Headmaster's Message
#27
Saturday 16 May 2020
Good Afternoon All,
Parent Consultations
These have been happening and will continue, in some instances, until this coming Wednesday. We are missing your children, our students. Please have patience and if you need to reschedule a meeting please do so.
We have excellent, professional and most important, caring staff, who, some of you will discover, are confident enough to have these ‘difficult’ conversations with you when we, as professionals, note some aspect of your child that we need to point out. This, in a few cases, leads parents to come to the conclusion that we are too ‘hard’ on the student, we do not ‘understand’ the boy. The truth is that it is our professional responsibility to be up front and let parents know, in a sensitive way, what we are observing. Teachers will also offer a road plan for the success of the student.
For some parents it is difficult to hear or not to move into a ‘state of denial.’ Listen to the teachers, if they have to say something that a parent might not want to hear it is because they care. The easier route is to let the issue be kicked down the road.
St Edward’s
We have an absolutely beautiful campus. I go to the office a couple of times a week and never miss taking a stroll around. Sitting under the trees in the front garden is one of my favourite spots. There is always something calming about nature. This got me to thinking of the ‘X’ factor that SEC has. I have worked in different schools in different parts of the world. But there is something distinctly different about St Edward’s, I am not referring to the students, parents nor staff but about the facilities themselves.
I have come to the conclusion that this difference has a lot to do with the ample generous space that SEC offers. Many modern schools are designed specifically to function as a school. Class sizes, traffic flow, outside play areas, the gym, bright colours and indeed these buildings are very attractive.
St Edward’s was built with the ideas of Florence Nightingale to the fore. The location was selected for its air flow, plenty of light, high ceilings and beautiful landscaped gardens to provide tranquillity. We will be, as a community, hopefully soon enough all be able to enjoy these features. The space aspect is something that many of the more modern schools lack. It does, I believe, have a very strong impact on everyone who visits, is a student, or who works here.
The calmness of college is perhaps the one feature that all visitors comment on, with or without all students being there! It was perhaps a visit from the Chinese Ambassador a year or so ago who directed my mind to think about our ‘Feng shui’. (I remembered it had something to do with space and energy flow – we all know the feeling when you walk into a building or home, you just feel good!). The ambassador gave me a quick lesson on Feng shui -
‘ … (in Chinese thought) a system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy (chi), and whose favourable or unfavourable effects are taken into account when siting and designing buildings… ‘
The ‘Lady of the Lamp’ certainly knew about energy flows!
This brings me back to a fundamental mantra that we use at SEC. ‘We do not want to be the biggest, nor the most popular but simply the best!’ With curriculum, staff, students and we will over the summer, with the help of parents, embellish the beautiful grounds – outdoor areas for eating, reading, and hopefully lessons.
Potatoes!!! Only KG2 and Nursery! (others at Kalkara Gate at a later date… watch this space!)
Note for KG2 and nursery. You will receive an email on Tuesday to let you know that your children’s potatoes are ready! Children planted the potatoes some weeks ago, we’ll dig them up, place them in organic bags, place the bags on a long table just inside the Zabbar gate where you can come in and collect them.
There will be social spacing one way pedestrian flow in place!
Sincerely,
Mr Nollaig Mac an Bhaird
Headmaster