Buon Natale e Buon Anno a Tutti

After another busy year for the Italian program, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my wonderful students and their families, a very safe and happy holiday period.

For those students who would like to continue their Italian learning throughout the holidays, I would recommend watching a favourite movie and changing the subtitles or the audio into Italian. Both are very effective means of exposing children to new vocabulary, whilst helping them to cement existing knowledge. For families with Netflix or Stan, the option to change the language is available through the settings menu. Most movies on DVD will also have the option of changing the language. Whilst not all movies or television series offer the Italian language, most will. It is helpful to choose a movie that is very familiar to the children, as this will provide context and assist in their understanding.

2020 will see the introduction of the compulsory Year 5 Language Curriculum, and the use of more technology across all year groups. Don't forget there will be an Italian assembly, the first Friday back in Term 3. I would ask you put it in your diaries and please attend if you possibly can. The children work so hard at developing their language skills, and they love the opportunity to show them off to an audience.

Have a wonderful holiday break everyone.

Buon Natale e Buon Anno

Signora Isaia 

Assemblea Italiana

In the first assembly of Term 3 in Week 1, children from Years 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 Se Sei Felice Tu Lo Sai (If You're Happy and You Know it). Year 2s and 3s bopped along enthusiastically to Il Leone Si Addormentato (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) and Year 4s tackled the most complicated lyrics of the morning with a high energy version of Due Liocorni (Two Unicorns - The Italian version of The Unicorn Song).

I was particularly proud when all children from Years 1 to 6 sang and performed the actions to the very catchy tune Grande e Piccolo. It was great to see even some of the more reluctant seniors joining in and obviously having some fun.

The assembly was brought to a close with a heart-warming rendition of Mi Rialzerai [You Raise Me Up], a Pop Opera song selected for the theme of resilience, a value all teachers at Wattle Grove have been working toward instilling in their students. I was overwhelmed with how beautifully and powerfully the senior students sang this particularly poignant ballad and from what I have heard, a few tears were shed. Our goal was to touch our audience's hearts, and we believe we achieved this. Of note, were the words spoken by Shirlina (Room 8) over the top of the instrumental. Shirlina impressed me with her outstanding articulation of some difficult Italian prose. She spoke confidently and with perfect expression.

Signora Q and I were so very proud of all the students whom all gave 120%, as is the Wattle Grove Way. Special mention also goes to Aadidev (Room 18) and Jessica (Room 8) who were selected as the presenters. They took on the challenge with courage and enthusiasm and were brilliant!

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.

Please note: Photographs and video footage to follow.
Signora Isaia

Aggiornamento Trimestre Due (Term Two Update)

Ciao a tutti

As can be expected, Term 2 has been extremely busy with all year levels continuing assessment in preparation for the reporting period. As well, each year level has taken on the challenge of learning a new song in Italian which will be presented at the first assembly back in Term 3.

 Earlier in the term, children in years 1 to 3 learned some new vocabulary and created a small piece of art to share with their beautiful mums and grandmothers in honour of the Festa Della Mamma (Mother's Day). In Italy, Mother's Day is celebrated on the same date as in Australia, that is, the second Sunday in May. Italian mothers and grandmothers are honoured by their children in similar ways to how many families celebrate their mums in Australia. Very often children will create small gifts in school and join with family to celebrate over a feast. Many families will take their mums out for lunch or dinner and others may spend the day playing games, engaging in sporting activities, or simply spoiling mum with a restful day at home watching a movie.

Year 4 students are coming to the end of a unit of work on sport and hobbies. This week they were introduced to a popular Italian children's game, Il Lupo Mangia Frutta (The wolf eats fruit) which I adapted to Il Lupo Gioca Sport (the wolf plays sport). It has been lovely to be able to take children out of the classroom setting and enjoy some time in the fresh air to play whilst learning new vocabulary and building understanding of the Italian culture.

Students in Years 5 and 6 have been steadily consolidating their skills in translating to and from the Italian language. I have been particularly impressed with the perseverance of many students who have been required to resit assessments in order to achieve competency. Learning a language is difficult and requires practice every day. Understandably this is not possible with students at these year levels having so many competing priorities. Every student at Wattle Grove Primary School can be proud of their Italian learning achievements, particularly for the fact they have such a short period of 50 minutes per week to learn.

Tanti auguri a tutti.
Signora Isaia

Benvenuti genitori, famiglie e amici

Welcome parents, families and friends 

to the Italian Program at Wattle Grove Primary School.

My name is Kylie Isaia (or as I am known to the students, Signora Isaia). This is my fourth year teaching Italian at Wattle Grove, after a tremendously exciting three 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 2019 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. I have been fortunate to travel to Italy to absorb myself in the language and the culture and I have witnessed firsthand the profound benefits my 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 2019 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 2019, I welcome the opportunity to meet with you. I am available by appointment by phoning the school on 9453 6722.

Arrivo in Milano e sono pronto per scuola!

Miei cari studenti.

Il 6 gennaio sono arrivato a Milano pronto per iniziare la scuola.

From Baveno, I took two trains to the station, Centrale Milano, and then I transferred to Milan's Metro (underground train station), where I took two more trains to arrive at my destination, a suburb in Milan called Primaticcio. I am staying with two friends of another Italian teacher from Perth in a typical Milan residential area. Most Italians live in apartments and not in houses as we do. Why do you think this may be?

Il 7 gennaio I started my first day at school. I set out early from my apartment to give myself plenty of time to find my way to the school. I walked approximately 400 metres to the nearest Metro station and took the first train to Duomo Station. I then had to change trains to arrive in the suburb of Brenta where the International House of Milan (an international school for language learning) is situated. In total, the journey took me approxiamente quaranta minuti. As I still had plenty of time to spare, I stopped for a colazione tradizionale Italiana at a nearby cafe and had un caffe` e un cornetto (coffee and croissant). A traditional breakfast in Italy nearly always consists of a coffee (espresso o cappuccino) and a sweet pastry, croissant or biscuit. Ero nervoso but I needn't have been, as my teachers at the school and the other students are all lovely. The other students I am learning with are a 22 year old man from Japan, a 22 year old lady from Russia and a 53 year old lady who is originally from Iran but who has spent the last 30 years in Sweden before coming to Italy to find work as an Interior Designer. I feel very lucky to share a class with these other students and to learn not only about the Italian culture, but also a little of the Japanese, Russian and Swedish cultures. It reminds me of our wonderful multi-cultural school and how much I love learning from all of you!

After I finished school on my first day (I attend from 10:00am until 1:30pm), I stopped at Duomo Stazione (Cathedral Station). The duomo in Milan is world famous. It is the largest church in Italy (not including Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City), the 3rd largest in Europe and the 4th largest in the world. It took nearly 600 years to build the Milan Cathedral and when you take a close look at the incredible architecture and design, it will help you to understand why. For now, I have just included a photograph of the cathedral from a distance, but in the next few days I will be visiting again to take some more photographs for you all and also to look inside this majestic and famous architectural wonder. Below are also some photographs of the stunning Galleria Vittoria Emanuel II, named after the first king of Italy and built in 1861. It is a famous landmark in Milan and people from all over the world go there to look in awe at its beauty and perhaps purchase something from one of the internationally renowned designer shops, including Prada, Gucci and Versace. 

Val Formazza e Domodossola

Buonasera studenti (as I commence writing it is 6.45pm)

Sabato, quinto di gennaio, una maestra di inglese della scuola primaria e suo marito, drove me to Val Formazzo an Alpine (or mountain) valley very close to the border of Switzerland.  The valley lies approximately 1200 metres above sea level. In the summer months, you would see the spectacular Cascata del Toce. In winter, however, as it is now, the waterfall has mostly turned to ice. On the day I arrived, it was a very cold minus 3 degrees celsius and the strong winds made it very difficult to stay outside for too long. At one point, there was a small blizzard which I have tried to capture in one of the photographs below but it is quite blurred. There are only a few permanent residents of Val Formazza, although there are numerous cabins available to rent for the winter skiing season. Many Italians choose to stay in Val Formazza for their Christmas vacation (usually 10 days in total).

Another interesting fact about Val Formazza is that the water that falls from the top of the valley in summer, is directed into man-made dams and used to produce hydroelectricity. The electricity it generates is usually enough to maintain the energy requirements of the valley throughout the year.
Because Val Formazza is so close to the Switzerland border, the residents and many of the local tourists, also speak German. You may notice, the architecture is also quite different from most other parts of Italy. Even the menu at the restaurant where I ate lunch, was written primarily in German.

	This photograph was taken right before I went to lunch. There was an unexpected mini blizzard. I felt like Mary Poppins as it was very difficult to walk through the strong winds and snow. I felt like I would fly away. Year 2s and Year 3s from last year, do you remember the Italian words for 'snow' and 'wind'?

On the journey back toward Baveno, we stopped at Domodossola, an ancient Rome province which serves as an important railway junction between Italy and Switzerland. It was lovely strolling through the town, both the modern (early 19th century) part and the beautifully preserved medieval town centre (Piazza Mercato), some of which was built in the 14th century. It is very difficult to imagine buildings thousands of years old unless you see them with your own eyes. They are so intricately designed and yet stand with majestic grandeur. What are some of the oldest buildings in Australia do you think?
Right before I left Domodossola, I discovered an amazing presepe carved into wood by an 18 year old artist, as well, a brightly lit, Christmas 'ball'. It reminded me a bit of Cenerentola's pumpkin carriage. What do you think?

Signore Isaia e Fruttero off to the ball!

Fino alla prossima volta.
Signora Isaia

Stresa e Pallanza

Buonasera miei studenti meravigliosi.

Since the last time I wrote you, I have been very busy exploring some beautiful towns along Lago Maggiore. As well, one of the teachers from Baveno drove me up into the mountains, just 20 minutes from the border of Switzerland (students in Years 3 to 6, can you remember which other countries border Italy?).

Venerdi, quarto di gennario I caught an autobus (think how you would pronounce this) to Stresa, the next town along Lago Maggiore, and the most popular for tourists. Stresa is in the Gulf of Borromeo and is the gateway to the area's famous Borromean Islands (Isola Bella, Isola Madre e Isola di Pescatori). I'm sure you can name the first two Islands in English, but what about the third one? The Islands are known for their stunning palaces and gardens. I have not yet had the opportunity to visit the islands as there are very few ferries that cross the lake in the middle of winter, but I hope to one day soon.

Un albero di Natale in Stresa Piazza

Stresa Piazza (or Stresa Town Square)
(Similar to Forrest Chase in Perth City)

Later the same day, I spent the afternoon with una amica who is also a teacher from Perth. We drove to another town along Lago Maggiore, Pallanza where we walked along the promenade (a walkway typically alongside a beach or other body of water) and enjoyed the sunshine on what was a very cold day. The promenades along Lago Maggiore are often filled with the people who live in the area, as well as tourists. It is particularly common for the Italian people to take a walk (una passeggiata) after they have eaten their evening meal. When it is not too cold, you may see dozens or even hundreds of people strolling along the promenade, many walking their dogs.                                                 

A typical promenade in Lago Maggiore. These two photos are from the town of Pallanza.

Un bel cielo blu in inverno, generally means it is molto freddo. On this day, it was no more than 8 degrees.