City IACE coordinator visits Sicilian classroom

MIDDLETOWN » During a recent visit to Sicily, Italy, Middletown resident Rose Aresco met the principal of the Istituto Comprensivo di Melilli, Angela Fontana and the students of the school’s English classes.

The students were presented with Italian-American Committee on Education T-shirts from Italian classes held in Middletown.

Earlier this year, a group of local Middletown students who enrolled in an Italian cultural language program offer by IACE of Middletown met via Skype for a cultural exchange with Italian students and school officials in Melilli, Italy.

IACE of Middletown was formed by Aresco in 2009 and is made possible primarily through an Italian government grant and operates under the supervision of the Consulate General of Italy in New York. The program offers students between the ages of 6 and 16 the opportunity to learn the Italian language and experience Italian culture through interactive instruction and cultural events such as dining, dancing and singing Italian.

Some of the previous events IACE students have taken part in include singing “Fratelli d’Italia” and dancing the tarantella at the St. Sebastian feast and the Middletown Memorial Day parade. In prior years, students also performed a concert at Christmas at St. Sebastian’s Church Christmas Mass, singing “Santa Lucia.”

The IACE program begins on Nov. 1, and runs through mid-May. Classes are held on Saturdays from9 a.m. to noon at the community room of the Middletown Police Station at 222 Main St.

Open registration will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to at the Italian Society, 72 Court St. For information, contact Rose Aresco at 860-347-3767 or email rose.joe.a@sbcglobal.net or check out the Facebook page at IACE of Middletown.