The students of Fra Diego Bonanno Girls' School in Marsa have focused on health and safety throughout the last scholastic year in a project that saw them tackle numerous aspects of the theme.
They learned, for example, about the dangers of the Maltese festa - fireworks, junk food, rivalry.
They were also made aware of the perils of drugs, smoking and alcohol, environmental hazards, safety on the road and on the beach, safe relationships, dangers from the sun, risks during sports, ear damage caused by loud music, and emergency telephone numbers and helplines, among other topics.
And they learned about safe entertainment, for which they downloaded an interesting pamplet called 'Make your parties rock - a guide to alcohol-free entertainment and leisure activities'.
Information was made available in packs collated from material downloaded from the internet or obtained from other sources.
The school found much support from various organisations and individuals who enhanced the project with their input. The civil protection department and the police staged demonstrations and simulations, while MDP officials, representatives of Alfred Gera & Sons and officials from the Health Promotion Unit gave presentations.
A seminar for the senior forms facilitated by sedqa officials added a further dimension to the project.
Also very relevant to the theme was an interactive show by the Canadian group Lifeforce International, which led students to see the consequences of different choices.
Presentations by different classes were made at assembly and during a special session for parents. These included poems, commentaries about the charts produced, tips and advice to ensure safety in different situations.
Two of the most original features provided food for thought in that they dealt with dangers at the festa while attempting to create the atmosphere of the Maltese festa with band music provided by Vittoriosa local council. The message was driven home that one can enjoy a festa without too much drink, fireworks and rivalry.
The results of all the school's efforts were put together in an exhibition mounted for Prize Day. Students visited the exhibition and filled in worksheets meant to assess how much they had learnt.
A play, 'Tajjeb taghzel tajjeb' (On making the right choices), written by head of school Margaret Psaila, offered a chance to reflect on the lifestyle of modern youths and the dangers they often have to face.
"Let's hope that our students will keep in mind much of what they have learnt about the dangers of alcohol, smoking, drugs, unhealthy relationships, unhealthy eating habits, indifferent attitudes towards the environment, risks at home, at work, or on the road," said Ms Psaila.