Connetquot High School Italian language students hosted Oakdale-Bohemia and Ronkonkoma middle school Italian students to a day of immersion into Italian culture and language called Dantedi. The daylong activities were based on the Italian government’s designation of March 25 as Dantedi, named for the father of the Italian language Dante Alighieri, as a day to celebrate the richness of Italian life and culture. More than 200 students celebrated the day through diverse activities that gave the students a deeper glimpse into what it means to be Italian.

The College Italian students put on a skit called “Andreuccio! and played an Italian Bingo game called Tombola. They also led the younger students in learning La Tarantella, a famous southern Italian dance. In La Cucina Italiana, students watched food demonstrations and tried pizzelle, cannoli and espresso. They learned about Carnevale and made their own masks for a celebration. There was an opportunity to try their hands at playing bocce in the courtyard and to watch a skit based on “Dante’s Inferno.”

In the Connetquot High School library, students put their Italian skills to the test during games of Kahoot and tried their pronunciation skills at the pronunciation station. Students visited St. Joseph’s Table and learned how to design their own.

Director of ENL and World Languages Cheryl Sosa said the upperclassmen really worked hard to plan a day of activities that the younger students would enjoy and remember.

Date Added: 4/8/2022