Two Year 6 classes from De La Salle College and Our Lady Immaculate School recently launched a book entitled Mill-Pinna Tiegħi at the end of the eTwinning project of the same name at San Anton Palace, Attard, in the presence of First Lady Miriam Vella, their educators and other guests.
The project’s main aim was to help students appreciate more the Maltese language and the characteristics of the Maltese people. As a pre-writing activity the pupils carried out research to helped them better understand Malta’s rich history, including visits to historical sites and monuments, before writing about what makes Malta and the Maltese special and unique.
Guided by their class teachers Francesca Farrugia and Rita Azzopardi, the pupils went through the whole process of creating a book, from conducting research on the chosen topics, to planning and writing the stories, to the editing process, choosing the illustrations and proofreading, before it was sent to the publishers.
The book is a collection of stories about various monuments and places of interest in Malta and Gozo. They are a pleasure to read and capture readers’ attention and interest till the very last sentence. Each story is original and has its own QR code. Once scanned, readers can also watch a video of a child reading his or her story.
Throughout the project, educators and pupils were helped and supported by Roberta Trapani Maggi and Natalie Calleja Lombardi, heads of department for digital literacy and transversal skills at the Secretariat for Catholic Education. They used various digital tools to help the pupils develop their skills of creativity, communication and collaboration. They also had various opportunities to interact together in fun activities where new friendships were made and ideas were shared.
The book would not have been possible without the help of Ms Vella, who showed full trust in the project from the very beginning, the administration of the Malta Community Chest Fund (MCCF), the administration of both schools, especially Amanda Borg, Sarah Mallia and Glorianne Agius, all the educators who lent a helping hand in one way or another, the pupils’ parents and guardians and, last but not least, the pupils themselves.
All those interested in obtaining a copy of the book for €8 may e-mail sarah.mallia @delasalle.edu.mt or borg. amanda@olis.edu.mt.
While enjoying a good read, the book is also an opportunity to show solidarity with families and individuals in need, as all profits will go to the MCCF.
Rita Azzopardi is a Year 6 teacher at De La Salle College.
Rita Azzopardi