Dear Parents/Guardians
Ara aktar l-isfel għall-verżjoni bil-Malti.
Thank you!
On behalf of everyone at Żabbar B, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for your support and understanding over these past weeks. I am also grateful for the support you have been giving your children in completing the tasks we have assigned to them.
The number of visits to our website over the past weeks has shot to well over 10,000 views each week. The number of children engaging in the activities is increasing, and it is heartening to be able to interact with the children, even though remotely.
Having said that, I am also sure that some parents may be questioning the kind of tasks that we are setting the children. I am going to go through the Easter Activities, one at a time, to give you some insight into the educational value and validity of what we are doing.
Beyond the religious significance of Lenten Sermons, we need to acknowledge that a lot of learning occurs online.
Online video tutorials are available for anything you can think of but simply because it is online does not mean that it is good. We need to learn to reflect on material found online and make informed judgements about such material.
We asked students to catch up with any tasks that they have missed from previous weeks. This is called accountability. Being accountable is all about doing your job and doing it properly. Children are not too young to be held accountable. Holding your children accountable is investing in their future, because there will soon come a time when you will no longer be able to make excuses for them.
We asked children to read! Now if ever there was a cliche’… Read! Read! Read! I will not repeat what I have said in a previous post but sometimes I wonder if we fully understand the reason why we insist so much on reading. It is not just about spelling, vocabulary, correct grammar… It goes much deeper than that.
Reading is about gaining an understanding of a story plot beyond the single words, sentences or chapters and therefore being able to see the whole picture. It is about understanding how one thing happens after another, and as a result of, something else. It is about gaining insights into events that we may never experience for real. It is about exploring “a whole new world” every single time we pick up a book. And, perhaps most importantly, reading is food for our imagination and creativity.
We hear a lot about the need to be creative – but we tend to forget that you cannot be creative in a vacuum. Creating something means combining old elements into something new. You cannot create something new if you do not have material to work with, be it words, paint, experiences! It is as simple as that!
We asked student to colour in a picture by a Maltese artist or artist living in Malta. Now, as an art teacher, I have to admit I thought twice about assigning this task. In the end, I assigned this task because it is a good opportunity for children to get acquainted with the art scene in Malta. But there is more. We also invited children to use an online application to colour in their drawing if they do not have access to a printer and therefore cannot colour in the drawing in the traditional way. Again, many tasks are moving online. Colouring a drawing online is a different experience altogether from what we are used to. But, most importantly, the idea is to make children understand that if something cannot be done the way it has always been then, then you need to think of alternatives.
We then asked the children to upload their finished drawings on Padlet. Padlet has many uses. For example, it is one way to collaborate on a project with people from all over the world, brainstorming ideas and providing feedback to others as you go along. Learning to use and collaborating over Padlet (or any similar application) is a skill that children will definitely find useful at some point or other.
This activity also shows the children how in a time of need, a group of people who do not necessarily know each other, came together to support a cause. Everyone has something to contribute in their own way.
We asked children to look up different Easter traditions because we do not live in a vacuum. This is a first step towards developing intercultural competences – realising that the way we do things is just one of many different ways. At the same time, we asked the children to celebrate our own traditions. Again, we asked children to use Padlet. Knowing how to interact and behave in online social spaces is as important as knowing how to behave in real life situations.
We want to acknowledge feelings. Children (and adults) may feel overwhelmed with what is happening at the moment and by helping children to acknowledge how they feel, we are supporting the development of their emotional intelligence.
We asked children to reach out because we are social beings. At times, we are so focused on ourselves, our needs, our wants, that we tend to forget others. COVID-19 is forcing us to consider what truly matters. Being kind costs nothing but it can make a huge difference.
The smallest act of kindness goes a long way to change the world!
Decorating an egg involves more then meets the idea. You need dexterity, fine motor skills and it will also provide for a good laugh. It is also a keepsake that children can keep as a souvenir from this period.
And, as for the toilet paper roll craft, apart from developing fine motor skills and creativity, it should help us think and reflect on our own actions. From what I heard, some people have enough toilet paper to last them till 2021!
So, before dismissing any of the activities as frivolous, I would like to assure you that in so far as our children’s education is concerned, we do not really leave anything to chance. We take it very seriously and nothing will stop us, not even COVID-19!
Stay safe!
Charlot Cassar
Head of School