Qribek D I Ċ E M B R U - 2 0 1 5 F D I N L - E D I Z Z J O N I.. Mill-Pinna 1 What does our heart need at Christmas Il-Komunitajiet għall-istudenti 2 3 L-intervista ma 4 Christmas Dinner 5 Christmas Eve Mass 5 SPMC Community 6 CHOGM Eko Skola 6 Budding Rockstars 7 Indian Visit SPMC 8 Mill-Pinna... Dear students and parents, Between the 17th and 21st of November 2015, I attended a conference organized by the Vatican entitled: Educating today and tomorrow: A renewed passion. The participants, totalling about 1,500 and coming from all over the world, got together in Castel Gandolfo (Mariapoli Centre) and in the magnificent Paul VI Hall in Vatican City, to reflect upon the reality of Catholic schools and universities. We were fortunate enough to be addressed by Archbishop Zani and Cardinal Versaldi, many professors, and other experts in the field of education as provided by Catholic (also known as Church) schools. I was amazed to learn that there are over 210,000 Catholic Schools, and about 1,900 Catholic Universities and Institutes around the world: from Australia to Canada, and from Zimbabwe to Sweden. Our college is but one of these many thousands, and you are among the 60 million students world-wide who are being educated in this environment. It is in fact a special environment because Catholic schools strive towards the formation of the whole person as they put into practice the teachings, and follow the example of Jesus Christ, who was after all the rabbi or teacher par excellance. One person spoke of Catholic Education as being a special gift. Yes, you are the recipients of such a gift. A gift that comes from the heart of many Catholic educators who strive to impart something of value to you. The Catholic school is more than a place where one is instructed in the different academic subjects. It is the place where the Catholic Community imparts its faith, and where Christian values are lived out on a daily basis. On the last day of the conference we had the opportunity to meet Pope Francis, who expressed his wish that all students be well educated, as education leads to the formation of responsible adults and good Christians. He also asked us to convey his best regards and blessings to you. This is what I am doing. Wishing you all a great continuation to the present scholastic year, and a joyous Christmas. Awguri u barka. Fr Silvio
What does our heart need at Christmas? PAĠ N A 2 Some people approach the Christmas festivities with dread. So many things to cook, gifts to buy, stress, children at home for the holidays. It ends up being a time where many people feel even more depressed or sad. Christmas is particularly difficult for those who live alone, have lost someone dear, or are in particularly difficult times in their relationships. The truth is that Christmas, the very first Christmas happened in a very remote dark place. From that little corner of the earth, from the cave of Bethlehem, Jesus, this tiny babe reaches out its arms to be held by the rest of humanity. Who can resist the outstretched arms of a little child who needs to be lifted up? In the same way, Jesus will call onto us this Christmas: -to lift up the weak, -to be present to our elderly and infirm -to truly have family moments when we cherish being together. So, this Advent, as we prepare for the birth of Jesus make sure that your plans include some way of reaching out to lift up others, who like Jesus, need our help. Let's help our pupils and students at SPMC discover a new way of celebrating Christmas: one in which we hear the cries of the little child of Nazareth and makes us instinctively reach out to touch Jesus in our lives. Blessings Fr. Frankie Cini mssp.
Il-Komunitajiet għall-istudenti Ta kull sena, hekk kif ikunu qed joqorbu l- vaganzi tas-sajf, jiġi Fr Karm, jagħtini d-dati tal-komunitajiet Sajf, li jsiru għall-istudenti tas -Senior 1 u 2. Għall-grazzja ta Alla, u grazzi għall-mssp, din is-sena saru live-ins, magħrufa bħala komunità Sajf, għall-istudenti tas-senior 3 u 4 ukoll. Għall-istudenti tas- Senior 5, ġiet ukoll organizzata Komunità, f Jannar. Dawn il-komunitajiet jilħqu aktar minn għan wieħed. Permezz ta dawn il-jiem flimkien, l- istudenti jitgħallmu jgħixu flimkien f komunità, fejn kulħadd huwa differenti, fejn trid taħdem f tim ma sħabek, titgħallem tikkompeti, titgħallem tirbaħ u titlef, titgħallem tiftiehem u taqsam ideat u tħaddimhom, ma min ma jaqbilx miegħek. Fuq kollox imma, l-għan prinċipali dejjem jibqa li l-istudent ikollu opportunità jirrifletti dwar imħabbet Alla għalih... jiskopri l-pjan li Alla ħejja għalih...u jesperjenza mumenti ta talb personali. Donnu fil-live-ins, jinfetaħ aptit ta barra minn hawn! Għalhekk bl-għajnuna kbira talġenituri u nanniet, jiġi ppreparat l-ikel kollu għal matul il-ġurnata, ikel li jinkludi breakfast, pizza, għaġin bolognese jew bit-tadam, BBQ, tiġieġ u patata l-forn, kejks, deżerta...u għallkbar ikun hemm ukoll torti tal-laħam u tal-irkotta, u timpana. PAĠ N A 3 Ħaġa mill-isbaħ u ta min japprezzaha, hija, li waqt il-live ins, tkun qed tinbena komunità oħra tal-ġenituri fil-kċina tal-kulleġġ, u oħra, ta missirijiet, li jiġu jgħinu waqt l-iljieli. Flimkien, waqt li nkunu qed naħdmu, naqsmu esperjenzi, ideat, u anke xi diffikultajiet. Iżda fuq kollox, kull min jiġi jgħin, mingħajr ebda distinzjoni, jagħmel dan bil-qalb u b ħafna imħabba. Dan għaliex inħossuna grati ħafna lejn il-fathers MSSP u l- istaff tal-kulleġġ, li jagħtu tant ħin minn tagħhom biex uliedna jinbnew b mod ħolistiku. Ms Antoinette Costa
PAĠ N A 4 L-Intervista ma... F kull ћarga ta din l-enewsletter, ikollna intervista ma xi ћadd mill-kulleġġ. Din iddarba jmiss lil Frances Saliba. Isem sћiћ: Frances M. Saliba Rwol fl-iskola: Għalliema tal-malti Ikel Favorit: Patata l-forn Nibża mill-: mewt Passatempi: Naqra u nirreċta. Karatteristiċi partikulari: Jgħiduli li għandi onestà sfaċċata...mhux kulħadd jeħodha b'mod tajjeb iżda permezz tagħha, nagħraf min kapaċi jkun tassew ħabib tiegħi. Meta kont żgћir/a xtaqt insir (u gћaliex): Avukat għaliex kont nemmen li l-ħajja mhijiex linja dritta iżda hemm ħafna ċirkustanzi li wieħed irid jifli sabiex jara x'inhi tassew ilverità. Apparti minn hekk, minn dejjem kienet togħġobni l-idea ta' ġustizzja, li wieħed jieħu dak li ħaqqu. Episodju ћelu li gћaddejt minnu: Episodju partikolari li baqa' stampat f'moħħi huwa meta kelli seba' snin u flimkien m'ommi u missieri, morna Londra. Alla jaħfirlu, missieri minn dejjem kien iħobb jimxi b'pass mgħaġġel bit-tama li jara kull mużew, opra t'arti u mafkar li kellu x'joffri l-pajjiż. Naturalment, dan kien iħalli lili u lil ommi niġru biex nippruvaw inlaħħqu. Darba minnhom għajjejna, u litteralment xbajna, u sibna bank u poġġejna fuqu, filwaqt li ħallejna lil missieri jimxi, jifli u jispjega waħdu. Wara ftit intebaħ li kien qed jitkellem waħdu u ġie jfittixna. Wiċċu kien konfuż. F'dak il-punt, jien u ommi qbiżna f'daqqa u għednilu, "Aħna qegħdin fuq strajk!" Missieri fehem mill-ewwel u nfqajna nidħku lkoll flimkien. Xewqa kbira li gћandi: Nixtieq li ndur iddinja u nduq xi naqra mill-kulturi diversi li jokkupaw rkejjen differenti tad-dinja. Iżda onestament, l-akbar xewqa li għandi, hija li familti u sħabi jkunu b'saħħithom, ħalli flimkien inkomplu niċċelebraw din l- avventura hekk imsejħa 'ħajja'.
Christmas Dinner... PAĠ N A 5 Bħalissa għaddej ix-xogħol ta preparazzjoni għall-end of Year Dinner li din is-sena se tkun fil-canteen tal-kulleġġ nhar it-tlieta 29 ta Diċembru 2015 fis-7:00pm. Apparti li nieklu ikla tajba minn dak li jippreparawlna Joe u Norman flimkien ma diversi ġenituri, nieħdu gost niltaqgħu flimkien u nkomplu ngawdu dan iż-żmien sabiħ. Il-fondi miġbura minn din l-ikla jmorru għal upgrade tal-librerija tal-kulleġġ. Christmas Eve Mass... Wara r-rispons pożittiv li kellna s-sena l-oħra għall-quddiesa ta Lejlet il-milied, għal darb oħra bi pjaċir qed nerġgħu nistiednukom biex ningħaqdu biex niċċelebraw it-twelid ta Ġesu Bambin bħala familja waħda. Din is-sena minbarra li se jkollna l-quddiesa, Ms. Antoinette Costa qed tipprepara xi studenti tal-kulleġġ biex jippreżentawlna l-priedka tal-milied. Bħas-sena l-oħra se jkollna wkoll il-purċissjoni tat-tfal bil-bambin. Ħin: 8.30pm Data: Il-Ħamis 24 ta Diċembru 2015 Post: L-Assembly Hall tas-senior School
PAĠNA SPMC Community... The first SPMC Community encounter was held on Saturday 5th December. Everyone is invited to join these encounters where Mass is celebrated and then the community interacts and shares some refreshments. Jot down theses dates in your diaries: 9th January 6th February 6th March (Half-Day Reflection for Lent) 2nd April 29th 1st May Gozo Weekend Encounter CHOGM Eko Skola... Members of the EkoSkola Junior school committee attended the EkoSkola CHOGM Young Citizens' Summit. The summit was organised by Nature Trust Malta - NTM in collaboration with the CHOGM taskforce, President's Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society and OPM - Castille Place QRIBEK-EDIZZJONI 10 6
Budding Rockstars... PAĠ N A 7 Thursday, November 19 was no ordinary school day for 150 Form 5 students from 40 schools across Malta and Gozo, including SPMC Senior Boys. These students were the guests of honour at Budding Rockstars, an event that was aimed at igniting an entrepreneurship spark among the participants. Held at the Intercontinental Hotel, St Julian s, the event was organised by the Malta Communications Authority in collaboration with the Edward de Bono Institute, Directorate for Educational Services, Catholic Education Secretariat, Takeoff Business Incubator, MITA Innovation Hub, Junior Achievement Young Enterprise Malta, BeSmartOnline and Culture Directorate. The event consisted of a mix of discussion panels, presentations and interactive workshops, which stimulated creative thinking that led to some very interesting business ideas, in a short span of time.
Indian visit at SPMC... PAĠ N A 8 On Thursday 3rd December, an Indian delegation of Heads of schools visited the school. They were in Malta for a week of training at the University of Malta. They were given a tour of the school, chatted with Fr Silvio and sat in for a demonstration thinking lesson with Form 2B delivered by Ms Shirley Pulis Xerxen, lecturer with the Edward debono Institute at the University of Malta. They even enjoyed meeting some teachers and were able to see first hand the great work carried out at the school. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may Merry Christmas and Happy New Year