The celebrations began with a prayer and a performance of the national anthem by Grade 6 student Alessio Scalpelli, who is a talented singer with a passion for Italian classics.
“His Italian grandparents are very proud of him and love to hear his singing,” Alessio’s mother, Maria, said.
After the national anthem, Alessio went on to sing Volare and Come prima, più di prima by Domenico Modugno.
The school’s Italian teacher, Angela Viavattene-Rosa, went out of her way to celebrate the day with her students, despite having to postpone several times in response to Melbourne’s ongoing lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the end, the event was a breath of fresh air for everyone after months of restrictions and remote learning.
Students were separated into groups and took turns enjoying the various activities organised for the day.
One group began with bocce, under the supervision of Nonna Antonietta, who helped the students refine their technique.
Meanwhile, another group was honing their skills in preparation for a football match.
Once the warm-up was over, they took to the pitch for the match.
In the school gymnasium, students donned aprons and chefs’ hats to make ricotta gnocchi in a workshop run by The Travelling Kitchen.
Carefully following the instructions given in English and Italian, the students kneaded, mixed and cut to prepare the gnocchi.
They chatted and cooked to the rhythm of music, in an atmosphere reminiscent of the kitchen of a large Italian family.
Blessed with delightful weather on the day, students and teachers also participated in an outdoor parade, dressing up in creative costumes; even the principal of the school, Rob Costin, got into the festive spirit, dressing up as a gondolier.
The school came alive with the colours of the Italian flag, as well as costumes resembling slices of pizza, jars of Nutella, Baci Perugina, Pinocchio, Juventus players and the Mona Lisa.
The parade was accompanied by the song Una zebra a pois, performed by Alessio.
Students and teachers then danced the day away to Tintarella di luna and other Italian hits.
