A voyage into Mediterranean myths

Students from Giovanni Curmi higher secondary school, Naxxar, have for the past two years been undertaking an inspiring and enriching cultural voyage exploring Greek myths and folklore as part of a Comenius language project with a Greek school.

Entitled "From Acropolis to Calypso: a voyage into Mediterranean myth" the project with the Lycée Franco-Hellenique in Athens, compared the differences and similarities between the two countries' myths and folklore, using the English language as the common medium of communication. It was a voyage worth embarking on!

The project's highlight was the exchange of 20 students between each school. In April last year the Greek students came to Malta and visited the Hypogeum, Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples, and Calypso cave in Gozo, besides attending lectures and participating in other school activities with their Maltese partners.

Last October the Greek partner school hosted a ten-day visit by 20 Giovanni Curmi students accompanied by Denise Gatt and Ritienne Borg Saliba, teachers of English, and Pauline Miceli, assistant head. They visited the Acropolis, the Oracle at Delphi and some of the quaint islands close to Athens. Our students also followed lessons in various subjects at the lycée, some even in Greek!

The two partner schools' collaboration continued on our return to Malta. Our students researched further specific topics related to the places visited in Greece and combined this study with the research done by the Greek students. The project's final product - consisting of an exhibition and a slide show presentation - was put up in the school foyer on Parents' Day held on recently.