THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE FEBRUARY 2011 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 16

ONLINE WEEKLY GAZETTE CREATING AN INTERACTIVE COLLEGE COMMUNITY OF INFORMATION & DEVELOPEMENT

THE EDWARDIAN GAZETTE

ST EDWARD’S COLLEGE

BIRGU (CITTA VITTORIOSA)

BRG 9039

MALTA, EUROPE

www.stedwards.edu.mt

The Edwardian Gazette

Weekly Online College Journal

Chief Editor

Mr Chittenden - Headmaster

hm@stedwards.edu.mt

Design, Production,

Photography & Advertising

M Fenech - Marketing Executive

marketing@stedwards.edu.mt

Weekly Calendar

Celine Ellis - Secretary

hmsec@stedwards.edu.mt

Front Cover

Cross-Country

Message from the HM The Reading Model Notice Board House Shield Points Sports Department Weekly Calendar

In this Issue

Quote of the Week

We can never obtain peace in the outer world ... until we make peace with ourselves.

Dalai Lama

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Message from the Headmaster

Dear Parents and Community Members On Tuesday evening, the College conducted a parent information session entitled Assisting with the Reading Process. Both theoretical and practical issues were explored. I was most impressed by the number of parents who attended. We had a packed house. Given the popularity of these sessions, I would like to draw your attention to the following workshops:

· Assisting with the Reading Process: KG and Year 1 Parents-Wed 16 Feb · Mathematics and Constructivism: KG – Wed 23 Feb · How to Support the Writing Process: Years 2-5 inclusive- Thurs 10 March · Mathematics and Constructivism: Years 1 and 2 – Wed 25 March

All sessions begin at 7pm More workshops will be advertised later. Given the need to photocopy material, I kindly as you to email me (hm@stedwards.edu.mt) if you wish to attend any of the above. Please name the actual workshop you would like to attend. The formative (early) years are so important; hence, the need to offer these workshops for these age groups. Please find below a summary of the main theoretical points made at the reading workshop. What is the Aim of Reading? Why do people read? The answers to these questions include finding out about things or understanding something. Often people read purely for entertainment. Whatever the answer, there is always a common ele-ment: people expect their reading activities to make sense; they expect to derive meaning from them. Continued on following pages………. Michael Chittenden Headmaster

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The Reading Model

Cue Systems Strategies

In order for reading to occur, three systems must be in operation to provide information for the reader. Fluent readers integrate these 3 cueing systems automatically and simultaneously. Graphophonic System. This system is concerned with the written symbols of language, and the way they should sound. A reader uses knowledge of spelling patterns and relates them to experience of spoken language. The graphophonic system is not a rigid correspondence between letter and sound, but a more flexible relationship between spelling patterns and sound sequences. Syntactic System. This system is concerned with the grammar of language. Through knowledge of the grammar of spoken language the reader expects that written language will follow similar rules (and word order), and thereby uses this system to anticipate meaning. Semantic System. This system is concerned with the understanding of the message from the writer by the reader. The reader brings past experi-ence to the reading situation and uses it to make sense of the message. If the reader is low on semantics in a particular subject, s/he will find the text difficult.

Written material

Graphophonic Relationship between the

sound of language and written lan-

guage

Syntactic Relationship between words,

phrases, and clauses

Semantic Relationship between written

Language and its meaning

predicting

testing

confirming

correcting

Meaning

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Reading Strategies. These are the four main strategies that readers must develop to successfully gain meaning from written material. 1. Prediction. The success of this strategy depends on the syntactic (grammatical) knowledge of the reader and on her/his past experience. The greater the reader’s knowledge about grammatical uses, the faster he/she can respond to written material and thereby suc-cessfully predict meaning. Also, if the reader’s past experience is relevant to a particular piece of reading material it will gener-ally be easier to understand than something which is totally outside the experience of the reader, especially if the language is outside that which they have experienced. 2. Testing. After predicting the meaning of some written material, the reader tests the prediction by asking questions like, ‘Does it make sense?’ ’ What does the word look like?’ 3. Confirming. The reader has to make a decision as to whether the predicting and testing strategies have proved correct. 4. Correction. If a prediction is not confirmed, then the reader uses his/her knowledge of the three systems – syntactic, graphophonic and se-mantic to correct it. Close study of early reading behaviour suggests there is a major shift, close to the beginning of reading, which marks the point where the child can detect he/she has made an error, can retrace steps and self correct. This self correction strategy means that the child can learn from mistakes (if they are few) and gain from reading when not being instructed. Conclusion. A reader expects to gain meaning from things read. If certain conventions are understood, such as where to start reading and that print runs from left to right and, most important, that print is supposed to be meaningful in a similar way to the way speech is meaningful, the reading process can begin to operate. A successful reader uses three cue systems simultaneously to predict, test, confirm, or correct responses. These are the grapho-phonic, syntactic and semantic systems. If any of these systems is working in isolation, reading may be impeded. Teachers need to be sure of providing meaningful material for children to read – letters or words in isolation are not meaningful and do not allow for the development of positive reading strategies. When all three systems are working effectively, the reader is achieving the aim of reading: that is, gaining meaning.

The Reading Model

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Committee

Honorary Life President Antoine Cachia Caruana M.O.M.

President

Peter Calleja (callejja@onvol.net)

Members James Arrigo (jamesarrigo@waldonet.net)

Edward Attard Montalto (burlington@onvol.net) Daniel Aquilina (daquilina@jmganado.com)

Trafford Busuttil (trafford@propertyline.com) Peter Paul Caruana (ncarson@melita.com)

Robert Gusman (robertgusman@melita.com)

The Quiz Evening I would like to congratulate Mr Chris Naudi and his team for hosting a terrific Quiz Evening last Friday night. The crowd was in very good spirits: there was lots of laughter and good sportsmanship. Mr Thomas, the quizmaster, threw in some tricky (and almost impossible) questions. An excellent night was had by all.

Notice Board

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House Shield Points

3rd 2nd 1st

House Points Updates

CONGREVE 30 pts

CAMPBELL 90 pts

DUCANE 60 pts

Results show points awarded for Cross Country

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Sports De

Malta Amateur Athletics Association Presentation On Monday 24 January Mr Tony Chircop (MAAA President ) and Mr Anthony Fava (MAAA Secretary), ofIn this year’s Cross Country, the boys managed to lead all 3 boys’ categories. Participants included Governm

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epartment

fficially presented our boys as the ‘Best Boys’ School’ for the second year in a row. ment, Church and Independent Schools.

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Sports D

Cross Country —

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Department

— Junior School

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Year 4 1st Sebastian D – Ducane 2nd Sebastian S – Congreve 3rd Andrea G - Ducane

Year 5 1st Harry P.E. – Duc2nd Andrew C – Con3rd Sam Z.C. - Duc

Junior School Cross

Sports De

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cane ngreve cane

House classification (includes all runners) 1st Ducane (96pp) 2nd Campbell (107pp) 3rd Congreve (121pp)

s-Country Results

epartment

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Sports Dep

Aggregate Placing H1st Campbell (330pp) 92nd Ducane (350pp) 63rd Congreve (401pp) 3

Joshua C 1st (Senior School)

Daniel B 1st

Under 11 – 2km Time recorded

1st Stephen C - Campbell 8.11 2nd Luigi D - Campbell 8.25 3rd Alistair G - Congreve 8.38

Middle & Senior School

Under 12 – 2.7 km Time recorded 1st Daniel B - Ducane 11.41 2nd Chritian C - Congreve 11.54 3rd Robert N - Campbell 12.20

Seniors – 3.6km Tim1st Joshua C – Campbell 12nd Jeremy M – Campbell 13rd Philip P – Congreve 1

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partment

House Points 90points 60points 30points

Ryan B 1st (U15)

(U12)

Cross-Country Results

Under 13 – 2.7km Time recorded 1st Matthew G – Campbell 10.47 2nd Timmy A – Campbell 11.02 3rd Matthew A H - Ducane 11.19

Under 15 – 3.6km Time recorded 1st Ryan B – Ducane 13.10 2nd Malik J – Campbell 13.28 3rd Luke G – Ducane 13.29

me recorded 12.53 13.40.08 13.40.12

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This Week at St Edward’s College

Monday 7 February Beginning of Live-in for Yr 6

Tuesday 8 February

8.40

Live-in for Yr 6 Mass in the Chapel for Yr 11

Wednesday 9 February 11.00 SMT End of Live-in for Yr 6

Thursday 10 February Public Holiday - Feast of St Paul

Friday 11 February

Saturday 12 February

Sunday 13 February

Calendar Information Please follow this link for the Advent & Lent Calendar The latest version of the Calendar is on the website. Please do not refer to the College Student diary as it contains errors.