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Year 1

Year 1 is a continuation of Early Years, with an initiation of more primary and formal learning. Children will learn different areas including English, Maltese, Mathematics, Religion/Ethics, Science, and Social Studies. Children will have sessions of Physical Education, Art, Drama, and Music.

You can find more information on each subject here.

Parents who wish their children to have Ethics Education instead of Religious Education should check with the Head of School whether this choice is available at their school. Then they should inform the Head of School accordingly.

If your child is finding it difficult to adapt to this new school environment, or is finding it hard to settle down, it is of utmost importance to speak with the school administration, who have experience in dealing with these kinds of issues and can lead you to the best way you can help your child adapt and start enjoying the beauty of school.

This year your child will start the basics to learn how to read and write. Practice at home is encouraged. Other literacy resources are available here.

We encourage you to be aware of what the child is doing, including when using technology, as it can be as detrimental as it can be useful to a child’s development.
 

Q & A

How do I register my child into school for the first time?

Once a child reaches the age of 5, parents or the respective guardians are obliged to register them with an accredited school by law.

One can register their child according to the locality of residence. If for example, one resides in Zejtun, then the parent needs to go to Zejtun Primary. If parents need to register the child in a school which is not within the locality of residence, they need to go to the Office of the College Principal of the school they intend to send their child to and register the child there. Since the second case is an out of locality scenario, parents will be advised on whether there is availability within their school of choice, or not.

An out of locality request is very much an exception and parents must have a genuine reason, and provide evidence that such request is due to a genuine need.

Where can I purchase my child’s uniform?

Uniforms can be purchased from ‘Yorkie Clothing’, Triq San Giljan, B'Kara BKR 2808 (Near Mater Dei Hospital). During the summer holidays Yorkie Clothing’ collaborates with Colleges and offer to sell uniforms in one or more schools, on fixed dates. These dates will be given to parents through the schools within that particular College.

What is the school’s healthy-eating policy?

Schools give priority to the children’s well-being in a holistic manner and we believe that healthy eating is a very major part of a child’s development. Information about the healthy eating policy in schools is available at: https://bit.ly/2JuLv71

What sort of educational experience can one expect at Year 1?

A good overview of the curriculum for this age group can be found here.

What can I do to help my child during this year?

Parents/guardians can support and complement their child’s learning experience by keeping track of the learning experience being conducted in school. Parents are encouraged to communicate regularly with their children about their daily experience at school, listen to what the children have to say and support requests for support by the children. Talking to one’s children is time well-invested. Parents should also make available additional books and other educational resources at home so that children can further expand their learning experiences. Such resources can be borrowed from public or school libraries.According to the children’s age, parents may spend time reading to their children in both English and Maltese, or encourage the children to read a variety of genres which are of interest to them.

Educational toys can also support children to delve deeper in areas that are relevant and of interest to them. Educational entertainment resources, including educational digital games, help to increase the children’s experiences. Time spent on such entertainment should be balanced out with other time spent doing physical activity and socializing.
In case of difficulties that a child may be facing at school, the parent should contact either the teacher or the Head of School to clarify any issues. Only if the parent is not satisfied with the reply received, should he/she contact the office of the College Principal.

Informal outside school activities such as participating in sports, music, arts, dance, drama, etc, or attending clubs which help the children to socialize and to widen their experiences and skills required for lifelong learning, is suggested. Physical activities such as sports, walks in the countryside and other similar activities help the children to grow healthy. This should be complemented by a daily healthy lunch and dinner, according to the children’s age.

What are the school dates?

The next scholastic year will commence on the 26th of September 2018. The mid-term holidays will be between the 1st and the 5th November. Christmas holidays will start on the 24th of December 2018 and school will start the second term on the 7th January 2019.

Carnival holidays will be on the 4th and 5th March 2019 whilst the Easter holidays will begin on the 17th April until the 25th April 2019.


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