternatively, the Council keeps in touch with alumni, incumbent students and prospective newcomers.
Ms Anne Marie Vincenti This is my second term on the School Council. I first became a member in February 2020, just three months after I joined the Institute as a teacher of System of Knowledge. I believe there could have been no better way of immersing myself in the new community and to get to know the Institute’s ethos, culture and governance, than by being part of the Council. On the Council I observed a high level of commitment from all members towards the betterment of Sixth Form and the wellbeing of the community. I was also struck by the active and insightful participation of the student members.
Ms Abigail Camilleri I have always believed that being an educator is not an exclusively classroom profession but also being an active part of a vibrant academic community. That is why I have always sought to replicate my vision in the various activities and opportunities that go beyond the classroom. This is my third consecutive year as a teacher representative in our Institute’s Council which provides a meaningful way in which members can voice their opinions and have their views taken into account in decisions that impact upon them. It is also a space to share ideas, information and suggestions
not only with fellow teachers but with students alike and I can say that I am quite impressed with the input of students over the years. Evidently, students can take leadership roles, can give a voice to their creative ideas and thus fulfil the true meaning of being holistic citizen-learners in a post-secondary institute.
Francesco Masini Reflecting on my time within the Student Council, I can say with certainty that it was a challenging yet rewarding experience which taught me to voice concerns and behave like a more responsible and active student. Whilst the year was fraught with difficulties and turmoil due to Covid - with the majority of lectures having to be held online – I still can proudly say that I was part of a Student Council Team which worked incessantly to bring change and continued to persevere with its lofty ambitions, pushing forward every step of the way to ensure our Institute’s best interests as well as those of the students I had the honour to represent.
Emma Cauchi I was more than pleased to have been part of this year’s Institute Council. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Institute’s Headmaster, the Council’s President, teachers and other fellow members for their contribution to make the Institute’s environment a better place for us students and teachers alike. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we held most of our meetings through Microsoft Teams. Our main drive this year was to restore the original iron-wrought rails of our Institute’s iconic fountain which had been replaced by limestone. Indeed it was an honour to contribute towards the educational progress of our community at the Institute.
Thea Galea Joining the Sixth Form Council has opened the door for opportunities that I would not have had otherwise. It has enabled me to be more active and involved in school activities and the values and lessons I learned along the way will continue to accompany throughout my adult life. 7
Departments
. Malti u Ingliz Kordinatriċi Sa Bernardette Gatt Taħdita letterarja millProfessur Adrian Grima
Id-Dipartiment tal-Malti fi ħdan l-Istitut Sir Michelangelo Refalo Sixth Form għal darba oħra ħa ħsieb illi jorganizza taħditiet għall-istudenti li qed jistudjaw il-Malti fil-livell avvanzat u dak intermedju. It-taħdita kienet dwar ir-rumanz Ħelsien ta’ Ġużè Bonnici, rumanz li l-istudenti qed jistudjawh bħala parti mis-sillabu tal-Matsec. It-taħdita saret millProfessur Adrian Grima, attivist, kittieb, poeta, u lettur fl-Università ta’ Malta. Kien nhar is-16 ta’ April 2021 u nhar it-30 ta’ April 2021 meta l-Professur ingħaqad magħna b’mod virtwali u ddiskuta punti letterarji ta’ rilevanza kbira. L-istudenti attendew b’ħeġġa u wrew ħafna interess f’dak li kien qiegħed jingħad. Għalkemm din l-attività saret b’mod virtwali, minħabba ċ-ċirkustanzi talpandemija, irnexxiet u kienet ta’ suċċess. L-istudenti ħadu gost jisimgħu Professur jitkellem minn angolu differenti u jenfasizza aspetti differenti marbuta marrumanz. F’din il-laqgħa virtwali ġew diskussi diversi elementi li jsawru lir-rumanz fosthom: it-temi ewlenin u dawk sekondarji (il-ħtija, l-imħabba, l-għira, ilfaqar, id-destin u r-rieda individwali, l-ambizzjoni personali...) il-karatterizzazzjoni, il-lingwaġġ figurattiv, it-tonijiet fost oħrajn. Din it-taħdita saret b’kollaborazzjoni ma’ Inizjamed, organizzazzjoni kulturali Mediterranja li tmexxi proġetti kulturali u artistiċi fuq livell lokali u internazzjonali, li għal diversi snin kkontribwiet ħafna għall-ġid talistudenti tagħna. L-Istitut dejjem ħa ħsieb illi l-istudenti jimirħu iktar fl-istudji tagħhom u jsiru jħobbu iżjed ilkelma Maltija speċjalment fejn tidħol il-letteratura. Il-Professur għalaq dawn iż-żewġ sessjonijiet b’dan l-appell: “Aqraw dan ir-rumanz b’qalbkom miftuħa għax dan huwa rumanz ta’ mħabba kbira.” Minbarra l-attivitajiet u l-laqgħat, Inizjamed ħadet ħsieb ukoll illi l-istudent jiġi espost għal-letteratura sabiex jimraħ fl-istudji u jfannad l-għarfien tiegħu. Nhar l-Erbgħa 25 ta’ Frar, 2021 l-Istitut Sir Michelangelo Refalo Sixth Form laqa’ fi ħdanu lis-Sinjura Elena 8
Cardona, rappreżentatriċi mill-Inizjamed, sabiex tagħti donazzjoni ta’ kotba lill-Istitut. Il-kotba kienu jikkonsistu f’poeżiji u f’proża miktuba kemm bil-Malti, bl-Ingliż u anke b’lingwi barranin. Il-preżentazzjoni talkotba saret fil-preżenza tal-Kap tal-Istitut is-Sur Daniel James Cassar, id-Deputat Kap Miriam Debono Curmi u l-Kordinatriċi tad-Dipartiment tal-Malti u tal-Ingliż Bernardette Gatt. Minbarra l-attivitajiet tant utli għall-istudenti, l-Istitut jieħu ħsieb ukoll il-benesseri tal-għalliema. Għalhekk, għall-Professional Development ta’ din is-sena, idDipartiment tal-Malti u tal-Ingliż organizza sessjoni marbuta mas-Saħħa Mentali. Din is-sessjoni tmexxiet minn Dr Paulann Grech, lettriċi fi ħdan l-Università ta’ Malta fid-Dipartiment tas-Saħħa Mentali. Dr Grech indirizzat lis-saħħa mentali meta tkellmet fuq kif fiċċirkustanzi li qed ngħixu fihom bħalissa taħt l-umbrella tal-pandemija, ħafna għalliema qed jiffaċċjaw stress relatat mal-ħajja u anke x-xogħol. Dr Grech tkellmet fuq kif għandna nieħdu ħsieb iktar tagħna nfusna billi offriet rimedji u suġġerimenti ta’ x’wieħed jista’ jagħmel. Apparti hekk, l-għalliema fi ħdan l-istess dipartiment kellhom Professional Development ieħor li kien jittratta dwar id-diffikultajiet li wieħed jiffaċċja fittagħlim u l-istrateġiji li għandhom jiġu implimentati sabiex it-tagħlim ikun iktar effettiv. Din is-sessjoni tmexxiet minn Dr Ruth Falzon, lettriċi fl-Università ta’ Malta, u fit-taħdita indirizzat diversi diffikultajiet li jfixklu t-tagħlim tal-istudent fosthom: l-awtiżmu, iddiżleksja u d-diskalkulja. L-għalliema ġew mgħarrfa rigward x’wieħed jista’ jagħmel meta fil-klassi jkollu preżenti dawn it-tip ta’ diffikultajiet u fl-istess ħin ġew iktar konxji ta’ x’diżabilitajiet jeżistu. Dan żgur illi ser jgħin lill-għalliema jkunu iktar effettivi fit-tagħlim tagħhom u jaddattaw għall-ħtiġijiet tal-istudenti. Għalkemm dawn is-sessjonijiet saru wkoll b’mod virtwali, twettqu u rnexxew b’suċċess. Bil-koperazzjoni tal-Kap, tad-Deputat Kapijiet u l-għalliema kollha flimkien, irridu nkomplu ningħaqdu bħala familja u nħarsu l-ħtiġijiet ta’ kull individwu biex kemm jista’ jkun intaffu ftit mit-tbatija u l-piżijiet tal-ħajja.
Nhar l-Erbgħa 25 ta’ Frar, 2021 l-Istitut Sir Michelangelo Refalo Sixth Form laqa’ fi ħdanu lis-Sinjura Elena Cardona li hija rapreżentattriċi mill-Inizjamed, organizzazzjoni kulturali Mediterranja li tmexxi proġetti kulturali u artistiċi fuq livell lokali u internazzjonali. Is-Sinjura Cardona tat donazzjoni ta’ kotba lill-Istitut li kienu jikkonsistu f’poeżiji u proża miktuba kemm bil-Malti, bl-Ingliż u anke b’lingwi barranin. Il-preżentazzjoni tal-kotba saret fil-preżenza tal-Kap tal-Istitut is-Sur Daniel James Cassar, id-Deputat Kap Miriam Debono Curmi u l-kordinatriċi tad-Dipartiment tal-Malti u tal-Ingliż Bernardette Gatt. Għal numru ta’ snin, id-dipartiment tal-Malti u tal-Ingliż fi ħdan l-istess Istitut, b’kollaborazzjoni ma’ Inizjamed, organizza diversi taħditiet lill-istudenti li qed jistudjaw il-Malti. Għal din is-sena, fiċ-ċirkustanzi tal-pandemija, it-taħditiet ser isiru onlajn. B’dan il-mod, l-istudenti jibqgħu jiġu esposti għal tagħlim ‘il barra mill-bank tal-Istitut u jkomplu jimirħu fit-tagħlim tagħhom.
9
Foreign Languages -German, French, Italian and Spanish Coordinator Ms Josette Buttiġieġ The Foreign Languages Department co-ordinated the annual Juvenes Translatores Competition, which took place on 25th November 2020. Students from our Institute took part in this event which is organized by the European Commission. It is aimed at promoting future European translators. As in past years, this contest was held simultaneously across all EU member states. Candidates were asked to translate a text on the topic: “Navigating in challenging times – together we are stronger”. Our participants worked on texts using Maltese, English, Polish and Italian. The Foreign Languages Department was especially pleased that Justine Sultana, a student of Italian, achieved a special mention.
10
Sociology, Religion, History, Philosophy, Psychology and Classical Studies Coordinator Ms Mariella Debono 23rd March 2021 A Professional Development session was organised virtually via ‘Teams’. The topic of the session was, ‘Supporting and enabling educators in the new normal’. It was delivered by Rev. Dr. John Vella, a psychologist. The session focused on the challenges that we as educators were facing in the pandemic and how these challenges ccould be tackled. In the follow-up discussion, the participants shared their positive and negative experiences. 20th April 2021 Another online Professional Development session was organised by our Department. Ms Joanne Sultana, a teacher at Sannat Special Unit and Ms Pauline Grech, Head of the same school, delivered a talk on Autism entitled, ‘How to think smarter about people who think differently’. There was also time for questions which enabled participating teachers to gain a better understanding of autism and how it impacted on the teaching-learning experience.
Maths & Physics Coordinator Ms Nicolette Attard The Mathematics Department and the Statistics and Operations Research Department of the University of Malta in collaboration with Sir Michelangelo Refalo Sixth Form organised a virtual tour for our 2nd year Pure Maths A-Level Students. The speakers were Professor David Buhagiar, Dr Fiona Sammut and Ms. Monique Sciortino. They introduced the different departments, outlined the different courses available and the respective career opportunities.
11
Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geography and Home Economics Coordinator Ms Joanne Rapa Every academic year has its challenges, but little could we envisage what kind of challenges we had to face during this year. Most of our lectures had to be adapted to online teaching and teachers had the difficult task of carrying out some of the usual laboratory sessions respecting the new health and safety protocols. Setting up investigative coursework in some subjects was no lesser feat. The usual Biology and Geography fieldworks, Environmental Science field trip and outings planned by Home Economics and Chemistry teachers had to be cancelled for obvious reasons. Professional development was carried out in line with the major concerns of teachers. The first professional training session focused on online teaching and how to use the Microsoft Teams platform to exploit as many of its features as possible. The other professional development session dealt with students’ wellbeing and how teachers could support students, both academically and emotionally during remote teaching. Particular emphasis was laid on how to help students with learning difficulties such as dyslexia and ADHD. While feeling thankful that this academic year is coming to its close without major incidents, we hope for better times and look forward to welcoming students safely in our laboratories and classes once again.
12
Art, Music, PE and Theatre Studies Coordinator Dr Joseph Grech In previous years our department organized a number of events throughout the academic calendar both for the students and teachers within the department as well as to the school population in general. Such events included Visual and Performing Arts exhibitions and soirees in Dance, Theatre and Art while P.E./Sports tournaments were held in collaboration with other colleges in Malta. Seminars, Workshops and Specific Talks were also organized by respective teachers. This year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, no activity was organized apart from the Art Studio that continued to implement its project of embellishing a section of our campus. Hopefully, next academic year a certain degree of normality will enable us to organize some of the prepandemic activities.
Computer, Information Technology and Engineering Drawing Coordinator Mr Dennis Dimech A virtual tour to Science Museum of South Kensington London. “TO DISCOVER AWARD-WINNING EXHIBITIONS, ICONIC OBJECTS AND STORIES OF INCREDIBLE SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT” Discoveries on technology especially related to computing. The students were presented with this information and were expected to follow the link accordingly and access an astounding virtual source of knowledge – equally enticing and enchanting.
13
Systems of Knowledge Coordinator Mr Alfred Grech Any initiatives which the SOK Department had planned were decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the related restrictions. These had a particularly strong impact on our plans because given the compulsory nature of Systems of Knowledge, activities usually attracted a large number of students, especially educational and cultural outings to Malta and abroad. Nonetheless, we worked in tandem with Aġenzija Żgħażagħ to realise a very useful proposal at the very opportune moment. Through the good services of Ms. Jennifer Cauchi, an online leadership course including four modules was launched as a feasible alternative to the usual SOK visits to NGOs valid for the famed project. This was taken up by various students with positive comments. This would be complemented by community work. Likewise, an equally viable option, especially for our foreign resident students, was the eTwinning partnership involving online social and cultural interactions through fun work among students hailing from different countries. This initiative was facilitated through the benevolent turn of Ms. Abigail Camilleri who also floated the ambitious academic K1 venture for teachers which our Department has been considering seriously. Otherwise all the teachers in the SOK Department were fully occupied and went out of their way to accompany our second year students individually to finish their Project after a tortuous path and assist the incoming first years to initiate their own. Pandemic apart, the SOK Department organised two highly relevant online Professional Development Sessions – Teaching Strategies for Learning Difficulties by Prof. Ruth Falzon and Fostering a Pro-active Mindset for Sustainable Development by Prof. Paul J. Pace, both of the University of Malta.
Marketing, Accounts and Economics Coordinator Mr Tony Frendo During the past years our Department organised varied activities for our students to give them a holistic vision of our subjects. Unfortunately, this was not possible during this academic year due to Covid-19 restrictions. The Department still organised Departmentalised Professional Development sessions for teachers in order to keep abreast with the emerging methodologies and new challenges which we faced every day. The Department looks forward to a time of normality and is eager to organise a blend of activities which offer new and practical opportunities to our students.
14
Library Services
Pauline Camilleri, Marlon Pace, Michael Cini, George Tabone
Our Library staff would like to acquaint the readers with services rendered in the recently upgraded library of Sir Michelangelo Refalo Sixth Form.
innovative ideas and stimulating the imagination as instruments of cultural and educational development. It fosters a love of reading and a climate of lifelong learning to enrich the lives of students and teachers. It offers spaces for all to meet and connect, to learn, teach and inspire creativity. We are there to help you achieve your academic dream. Thank you for using our library services and we hope that the years you will be spending with us will be fruitful and enjoyable. The Library Staff
Students and teachers are urged to make full use of the library for study and research purposes while enjoying the peaceful setting. One can also make use of computers, borrow books and skim through magazines and journals. Our library collection is catalogued online, and books can be searched by visiting the website maltalibraries.gov.mt under Search the Public Libraries Catalogue. We are now members of the Malta Libraries entity as OLIVER was migrated to the V-smart Air software. Then, for actual borrowing of books, one needs to have a valid Membership Card (Karta ta’ Sħubija) issued by Malta Libraries. With Libby, one can access free eBooks and audiobooks. A vast collection of electronic magazines is also available through this Libby App. Now, Maltese language digital books can also be borrowed by creating an Octavo account. One of our Institute’s library services is to help students acquire new and used textbooks at the best competitive prices on the market. This ensures that students will have their own textbooks at the start of the term. In collaboration with various subject teachers, the library offers students different study packs relevant to their course of studies. The 2021 – 2023 Students’ Textbook List can be viewed at our Institute’s website smarsf. edu.mt . First- and second-year students, who have finished courses at our Institute, can sell their used textbooks to the Institute’s library bookshop, given that they are the latest editions and still on the list. Our Library aims to be a knowledge base and a source of information facilitating the generation of 15
The Pastoral Team mission, vision and division There is no need to commission an academic research with a never-ending report to get an overview of the havoc the Covid-19 pandemic wrought on the activities of the Pastoral Team during academic year 2020-21 It was a time of division – first years from second years, in-class students from teachers with the lifesaving face mask acting as an efficient barrier to face-to-face contact, elsewhere, online the vital laptop screen keeping the instructor and apprentice apart and inevitably teacher from teacher as meeting time for socialisation and discussion ebbed out inexorably from the constant anxiety and fear of transporting the virus home to the loved ones. There were times and cases when division bred isolation and personal constructs of abandonment and defeat. Nonetheless, this did not deter the Pastoral Team from pursuing its mission of outreach to students and staff alike. Indeed liturgical engagements were few and far between. The open air Christmas Mass was replicated for First and Second Years separately. Alternatively a few moments of Blessed Adoration and a couple of charity initiatives including the 5Cs Campaign (Covid Christmas Charity Coins Campaign) were a much appreciated compensation. Missionary Fr. Raymond Portelli made his customary visit to our Institute in February informing us that in Peru the situation was much more devastating. Otherwise contact with students was kept through online messages, posters and some tangible sign of divine presence such as the emblem for the feast of Christ the King and the Crucifix for the Lent Season, which afforded a taste of the transcendent vision. The Pastoral Team looks forward for a time of Christian renewal with the appreciable support of the Headmaster, SMT, staff and students. May the division from possession and obsession with worldly grab and greed help us all to get a glimpse of the beatific vision even from now.
16
Health and Safety @ Sir M. A. Refalo Sixth Form In the previous academic years, apart from the routine work, the teachers of the Health and Safety Department at our Institute organised educational talks intended to serve as eye-openers to students, parents and teachers. However, this year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they had to change their modus operandi. In fact, Mr Andrew Dimech and Dr Charles Daniel Saliba, launched a bilingual Health & Safety Newsletter, through which students and teachers received information related to particular issues such as: sexually transmitted disease; ergonomics; financial security; Internet and mobile scams; plastic money and fraud; Internet safety and social media threats. They also disseminated to all the students and teachers the four bilingual eBooks named: “The Little Black Books of Scams and Frauds” published by ĠEMMA, the Governments’ financial capability education platform. The aim of these eBooks was to increase the knowledge and awareness of potential scams and frauds, and, in doing so, empowered readers to take the necessary action against scams and thus prevent any financial loss. These eBooks can be downloaded from: https://gemma.gov.mt/ebooks/
17
EkoSkola The main aim of the EkoSkola committee is to empower students to take sustainable decisions and actions. Despite being an extraordinary year, in which for long stretches students had to work from home, the EkoSkola members still managed to do their best and involve other students in projects such as Global Action Days: My Actions Matter. As a team we are looking forward to the next academic year and we are all eager to have new students joining this committee. We may borrow the slogan related to water conservation ‘Every Drop Counts’, and use it as a driving motif for our action in favour the environment.
18
Alumni LIMUN 2021 by Chloe Cauchi
Dream, Work Hard and Achieve
by MEP, Hon Dr Josianne Cutajar From 26th to 28th March, the biggest Model United Nations conference in Europe known as London International Model United Nations took place. As part of the Malta Model United Nations delegation I represented the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in the United Nations Framework for Climate Convention (UNFCCC) COP26. Model United Nations are a simulation of the United Nations’ committees and delegates have to represent the country that they are allotted. Due to the ongoing pandemic, LIMUN took place virtually which brought with it some challenges. Before the conference started, we had to submit a position paper illustrating the basic stance of the country being represented regarding the topic at hand. On Friday evening, we had the opening ceremony followed by the first committee session. In the committee session, moderated and unmoderated causcuses were motioned and every delegate had the opportunity to speak and debate if he or she so wished. An unmoderated caucus triggered the writing of a resolution. In practice, resolutions would be made by ‘blocs.’ Blocs were made up of a group of countries that came together to produce a draft resolution. In my committee session, two draft resolutions were presented and voted upon. On the last day, the blocs finished the resolutions leading to the vote on both the draft resolutions. In the end, only one resolution could be approved, but amendments could be made so all delegates would have contributed to it. During the closing ceremony of the conference, awards were distributed. I was very honoured and proud to have received the ‘International Delegation Award’ together with the rest of my delegation. Despite the long and tiring hours, I was grateful to have had the opportunity to live such an experience. I urge all youths to participate in events which promote knowledge and personal growth.
I have very fond memories of my Sixth Form years. They were two years that passed by really quickly; and they were also two determining years in my life. It was a time during which I remember myself caught between teenage years and the brink of adulthood, and thinking of the next steps: still unsure what course to pick at university, which path to take, still uncertain as to what awaited me, but looking forward to the new experience. These emotions also came with fun moments with colleagues, and the gift of teachers who actually chased after our progress, pushing us to excel in our studies as much as in our lives — teachers for whom we were individuals rather than numbers. A memory I will always remember fondly is our Sixth Form graduation ceremony. Graduations have a habit of always being a little emotional — they entail bidding farewell to cherished colleagues, teachers and staff, and toasting one’s achievements while still in awe at how you pulled through all those days of stress, exams and assignments. In my mind, I would single this graduation out from the ones to follow since on the day I was awarded the Local Council Prize for Diligence. This came about due to my involvement in the Nadur Youth Local Council and thanks to the sense of appreciation shown in me by my former teacher, guidance counsellor, and youth worker: Ms. Miriam Portelli. This unexpected recognition encouraged me to keep up my activism, to strive to change my community for the better, and to be outspoken on issues that mattered, even if public life carried its own strains. This sense of encouragement also led me to eventually contest the Local Council elections at the age of twenty-two and, after seven years serving my hometown of Nadur as a local councillor, to run for office as a candidate for the European Parliament elections. 19
Alumni Another fond memory I wanted to share has to do with a gentleman who is with us no more — the late Mr. Paul Spiteri, who was at the time one of my English A-level teachers. Mr. Spiteri came up to me once and asked whether I could be of help and support to one of my colleagues who happened to be going through a rough patch. I smiled and said the matter was already in hand — but I clearly remember the sense of respect I felt towards this teacher, who took an active interest in the well-being of his students beyond their academic pursuit. Truly, whilst I very much respect and cherish all of my Sixth Form teachers, I confess that from Mr Spiteri, a declared agnostic, I learnt a life lesson that I carry with me every day — that what matters in life are a kind heart, and a sense of respect and care for one another. These values should be common to us all, beyond first impressions, or any specific religious belief. Having obtained a law degree, followed up by a Masters in European and Comparative Law at the University of Malta, I became the youngest candidate from Malta ever to make it to the European Parliament — as well as the first Gozitan ever to be elected as a Member of the European Parliament. This of course came about thanks to the thousands of our Gozitan and Maltese citizen-electors who believed in me. Indeed, there were people who doubted that I could actually make it, one of the reasons being that “I cannot compete successfully with candidates coming from the mainland” or because “the persons coming from the mainland won’t vote for us Gozitans”. However, much as the barrier or stereotype in front of us may seem insurmountable, we can challenge it and — yes — overcome it. This has been my story, and it can be yours too. It can also be the story of every woman who places a lot of confidence in her goals and beliefs. The bottom line is that hard work, dedication and a sense of confidence in what you stand for can get you there. Believe in what you are doing, follow your goals, and convince those around you that you really can. Strive to earn the respect of those people who 20
can contribute to making your project, goal, career or initiative come true. We are all unique in our own ways. It is fine to change courses, subjects, or careers because what matters finally is that you are happy in the path you choose, and believe in it. My advice would be — dream, work hard, surround yourselves with the right network of support, and make sure not to give up when you face hurdles. Stand up stronger and taller each time you fall (we all do) and keep the lessons that life teaches you handy. Success is always an outcome of the effort we put into our goals. May I end with a message of encouragement during these trying times. I am well aware of how difficult it is for you not to socialise, and the uncertainty Covid-19 has caused in our lives which may impact on your studies, on your ability to focus, and your personal lives. Yet — hang in there. Listen to each other and watch out for each other’s well-being. Together we will overcome this moment and, in spite of everything, make your time at Sixth Form one to enjoy and to remember with pride. Best of luck with your studies, and with the journey that is life! My heartfelt thanks also goes to the staff and teachers for their dedication, their strength, and for making our educational experience one to be ever grateful for!
My Experience at United World College Dilijan by Elena Attard I applied for a UWC scholarship two months into my experience at Sixth Form, around November 2020. It was something I did, just to try it out and see if I would get selected. At the time I was absolutely sure that I would never stand a chance, but me writing this in Armenia shows just how wrong I was. Before I applied to UWC I was involved in many initiatives during my secondary school years at the Bishop’s Conservatory Secondary School, such as Ecoscola and the Young Entrepreneurs Award. Apart from these programs, I also initiated some projects myself, and I tried to replicate my eagerness for getting involved when I went to Sixth Form, and was elected on the Students’ Council. Unfortunately, my time at Sixth Form was cut short due to the pandemic, so I was not able to contribute so much. However, I received plenty of help from teachers, guidance counsellors and the Headmaster at Sixth Form as well as from teachers and the leadership team at my secondary school. Along the Sixth Form route, I also realised that the path I thought I would love to follow was not really a career I was passionate about. In fact I changed many of my subjects. Initially, I had opted for Biology, Chemistry A-levels and Physics, Philosophy and English as my intermediate subjects. This ‘test trail’ was very beneficial for me, and it helped me to gain a new perspective about what I wanted to do in life. I decided that Medicine was not the only way to help others, I could also make an impact through careers in Psychology, Policy Making or Social Entrepreneurship. Hence, at UWC, I am studying English Language and Literature, Economics and Philosophy for my Higher Levels, and Mathematics, Spanish and Biology as my Standard Level subjects in pursuit of achieving the International Baccalaureate. The International Baccalaureate is the curriculum I am currently enrolled in, which is taught in the 18 different United World Colleges in the world. It allows students to study a choice of different subjects at
varying depths, and places extra emphasis on critical thinking, analysis and evaluation. These values are fostered through the experiential learning which happens in the classrooms, and more so in UWC schools with the presence of a large international community, enriching classes with a wide variety of opinions stemming from the diverse cultures and backgrounds students hail from. As part of the curriculum, all students must carry out a small research project in each of their subjects, known as the IA, and a larger research project of around 4,000 words in a subject of their choice, to ensure preparedness for University, as well as fostering intellectual curiosity. However, UWC is much more than what happens inside of the classroom. Living in such a bright and colourful residential community means that there are lots of people to meet and to have discussions with. There are also a wide range of extracurricular opportunities, such as: Ceramics, Amnesty International, Cultural Cooking workshops and even Mountain Biking, Caving, or Gymnastics! So there is always something happening. There are also focus weeks, which provide a platform for the recognition and discussion of a particular topic to be debated by the whole school community. This year, we have had Africa Focus week, Women’s Day Focus Week, and the ‘Forget-me-not’ focus week in recognition of the Armenian Genocide. These weeks are full of interesting and engaging information sessions, disputations and memorials among other activities. We also have Regional Evenings, which are one of my favourite features of the UWC experience. They give a platform for all the countries in our school to perform some dances or speak about their culture alongside other countries from their region. However, dances are not limited to natives of the country, instead, many different people from all around the world learn a traditional dance to showcase it in front of the school community. UWC is a place, where borders melt away after a while, but native countries are still a huge part of a person’s identity, which many showcase with pride, however being here I have learned that a person’s nationality is just a tiny factor of who a person is. It is a small version of the entire world living together in 21
Alumni harmony (most times, unless we fight over who has the last slice of cake). It is a vibrant learning community, lending support to each other, also thanks to the very dedicated leadership team, residential team and teachers. It is not perfect, but it is ideal, and it offers a glimpse into what the world could be, if we all decide to practise what we preach, and replace judgment with open mindedness and tolerance. It is something I am honoured to be part of, and something I ‘would encourage everyone with the same values or visions to apply for. It could be two years of your life which you will never forget, and the skills you learn and the names you become familiar with will never leave your mind. They will help you become more equipped to tackle life head on, and open a gateway of opportunities for you. If nothing else, it will ensure that you never look at a map the same way again, you would not see countries at war, but the faces of other humans who, at the end of the day, are just like you. There is an open call for UWC applications around autumn time every year, for entry into the school the following year. The applications are holistically reviewed and they are much more than just the marks you received on your O’levels/ first year sixth form grades. They place a lot of value on your community/ extracurricular involvement. Please feel free to apply, just give it a shot! If you need any help with your applications please let me know :)
Sixth Form Reminiscences – 40 years back by Mr. Alfred Grech Looking back over a forty year span, I remember my Sixth Form days with nostalgia as a time of comparative novelty but above all of new-found freedom. To be honest, I must say that initially I could not help feeling anxious – as it was always with me when changing the guard. In fact, I was leaving the familiar and protective atmosphere of the Sacred Heart Minor Seminary where I had grown from boyhood to adolescence. Relating with new colleagues and introduced to a co-ed setting were evident challenges. My feelings, emotions and aspirations at that time were mostly those of the typical teenager of the late seventies and early eighties. Suffice it to say that on the threshold of Sixth Form I was rather girl-shy and I was still serving as an altar boy. What about Sixth Form in 1980? It was a 3 A-level course and one Ordinary Revision Subject. Unfortunately (or not!) we had no SOK or any other intermediate subject, with a school-based Enrichment Course supplying the lacuna in culture and general knowledge. In total First- and SecondYear students amounted to about 80. Sixth Form had no campus. Science students, choosing Physics, Chemisty and Biology had most of their lessons in the old Lyceum Building, presently being transformed into a Heritage Museum, where the laboratories were situated. In the place of our new Science Wing there was the Trade School. Our Humanities Wing was primarily the Technical Institute founded in 1969 to prepare students for the famed City and Guilds Exam. The halved Second Floor, the last three classrooms to the south being annexed later, was the only part reserved for Sixth Form Arts/ Humanities lessons. Away from the Administration, we enjoyed relative freedom. Our present Canteen, Library and Guidance Team rooms were mechanical and electrical/electronics workshops.
22
Discipline was quite strict – a real tonic for character formation. There was no uniform but male students had to wear a tie. Every morning we filed past our Headmaster – those without a tie would be sent home. In or out of Sixth Form was only permitted at the beginning and end of the day and during the two breaks. At the gate there was always a caretaker to enforce rules. Obviously we students found ingenuous ways to befriend caretakers to close not one, but both eyes. I remember that at the end of First Year I got through one of my A-levels, affording me with a lot of free time on my hands. This was invariably spent in our games room (Room A18) where we had two table tennis sets. Feasting on two to three hours of practice a day with my clique, it was no surprise that I became appreciably skilful at the game. Otherwise, our course was structured on the new student-worker scheme; so it was part study and part work. In Summer I was engaged with the Education Department. My first Summer work phase was spent in the Clerks’ Office which is now the Humanities Staff Room under the supervision of the Education Officer for Gozo who occupied our Headmaster’s Office. Ending up as the butt of pranks and jokes was not uncommon. My second longer work phase – July 82-February 83 – was more colourful. Everyday the impressed truck picked up my colleagues and I from besides the emblamtic fountain to take us to St. Lawrence Primary School which had been transformed into a Hostel for Summer groups mostly from Malta, also foreigners and even Gozitans. There we helped the chef to prepare breakfast and lunch. Just imagine our ordeal when one fine morning, on arriving at the Hostel, the boss told us that the chef was on strike and we had to prepare lunch for 30 children! Lunch indeed, baring any indigestion! Summer over, for the last part of the work phase before my University inception in February, I was relocated to Sannat Primary School assisting the Head but mostly on my own in the empty upper wing, (facing Munxar!) today occupied by The School of Music. Unexpectedly, this posting came to a premature end. During the Christmas holidays, as I was having the usual lawn tennis spree with my cousin in front of home, with our rickety rackets (a paint canister top nailed to a wooden handle) and a rope fixed across the street by way of a net (traffic interruptions were few and far between!) I fell down and fractured my ankle. Six week in plaster! I recall sitting for my last
London A-level in Janaury with my leg in plaster – plastered leg – fractured result!! Elsewhere, my two main pursuits were comics and cartoons. From Year 9 (Form 3) to my Second Year at Univeristy I was registered with Vassallo’s Supermarket (of our old colleague Antoine and family) for two comics per week Tiger and Scorcher and Roy of the Rovers. Over the years my collection swelled and it is still well treasured! When I re-open these magazines I sail into a lost world when mobile, tablet and laptop were as yet in the pipeline. In parallel I was a ferocious fan of Japanese cartoons – Goldrake, Mazinga, Daltanious, Jeeg Robot, L’Uomo Tigre, Rocky Joe, Lady Oscar, Il Tulipano Nero, Sampei, Dolce Remi, Ryu il Ragazzo delle Caverne and the never-ending list. For some obscure reason they were eventually suppressed but fortunately they can be easily re-accessed on You-Tube. As for my Sixth Form teachers – they were top notch – both on the academic and the human side. For Maltese I had Carm Cachia until quite recently on our staff list. It was his first year with us having just graduated from University. He arranged for us to get the necessary text books and had a most engaging way of teaching. My English A-level teachers were George Camilleri and Frank Muscat, later both of them Education Officers for English. They complemented each other in trasmitting a passion for literature and an acumen for critical appreciation within a solid grammatical framework. Strange as it may sound, I had Pure Maths as the third A-level. My hard-working teachers were Architect Emanuel Vella and George Said. Maria Saliba, for almost a quarter a century my esteemed colleague, was my teacher for O-level French – four students in all, but worth a wallop. As a general rule I was not a trouble-maker at Sixth Form; but I think only few of the known troublemakers of that time could boast of the distinction of a three-day suspension like mine for playing Brixkla in the common room! (With ċamar, Brixkla was my invariable summer passtime during the long warm evenings with two old neighbours and my cousin! Trid titlef tomna raba biex titgħallem iċċoma, they used to tell me!) Events come and go but their their memory remains – it fashions our personality. Indeed, and I do not say it lightly, I could not hold back a tear or two in writing these memorial snippets – thanks to the Outlook editor Ms. Abigail Camilleri. 23
Qalb Wahda
minn Angie Said
Dik il-ħarsa f’għajnejh riedet twassalli messaġġ. Messaġġ li kieku ma skoprejtux qabel, ħajti ma kinitx tkun mimlija b’daqshekk ferħ u paċi. Xagħru kannella nnukklat u għajnejh skuri pariġġ kienu jiddistingwuh mill-bqija. Iddeċidejt li mmur il-missjoni għax ġismi kien għeja jaħdem bejn erba’ ħitan, lejl u nhar kuljum bl-istess rutina. Kont xebba, għalhekk ma kelli lil ħadd iżommni. Il-ġurnata tant mistennija fl-aħħar waslet. Kont vera fuq ix-xwiek biex niskopri x’kellu lest għalija d-destin. Il-post ma kienx xi wieħed li jilqgħek imma mill-ewwel kont ċerta li ma kellix għalfejn niddiżappunta ruħi malajr u ma kontx żbaljata għax dlonk tfaċċaw ċorma tfal li laqgħuni bi tbissima li ma kellix kliem biżżejjed biex niddeskriviha. Ħassejt demgħa nieżla bil-mod ma’ wiċċi u qalbi bdiet tkellimni. Bla ma qgħadt nitlef żmien għannaqthom waħda miegħi. L-imħabba tagħhom lejja mill-ewwel ħassejtha. Kont konvinta li se jgħallmuni ħafna. Inqum ħerqana biex nibdew ġurnata ta’ xogħol u ħidma bla waqfien. Għinthom f’bosta affarijiet bħal, jibnu kmamar żgħar biex iservu bħala maħżen, għallimthom xi affarijiet bażici ta’ kuljum u anke bdejt inħejji kor għal waqt il-quddies. Kemm kont inħossni f’ċertu paċi u mistrieħ, xħin narahom f’dik il-qagħda li kienu jinsabu fiha u xorta ma riedu xejn. Ħajja sempliċi ma hemm xejn isbaħ minnha. Lejl minnhom kont rieqda, bid-dawl tal-qamar jirrifletti fuq wiċċi li ġagħalni npetpet għajnejja għal mument u dlonk reġgħu ngħalqu. Ma damux magħluqin għax minnufih instema’ xi għajat ġej mill-qrib. F’kemm ilni ngħidlek qomt u mort nara x’kien ġara. Nara żewg subien, wieħed faċċata tal-ieħor. Wieħed minnhom indunajt li ma lissen ebda kelma għalhekk bejni u bejn ruħi bdejt ngħid li hu seta’ kien li ivvinta xi għawġ. Mort bejniethom u waqqaftilhom l-argument sħun li millewwel ġabli l-memorji ta’ kemm konna nargumentaw jien u ħuti. B’vuċi ħelwa staqsejt lil dak li kien qiegħed jgħolli leħnu x’kien ġara. B’leħen irrabjat wieġeb,
“Qbadt lil dan dieħel inkiss inkiss fil-post tagħna u lmaħtu jmiss u jiftaħ xi kxaxen, fejn aħna nitgħallmu li m’għandniex imissu l-affarijiet li mhumiex tagħna. Dak mhux serq jiġi Sinjura?” Bla ma weġibtu lura, dort lejn l-ieħor u staqsejtu jispjega għala għamel hekk. Qalli, “Sinjura dak kollu li qallek seħibna hu kollu minnu però mhux sal-aħħar punt. Jien ma sraqt xejn, lanqas biss tiġini f’moħħi. Li kont qed nagħmel hu, f’dawn l-aħħar ħmistax kont qiegħed niġbor issehem tiegħi tal-ikel fi ftit karti u waqt li kulħadd ikun rieqed nidħol inkiss inkiss inpoġġi borża ross lil kull familja. Ħassejt il-ħtieġa li ngħin lil min hu fil-bżonn. Int mhux hekk tgħallimna Sinjura? “ Dik il-ħarsa f’għajnejh riedet twassalli messaġġ. Minnufih l-ieħor skuża ruħu miegħu u qallu, “Niskuża ruħi ta’ kif ġibt ruħi miegħek. Jalla l-Mulej ipattilek ta’ kulma għamilt magħna. Nirringrazzjak mill-qalb. Saħħa.” u telaq. It-tfajjel l-ieħor baqa’ maġenbi jħares lejja. Dak il-ħin għaddewli ħafna ħsibijiet f’moħħi u bla ma qgħadt naħsibha qbadtlu idejh u għidtlu , “ Qed inħoss il-ħtieġa li ngħin lil min hu fil-bżonn. Lest li meta jkun wasal iż-żmien tiġi miegħi? Lesta li naddottak u nieħu ħsiebek bħala ibni. X’taħseb?” Dan baqa’ ċċassat u ma setax ilissen kelma bil-ferħ. Għannaqni waħda u qalli, “Iva.” Dik il-kelma kienet tfisser ħafna għalija. Għalhekk seħħ dak kollu li kont wegħedtu u sal-ġurnata tal-lum it-tnejn li aħna ninsabu kuntenti, f’saħħitna u ngħinu lil min hu fil-bżonn blgħajnuna tal-grazzja t’ Alla. Xħin tgħin dejjem se tħoss qalbek imfawra bi mħabba , paċi u ferħ li ma tkun tista’ tiddeskrivihom bl-ebda kliem. Kelma waħda ngħidilkom,”Għinu lil min hu fil-bżonn.” 25
Maltese as a Foreign Language Dr Charles Daniel Saliba
Tricia Portelli
Maltese as a Foreign Language teaching and learning For the last two years, Sir M. A. Refalo Sixth Form has been offering Maltese as a Foreign Language (MFL) courses. Tricia Portelli, a first-year student, interviewed Dr. Charles Daniel Saliba (Ph.D) about this dynamic course. What courses does our Institute offer with regard to MFL? We offer two accredited courses named Academic Award in Maltese as a Foreign Language MQF 1 (6 ECTS) and Academic Award in Maltese as a Foreign Language MQF 2 (6 ECTS). What was the genesis of this programme? In the last decade, the number of migrants coming to the Maltese islands has increased drastically, and the Head of Institute, Mr Daniel J. Cassar, was receiving continuous demands from foreign students to learn MFL. Since this subject had never been taught before at our Institute, Mr. Cassar, knowing of my specialisation in this area, requested my expertise to set up these accredited courses at Sixth Form. What is programme accreditation? In short, program accreditation is when an accreditation authority/department assesses the courses in reference to the Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF). Thus, such courses are nationally recognized, meet quality assurance requirements, and guarantee the relevant competence outcomes and the right methods of assessment. From where does your passion for this subject stem? In 2006, David Apap Agius, the Mayor of Għarb, contacted me to deliver a course for expats living in Għarb. This experience made me realise that this 26
area needed to be studied further to determine the specific needs of teachers and learners of MFL. Thus, I secured an MGSS Scholarship to read for a PhD at the University of Sheffield, where I focused on this area, a field that at the time had not yet been researched at doctoral level. During the doctoral studies for my thesis, I conducted a “needs analysis” with teachers and adult learners attending courses at the Directorate for Lifelong Learning, and the findings of my research were published by the same university in the book Informing Educational Change: Research Voices from Malta (2017). As a by-product of my research, I have published three syllabi as well as the Maltese for Foreigners series (14 books plus CD), of which the first level was translated to a Maltese-Italian version named Maltese per Stranieri. This year, the first level will also be published in a MalteseGerman version titled: Maltesisch für Ausländer. What message do you have for those wishing to learn MFL? Maltese is both the national language of Malta and an official language in the European Union (EU). Thus, obtaining an accredited certification in Maltese will not only help foreigners to integrate more within the local community in Malta but open new horizons for them in the EU. One of the main objectives of the EU is that citizens should master two other languages in addition to their mother tongue. So, take your language learning a step further at Sir M. A. Refalo Sixth Form—An Institute for Further Education.
Mindfulness Non-Formal Award in Mindfulness: Coping Under Pressure & Improving Quality of Life Ms Monica Borg Debrincat - Certified & Accredited Mindfulness Teacher/Trainer at Sir M. A. Refalo Sixth Form
This is the second year that Sir M. A. Refalo Sixth Form has offered the course Non-Formal Award in Mindfulness: Coping Under Pressure & Improving Quality of Life (MQF 3 Non-Formal) as part of its non-formal yet accredited syllabi. This course is intended to teach much-needed skills to students so they learn how to cope with stress by living more concretely in the present moment. In this respect, Sir M. A. Refalo Sixth Form endeavours to be one of the leading educational institutions in Malta and Gozo by providing a holistic educational experience to its students. Of course, such an experience cannot neglect the mental health of learners. The teaching of mindfulness skills enables students to mentally cope better in their life as human beings, as students and adolescents. The course is endorsed by the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education (DQSE) which awards the value of 1ECTS at MQF Level 3 Non-Formal on completion of the course. Sir M. A. Refalo is collaborating with the UK EFT and Mindfulness Centre in the provision of the core syllabus. The trainer of the course, Ms Monica Borg Debrincat, who also teaches Italian at Sixth Form, is a fully trained and accredited Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Practitioner and Trainer to Adults and Children by the same UK EFT and Mindfulness Centre. The course has received much positive feedback from participants. Equipped with the scientific knowledge of what happens in their mind and body during stress, they can master adequate responses to calm down by following certain practices. The course is not easy, especially the meditation part of it, because it requires constant vigilance and training so that the mind learns new healthier habits. Still, many students reap many benefits simply from learning to breathe properly, slowing down to heed their physical signals, and recognizing that thoughts are not facts. This training offers a myriad of techniques from which students can adopt those with which they most relate. Since everyone is different, experiencing what works and does not work for the self is an important part of this journey. Self-examination and a growing awareness of the self constitute a crucial part of this mindfulness journey. Mindfulness requires participants to come face to face with uncomfortable emotions so they
learn to tackle them better. Mindfulness training is not for everyone because it requires the student to take an honest look at him/herself and to invest a lot of hard work to improve mental and physical patterns that might be contributing to anxiety, panic attacks or depression, amongst others. Nonetheless, the efforts are well worth it! Mindfulness skills support any medication or therapy regime that the participant might already be following. Such skills are useful not only to overcome negative emotions and challenging times but also to learn to enjoy the present moment more fully and be grateful for what is present rather than missing in one’s life. This is what participants who have completed this course had to say about their experience and what they liked most about it: • “Now I find that I am usually calmer when I am faced with a problem. I try to reason things out more.” • “Regular meditation especially focusing on breathing has become my parachute for anxiety.” • “[I have most liked] the impeccable teaching ability of the tutor with…students; The preparation of each presentation including videos, PowerPoint presentations and practical sessions; coordinated the efforts of the attendees and the tutor to learn and practise openness and listening.” • “It has definitely improved the quality of my life.” • “I have found I am much calmer and rational when faced with stressful situations; I have engaged in meaningful tasks, and have started to accept constructive criticism; I am breathing better; I am more joyful, singing freely, laughing wholeheartedly and experiencing feelings and emotions better, even crying… Everything was satisfactory since the tutor always answered my queries.”
27
Comments from students who participated in this course:
Marie Claire Cefai In the beginning of my Sixth Form course, an email was sent to all the students regarding the Academia Plus extracurricular activities that could be taken up throughout the academic year. As I skimmed through the list of options, one course immediately caught my eye. This course was the Non-Formal Award in Mindfulness: Coping under pressure and improving quality of life. I was immediately interested in this and was sure that this would help me develop new skills that were not usually learned in the traditional classroom, certain skills that would help me in the present as well as in the future. The more information I gathered about the course, the more interested I got, and I was sure that it would be beneficial. Overall, I am quite an anxious person, and having moved to a new institute, with new teachers, and harder subjects did not help. I was constantly feeling on edge in this unfamiliar territory and believed that this course could me help calm down. At the start of the course, the exercises felt weird, unnatural, and sometimes even like a waste of time. However, as more time passed, the more natural and helpful these became. Throughout the course I slowly started to feel more and more calm and relaxed. Different techniques were practised, and each one had different effects, not only on myself but on the other students as well. It was interesting to see how although we were all in similar situations, we were very different in the way we managed ourselves. Apart from the meditations, I also found it useful when the teacher and other students spoke about their experiences. This showed me how different people handled stress differently and learned some useful techniques which proved to be very helpful. By the end of the course, I could deal better with stressful situations. This could be seen during the half-yearly examinations, when I noticed that I was overall less panicked and more focused on my work. Adopting these techniques and ways of thinking does not happen overnight, but rather gradually. The more time passes and the more one adopts these measures in life, the more mindful one becomes. 28
Nowadays, we live in a stressful world, where round the clock work is glorified and taking a break is considered lazy. Each and every one of us should learn to appreciate the people and little things around us. Sometimes we might not have a lot of free time to relax, especially before and during exams, but even taking a five-minute break can be very beneficial. Listening to a song or going in the garden to smell the flowers and look at nature can help you calm down and therefore, makes you more focused on your work. It is an added bonus for students to have access to courses like these which help them cope with contemporary society’s expectations, especially during a pandemic.
Charmaine Sciberras At the beginning of the course we did breathing exercises during meditation and although it felt strange at first, it felt more normal with each meditation session and the lessons felt more like a breath of fresh air when I could relax a little and clear my head. During meditation we used different techniques such as listening to music or our surroundings, or lighting up a candle during breathing exercises to see which helped us better and even though some of these techniques were not really effective on me, it was still interesting to see the other students’ reactions to these practices. In fact, I think it was quite interesting to see how we managed ourselves differently. During the course we mentioned a variety of experiences which illustrated the different ways to handle anxiety, especially during exams. In fact, although I was still somewhat anxious about them, meditation did help to make the situation more manageable. Nevertheless, one should take into consideration that while these exercises helped to lessen panic, they should not be used as an excuse to laze about while working or studying. Undoubtedly, I recommend this course to anyone who tends to panic or get anxious easily. While we do live a hectic lifestyle, we should not overwork ourselves but neither should we loaf about and
I think that this course is helpful at finding that balance. While relaxing might not be so easily available, giving yourself a short break to clear your head, will in turn help you to work better. This is fundamental especially during this pandemic which is forcing students to literally stay in the same place for a long while. While I think that work is important, taking some time to listen to some music or a change in scenery can benefit anyone greatly. At the end of the course, the Head of Sixth Form presented certificates to all the students who participated.
29
s u B r u o T l a Glob Ms Abigail Camilleri This project was an amazing educational experience outside the classroom setting for both students and teacher. eTwinning is an educational platform which gives you the opportunity to meet with educators world-wide, to create projects, share ideas and attend seminars for your own professional development. Global Tour Bus was our first experience and it surely would not be the last. It was such an amazing experience working with 70 educators from all over the world and believe me even though we were a big number we managed to collaborate, to meet online and to create such an unforgettable experience for our students. This project had the aim of creating cultural awareness and instilling in our students the values of tolerance, respect and diversity. Digital literacy has become an important tool in our teaching profession. I learned to use different Web 2.0 tools such as Viva video, Zoom, Animato, Padlet, Mentimeter, OurBoox, PowerPoint, Team Generator, Zumpad, Story jumper, Slidesmania, Thinglink, Kahoot, Note.ly, Postermywall, Doozy, Voki, Genial.ly and Canva which helped in creating a more active and participatory environment amongst students and would ensure that my future lessons would be more interactive and fun. Students became protagonists of their own learning and such tools enhanced their creativity. This project gave an opportunity to students and educators alike to work in collaboration with others and experience the benefits of working as a team. Teamwork allowed for the development of communication and social skills, higher-level thinking, constructivist learning and leadership attitudes and assuming responsibility. It also helped in improving self-confidence and in respecting others’ opinions and ideas. This project not only gave us the opportunity to learn about other cultures but boosted out individual growth too. Thus, I invite colleagues to become part of eTwinning because it will surely enhance our professional growth.
30
Abigail Borg The eTwinning project entailed a lot of activities and events during which the participants of all the 38 participating countries mingled together and celebrated their cultures in unity, even though quite different from each other. What made eTwinning so great was that education occurred outside of the classroom setting with the use of alternative methods of learning such as interactive games and resources. Students from every country took the responsibility to research thoroughly their respective culture and used the material to produce PowerPoints and quizzes. Then, these were uploaded on the eTwinning portal, from where students from other countries would explore them. So, to ease communication and also get to know each other further, video calls were held amongst groups of participants. The themes and topics of these activities consisted of a captivating variety; traditional dishes, traditional attire, traditional games were a few on the list. Not only did this program help the participating students, including myself, grasp many values, but it also allowed us to really dig deep to the roots of our own culture and country and start viewing it with greater understanding and thereby respect. Besides, we were able to view other countries’ cultures from a native point of view and not from a digital website or printed media. As a befitting farewell event upon the conclusion of the project, a video call hosted all the participants, where some of them shared their views on the overall project. For me, it was an amazing experience crossed off my bucket list! Amelia Zofia Makowska For the last six months, I took part in the eTwinning project. Thanks to this project, I learned how to use various Web 2.0 tools and technology. What I liked the most about the project was that we could meet people from all over Europe on a video chat, talk to them, learn about their culture, traditional dishes as well as involve ourselves in games and sports. In addition to the knowledge gained from this project, the tasks we had to do were a great adventure. One of the participants’ tasks was to sing a verse of song in a foreign language. My friend and I sang an Italian verse and I liked it very much. Also, the fact that I could use this project as a part of my SOK project was very helpful. In my opinion, the eTwinning project was an amazing experience and I would love to take part in it again.
Francesco Masini I would like to share some of the experiences I had during the eTwinning Project with you readers. As cliché as it might sound, this project really helped me to open up a little more, enabling me to create new bonds and friendships from across Europe; at a time when I could not do so through ordinary means at school due to the pandemic. Additionally, the variety of activities really made me feel like I was a protagonist in the project and not just merely a member or “another brick in the wall”, thus offering me a respite from the usual curricula and allowing me to have fun and express myself with people whom I truly believed cared for what I had to say which really helped my self-confidence. Overall I would sum up the whole experience as being an unforgettable blast!
At the end, the Head of the Institute Mr Daniel James Cassar presented the certificates to all the students who participated in this project.
Katarzyna Elzbieta Makowska Doing this project was an interesting experience. I am glad that through this project I had an opportunity to learn about other cultures and gain more knowledge about Maltese culture since I am a foreigner. It was an extracurricular activity which we were doing mainly online. It gave us the possibility to try new initiatives such as making a recipe video, singing parts of songs in different languages and do zoom meetings with other students from thirty eight countries. These were my favourite tasks during this project. Participating in eTwinning also imparted values such as tolerance and respect and as an added bonus it could be used for the SOK project – indeed killing two birds with one stone.
Vanessa Andrea D’Olimpio I took part in the eTwinning project 2020-2021 and really enjoyed myself during this international project. We had tasks to do, we had to divide our responsibilities and our commitments among our groups. We worked as a team, if anyone had a question or something which he/she had to say we listened and took in consideration every idea. We also did tasks in pairs which I truly enjoyed. In my opinion working in a team was easier and more fulfilling. During this project we did some online meetings with our group including the teacher, where she would kindly explain our next tasks, and if we had any problems or opinions we would like to share. The last task for the eTwinning project was a meeting with all the students and teachers who took part in the project, it was absolutely amazing seeing all those people from different countries coming all together and share their culture, lifestyle and values. 31
BOV CLUB
A SMART CHOICE
COM 2501
Talk to us | 2131 2020 | bov.com Issued by Bank of Valletta p.l.c., 58, Triq San Żakkarija, Il-Belt Valletta VLT 1130. Bank of Valletta p.l.c. is a public limited company regulated by the MFSA and is licensed to carry out the business of banking and investment services in terms of the Banking Act (Cap. 371 of the Laws of Malta) and the Investment Services Act (Cap.370. of the Laws of Malta).