Tuesday, May 20, 2020

Important message to our valued Calgary Italian School Community:

I hope this finds you and yours in good spirit and in good health. By all accounts, the health

crisis precipitating the circumstances which have impacted our lives for the past two months appears to be going in the right direction. The importance of the recent signals for our return to “normalcy” have been a long-time coming and cannot be understated. It remains to be seen exactly what the new normalcy will look like.

For the past two months the Italian School has endeavoured to sustain our commitment to help you in your journey of appreciation for Italian language and culture. Thanks to the efforts of our teachers and your commitment, I believe that we have been successful at staying connected. It has become evident that the challenges in connectivity diminish as the age of the groups increases. That said, the virtual classroom cannot totally replace the real one: some human connections and interactions can only be made in the real classroom and in person. Sadly, we have had to cancel two of the most anticipated events on our calendar: Festa delle Regioni and Attività Fine Anno. It is the collective gathering of our community -fostered by such events- which makes our experiences at the school that much more special.

The big question at issue is what to do for next year. Given the unpredictability the health crisis has created, we felt it prudent to not make any concrete plans as to what the Italian School might look like in September 2020. It is for this reason that we decided to not offer our usual registrations process during the months of May and June. More importantly, we are still waiting for official government guidelines and directives as to what schools should implement to make school settings as safe as possible. These safety considerations are of paramount importance and the Italian School faces considerable challenges in making sure they are feasible and in place prior to the start of school. That said, I leave you with the following:

1. Italian School classes are scheduled to begin Saturday, September 19, 2020; date may change if circumstances change.
2. Registration for Italian School will take place in September prior to commencement of classes; exact dates TBA.
3. Over the summer, Italian School administration will review directives and existing best practices and determine how to best implement; please note: should the challenges prove insurmountable, we will reconsider opening the school.
4. I invite you to share your thoughts with me as to how the school should proceed: ldesomma@shaw.ca
5. You will receive further updates closer to September.

Have a wonderful summer and be well and safe.

Luigi De Somma

Principal, CLCIC

Martedì 20 maggio 2020

Messaggio importante per la nostra apprezzata comunità scolastica italiana di Calgary:

Spero che questo io messaggio trovi voi e i vostri cari di buon umore e in buona salute. A tutti gli effetti, la crisi sanitaria che ha avuto un impatto enorme sulla nostra vita negli ultimi due mesi sembra andare nella giusta direzione. L’importanza dei recenti segnali per un nostro ritorno alla “normalità”da molto tempo aspettata, non può essere sottovalutata. Resta da vedere esattamente quale sarà il volto della nuova normalità.

Negli ultimi due mesi la scuola italiana ha cercato di sostenere il nostro impegno di aiutarvi nel vostro viaggio di apprezzamento della lingua e cultura italiana. Grazie agli sforzi dei nostri insegnanti e al vostro impegno, credo che siamo riusciti a rimanere in contatto. È diventato evidente che le sfide nella connettività diminuiscono con l’aumentare dell’età dei gruppi. Detto questo, l’aula virtuale non può sostituire totalmente quella reale: alcune connessioni e interazioni umane possono essere fatte solo nella classe reale e in persona. Purtroppo, abbiamo dovuto cancellare due degli eventi più attesi sul nostro calendario: Festa delle Regioni e Attività Fine Anno. È il raduno collettivo della nostra comunità promosso da questi eventi che rende la nostra esperienza alla scuola tanto più speciale.

Ora la domanda più importante è cosa fare per il prossimo anno. Data l’imprevedibilità che la crisi sanitaria ha creato, al momento ci sembra prudente non fare piani concreti per il settembre 2020. È per questo motivo che abbiamo deciso di non offrire il nostro normale processo di registrazione durante i mesi di maggio e giugno. Ancora più importante è il fatto che siamo ancora in attesa  di linee guida e direttive ufficiali da parte del governo su ciò che le scuole dovrebbero implementare per rendere gli ambienti scolastici il più sicuri possibile. Queste considerazioni sulla sicurezza sono di fondamentale importanza e la Scuola Italiana dovrà affrontare notevoli sfide per assicurarsi che le procedure per una riapertura sicura siano fattibili e in atto prima dell’inizio della scuola. Detto questo, vi lascio con il seguente:

1. L’inizio delle lezioni per le scuole di italiano è previsto per sabato 19 settembre 2020; la data potrà cambiare se cambieranno le circostanze.
2. L’iscrizione alla scuola italiana avverrà a settembre prima dell’inizio delle lezioni; date esatte a seguire.
3. Durante l’estate, l’amministrazione della scuola italiana esaminerà le direttive e le migliori pratiche esistenti e determinerà come implementarle al meglio.

N.B. : se le sfide dovessero rivelarsi insormontabili, riconsidereremo l’apertura della scuola.

4. Vi invito a contattarmi a ldesomma@shaw.ca per condividere con me le vostre opinioni su come dovrebbe procedere la scuola.
5. Riceverete ulteriori aggiornamenti più vicino a settembre.

Permettetemi di augurarvi in anticipo di passare un’estate meravigliosa!

State bene e al sicuro

Luigi De Somma

Preside del CLCIC

Dear Members of the Consular Network,

As COVID-19 continues its devastating spread across Italy, a heartbreaking reality is setting in. The human and economic impact of this pandemic is being felt across the country, and the needs are great – especially for the most vulnerable.

We are fighting hard against this pandemic, but we also need your help!

This is why the Embassy of Italy in Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross, has launched a fundraising campaign to support the Italian Red Cross’s COVID-19 preparedness and response activities.

The Italian Red Cross, together with the Italian Civil Protection Department, is at the forefront of the response in Italy. Its vital role includes activities such as ambulance services, the delivery of medical equipment and protective gear for health professionals, food and medicine supply, providing information on the emergency, and support to the Ministry of Health in getting health professionals on the ground. 

Your donation will help the most vulnerable in Italy make it through these uncertain times.

We count on your support, if you would like to contribute please visit:  http://www.redcross.ca/ItalyCovidAppeal/HelpItaly

Together, we will get through this! 

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Important message to our valued Calgary Italian School Community:

I hope this finds you and yours in good spirit and in good health. The times we are experiencing can have a stressful impact on our lives. In cases, we may not even realize the extent to which it is affecting us. The challenges the COVID-19 crisis has imposed upon us also forces us to focus on not losing sight of the important things in life. Be that as it may, the message is crystal clear: each of us is called to act in the manner required in the fight against the virus. This is a battle that will be won only with our collective effort. It is our duty to follow the directives to keep healthy not only ourselves but also our neighbors. We at the Italian School have endeavored and are committed to doing our part.

At the same time, we take also our obligation and commitment to you as provider of your Italian language and culture learning journey seriously. It is for this reason that we have spent the last week formulating a plan of action and gathering resources so that, even in these difficult times, we can continue to provide assistance and direction in your language acquisition journey. The teachers and administration have collaborated to bring to you a viable plan to deliver virtually at least some of that which would have been experienced in the classroom. I am very appreciative of the effort our staff have made in putting this together. I am very proud of the high level of professionalism and cooperation our staff has demonstrated.

We invite all students to continue learning and practicing Italian 3-4 times a week for a total time of approximately 2 hours/week. Teachers will prepare activities appropriate for their classes. Look for a message from your respective teacher that will be sent on Tuesday, March 31^st.

I trust you will find these efforts helpful. Please keep in mind that this is a starting point and a first for our school. In the coming weeks, individual teachers will eventually find the manner of delivery of learning best suited for his or her class. I’m confident we will all give it our best effort in working together.

Be well and safe.

Luigi De Somma

Principal, CLCIC