Year 6
TThis is the final year of primary school. A very important step in your child’s life.
During this scholastic year students will have a number of information sessions to prepare them for the next step in their school life. At the end of this year, the children will have the End of Primary Benchmark Assessment in English, Maltese and Mathematics. Children will have been prepared well for this assessment throughout the year. More information about the Benchmark, including past papers, are available online at www.curriculum.gov.mt under the section: Benchmark, including applications for access arrangements.
They will go through a transition exercise where they will be physically taken to visit the new school building.
During scholastic year 2018-2019, the Half-Yearly examinations in Year 6 are being replaced by continuous assessment, conducted throughout the year. The time previously spent doing the Half-Yearly examinations will be taken over by further teaching and learning. The annual examinations of Social Studies, Religious Education and Ethics Education will also be replaced by continuous assessment.
The Year 6 Annual Benchmark assessment will be held in May 2019.
An annual examination in Science is being introduced. A sample paper for Science is available here.
During this year the child will go through rapid growth. Thus, this means it will be of importance for you, as their guardian, to speak with your child about changes in their body which they might experience. If you require help from the school administration, help can be offered from PSCD or guidance teachers in their school.
This year your child will be making choices which will remain with them until the last year of compulsory schooling (Year 11). The child will be choosing a language that they will start learning in Year 7. The FLAP program can help the child make a better decision because they are exposed to a new foreign language at a very young age. More information is available here.
Some students who are talented in a Sports discipline or in an Art Form will have the opportunity to move to the National Sports School in Pembroke and to the Malta Visual and Performing Arts School in Hamrun. In both these schools, students participate in specific programmes related to their area of specialization, combined with the academic subjects.
Students and parents will be informed that the applications for both schools are open through a letter circular addressed to parents. Adverts on the Sunday newspapers, and on social media will also be published.
Unfortunately, bullying behaviors start to emerge at very young ages. Primary school settings offer a chance for educators to prevent and stop the emergence of bullying behavior and to work on the development of positive social interactions.
If you suspect that your child is suffering from bullying, anxiety or behavioural issues with their peers, help is available. We suggest that you make contact 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.
Q & A
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.
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
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
The Learning Outcomes Programme is available here.
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.
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. Benchmark exams will take place between 24th May and 14th June 2019.
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