Abstract 3.6 – Caritas et Veritatem: Love, Truth and Justice in Today’s World

Mark Demicoli

Building on the themes of previous papal encyclicals, Pope Benedict XVI addresses some of the most pressing issues of our time in his encyclical Caritas in Veritate or Charity in Truth. This encyclical is broad reaching and covers several topics such as the ethics of contemporary economics, poverty and development, global solidarity, rights and duties, charity, justice and the common good, and also the stewardship of the environment. With the focus on Jesus Christ and his example of unconditional love, Pope Benedict invites us to look at global issues through the eyes of charity. This workshop will give you an introduction to this encyclical and will be illustrated through some case studies and personal examples.

Abstract 3.7 – The guidance and counselling services at St Benedict College

Karl Paul Coleiro
St Benedict’s College
3.7 Bridging the Gap Between Vision and Reality in Our Catholic Schools

In this session an outline will be given about the guidance and counselling services offered at St Benedict College. The guidance and counselling team, besides working in the secondary sector for quite a number of years, was introduced to the primary sector in 2006, and since then the services have grown and developed even with the introduction of the multidisciplinary team. This new college-based team is made up of the College Counsellor, two trainee counsellors, the College Prefect of Discipline, the Social Worker and the trainee career advisor. The aim of our services is to ensure the contentment of our students in order to provide a stable environment for a healthy and strong self-development. Furthermore these services target the enhancement of well-being from a tender age and provide support to students on a socio-emotional level. The underlying values by which these services are rendered enhance moral stability, spiritual sound values and are given within the Catholic spirit.

Abstract 2.4 – Fostering Values Through Literature

Ms Marlene Saliba

Literature engages the readers’ spiritual, intellectual and emotional faculties and often leads to insights about life. In their involvement with stories, students discover how human values, attitudes, and choices may affect thoughts, feelings and actions. For example, they learn how oppression and disrespect for individual and group rights may lead to anger, rebellion and violence, and how love, dignity and justice are related to joy, stability and peace.

During literature lessons, critical analysis and discussion of literary texts, biblio-counselling and creative writing are all of vital importance to help identify and cultivate those positive values and skills which promote personal and societal well-being and development. The short talk considers such inter-related approaches that teachers may follow to foster values through literature.

Abstract 2.7 – United by Faith: the Parents in the Equation

Mrs. Tutzi Cassar  B.Pharm.Hons.
Youth 4 Jesus (Y4J) leader
www.y4jmalta.org

Our children are incarnate beings, having body , mind, soul and spirit. Unfortunately society has focused almost only on bringing up physically healthy and educated children, forgetting the important dimension of feeding our children’s spirit. The consequence is obvious, we have brought up spiritually starved children, evident from the anger, rebellion and hurt we see in them. In this workshop we will discuss various ways of feeding our children’s spirit to be able to pass on our faith in an alive, dynamic, contemporary, relevant to the 21^st century  way. A tall order, yet possible!

Abstract 2.6 – ‘Come to me and I will give you Rest’: Stories of Healing and Empowerment in the Face of Conflict and Fragmentation

Mr Mario Testa, Principal, Marija Regina College
Ms M’Rose Leone, Head of School, Mellieha Primary
Mr Anthony Grech, Marija Regina Boys’ Secondary School, Marsa
Ms Frances Agius, School Counsellor, Maria Regina College

What happens to a child at home has a profound lasting impact on his/her achievement and attitudes at school. If the home experience is negative, children are found to be impaired on self-esteem and relations with peers. They often display aggressive behaviour and are significantly more likely to be withdrawn. For all children to succeed, schools have adopted an ever increasing pastoral role.

Educators are constantly challenged by the ever changing family composition, cultural backgrounds, values and beliefs which are not always in consonance with that of the school or with proper upbringing of children.

This seminar attempts to highlight some of the difficulties and burdens which students carry with them on a daily basis and the support that educators give to these students in a bid to help them become the person they should be.

abstract 3.3 – Exclusion vs Inclusion: A Catholic Approach to World Religions

Fr. Alfred Agius
EO Religion (Ed. Department)

This session is about religions that find their root in human being.

Primitive religions are the true search of man to find his creator and develop his moral needs. The first principles of these religions are rules that led us to become like God (Buddhism). We can obtain this only  by the help of divinity that becomes part of our humanity (Shinto)

During different centuries, many people were secluded out being considered impure, not able to live the standard society has reached (exclusion).

We have learnt that salvation is for all. Nowadays through the Christian religion people have understood this basic principle. We can now through values and human rights principles, rediscover our own religion and the common ground with all people around the word. Something we learn from John XXIII is: “Let us look at what unites us rather than what divides us”.

Abstract 1.5 – In the Footsteps of St Paul

Ms Maria Montebello
St Benedict College

What can St Paul, who lived nearly two thousand years ago, teach our children and youth in today’s world? This is the pursuit that St Benedict College followed through the jubilee of the Pauline Year in 2009. In the light of the special link our islands have always had with our Father St Paul, St Benedict College welcomed Pope Benedict XVI’s invitation to celebrate, together with the Universal Church, the Pauline year not just as an occasion for a number of celebrations that will just pass by but as a driving force towards giving our college community a chance of rediscovering the strength that comes from the faith that we have always embraced. The Christian faith has always been intertwined with that which gave us our identity as a people and nation.

Abstract 1.2 – Role of Lay Educators in Catholic Schools

Ms Josephine Vassallo
Assistant Director for Humanities within the Curriculum Management & eLearning Department

“The Catholic School is a school for the person and of persons. In fact, it aims at forming the person in theintegral unity of his being, busing the tools of teaching and learning where ‘criteria of judgement,determing values, points of interest, lines of thought,  sources of inspiration and models oflife are formed”

Educating Together in Catholic Schools (Congregation for Catholic Education 2008)

Education goes beyond academic ministry. The Lay Educator in a Catholic School can fulfill the purposes of education if he/she builds upon a values system built on God as the particular basing point, built on a personal friendship with Jesus, following Him and being like him, sharing and promoting his values and way of life.  The Lay Educator focuses more on forming children into becoming leaders and effective agents for Christ in the world, thus developing the mind, body and soul to help the student learn to make wise choices in line with the will of God.

Abstract 1.3 – Responding to Learners’ Diversity in informal learning settings: Differentiated Instruction at the Society of Christian Doctrine in Malta

Emanuel Mizzi
St. Margaret’s College Boys’ Secondary Verdala, Malta

Differentiated instruction for diverse learners has been generally applied to compulsory education. However, the challenge of learner diversity is faced by other educational institutions. In Malta, most children attend twice weekly evening classes in Christian formation at the centres of the Society of Christian Doctrine. This paper is part of a study (Mizzi, 2007) aimed at exploring how catechists at these centres try to facilitate the learning and participation of all. A qualitative approach was adopted. Six catechists and three children from classes in six different centres responded to semi-structured interviews, following observations of each catechist in three lessons. Data analysis yielded five key themes: (i) catechists perceived their classrooms as very diverse; (ii) the adoption of inclusive attitudes to all; (iii) educating in solidarity values; (iv) the planning and organising of differentiated learning; v) challenging and enabling factors were reported by catechists in their struggle to reach out to all.  This presentation focuses on the caring and inclusive attitudes adopted by these catechists towards learner diversity:  the openness to each learner inherent in his vocation, ensuring that everyone enjoyed himself and learned, the attitude towards classroom discipline, viewing disability as enriching, and learning with the children.  As regards the first attitude, these catechists tried to be a model of God’s care to the children, reached out to them, gave priority to establishing a relationship with each child, got to know the whole person, gave him/her their best, and listened and respected him/her.

Abstract 1.5 – Developing Character and Virtue through the Example of Inspiring Individuals and 20th Century Saints

Antoinette Laferla
Department of Education

Describing first the four cardinal virtues, i.e. prudence, justice, restraint of temperance, courage or fortitude and then the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity, I will then explore these virtues in the lives of three important saints, San Gorg Preca, an account of his life of faith, his virtues, his teaching and his apostolate. St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, also known as Edith Stein with her virtues of moral excellence and righteousness etc.St Maximilian Kolbe who cleared the darkness of death and despair by sacrificing his life for another.