Headmaster says...
‘Making’ good people Well, here we are again at another Carnival break. A time for us to have a well-defined 'fling' before the depravations of the period leading up to Easter. As a young child in Ireland the common question was, “What are you giving up?” and, to a large degree, Lent does include sacrifice for Christians — abstaining from certain foods, gossip, laziness and the like — but the sacrifice is not for its own sake. It reminds us that we can exercise self-control and that Jesus underwent tremendous physical sacrifices during his Passion. It also spurs us to charity. One of the original goals of cutting back on consumption, after all, was to save money to give to the poor. But, why do we need these periods to make us feel and remember that we need to do good? At college, our mission statement, I believe, can be narrowed down to one simple goal, ‘We want to make ‘good’ people. Yes, successful achievers, academically and otherwise, leaders with an understanding of the world we live in, and of our responsibilities.
Last week we had our coffee mornings. Parents from each section were invited to meet with myself and the Head of Section and our Communications person, Ms. Debono. I picked up a lot from these informal meetings. One aspect that stood out was parents’ appreciation for our approach to education – TUL. Do not Learn something until you Understand it and to understand something you must Think about it. TUL encapsulates all the catch phrases that we use in education. Critical thinkers, analytical thinkers, holistic learners and so forth. The other aspect was parents’ appreciation for our emphasis on core values. Respect, politeness, greetings in the morning and at day’s end, being neat and tidy. The fact that our students know the basics of good manners, (at least whilst at college!), sets them apart. An appreciation for what we have as individuals, our responsibility for taking care of those less fortunate, ‘giving back/passing on’, all these qualities and values make our students, ‘good people’.
Turbo-charged empowerment
By Sylvana Debono
Have you ever heard of the Wärtsilä-Sulzer RTA96-C? Neither had I before I researched ‘types of very powerful engines’. Apparently this is a formidable two-stroke turbocharged diesel engine. I researched this not because I was yearning for machine oil but because the thought crossed my mind as I was interviewing three educators behind the King’s Trust International initiative at St Edward’s College. A small detour to explain, dot the i’s and cross the t’s so to speak. Children embody humanity’s hope for the future. Time has shown that a one-size-fits-all curriculum does not serve all students effectively, irrespective of the abilities of the learners. That is where The King’s Trust International came in. Originally The Prince’s Trust, their stated mission is to empower young people to learn, earn and thrive. They seek to provide opportunities to develop the skills and confidence to succeed and deliver tangible employment outcomes. They blend their expertise with a global network of local partners and develop programs and interventions to help young people to build their own futures. As one with St Edward’s College, KTI’s vision is to empower children to succeed. This is the fundamental reason why the College this year has started participating in the KTI program. Cont page 2
This has been a dream for a number of years Dawn Pace Asciak