“BRAVO” THE LIDO CIVIC CLUB
For some years, the Order Sons of Italy (OSIA) Heritage Lodge of Fairfax, VA, made a financial contribution to Mantua Elementary School in Fairfax as a demonstration of the Lodge’s commitment to promote the teaching of Italian in the Fairfax County school system. These donations were used to help defray the costs of supplies, such as books, that the school system had been unable to provide. As a member of the Lodge, I was part of the delegation that has visited Mantua annually to present the donation and to witness first-hand the Italian classes.
Because of financial constraints, the Lodge was not able to continue making an annual donation. Therefore, I approached Phil Finelli, President of The Lido Civic Club of Washington, DC, for help, knowing of The Lido Club’s long-standing reputation to help Italian causes, especially the promotion of Italian language. Phil said “no problem there Lucio”! The Lido Civic Club made a generous donation towards the school’s purchase of Italian language dictionaries. On November 14, 2013 Phil, my wife Edvige and I presented the donation to the Principal of Mantua, Mrs. JanMarie Fernandez and the Italian program teachers, Marina Afentakis, Analisa Iervolino and David Lorenzi. The school was, needless to say, very thankful for The Lido Club’s generous donation.\\
The Italian program at Mantua Elementary School is half an hour of Italian twice a week. All students from kindergarten through 6th grade are taught Italian. The instruction is done in Italian only. The school teaches the language and culture of Italy. The curriculum is based on the Standards of Learning (SOLs) and World Language standards. It is the only ongoing Italian language program in the Fairfax County school system. Currently about 950 children are learning Italian at Mantua. Edvige and I have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm demonstrated by the students and the teachers when we have observed them in the classroom.
500 YEARS OF ITALIAN AMERICAN HISTORY by by Lucio D’Andrea On October 30, 2013, the Library of Congress released a 310- page book titled “Explorers Emigrant Citizens - A Visual History of the Italian-American Experience from the Collections of the Library of Congress”. It covers contributions of Italian and Italian Americans, from Christopher Columbus to today.
The authors of the book, Linda Barrett Osborne and Paolo Battaglia, have selected 500 images related to the history of Italian Americans from the Library of Congress’ holdings on photographs, letters, films and sound recordings. It is one of the best books I have seen on the Italian emigrant experience, to the point that I recommended the Society acquire a copy and that it be made available to members. The book would make a terrific gift for family and friends who cherish their Italian heritage. Parts of the book cite experiences of Abruzzesi and Molisani. Anyone interested in borrowing the book contact me directly, ldandrea1933@yahoo.com, or (703) 490-3067.