Filippo Zammit Primary School has long believed in the European dimension of education. It has been taking part in various European projects, including the Comenius Project, the Networking Project and the eTwinning Project, for these past five years. All projects emphasise this European dimension and are leading to the raising of self-esteem of all stakeholders at this small rural school.
The Comenius project "What's in your net, fisherman?" came to a close this scholastic year. The school has been working with European partners from Slovenia, Sweden, Finland and Italy. This year the project culminated in the presentation of the famous epic The Kalevala. Help was obtained from the Finnish Cultural Institute, the Finnish Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Tourism for Finland.
This famous Finnish epic was produced on stage for the occasion of this year's prize-giving ceremony. It was the first time that The Kalevala was produced here in Malta. The production was recorded on DVD and will be also shown in Finland.
Finnish contacts materialised after a visit by the head of school and another member of the staff to Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle. While the Maltese delegation was in Finland, contact was made with the Teacher Training College of the University of Lapland, resulting in the establishment of a joint project between the faculties of education of Lapland Univeristy and that of the University of Malta. An Erasmus project has materialised as a result of these contacts. There exists the possibility that students reading their Master's in Education can come to Malta as part of this project.
Another European project being undertaken is that of networking, in conjunction with the National College of School Leadership and the International Learning and Research Centre of UK. A two-year story-making project was undertaken among four primary local schools and four primary UK schools. This research study culminated in the National Conference of the EXCEL (Excellence through collaboration and enabling leadership) network, which is being held in Malta. All Maltese heads of schools were invited for this two-day conference and presented with a DVD of the research study. Next year the school will be working on a teacher-research project entitled "Raising Pupils' Self-Esteem".
One other European project worth mentioning is the eTwinning Project being undertaken with Cooper Perry Primary School of UK. Agreement has been reached between the two heads of school concerned to start working on an evaluation project through which they can evaluate each other's school. The UK head of school will be in Malta in October to finalise the action plan.
Filippo Zammit Primary School is also very proud to be utilising an interactive education Website entitled Extranet. This IT tool enables students, teachers and parents to keep constant contact with each other. Lessons can be sent home to the pupils, worked out, and sent back to be corrected. Parents can be kept informed of what is happening at school and take an active part in their children's education.
Although Filippo Zammit Primary School is a very small school yet it has managed to work on a number of European projects which have all emphasised the European dimension of education despite the many similarities and differences that exist between different European cultures.