Wednesday, 5 December 2018

Buone Feste (Happy Holidays)

As 2018 comes closer to the end, I reflect on the very busy year it has been for the Italian learning program. We commenced the year with a new Australian Curriculum for Languages and the introduction of compulsory second language learning for all students in Year 3. With a curriculum that outlines content to be taught over two hours per week and only 50 minutes per week to deliver it, it has been necessary to work at an extraordinary pace. I have been incredibly impressed by the resilience of children across all levels to cope with this demanding expectation. Each and every student has given of themselves to the very best of their ability, and as such, they should be extremely proud of their efforts.

Highlights for 2018 include:
The Australian/Italian E-Pals initiative
During a trip to Italy last year, I was able to establish a relationship with two primary schools within a network of schools in the North of Italy. Children from Rooms 17 and 12 have exchanged letters with students within Istituto Comprensivo, Baveno informing them of Christmas traditions, as well as describing a little about themselves. It is anticipated this initiative will expand in 2019 with more communication and hopefully including more classes in this wonderful opportunity.

The first Italian Assembly during my time at Wattle Grove in Term 3. Children from Year 1 to Year 6 show-cased a little of what they had been learning through music. Learning a language through music assists immensely with acquisition and retention of vocabulary and grammar patterns. All children sang with energy and passion and demonstrated the notion of acquiring a language through repeated exposure and specific context. 

Children in the Mini Mac class were invited to enter a poster competition through the Italo-Australian Welfare and Cultural Centre. It was very exciting for Shreya, Joella, Daniel, Kayla and Anjelina who were all selected as finalists.

Earlier in Term 4, Italian was represented through the performance of the pantomime Cenerentola (see previous post) at the Arts Festival evening in Week 3. Several children were invited to perform alongside two very special (albeit not so attractive), guest teachers. The support and good humour of Mr. Sherlock and Mr. Eaves who dressed up as the Ugly Stepsisters was gratefully appreciated as they pranced around the stage in stunning (or should I write, ridiculous) frocks. 

Personally, I feel very fortunate and excited to be travelling to Italy at the end of the year. During a 3 and a half week period, I will be extending my language skills through a two week program in Milan. As well, I aim to visit the two schools for which I made a connection with earlier in the year in the beautiful town of Baveno that lies on Lago Maggiore in the North of Italy. I encourage all my students to check the Italian Blog during January as I hope to be posting photographs and a brief travel log during my time. Until then...auguro a tutti voi e alle vostre famiglie una vacanza felice e sicura e un Natale tranquillo. I wish you all and your families a happy and safe holiday and a peaceful Christmas. 

Signora Isaia

Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Cenerentola (Cinderella) at Wattle Grove Primary School's Arts Festival

Ciao a tutti

In week 3, Wattle Grove Primary School students were provided an opportunity to demonstrate, yet again, their diverse and extraordinary talents at the Arts Festival held on the 23rd October. Italy being a country steeped in a culture of arts that has flourished for thousands of years, the Arts Festival was an opportunity to showcase the beautiful Italian language. It was my privilege to invite a select number of students to participate in a short Italian pantomime, Cenerentola (Cinderella).

Grazie mille to the following students who gave up several lunch times to rehearse and many hours at home to learn their lines. You were all amazing and made me so very proud.

Shweta (Room 27) - as Cinderella. Shweta not only had a lot of lines to learn, she also learned the well known Disney song: A Dream is a Wish (Un Sogno e` un Desiderio) in Italian and sang like an angel. She looked absolutely stunning and was the perfect Cenerentola.


Farin (Room 29) - as the Prince. It was delightful to see Farin take on the role of the Prince. As in traditional pantomime, the prince is usually played by a female. Farin carried herself with such poise and was a truly noble prince.



Alka (Room 22) - as the Footman. Overcoming some early nerves, Alka displayed resilience and self-belief to portray her role with the perfect, regal air of confidence.

Elaha (Room 29) - as the Fairy Godmother. Complete with 'moonboot' having recently sustained a leg fracture, Elaha did not let this stop her putting in a gorgeous and graceful performance of the lovable Fairy Godmother.



Francis (Room 22) - as the Ugly Stepmother. Again adhering to the tradition of pantomime, Francis was fearless in taking on a role few would dare. He portrayed the role of the Ugly Stepmother with gusto and fierce determination. This proved necessary to keep two very unattractive 'young' ladies in line...


Nikki (Room 23), Mehrry and Janika (Room 15) as the show stealing mice and horses. What an absolute treat it was to watch these three beautiful, bright and bubbly young ladies steal the limelight from their older peers as they perfected their lines and showed discipline and 100% commitment to their small but very important roles.

Mitchell (Room 18), Alexia (Room 29) and Shreya (Room 22). Three of Wattle Grove Primary School's most promising public speakers took on the roles of the narrators. Special thanks to Shreya who volunteered to take on the role with only two or three rehearsals left and spoke so eloquently. My gratitude to the ever reliable Mitchell and to Alexia for taking on the challenging role as the Italian narrator. You are both exceptional, articulate and expressive speakers. In addition, all three narrators were on standby to 'save' their performing peers by providing prompts for any lines that may have been forgotten. They took on this additional responsibility with maturity and professionalism and certainly provided a couple of perfect and rather humorous 'saves'.



Sanj (Room 8) - Palace Nobleman. Whilst many, many students expressed interest in being a part of Cenerentola, it was unfortunately only possible to cast very few. I was so impressed, however, with the tremendous enthusiasm Sanj displayed to be a part of the show. His offer to help in any way possible, was something I could not ignore. A grateful thank you to Sanj for his commitment and for doing such a great job in a small, but important role.


Signori Sherlock e Eaves as the Ugly Stepsisters. Well, what can I say? After several budding child actors were unable to fulfill their roles, I realised it was necessary to come up with a Plan B. Just as I was about to pull my hair out, I spotted Mr. Sherlock and Mr. Eaves in the staffroom and started imagining how divinely 'ugly' they would look in a dress. Needless to say, the pair took little convincing. From the very first rehearsal, these good sports displayed acting genius. They took to their roles with femininity and girlish charm. I was left wondering if in fact, this hadn't been their first time they had donned a frock....?




















A heartfelt thanks to all my wonderful cast for their tremendous commitment and dedication to the production. It was obvious from the reactions from the audience you were all phenomenal.

As with any production, no matter how big or how small, there are always others working behind the scenes to ensure its success. Cenerentola would not have come together without the tremendous help and support from Signore Queiros and Chaplyn providing assistance with props and backstage. Further, I am incredibly appreciative for the ever patient Signor Sanderson for his technical support and impeccable timing with the sound queues. Grazie, grazie mille a tutti.

Thursday, 9 August 2018

Italian Assembly Term Three

At the first assembly of Term 3, children from Year 1 to 6 showcased a little of what they have been learning in Italian through music.
Learning a language through music assists immensely with acquisition and retention of vocabulary and grammar patterns. Language and music have been described as ‘kindred spirits’. Both have rhythm, tone, melody, pitch, volume and pauses. Both can be learned through repeated exposure. Learning the lyrics of a particular language presents vocabulary in specific context. Children demonstrated this notion as they sang of concepts familiar and relevant to their world.
All the children performed with energy and passion. The assembly opened with a rousing chorus of the Wattle Grove Primary School Song in Italian by Year 3 to Year 6 children. Year 1s stole hearts with their bright singing and adorable actions to Buongiorno [a song of greetings], and Years 2 to 4 bopped along enthusiastically to Il Coccodrillo Come Fa. The assembly was brought to a close with a heart-warming rendition of Come un Pittore [Like a Painter], a contemporary Italian song written by a very popular Italian band Moda and performed by Year 5 and 6 students.
Signora Q and I were so very proud of all the students whom all gave 120%, as is the Wattle Grove Way. A very special mention goes to Fearne from Room 22 who put in a tremendous effort learning and performing beautifully on her guitar, Come un Pittore. Special thanks also, to Jacob, Sienna and Luke from Room 18 who were selected as the presenters. They took on the challenge with courage and enthusiasm and were brilliant! Lastly, several students from Years 2 to 4 were selected as soloists for parts in Il Coccodrillo Come Fa. They sang with expression and beautiful pronunciation and demonstrated commitment by giving up their lunch time for rehearsal. It was a joyous assembly that could not have been achieved without the support and dedication of Signora Q. I felt both humbled and privileged to be a part of bringing the school together through music and the beauty of the Italian language.
Signora Isaia

Thursday, 5 April 2018

Italian Pen and E-Pal Project

It is very exciting to confirm that a relationship has been established with a network of schools in Baveno, north of Italy. At the end of 2017, children in rooms 17 and 12 wrote in Italian to the students of Feriolo Primary School, telling them a little about themselves and their family traditions. It was wonderful for the children to read the letters that were received in return.
I have recently received correspondence from another school within the network, Fogazzaro. Students from this school have an English club where they have been studying Australian animals. They have shared projects they have been working on about the animals native to their part of Italy. Throughout the April school holidays, I will be considering what class, or group of students will have the opportunity to build a relationship with the students of this new school. In the meanwhile, please take the time to read a little about school life on the other side of the world, in beautiful Italy. Grazie per l'attenzione.

Friday, 26 January 2018

Benvenuti i genitori, la famiglia e gli amici.

Welcome parents, family and friends 
to the Italian Program at Wattle Grove Primary School.
Dear Parents and Guardians

My name is Kylie Isaia (or as I am known to the students, Signora Isaia). This is my third year teaching Italian at Wattle Grove, after a tremendously exciting two years getting to know your children. I feel truly blessed teaching at a school with such cultural diversity and high expectations of student learning. Just as I am confident your children have engaged and learned a lot about the Italian language and culture, I too have learned from your children, their culture, their thirst for knowledge, their unique talents and personalities. 

In 2018 all students from years 2 to 6 will revise and extend their vocabulary, knowledge and understanding of the Italian culture. For families with students in year 1, commencing their Italian learning journey, I wish to take this opportunity to introduce myself and provide you a summary of my approach to teaching and learning, as well as a bit about the Italian program for this year.

 A little about myself….
I married into an Italian family 20 years ago and quickly resurrected my love for the Italian language and culture having studied it for several years at school. Over the last 10 years my family have derived immense reward from hosting Italian exchange students, building lifelong relationships with them and their families. My husband and I and our two daughters have been fortunate to travel to Italy to absorb ourselves in the language and the culture and I have witnessed firsthand the profound benefits our daughters have gained from their own independent exchange experiences. 

Benefits of learning an additional language
The Australian Government have recognised the benefits of children learning an additional language, reintroducing a compulsory language curriculum for primary and early secondary students commencing this year and supporting six languages, including Italian. “Research shows learning languages develops children’s overall literacy, strengthening literacy-related capabilities that are transferable across learning areas” (Australian Government Early Learning Languages Initiative, 2015).  As well as teaching values of acceptance, tolerance and understanding of other cultures, learning an additional language has far reaching advantages including enhanced communication, academic and critical thinking skills and significantly, personal skills including increased self-confidence, self-esteem and resilience (Department of Education, NSW).

Why Italian?
The Italian language is considered to be one of the closest languages to English with a large percentage of both languages derived from Latin origins. For the many students at Wattle Grove that have English as their second language, Italian will assist in enriching their English vocabulary due to many similar and familiar language roots. Phonetically, Italian is one of the easiest foreign languages to read, write and pronounce. Competence in the Italian language may provide future career opportunities particularly in the areas of the arts, music, sciences, film, fashion, cuisine and hospitality.  Knowledge of Italian may be particularly  beneficial for students studying music and is often necessary for tertiary academic, business and social research students (Italian Language Centre).  Of course for families hoping to travel to Italy and the many parts of Europe where Italian is spoken, being able to speak a little of the local language can add immense satisfaction to the travel experience.

Italian at Wattle Grove Primary School
The Italian program for 2018 will incorporate study of both the language and culture. It is designed in accordance with the outcome requirements of the Western Australian Curriculum. Students will be taught in line with a whole school explicit instruction approach, including weekly vocabulary warm-ups designed to aid retention. With my personal background in music and the theatre arts, lessons will be designed to engage students and delivered to meet different learning styles, for example, through the use of technology, drama, music and play-based activities in conjunction with more formal delivery styles.

Homework and how you can help
Learning a new language requires commitment and regular practice.  As the timetable is only able to accommodate a 50 minute period, once per week, parents can assist their children by prompting them to share new words they have learned each week.  Homework will only ever consist of a few words, a phrase, or a sentence that I will encourage and challenge children to find ways of incorporating into daily conversations.

For families and children wanting to extend their knowledge, I recommend the program Duolingo, available free both online at www.duolingo.com and also as an iPad/phone application. The program provides mini lessons that can be completed in as little as 5 minutes, and enables children to set their own learning goals.

If you would like to learn more about the Italian program for 2018, I welcome the opportunity to meet with you. I am available by appointment by phoning the school, or alternatively, feel free to email me at kylie.isaia@education.wa.edu.au. 

Apprendimento felice! Happy learning!

Wednesday, 8 November 2017

Letters from Pompeii

Year 5 and 6 students recently completed a unit learning about the devastation of Pompeii after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, near Naples, Italy on the 24th August, 79 AD. Children read the letters of an eye witness account from Pliny the Younger to his historian friend, Tacitus. As part of their assessment for the unit, children were to write a letter to a loved one as if they lived through the devastation of that tragic 24 hours in history. I was extremely impressed by the commitment many of our students made to writing a creative and emotive letter. The following is a beautifully recorded letter depicting the essence of the era, written by Catherine from Room 28. 




My Dear Antonio,

What I have to tell you is one thing history will never forget.

I was doing what I was usually doing, practicing what Mother and Father say I am great at, drawing. I was reclining on the luscious sofa drawing my beautiful view of Herculaneum, one of my neighboring cities. All of a sudden, the ground shook a little and my mother felt as if something was terribly wrong. "Darling, tell Astios to send a message to your father saying: come home quick!" The ground is only shaking but I feel as if something is terribly wrong! And Darling, stay with me". I laughed a little at mother's embarrassing short poem but it's obvious that they were made for each other.

So, my father desperately came home. It's now 2:00pm and I'm very worried because I see very dark and toxic looking smoke racing up the gigantic mouth of Mt. Vesuvius. I didn't want to tell my parents because they already had a lot to handle with my father's business. But my younger sister, Adriana told my parents and they ordered us to start packing. No sooner had those words left their mouth, a loud BOOM met our ear drums [followed by] a shower of ash and rocks.  We were frightened by the awful sight as our joyful and heart-warming city had been nearly half buried under dark ash and rocks. My eyes started watering but a good thing was I couldn't see the dreadful sight.  Mother and Father decided to leave Pompeii once and for all and didn't hesitate to put their plan into action.

But I didn't want to leave. I had my friends and family here. And our house and belongings. Besides, this is our hometown! But my bratty sister thought this was a joke. "Yay! We're moving to a different land! Where the birds are chirping, blues skies like blankets, per....." Adriana was dreaming "Adriana?! Can't you see we are about to get killed along with an entire city! Who knows if South Italy might get wiped out with us?!", I screamed. "Catherina, don't talk to sister like that Darling. Adriana, your sister has a point, this is very serious. From now on, she is in charge of you. Listen to her, okay Dear", my mother said, very subtlety. Meanwhile, my father had nearly finished packing. But just as we were about to leave, CRASH! Something fell down but we saw nothing except the things from the shake. Then another CRASH! We looked down from our balcony, and we saw tiles. Tiles were falling off our roof!

So, we ran south as far away as we could from Mt. Vesuvius. The ground started shaking and the volcano started making angry sounds! Everything was getting destroyed! Suddenly, when we were at least 3 cities away from Pompeii a black smoke started coming out Vesuvius and everything in its way started getting destroyed! It was the pyroclastic flow! We hid as it made its way towards us but it stopped in front of a huge building..

After a week, we returned back to Pompeii but EVERYTHING was destroyed so we decided to live in another city for 2 years while father and mother people started rebuilding. Life was very different because it was so plain but it's better to live poorly than to have no life, right? We lived in a plain apartment with plain food and clothes. We could only wear our dresses on special occasions so this is life, right? But I'm grateful for it.

Yours sincerely,

Catherina (Catherine).

Thursday, 17 August 2017

L'incredibile Cinque Terre

Ciao a tutti.

I write this on my last day in Italy. Whilst I am sad to be leaving this beautiful country, its people, food, stunning landscapes and the wonderfully warm weather, I am looking forward to seeing you all on my return in just a few, short days. I have posted below some photographs of the breathtaking landscapes and villages of the Cinque Terre. Can you guess what Cinque Terre means in English? That's right, there are five 'lands', or centuries old villages that are built into the coastline of the Italian Riviera. The villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore can only be visited by train or by taking a boat or ferry. Only the locals who live there and services such as the police, ambulances, postal and produce deliveries are able to access the villages by vehicle.

The Liguria region in which the Cinque Terre is built, is famous for its pesto sauce made from the herb basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil, pine nuts, salt and pepper. I'm sure a lot of you will have tried it before. It is delicious, especially on hand made pasta. I hope to be able to make pasta and pesto with you all, later in the year.

I am very excited to share with you all the many photos I have taken, as well as a competition I am currently planning for the last week or two of Term 3.

Until Monday, keep smiling, stay warm and sogni d'oro 😊

Signora Isaia