Author: Siggiewi Primary

In a ceremony held on 31st May, the Healthy Lifestyle Award 2012 was awarded to Siġġiewi Primary. The school placed first in the Primary Schools section. The award was the result of many years of endeavours in the quest to improve the health of the entire community by teaching pupils and parents ways to establish a healthy lifestyle.

An environment conducive to the enjoyment of a healthy lifestyle is created through an ongoing whole school approach towards the implementation of the school policy. One of the action plans in the school’s SDP is specifically focused on a healthy lifestyle. A myriad of activities aim at inculcating healthy eating habits in pupils through talks and healthy food preparation for pupils from Kinder to Year 6. The Healthy Breakfast Activity for Year 3 and mid-day break Cooking Club for Year 4 are complemented by a fully-fledged kitchen garden in the school premises. Year 6 pupils helped keep this garden up to standard by means of another mid-day break club.

Healthy lunches are requested through the School Policy and white milk and water are provided and promoted. The new Veggie and Fruit Stall in the Kinder playroom helps to inculcate the need to eat such healthy food from an early age. Meetings for parents with the medical doctor, dental hygienist and other professionals help to get them on board. The school also provides healthy lifestyle cards which are taken home weekly by year 1 and year 2 pupils. HESC staff also provide practical intervention sessions for parents at school and articles regarding healthy lifestyle are published in the school newsletter.

This year the school participated in the President’s Fun Run to further promote exercise. Daily exercise is done as first thing through the Brain Gym. PE lessons follow throughout the day and various sports activities for each year group run parallel to the promotion of eating habits named above. Certain classes also hold short movement sessions between lessons as a means of exercise. Parents take part in Zumba sessions which are held weekly after school hours.

All these activities are co-ordinated by the school’s own action group for healthy lifestyle. The committee is made up of members of staff, parents and pupils. Ms Camilleri, Assitant Head of School who co-ordinates Healthy Lifestyle at Siggiewi Primary and Mr Decelis, Acting Head, received the first Prize Trophy presented by Ms Micheline Sciberras, Director General of Education (DES), in the presence of Mr George Borg, Director Student Services, and Ms Anna-Maria Gilson, Service Manager for Projects and Initiatives.

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On the 25th and 27th April 2012, staff from the Home Economics Seminar Centre in liason with the Senior Management Team and teachers at Siġġiewi Primary school conducted interactive activities based on the theme of healthy eating.  The objectives of these activities were to instil in Year 6 students knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable them to make healthier food choices and plan, prepare and serve healthy packed lunches and snacks.

An interactive presentation using ICT was facilitated among all Year 6 students.  In congruence with the subject of Home Economics, a constructivist learner-centred pedagogy was adopted during the seminar where students actively participated and discussed via the case studies and real-life scenarios.  Additionally, students participted in a hands-on practical session where they gained practical skills in meal planning, food preparation, personal safety and food hygiene.  All year 6 student who were present for these sessions planned, prepared and served fish and vegetables patties which they could eat as a snack or get for their packed lunch.  The patties were prepared using healthy, seasonal and sustainable ingredients.  Some of the ingredients used, namely cauliflower, parsely and mint, were grown by the students themselves at the school garden of Siġġiewi Primary school.  The patties were balanced and nutrient-dense providing a rich source of carbohydrates, fibre, protein, a number of vitamins and minerals.  This seminar also equiped students with practical ideas for preparing snacks/packed lunches which are economically sustainable, have inviting taste, texture, aroma and aesthetics as well as convenient in both production time and process.  One cannot fail to mention the look of satistifacation on the students’ faces upon completing their patties and taking them out of the oven.  Students also conducted self- and peer-to-peer evaluation of the practical session.

The positive practice taken by Siġġiewi Primary school in sustaining a school garden as well as in maintaining and promoting their Food and Nutrition Policy is to be commended and celebrated.  The ongoing collaboration between the Home Economics Seminar Centre and Siġġiewi Primary school is certainly reaping fruit whilst enabling and empowering students and their families lead a healtheir and more sustainable lifestyle.

Ms. Therese Borg Mifsud

on behalf of HESE

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Fl-Open Day fl-iskola tas-Siġġiewi din l-iskola kienet imballata bit-tfal, ġenituri u l-pubbliku inġenerali. Ħarġu fil-beraħ l-inizjattivi u l-kapaċitajiet tat-tfal f’oqsma diversi, l-aktar dawk fejn kien hemm attivitajiet li setgħu jipparteċipaw fihom it-tfal.  Ma setax jonqos għalhekk li l-klassi ddedikata għax-xogħol tat-tafal, tkun waħda li ġibdet lejha ħafna tfal.  Il-Banda San Nikola tal-lokal u Siġġiewi Scouts Group daru mal-kurituri tal-iskola u għamlu effett sabiħ u taw pjaċir lil dawk kollha preżenti.

Matul din il-ġurnata kien hemm spazju kbir iddedikat għas-snajja tradizzjonali.  F’diversi  kmamar oħra kien hemm persuni li jnaqqxu l-ġebel, jaħdmu l-injam, ikabbru n-naħal u oħrajn.  Ma naqasx xogħol sabiħ tal-ganutell u l-bizzilla, fidda fuq il-ħġieġ u xogħol fl-injam fuq it-torn.  Il-Mużew uniku tal-istorja tal-edukazzjoni kien miftuħ għal din l-okkażżjoni.  Fil-bieb jilqa’ l-pubbliku dieħel kien hemm mużiċist idoqq l-accordion flimkien ma’ żewġt itfal lebsin l-għonella li taw dehra ferm tradizzjonali Maltija.

Fi tmiem l-Open Day u t-Talent Show Talentagħna, is-Sur Patrick Decelis Aġent Kap tal-Iskola, qal li l-għanjiet kollha tal-okkażżjoni ntlaħqu. L-ewwel għan kien li l-iskola tiftaħ il-bibien għall-pubbliku biex jara x-xogħol li jsir ġewwa l-iskola; it-tieni għan kien li tingħata importanza lill-kultura Maltija permezz ta’ snajja Maltin u jinġabru flus għal akkwarju li tant jixtiequ t-tfal.

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