Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546525
GozoToday is a weekly newspaper focused primarily on Gozo. It hopes to serve as a source of information on business, culture, entertainment and of course current affairs. Gozo has a special charm about it but it is also a bustling Island with an identity of its own. GozoToday is published every Friday and is available to numerous outlets in Gozo and on the ferries that carry so many visitors to Gozo from Malta and beyond. GozoToday MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan San Gwann SGN 9016 DEPUTY EDITOR: LAURA CALLEJA Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: lcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt 3 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 NEWS THE Diocese of Gozo has ap- pointed Miriam Portelli as the new head of its Safeguarding Commission, replacing Loraine Borg Cassar, who had led the commission since its establish- ment. Borg Cassar had asked to step down from the position at the beginning of 2025 due to fam- ily reasons and other commit- ments. She remained in the role until a successor was appointed. The Diocese thanked Borg Cassar for her professional work and dedication in setting up and leading the commission, par- ticularly in its efforts to protect minors and vulnerable people. It also thanked her for agreeing to continue assisting the commis- sion. The Diocese has also appointed Theresien Mizzi to join Francine Farrugia Magrin on the commis- sion's Investigation and Assess- ment Team, which is respon- sible for investigating reports received by the commission. The commission's Advisory Board is made up of profession- als who assess reports prepared by the Investigation and Assess- ment Team. Its members are Chantelle Azzopardi, Michael Galea, Pauline Grech, Simon Mifsud and Marie Claude Xerri. The Safeguarding Commis- sion also includes psychologists and counsellors who provide as- sistance to alleged victims and victims' families. This section is headed by Marlene Cauchi. Stanley Joe Portelli serves as the commission's legal consultant, while Marie Claude Xerri is re- sponsible for the commission's call centre. The Diocese welcomed Miri- am Portelli to her new role and wished her success in carrying out her duties. Miriam Portelli appointed Head of Gozo Diocese Safeguarding Commission CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 Byron Camilleri said the aim was not simply to refurbish school buildings but to improve students' and educators' every- day experience by providing a comfortable and safe environ- ment. "An institution that has been serving the community for more than 100 years is today being renewed so that it can contin- ue doing so for generations to come," Byron Camilleri said. The project includes the re- design of open and recreational areas, as well as new spaces for extracurricular subjects. Out- door recreational areas have al- so been upgraded with non-slip surfaces and artificial turf. A new air-conditioning system has been installed throughout the school, alongside upgraded lighting, water and drainage ser- vices, internet connectivity, se- curity cameras and alarms, and fire protection systems. Energy-efficiency measures have also been introduced as part of the refurbishment. Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri said the project would have a di- rect impact on children, families and the wider Kerċem commu- nity. "After completing the primary school in Nadur, as well as the Middle and Primary School in Victoria over the past years, this year it is the turn of Kerċem's children to enter a new prima- ry school here in Ta' Kerċem," Clint Camilleri said. Clint Camilleri said the school had effectively been stripped back to shell form before the works were carried out from the ground up. Despite the scale of the pro- ject, students continued attend- ing lessons on temporary prem- ises within the same school site while construction was under- way. This allowed works to pro- gress quickly and safely while keeping children within the school environment they were familiar with. Maria Cutajar, Head of Con- tracts Management at the FTS, said the extensive works had resulted in a school that would look and feel substantially dif- ferent to students returning in the new scholastic year. "This is another project in- volving a major investment by the FTS, where we carried out extensive improvements to this school, which is now around 100 years old," she said. "At the beginning of the new scholastic year, which starts this month, the children will enter a completely different school from the one they remember." Cutajar said the refurbished school would feature air condi- tioning, improved accessibility through a newly installed lift, a renovated hall and a large out- door area covered with artificial turf and rubber surfacing. She said the upgraded facilities would provide students with a more comfortable and safer environment for learning, add- ing that those involved in the project were looking forward to seeing the children enter the re- newed school for the first time. Project will have impact on children, families and the wider Kercem community, Gozo Minister says Education and Sport Minister Byron Camilleri and Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri Miriam Portelli