Cinderella.com at Mosta school

AT Lily of the Valley Girls' Secondary School in Mosta, on May 12, Cinderella had to dance to a different tune, slip into a trendy pointed shoe and fit in with a different crowd All this because the traditional fairy tale had been given a modern twist as the name itself implies - Cinderella.com!

Adaptation is never an easy task especially when the story in question is a fairy tale which has been handed down from one generation to another for centuries. Yet under the expert direction of Norma Christina, Cinderella not only lived up to its name but also fascinated all and sundry till the very end.

The enthusiasm ran high as popular Eurovision songs, music, dance and drama were skilfully blended together while the pantomime effect and the exaggerated characterisation rendered a comic touch to the usually 'weepy' effect this fairy tale has on its audience.

The script had been amusingly altered to give a Maltese twist to the story. With the Prince resembling a nerdy Bill Gates, the butler a frivolous character, a deaf and silly Baron and a fairy who forgets her spells... one could not help but applaud, smile and enjoy the evening's performance!

Well what about her ...? Naturally, Prize Day at the Lily of the Valley is always a memorable event but this year there was a noteworthy and remarkable new element - the new headmistress, Josephine Mifsud.

In her address Ms Mifsud took stock of her first scholastic year as head of the Girls' Secondary School in Mosta. She began by defining Prize Day as an occasion where students' work, effort and achievement and talent are rewarded and exposed. She explained how honoured she had felt when she had been chosen to replace Mary Doris Aquilina - a much respected and hardworking head.

Ms Mifsud also pointed out how National Minimum Curriculum objectives, like giving students a holistic education, a stimulating and effective learning environment which promoted self-esteem, instilled good moral values and produced reliable and effective resources, had been interwoven in syllabii thus becoming the order of the day.

She thanked the former head, Education officials, administrative staff, teachers and all who in one way or another had helped to make Lily of the Valley School such a prestigious and challenging institution.

Education is an ongoing challenge and Ms Mifsud has, during her first year, topped up this lifelong process by enhancing extracurricular activities already existent school participation in Socrates/Comenius projects, twinning of schools, creating a school website, investing in the school library, teaching of life skills and moral values and acquiring the services of a spiritual director, who in turn 'founded' a chapel.

She ended by thanking all teaching staff and technicians who had helped to stage the hilarious Panto and had helped to make this a memorable evening for all. She thanked all students who had participated in the play and all prize winners present.

Prizes were distributed by Director-General Dr Cecilia Borg and director Alfred Mallia and co-ordinated by the school's librarians M'Rose Saliba, Ray Chircop and Joe Debono.

The evening was ably compered by two fourth form students - Natalia Gauci and Dorianne Sciberras