Maria Ceprano
Program Director
Department of Elementary Education and Reading
Department of Elementary Education and Reading
Yesterday we started the day by going to the high school (the Lyceo) for the purpose of conversing with the 4th and 5th year students. We were told they were anxious to meet with us and ask us questions. Three groups of fourth and fifth year students were selected, so each college instructor took a group of three JPs to one of the rooms where we met with the students for about an hour. The group I led ( Symone, Catie and Yasmine, were with the students enrolled in the classical curriculum. I broke the ice for the conversation by asking them to tell me what the Greek words painted on the wall on the back of the room said. Quickly we were told that they said " Be all that you can be." That gave us a chance to ask students to tell us ( in English) what it was they planned on becoming. With each telling we probed a little the get them to speak more. We interspersed this with having them ask questions.
The students wanted to know how high schools and colleges are organized in the US. What would it entail for a student to become an MD or a lawyer. What was it like to get the school at Buffalo State?-- Catie gave a rather gentle description of the driving to campus and the nightmare involved in parking. Yasmine told about how people get around in New York city-- train rides followed by walks to the schools etc. By the end of the period it was clear that the high school students wanted to see more of the girls. They met later in the evening between 5:30 and 7:00 and the girls were given a tour of Torremaggiore. They also made plans to go to a soccer game in Torremaggiore on Saturday afternoon. In the evening we had a meeting with the commissioner of education in Torremaggiore. We all sat at a long restored antique table situated in the newly restored hall first used by King Frederico. After that we went to a Pizza party given to us by the Torremaggiore Buffalo Association. Interestingly, we all feel like celebrities. It seems everywhere we go -- the dry cleaners (lavasecco), the supermercato, the various clothing stores etc, every one knows who we are--" Oh aren't you the Americans who are at the school " and then they ask us various questions. Everyone is sooo friendly and helpful.
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AuthorDr. Ceprano is a retired Professor of Reading and the English Language Arts at Buffalo State College. She developed the IPDS-Italy connection through her Spring 2014 sabbatical. Archives
January 2018
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