MELBOURNE – The year 2025 marked an important milestone for the Italian students of St Michael’s Grammar School and its Languages Department, with the arrival of 17 students from the Liceo Ginnasio Statale Mario Cutelli e Carmelo Salanitro in Catania, accompanied by their teacher, Agata Aladio.
Together, they spent three weeks in Melbourne hosted by their Australian counterparts, some of whom will return the visit later this year. This was the first exchange experience for St Michael’s Grammar School, strongly championed by Italian teacher Sarah Porto, who initiated the project with the support of her colleagues in the Languages Department and thanks to the school community, which generously offered to host the students and their teacher.
“The involvement of the Italian students in the language classes was enriching for their St Michael’s peers: having native speakers made the activities far more engaging, and the students were eager to take part and practice their conversational skills”.
This exchange was made possible by the passion and dedication of the teachers, who tirelessly worked on the project over the course of two years. “To start getting to know each other, the students created videos about their city and daily habits,” explained Italian teacher Agata Aladio.
In this way, they established a bond from afar before arriving to live what Aladio described as an “important” experience - one that helped them mature and understand, for example, how a school system in a different Country operates.
Before speaking to the students, I expected to hear stories about vast cultural and social differences, unfamiliar routines, and contrasting passions. And while they certainly noticed differences, they also embraced them, choosing instead to focus on shared aspects and how easily they could find common ground on which to build new friendships.
This was a clear demonstration of how these young people have already developed an open-minded and welcoming attitude - perhaps fostered by their study of foreign languages. Without a doubt, these three weeks will remain a lasting treasure for the group, a journey whose memories will stay with them for years to come.
“Elena De Simone observed, “Australian schools work very differently from ours. Here, we change classrooms for each subject and meet different classmates every time. The approach is also different — more practical, and for that reason, more fun.” Among her chosen subjects was textiles, which introduced her for the first time to a sewing machine — and within a short time, she had made a pair of trousers.
“These are subjects we don’t have in Italy,” she pointed out, expressing gratitude for the warm hospitality of her host family, who involved her in many activities and excursions. “Last weekend we went to Philip Island,” she recalled, also admitting that she had very low expectations about food, only to be pleasantly surprised: “Luckily, my Australian ‘mum’ turned out to be an excellent cook.”
Giulia Scacciante agreed about the opportunity to try new subjects like product design and fashion design — a chance to explore something more technical than theoretical, which she would never have experienced in a classical high school. “I created a miniature chair and, in order to do so, I had to learn how to use a specific software program,” she said.
She also learned to navigate life in a large city like Melbourne: “In Catania I don’t use public transport much, but here I had to learn how to read maps to get around.”
Her Australian weeks also deepened her environmental awareness: “I’ve found a new respect for nature, and when I go back home, I’ll be more mindful,” she added.
For Giulia Salomone, the highlight was picking up Australian slang and abbreviations. “I’ve always studied British English, but it was fun discovering new aspects of a language I started learning at the age of five.”
“When she arrived in Australia, she expected a culture much like England’s but soon discovered that Australians possess their own distinct and unique identity.” She added, “Everyone was very welcoming, and I built a great relationship with my host family. They introduced me to many new foods: I tried Indian and Chinese cuisine for the first time — and even kangaroo meat. I’ll always cherish the friendships I made Down Under.”
Paola Ventura was captivated by nature: “I loved its diversity. I also visited Cairns and Sydney — everything is so green. In Melbourne, I felt very safe; the city has a wonderful atmosphere and I will miss it a lot. It’s much more multicultural than I expected, and you notice it not just on the streets but even on supermarket shelves — that was one of the things I appreciated the most.”
“The relationship with teachers is very different,” noted Marco Mirabella, “less formal and a bit more equal. My classmates were always very open — maybe because I’m Italian, but everyone showed a lot of interest in me.”
Sport was a revelation for Agostino Comis, who discovered AFL in Melbourne: “A sport I really enjoyed. I also played futsal for the first time.” He developed a strong bond with his host family, especially with one of his ‘brothers,’ Hugo. “One of the best weekends was at his country house, where I saw lots of kangaroos and even rode a motorbike.”
Hugo Harkness confirmed the connection: “We got along so well, helped by our shared interests. We’re already planning a trip to Catania.”
Ilaria Natoli offered a perspective as an Italian-Australian. She will travel to Italy at the end of the year and was struck by her ‘sister’s’ stories about the Italian school system — no subject choices, different holiday schedules. Socially, she observed, “Italians are more open and extroverted, always ready to make friends.”
Another St Michael’s student, Ezra Bonacci, will spend Christmas and New Year’s in Italy, giving her the chance to appreciate different traditions.
“I want to be able to speak the language well when I go to Italy,” said Eve Harris, who is preparing by watching videos and TV series in Italian during her free time.
“I’m quite good at reading and writing but speaking and listening are the areas I need to work on the most,” she admitted. “The Sicilian accent wasn’t too hard to understand; it’s more the speed they speak at that’s challenging.”
Eve is excited to experience the holidays in a new way and is looking forward to her first trip to Italy, which will include a tour of Venice, Florence, and Rome, as well as a stay in Catania.
“The intention is to continue and perhaps even expand the project,” Aladio emphasised, confirming that this pilot exchange has been a success.
