Download - VICA Il Messaggio Fall 2009 Issue 082409
-
8/14/2019 VICA Il Messaggio Fall 2009 Issue 082409
1/8
Volume 11 Issue 3
Fall September 2009
VICA Board MembersContact these peopel for information or help for any
VICA activities:
President Adele Dienno 802-862-2595
Vice-Presidents Don Catalano: 802 660-
8914/Barbara Guiduli 802-862-4200
Secretary Carol Usher 802-863-2487
Treasurer Audry Rini 802-878-0990
Board Ann Arms, Julie Bonanno, Barbara Butler,
Adrienne Donohue, Franco Gatti, Barbara Marden,
Nancy Specht, David Usher
Il Messaggio Editors
Please submit content for the newsletter toCarol & David Usher: 802 863-2487 or
Membership Anyone wanting to join VICA can do so
by calling Carol Usher at 802 863-2487
for an application. Membership is $15.
annually for individuals, $25. for fami-
lies.
VICA Websitewww.vtitalians.com
I l M e s s a g g i oV e r m o n t I t a l i a n C u l t u r a l A s s o c i a t i o nP . O . B o x 3 1 5 5B u r l i n g t o n V T 0 5 4 0 8
I l M e s s a gg i o
Inside this issue:
Summer Picnic 2
VICAs New Leadership 3
Italian in Elementary School 4
Italian Language Studies 5
Poem by Franco Gatti 6
Calendar of Events 7
Members Heritage: Caserta 8
An organization dedicated topromoting and preserving Italian
culture in Vermont
Back to School !
With emotions extending the full range,kids are going back to school for another
year!
I wanted to know what "going back toschool" meant for Italian kids and their fami-lies, though, so I checked out some blogsrather than hitting the statistics. As in the US,there are positives, negatives, and complica-tions. I certainly can't cover the subject ex-tensively in one short introductory compila-tion of impressions I picked up from theinternet -nor can I as an American speak forthe Italians who have "been there and donethat," so I urge you who have actually goneto school in Italy to respond to the editorswith your own snippets of remembrances ofthe impact that Italy's educational system hadon you.
Education begins in Italy with the option ofgovernment-subsidized daycare centers forages six-months to two years called asili nidi- literally meaning "nest asylums." Contraryto the negative connotation that an "asylum"might have on our American minds, there isgreat diligence to provide the best of care.Every child goes through a period ofinseri-mento ("insertion"), attending two hours the
first day, three the second etc.- always with aparent standing by in case of a melt-down.
Next isscuola materna (kindergarten) - a
wonderful thing that every parent has theright, though not an obligation, to send theirchildren free of charge for three years untilthey begin the first of five grades in Scuuolaelementare ("elementary school").
Scuola materna has traditionally been seen asa way to socialize children outside the familyfor short periods of the day. With the numberof working moms increasing in Italy, how-ever, the school day is often lengthened to afull day, makingscuola materna a very highquality, state-sponsored daycare. The workingmom has also created another change in theItalian system. Usually, school hours wereorganized so that children went home forlunchtime, often for the rest of the day. Thetradition of family togetherness around thetable is a strong foundation of Italian culture.However, city governments have stepped in to
provide school lunch programs where bothparents work outside the home - a real changeand emotional challenge for many parentswho grew up with close family ties aroundfood.
(Continued on Page 4)
http://www.vtitalians.com/http://www.vtitalians.com/ -
8/14/2019 VICA Il Messaggio Fall 2009 Issue 082409
2/8
How many times might you have heard that expressionfrom parents not wanting to be given "a song and a dance"from a kid using an excuse not to do something? Well,about 50 VICA members, family and friends didn't needany excuse to join in on the song and the dance facilitatedby the talents of Celest DiPietropaolo and Marie DiCocco,who came as guests to the June 28 th VICA picnic at Oak-ledge Park in Burlington. The couple is in the process oftransferring their residence to the Montpelier area and are
eager to be assimilated into the Vermont Italian communityas resource folks who have studied authentic song anddance among the villages of Italy.
The fun of the picnic also included games of bocce onOakledge's newest bocce courts, a wine auction, kidsmaking gelato with the help of Adele Dienno, swimming,ball-playing, and of course, definitely last but not least,ENJOYING ALL THE FANTASTIC FOOD ANDWINE everyone brought to share, family-style!
The annual VICA picnic is also the traditional gatheringwhere new officers and board members of VICA are
elected every two years. This year we voted. See the newslate of officers, board, and committee members listed onthe opposite page. Congratulations to them.
I l M e s s a g g i oPage 2
Dont Give Me a Song and a Dance......unless its at a picnic with Celest DiPietropaolo and Marie DiCocco
Ferragostoby M. Galatola Durante Augusto in Italia fa moltocaldo. Quegli che possono vanno allemontagne od alle spiaggie che sono ap-
erte e non troppo lontano. Rimangano
soltanto qualche lavoratore e turisti
stranieri. La tradizione di lasciare lecitta' esisteva dai tempi antiche. Il nome Ferragosto e'derivato da ' feriae Augusti', cioe' le feste del Imperatore Augustus. Caesar Augustus fu il fondatore del Impero
Romano. Piu tardi La Chiesa Catolica ha introdotto la
festa dell Assunzione di Maria Virgine al quindici di
augusto. Ora, in questi giorni, italiani dovunque nelmundo festegiavano Ferragosto, inoltre al quindicid'augosto, al qualsiasi giorni desiderano. Nel Bronx
di Nueva York al Arthur Avenue Ferragosto e' celebrato
nella prima settimana di settembre.
Protecting ItalysBeachesItalian beaches likethis one in Fran-covilla on the Adri-atic are full of vaca-tioners during theFerragosto holidays.This year, according
to a news story in NIAF's News Monthly, 227 Italian beaches were awarded Blue Flags, identifying them ashaving the highest quality in water, facilities and environ-mental education. That number represents 12 more thanlast year's tally, indicating a rise of local commitment to protecting the environment which attracts thousands of
vacationers to its shores. (photo by Usher)
-
8/14/2019 VICA Il Messaggio Fall 2009 Issue 082409
3/8
I l M e s s a g g i o
New VICA Officers & BoardUnanimously Elected into Office at the VICA Annual Picnic on 6-28-09
Term of Office: Two Years, June 2009 - June 2011
OFFICERS:
President: Adele DiennoVice Presidents: Don Catalano & Barbara Guiduli
Secretary: Carol Usher /Treasurer: Audry Rini
Some newly elected members at the Picnic ( from left ) :Barbara Marden ( with daughter ) ,Carol Usher,AdrienneDonohue, Adele Dienno (with dog ) , Barbara Guiduli,
and Nancy Specht
BOARD:
Ann Arms, Barbara Butler, Adele Dienno, Adrienne Donohue, Franco Gatti, Barbara Guiduli, Barbara Marden, Audry
Rini, Nancy Specht, Carol Usher, David Usher
COMMITTEE CHAIRS:
Amici Scheduling .Ann Arms & Barbara Butler
Archivist ...Adrienne Donohue
Editors,II Messagio..Carol and David Usher
Events Publicist ..Nancy Specht
Hospitality Chair/Special Events and Activities Coordinator.Barbara Marden
Membership Coordinator ...Carol Usher
Il Messagio Distribution ....Susan Hardin
Movie Coordinator/Language Instructor......Franco Gatti
Webmaster.....Julie Bonanno
Page 3
-
8/14/2019 VICA Il Messaggio Fall 2009 Issue 082409
4/8
Back to School! (continued from Page 1)
"Homework" for kids once they reach scuola media("middle school") seems to challenge parents as much asthe kids themselves. If you are thinking that the usual
concept of homework in America as the teacher givingextra practice at home for work the children have beenstudying in class, then you might be wrong. Accordingto some reports, children are given something entirelynew at home which often requires hours of help from parents to absorb. Poveri genitori!Homework is alsooften assigned for vacations, increasing the angst offamilies trying to relax with time off from work. For par-ents who work full-time with little or no time off, somecities offer the children two weeks at colonie estive("summer camps") at public properties at the seaside, inthe mountains, or on the lakes, using a sliding scale fee
so that even low-income families can participate.
At the end of elementary, middle, and high school, eve-ryone has to take an exam, both written and oral. Italy isbig on exams. The middle school exam determines whatsort of high school you would go to (if any). The type ofhigh school you go to then determines the kind of uni-versity you might attend. The high school system itself isquite complex, with numerous choices. A huge factorthat turned up on some of the internet blogs was the is-sue of cheating, which apparently is more common thanwe would like to think, with little attention by authorities
to interfere with it. Apparently, the use of the cell phoneis a big factor, with kids often going to the bathroom andcalling for outside help!
But the upshot of any good educational system can besummed up in a quote from Arturo Graf, a late 19th-century Italian poet, critic, and educator. He said: "Greatis the teacher who, teaching little, sparks in the student ahuge desire to learn." With all the effort of producing thebest educational systems, and with all the inevitable pros
and cons that go along with them, Grafs sentiment canbe the best indicator of a job well-done.
Italian in elementary school? Si! In Vermont? Si, certo!
Why?Perche no? At the Robinson Elementary Schoolin Starksboro, more than 100 students from 1st through
6th
grades have had a taste of the Italian language andculture for the past four years.
Working in conjunction with the school-based ForeignLanguage Committee at Robinson School, VICA mem- ber Nicole Librandi secured grant funds for the pro-gram from several sources, including NIAF and theItalian Consulate in Boston. Italian was taught duringthe regular school day, after school and in a summercamp setting through games, music, songs, rhymes,
storytelling and cooking, thus enriching the studentsexposure to a culture which fascinated them. VICAmember Francesca Merrill was one of the teachers who
was enthusiastically received by both students andstaff, who described the sessions as lively,
engaging, and contagious.
Dr. Carlo Cipollone of the Boston Consulate, who vis-ited the schools Italian group, was also favorably im-pressed. He is now interested in extending some of thefunds available from the Consulate for broadening theinfluence of the Italian culture to some VICA projects
in the near future.
Robinson students learning about bocce with Aimee
Motta and Barb Ouimette
P a g e 4 I l M e s s a g g i o
Italian in Elementary SchoolAs experienced and reported by Nicole Librandi
Bocce Balls:
Early Romans were among the first people to play bocce.They used coconuts from Africa, instead of the balls nowthrown at a smaller target ball. The first Italian bocceleague was created in 1947. Italy often plays in the BocceWorld Championship, which has been held every year
since 1947.
Home
Home is where the heart is. This couldnt be a moreappropriate expression for an Italian who has a strongregional pride and a profound emotional attachment to
his own or his familys birthplace or ancestral village.Italians even have a word for it: campanilismo, de-
rived from the word campanile (bell tower).
-
8/14/2019 VICA Il Messaggio Fall 2009 Issue 082409
5/8
P a g e 5 I l M e s s a g g i o
More on the Italian Language...Adventure with Italian Names
...with Bill Tortolano
Enjoy a witty, funny, and sometimes sad journey with Bill ashe describes the changes made in Italian family names, op-era names, and those that were changed because of preju-dice. By the end of the evening your Italian vocabularyshould be increased and your sense of humor tickled - justfrom discovering tidbits of information from words you useevery day. Wed, Oct 21, 7-9pm, Community Room, FletcherFree Library, Burlington.
VICA Awards a ScholarshipThanks to a matching contribution by a member of VICA,our group gave a generous $200 scholarship award to theScuola Italiana at Middlebury College this summer for a stu-
dent who demonstrated strong interest in the cultural ties be-
tween America and Italy. In this way, we further our club's
goal of enhancing the influence of the Italian culture with our
own.
In exchange, the Director of the Scuola Italiana, Dr. Antonio
Vitti, graciously welcomes VICA members to attend films and
conferences held during the summer months sponsored by the
Scuola. A schedule of these events can be viewed on line at the
Middlebury College website. (www.middlebury.edu)
Young Travelers Can Win Trip to ItalyAlitalia is sponsoring a young traveler's writing contest "in
the spirit of discovery and learning" ... of Italy, of course!
The contest is open to those between the ages of 8 and 14
who have made, or will make, a transatlantic flight on Alitalia
or Air One originating in the US between the dates of June
24, 2009 and September 9, 2009.
The grand prize is a trip to Italy for the youngster and two
legal guardians. The essays of ten of the writers will be se-lected for publication on Alitalia.com and receive multiple
gift items, including sweatshirts, caps, tote bags and a $100
voucher towards a future Alitalia flight.
The deadline for the essays is September 15, 2009. Guide-
lines are detailed on theirwebsite at http://www.alitalia.com/US_EN/special_offers/youngwriters_offer.asp . (If you don'thave web connections and are interested, contact CarolUsher, 802-863-2487)
Student Connections With theLocal Community by Nicole LibrandiOnPrimo Maggio last spring, 5thand 6thgrade Rob-inson Elementary School students of Italian had the
chance to ''walk in the footsteps" of a group of Ital-
ian children from Lawrence, Massachusetts who, in
1912, were brought to Barre in order to be kept safe
from the violence of the textile workers' strike. TheRobinson students were met at the Old Labor Hall
by Docent Joe1en Mulvaney of the Barre Historical
Society, who guided them through the "living his-
tory" of Barre at the Hall and in downtown Barre.
The students' encounter with living history continued
with meeting Katherine Paterson, award-winning au-thor of "Bread and Roses, Too", visiting the sculptingstudio of Jerry Williams, experiencing quarrying and
stoneworking at Rock of Ages, and touring Hope
Cemetery with Carrara-born sculptor Giuliano Cecchi-
nelli.
The day's events culminated two years of
study of the Italian language and culture with
classroom teacher Peg Brakeley and Italian
teacher Francesca Creta Merrill.
Robinson students and teachers at the
Barre Socialist Labor Hall
http://www.middlebury.edu/http://www.alitalia.com/us_EN/special_offers/youngwriters_offer.asphttp://www.alitalia.com/us_EN/special_offers/youngwriters_offer.asphttp://www.middlebury.edu/ -
8/14/2019 VICA Il Messaggio Fall 2009 Issue 082409
6/8
Page I l M e s s a g g i o
Sulla soglia del tramonto innevato
passando senza sosta
paesi ignari e sconosciuti,guardo le case sulle alture
le fattorie seminate nelle valli.
Guardo le case ai bordi delle stradedei villaggi che si preparano al riposo.
Guardo e vedogente serena che si appresta
a scambiarsi un segno di calore,un sorriso,
intorno alla tavola del cibo.
Ora il sole e tramontato,il buio in prima fila,
le luci delle case
annebbiate dai fari dei motori,
forte e il desiderio di abitarein una di quelle finestre illuminate
e invidio il caldo focolareprivo com e
del viaggiare le mie ansie.
At the threshold / of a snow-mantled sunset / cutting across the silent villages, / I watch the houses on the hills, the farmsseeded in the valleys. / I watch the houses along the road / of villages who prepare to rest./ I watch and see serene people /
preparing to exchange / a warm sign, / a smile, / around the table of the food. / Now the sun has settled down, / the dark is infront row,/ the light of the houses / fogged by the headlights, / strong is the desire / to live inside one of those / warm lighted
windows / and for a while to set aside / the anxieties of the road.
Nota: Per noi che viviamo in questa regione del Vermont, sopprattutto la I89 Nord simbolizza il ritorno
a casa, dopo una vacanza o un lungo viaggio sulla costa ed oltre. Questo e ancora piu vero in inverno,quando non vediamo l ora di raggiungere il tepore della casa e i nostri cari familiari. La poesia Inter-
state 89 North e stata scritta dopo un viaggio alquanto pericoloso mentre ritornavo dall aeroporto diBoston. Il felice ritorno a casa da un viaggio irto di pericoli, nel gelo e nel buio della notte e una sensa-
zione ancestrale molto sentita dagli Italiani, dove la casa e i familiari che vi abitano, viene espressa con
un bellissimo termine il focolare.
Focolare quindi non significa solo il luogo dove si cucina o si accende il fuoco nel camino, ma si es-
pande fino ad includere il sicuro e confortevole nucleo familiare.
Interstate 89 North (Inverno) 2006
By Franco Gatti
-
8/14/2019 VICA Il Messaggio Fall 2009 Issue 082409
7/8
I l M e s s a g g i oPage 7
Check
Out
Fall
2009
Dates
Calendar of Events: Fall 2009Upcoming VICA Events
Wed, Sept 16: Amici Luncheon at Toscanos, Richmond,11:30am,reservations
(contact Ann Arms 802-863-5155 or Barbara Butler 802-863-6897)
Wed, Oct 21.Tortolanos Adventure With Italian Names, Community Room, Fletcher Free Library,
Burlington, 7-9pm
(contact Barbara Guiduli 802-862-4200)
Sun, Nov. 1: Coffee Socialfrom 2-5pm at the home of member Adrienne Donohue
545 So. Prospect St, Unit 15, Burlington
(contact Adrienne 802-862-5153)
Fri, Nov. 27:Italian Film Nightat 6:30pm at the Deborah Rawson MemorialLibrary in Jericho (film TBA)
(contact Franco 802-899-3869)
On-going VICA events
Italian Conversation Classes: 2nd and 4thWednesdays, St. Michaels College,
St. Edmonds Hall, Room 101, 7-9 pm
(contact Franco Gatti, 802-899-3869)
Italian Movie Night: quarterly at Deborah Rawson Memorial Library in Jericho
(see schedule above)(contact Franco 802-899-3869)
Amici Luncheons: Monthly at various venues (see schedule above)
(contact Ann Arms 802-863-5155 or Barbara Butler 802-863-6897)
Community events
Roxy Theater, Burlington: VerdisRigoletto, Sun, Sept.6, 11am
(contact:802-864-FILM)
VT Philharmonic Opera Night, Oct 17, 7:30pm, St.Johnsbury School; Oct 18, 3:30pm
Barre Opera House (featuring winners from the Bel Canto Institute)
(contact: 802-244-6828 or www.vermontphilharmonic.org)
NIAF Washington DC Convention and Gala: Oct 23-24, 2009, with speakers,
entertainment, food and wine tastings, documentaries, awards
(see www.niaf.org/ for more information)
"Strega Nona": Main Stage Flynn, Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 3pm. A musical based on Tomie De-
Paolos book, Strega Nona.
(tix contact: 802-863-5966 orwww.flynntix.org)
http://www.flynntix.org/http://www.flynntix.org/http://www.flynntix.org/ -
8/14/2019 VICA Il Messaggio Fall 2009 Issue 082409
8/8
I l M e s s a g g i oV e r m o n t I t a l i a nC u l t u r a l A s s o c i a t i o nP . O . B o x 3 1 5 5B u r l i n g t o n V T 0 5 4 0 8
gardens from which they mayview the extent of the manysculptures, waterfalls, lakes andflowers, as well as the veryfamous English garden. TheRoyal Palace with its gardens islisted as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
The old town (Caserta Vec-chia), founded by the Lombardsin the 8th century, lies on hills 3
miles northeast of the moderncity, which was a village knownas Torre belonging to the Caet-ani family of Sermoneta untilthe construction of the RoyalPalace.In the ItalianRisorgi-mento (movement for politicalunity), the Battle of the Vol-turno (1860), in which the na-tionalist leaderGiuseppe Gari-
Americans, is the Versaillesof Italy (La Piccola Ver-
sailles nel Regno di Napoli)in a county-side surrounded
by huge ranches that produce
unparalleled mozzarella.
The last great building ofthe Italian baroque, it wascommissioned by Charles IVand designed by southernItalys greatest architect,
Luigi Vanvitelli. Althoughyou can't visit each of its1200 rooms, the ones you cansee are extravagant and ex-quisite. The 116 steps of themain foyer, carved from onegigantic block of marble, lead
to the rooms that can be seen.
Small buses take touristsaround the 2-mile stretch of
baldi defeated the Neapolitanforces, was fought around Ca-serta. In World War II theRoyal Palace served for a timeas the headquarters of the Al-lied command, and the surren-der of the German army in Italywas signed there on April 29,1945. More recently, it has beenthe set for several famous mov-ies such as Star Warsand Mis-
sion Impossible III.
WHO WE ARE :To better acquaint you with who we are on a personal level, this featured section of Il Messaggio is reservedfor either a short autobiographical portrait of a VICA member or of a place in Italy from which one of our members
families emigrated. This issue is dedicated to Caserta.
In Campania, the region
of Italy that boasts Naplesas its capital and renownedfor the Amalfi Coast, Sor-rento, the ancient city ofPompei, and the island ofCapri, the city ofCasertais probably best known forits Royal Palace. Situated
just east of Naples, the1200-room palace, visited
by more Italians than
NOTE: Anytime you wantto switch between an elec-tronic or a hard copy ofIlMessaggio, please let editorknow. ([email protected] 802-863-2487)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_gardenhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/88265/Caetani-familyhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/88265/Caetani-familyhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/225978/Giuseppe-Garibaldihttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/225978/Giuseppe-Garibaldihttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/648813/World-War-IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Warshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Warshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Impossible_IIIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Impossible_IIIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Impossible_IIIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Impossible_IIIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Impossible_IIIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Warshttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/648813/World-War-IIhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/225978/Giuseppe-Garibaldihttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/225978/Giuseppe-Garibaldihttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/88265/Caetani-familyhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/88265/Caetani-familyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_garden