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St. Catherine’s High School

January, February and March…springtime is here!

…of tots, tweens & teens!

January-March

2012 Newsletter

The Easter season is with us bringing the second term of

school to its close. And after so many gloomy days of

cold, wet weather, spring time is here at last, making our

days brighter, longer and hotter. Nature is blooming,

dressing up in colours, sprouts, buds, bulbs and off-

springs. And as death bears life, we are also invited to

enter a spiritual journey and rekindle our hope. Albert

Laighton writes, ’Where man sees but withered leaves,

God sees sweet flowers growing.’

This second term was a busy one with. It started off

with The University of Sheffield study

weekend, the highlight of which was

the Presentation Ceremony and Din-

ner in celebration of the first cohort

of MA in Early Childhood graduates -

17 students in all - who graduated on

the 12th January in Sheffield. The end

of January, beginning of February is

usually assessment time on our

school Calendar, and our students sit

for their half-yearly exams and/or

assessments. February is also the

time for Carnival, a time of exuberance to precede the

Lenten period which calls us to look more inward.

In March we had our Parents’ Days...a time for parents

and teachers to discuss the children’s overall perform-

ance in general. In March we had the Senior School Trip

to Rome for some of our Senior students. Our upper

Junior and Senior students had a day of reflection in

preparation for the Easter celebrations. The Flutterby

Child Care Centre organized its annual Easter Concert for

the youngest tots, where our Assembly Hall was turned

into a circus, and our little ones performed to circus mu-

sic. We had clowns, magicians, acrobats, muscle men,

cheerleaders, ringmasters and ringmistresses, circus ani-

mals, and more! The end of March will be marked by

the Boot Camp for the Junior students…and then it is

Easter holidays! Yess!

As we approach Holy Week, we feel called for

spiritual recollection, revisioning and recom-

mitment, and to shed parts of the old self in

birthing the new self. Alan Jones says, ’There

is a self within each one of us aching to be

born.’ This is a slow and, at times, painful

process which requires waiting, stillness and

staying with...a tough call in a fast-moving

world dominated with instantaneity and se-

duced by easy and quick fixes. But as winter

lumbers slowly, slowly towards spring, and

nature births life out of death, let us partici-

pate in its rebirth in the hope that our little deaths will

bring life and growth of the self that each and every one

of us is meant to be.

Finally, we take this opportunity to wish Happy Easter to

all our School community and happy holidays to all our

students and staff!

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The University of Sheffield

STUDY WEEKEND IN JANUARY...

The 20th – 22nd January weekend welcomed again the

different cohorts of post-graduate students following

the Masters and Doctoral programmes with The Univer-

sity of Sheffield. We are very proud to say that our com-

munity of post-graduate learners is increasing rapidly

and it consists of three cohorts. We will soon start pre-

paring to welcome the fourth cohort come October 2012

and exploring the possibility to introduce new pro-

grammes to better meet the educational yearning there

is in Malta.

Apart from the Mas-

ters in Early Education

and the PhD in special-

ised areas, which have

been running since

2009, last October we

birthed yet another

option - a Masters in

Educational Studies for

those interested in

studying aspects of literacy, digital literacies, inclusion,

curriculum, educational psychology, parental involve-

ment and classroom research.

It is of great satisfaction for St. Catherine’s to see that

the post-graduate programmes offered here in Malta

have caught the interest of many from amongst its com-

munity and given them the opportunity to study while

continuing with their many other commitments, such as

family and work. Today we have a good number of staff

and parents who have enrolled themselves in one of

these programmes.

GRADUATION OF THE FIRST MA COHORT...

It is with great pride that during the month of January St.

Catherine’s has seen its first cohort of 17 MA in Early

Childhood students, 4 of whom are members of its staff,

receive their graduation degree certificate. The gradua-

tion was held in Sheffield on 12th January and The Uni-

versity of Sheffield has never seen so big a group of Mal-

tese people cheering and waving small flags as our Mal-

tese graduates went up, one by one, to collect their well

deserved degree certificate. That was not all though, as

celebrations had to continue here in Malta too!

PRESENTATION CEREMONY & DINNER...

In fact St. Catherine’s and The University of Sheffield

were proud to be able to host a Graduates’ Presentation

Ceremony and Dinner at the Westin Dragonara Resort

on Saturday 21st January. On this occasion, the first co-

hort of Maltese graduates (following the Malta pro-

gramme) celebrated their graduation with a memorable

ceremony and a dinner with their families and friends.

The University of Sheffield’s Head of the School of Edu-

cation, Prof. Jackie Marsh, addressed the audience

speaking of the high calibre of the Malta based students,

whilst the Director of the MA ECE Malta

Programme, Prof. Cathy Nutbrown

hailed the richness and diversity of the

studies undertaken by students and

their desire to understand children and

their work with them in a deeper way.

LAUNCHING OF EBOOK...

Following the graduation of our first

cohort of MA in Early Childhood stu-

dents, The University of Sheffield has worked closely

with a group of them to publish an e-book called “Voices

from Malta” which will consist of a synoptical article de-

scribing the students’ dissertation research study. This e

-book will then serve as a key text in the curriculum of

the MA in Early Childhood programme both here in

Malta and in the UK, and we are very proud of this feat!

NEW COHORT 2012...

The University of Sheffield is currently also inviting appli-

cations for the MA in Early Childhood Education, MA in

Educational Studies and the PhD for the next cohort due

to start in October 2012. As already mentioned before,

we have a track record of a number of parents, friends

and staff who have joined the previous cohorts, and so

we welcome any applications from parents, relatives and

friends who are suitably qualified and interested to fur-

ther their studies in the educational field. An informal

meeting will be held with the University of Sheffield lec-

turers on Thursday 3rd May in the evening for interested

candidates. For more information or to attend this ses-

sion, kindly email Ms. Sue Mifsud Midolo on

sue.mifsud.midolo@stcatherines.eu.

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Easter Figolli

We thank and congratulate our group of Mummy Chefs

for whetting our appetite with the nice smell of their

school-baked Easter Figolli. We hope that you managed

to purchase a pure almond or a date figolla, because

they are simply delicious and making you want more!

Well done to Ms. Juanita and Ms. Jennifer and the

group of mothers and grand-mothers who fulfilled this

mission with great generosity.

Uniform Change

Parents are to note that from Mon-

day 16th April, students from the Jun-

ior 3 upwards should come to school

wearing the normal Winter Uniform

(with the skirt, blouse, tie and rust

cardigan, blazer and brown/black

shoes for the girls, whilst the boys

wear the shirt, tie, grey V-neck, grey trousers, blazer and

black shoes). Students from Flutterby to the Junior 2

should come to school wearing their orange polo shirt

(with short sleeves) and the cardigan and the blue trou-

sers of the jogging suit, blue socks and blue shoes and

the blue jacket, if needs be. We will then advise on the

shift to the Summer Uniform – however, we recommend

to parents that if your son/daughter needs some new

Summer Uniform items, these should be purchased dur-

ing the Easter Holidays.

Volunteers Needed

We are currently in the process of re-doing our school

grounds (what was previously the small turf ground) and

installing a rubber surface instead which will host a bas-

ketball/handball court as well as a Checkers and a Hop

Scotch grid for the use of both the Junior and the Senior

School.s

We are also going to be designing child friendly games

on the tarmac stretch and we are currently looking for

volunteers who would be willing to help us in the paint-

ing (the design will be set up by our teachers) to create a

nice space which will also be educational for our kids.

We would appreciate your support, even if for an hour

or two!!! Kindly send an email to Ms. Sue if you are will-

ing to give a helping hand!

After-School Programme

St. Catherine's High School has announced its After-

School Programme for the 3rd term (kindly refer to mail-

shots of 16th and 23rd March). Kindly note that the After

-School Programme will commence as of week starting

23rd April. Session dates will be announced in the ac-

knowledgement letter that is given upon registration

and payment.

Kindly note that when the School (Pre-Junior, Jun-

ior and Senior) shifts to shorter mornings, the

After-School Programme will be held from

11.15am till 12.15pm. Since Flutterby does not

have shorter mornings and continues with the

usual hours (basic or extended), those Flutterby

children taking any of the after-school activities

will be taken for the after-school activity at

11.15am and then taken back to Flutterby at

12.15pm.

Science Challenge Day (Junior 4 to 6)

The Junior 4s, 5s, and 6s will test their scientific skills

during a Science Challenge Day which will take place on

Friday 27th April (during school hours). This will be a

whole morning event and students will be grouped in

teams and will have to rack their brains as they work

their way through different challenges on the day. Ms.

Michelle Drago, their Science teacher, will be posting

more information on the event shortly.

Open Day

Parents are to note that this year’s Open Day will take

place on Sunday 20th May from 10.00am to 5.00pm. As

is customary, the classes will be involved in presenting

items to the parents touring the classes, and we will use

the day to inaugurate our new rubber ground! So make

it a point to book the day and attend – relatives and

friends are welcome too!

As part of the Open Day, we will be creating the oppor-

tunities for a Tile Mural with children’s hands imprinted

on with paint. We are thus asking any parents who have

Blank Square White Tiles (bathroom ones) and can do-

nate them to the School to get in touch with Ms. Sue.

We thank you in anticipation for your collaboration!

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Prize Day and Graduation Ceremonies

The Prize Day will be held on Saturday 26th May

(evening) at the Catholic Institute in Floriana – a list of

the Prize Winners will be issued in the beginning of May

(and this caters from the current Junior 3 upwards).

Graduation Ceremo-

nies for the Pre-

Junior, Junior 1 and

Junior 2 will take

place at school on

the 25th June (Junior

2), 26th June (Pre-

Junior) and the 27th

June (Junior 1) at

11.00am.

Sports’ Days

Sports’ Days will be held as follows:

Juniors 6 to Senior 4 – Thursday 26th April

(morning), at Marsa

Pre-Juniors – Friday 11th May (morning), at school

Junior 1 and 2 – Friday 8th June (evening), at Luxol

Grounds

Juniors 3, 4 and 5 – Friday 1st June (morning), at

Luxol Grounds

More details will be given to the individual classes closer

to the dates via the blogs or notes.

Shorter Mornings

Kindly note that as of 8th June, St. Catherine’s will shift to

shorter mornings and school for the Pre-Junior, Junior

and Senior levels will finish at 11.15am. The Flutterby

Child Care Centre, however, will continue to operate on

normal hours (basic or extended).

Since the School transport will operate at 11.15am,

those Flutterby children using the School transport have

the option of either leaving school at 11.15am or else

stay at Flutterby and then be picked up by their parents.

Closer to the date, these parents are kindly required to

inform the School Administration of their intention.

Holy Communion Commemoration Mass

Parents of the Junior 2 are to note that the Holy Com-

munion Commemoration Mass for all the students who

will have done their Holy Communion in June (or who will

be doing it on the day during the Commemoration) will

take place in the School Assembly Hall on Friday 29th June

at 5.00pm. Two seats (for the parents) will

be reserved per family (except for the stu-

dents who will be actually doing their Holy

Communion on the day - that is, our Cate-

chism Group - and in this case, we will

probably be reserving 4 seats per family).

It is essential that parents notify Ms. Sue if

they will be attending.

Parents who are interested in participating

in the Party being organised on the 29th June

itself (after the Mass) at the Westin Drago-

nara Resort are to contact the Parents’ Committee to

advise them of their intention to participate via an email

sent to Ms. Sue. Details on the Party and the costs will

be issued shortly to parents who are interested.

Rome Trip

Following the success of the previous years, the Senior

School embarked on yet another trip; destination Rome.

This cultural trip, from the 16th - 19th March had our

group of 25 students from the Senior 2, 3 and 4 visit the

main sites in Rome, such as Villa d’Este in Tivoli, Castel

Gandolfo, Nemi, Lago Albano and the Natural Park of

Castelli Romani, among others. Thumbs up to the Senior

School for organizing another successful trip.

Boot Camp

St. Catherine’s High School’s is venturing in yet another

adventure...a Boot Camp!! The Boot Camp will be held in

conjunction with Kamaja Outdoor Activities and will take

place between Friday 30th March (10:00am) and Saturday

31st March (10:00am) with one-night sleepover, in the

historical Madalena Fortess in Madliena. We have a

group of 26 students who will be accompanied by Ms.

Sue , Ms. Lorraine , Ms. Josepha and Mr. Brian. We wish

you all a fun-filled, yet learning-full, venture!

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Book your Diaries!

Please take note of the following dates:

16th April (Monday) - First Day of Term 3.

20h April (Friday, morning) - Senior 5 School Leaving

Ceremony.

23rd April (Monday) - After-School Programme com-

mences.

26th April (Thursday, morning) - Junior 6 to Senior 4

Sports Day.

27th April (Friday) - Science Challenge Day.

2nd May (Wednesday) - Staff Development Evening

(Flutterby, Pre-Junior and Junior School).

3rd May (Thursday, evening) - Meeting for prospec-

tive students of the post-graduate programmes of

The University of Sheffield.

4th to 6th May (Friday to Sunday) - University of Shef-

field Study Weekend.

11th May (Friday, morning) - Pre-Junior Sports Day.

20th May (Sunday) - Open Day.

22nd May (Tuesday, morning) - Dress Rehearsal for

Prize Day students.

26th May (Saturday, evening) - Prize-Giving Cere-

mony.

1st June (Friday, morning) - Junior 3 to 5 Sports Day.

8th June (Friday) - Senior 3 to 4 Exams start.

8th June (Friday) - Start of Shorter Mornings for Pre-

Junior to Senior 4; school finishes at 11:15am and

transport leaves at this time too;

8th June (Friday, evening) - Junior 1 & 2 Sports Day.

14th June (Thursday) - Senior 1 & 2 Exams start.

20th June (Wednesday) - Junior 4 to 6 Exams start.

22nd June (Friday, evening) - Flutterby Sports Day.

25th June (Monday, morning) - Junior 2 Graduation

Ceremony and Party.

26th June (Tuesday, morning) - Pre-Junior Graduation

Ceremony and Party.

26th June (Tuesday) - last day of Term 3 for Pre-

Junior and Flutterby.

27th June (Wednesday) - Junior 1 Graduation Cere-

mony and Party.

27th June (Wednesday) - Last Day of Term 3 for Jun-

ior 1 to Senior 4.

29th June (Friday, evening) - Holy Communion Com-

memoration Mass.

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream;

not only plan, but also believe.”

Anatole France

Saying our goodbyes to Mr. Brian

It is with much regret that we would like to inform you

that Mr. Brian Gauci will be leaving us at the end of

March 2012. He will be taking up a position of great re-

sponsibility within the disability field in Malta and we

wish him well on his

new journey.

He has been a great

asset to the School and

has contributed greatly

to the new projects cre-

ated at school and to

the upkeep of our

school ethos. He will

be sorely missed by the

School Administration,

staff, parents and children alike but we are sure that his

presence in the new position will be of benefit to the

country.

We would like to take the opportunity to thank him for

the sterling service offered to the School, his commit-

ment to excellence, and his dedication to the administra-

tion, staff, parents and students! Good luck, Mr. Brian!

Our Heartfelt Wishes!

On behalf of the School, we would like to wish all our

staff, students and their families a Happy Easter. As Floyd

W. Tomkins puts it, ‘Let the resurrection joy lift us from

loneliness and weakness and despair, to strength and

beauty and happiness.’