From: "WisItalia Web Updates" <wisitalia.info@gmail.com>
Subject: WisItalia Web Updates
Date: February 6th 2012

WisItalia Web Updates - February 2012

Ciao a tutti!



Hope everyone is enjoying the mild winter so far in Wisconsin. Italy, on the other hand, has not been so lucky. Freezing temperatures and heavy snowfalls in the center and north have caused widespread chaos on roads, railways and at airports. Forecasters say this is the coldest weather in Italy in 27 years. In Rome, all schools were closed on Friday (2/3) and Saturday (2/4) due to the snow.

Here are the latest web updates on www.wisitalia.org and www.facebook.com/wisitalia

1. Every year, WisItalia honors an Italian Teacher of the Year, an Outstanding Service Award recipient and the WisItalia President's Award recipient. This year, the event will be held at O'Donoghue's Irish Pub, 13225 Watertown Plank Rd, Elm Grove, WI 53122. Nominations are now open for 2012 WisItalia Awards! Do you know an excellent teacher or someone who has promoted the Italian language and culture in Wisconsin? WisItalia is currently accepting nominations for its 2012 Italian Teacher of the Year Award and Outstanding Service Award. If you would like to nominate someone for these awards, you may either email the nomination form (www.wisitalia.org/pdfs/F-007TeacherNomination2012P.doc) back to wisitalia.info@gmail.com or send it through the US mail (address on the form) by March 10, 2012.


   
   • Who is eligible?
 Candidates for the Italian Teacher of the Year Award should be teachers or instructors of the Italian language in Wisconsin's schools (elementary school, middle school, junior high school, senior high school, college or university) or Italian language programs (after school, evening or weekend programs). 


      
   • Candidates for the Outstanding Service Award can be anyone who has fostered/promoted the learning of the Italian language or culture in Wisconsin.
      
2. Grazie mille to Simonetta Milli-Konewko and Rita Workman for their recent donations to WisItalia to help support the Italian language programs in Wisconsin. If you are interested in making a donation, please see www.wisitalia.org/pages/SponsorInfo.html#donor.
    
3. All Saints Catholic School, North Campus, Kenosha - Saturday Italian Adult & Children's Italian Classes. Download the registration form (www.wisitalia.org/pdfs/KenoshaWisItalia-Spring2012Classes.pdf). Saturday mornings 10:00 to 11:30 am for six weeks beginning Feb 18th and continuing through March 24th. These Italian language classes are part of a privately sponsored, community-based program and are open to everyone.
   
   
4. Mangia! Italian cooking. 

In this three-night hands-on class, Italian instructor Cinzia Toffolon will help you to gain some insight into traditional food from this important culinary destination. Learn how to cook authentic Italian recipes such as risotti and chicken with capers and artichoke and discover a few Italian phrases along the way. Please note that the recipes are in Italian and the translation will be given during class. All students will need a pen and an apron.

 March 27, April 3, April 10: 6 p.m.- 8 p.m., $120. Register by March 20 by calling 920-676-3195.
   All classes meet at Foxview Intermediate School, 650 South Michigan Street, De Pere. 
Come prepared to feast on the dishes made during class! No experience is necessary and all levels are welcome!
    
5. Free Italian films are back! La cineteca italiana at UW-Madison. Free Italian films shown on alternating Wednesday evenings from 6:00 pm - 8:15 pm, UW-Madison campus, room 1217 Humanities, 455 North Park Street, Madison. Here's the schedule www.wisitalia.org/pdfs/CinetecaSpring2012.pdf. Upcoming films:
   
   • Pranzo di ferragosto (Feb 15)
   • Maschi contro femmine (Feb 29)
   • I cento passi (March 14)
   • La febbre (March 28)
   • La prima cosa bella (April 11)
   • La nostra vita (April 25)
      
6. Consider promoting the film, "On the Trail of a Black Sheep," by Genevieve Davis. Become a team member of their web fundraising campaign. Here's the link to the campaign www.indiegogo.com/On-the-Trail-of-a-Black-Sheep. Everybody who supports the movie gets a premium - Genevieve's Art or Jewelry or a DVD or Book. This is what you have to do: share the above link with your contacts a few times, and encourage them to support the film and get cool stuff in return. Thanks for considering this request!
    
7. February 18 and 19, 2012. Free to Italian Teachers - ILF Sponsored ACTFL Teacher Workshop - Chicago Area - Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) - The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) presents "Developing and Assessing Your Students' Language Performance," by Paul Sandrock, ACTFL Associate Director-Professional Development (Author of The Keys to Assessing Language Performance), with a full day workshop on February 18, 2012, open to all teachers of Italian, followed by a half-day workshop on February 19, 2012, to train those interested in being lead teachers. Both workshops are free to attend, and are sponsored by the Italian Language Foundation. For more information contact Paul Sandrock: psandrock@actfl.org. Download the registration materials (www.actfl.org/ilfworkshops2012).
    
8. This is the Italian Carnevale season!
   • If you are in Milwaukee, Saturday, February 18, 2012 
Italian Community Center's 33rd annual Il Grande Carnevale is all set. This year's colorful and fun-filled pre-Lent celebration, open to the public, will take place at the ICC, 631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Brew City Horns (22-piece band) will provide dance music at the event, followed by a late-night pyrotechnics display presented by Bartolotta Fireworks. It should be a memorable evening of pageantry, dinner, dancing and all-around fun. The theme this year is "La stella di Venezia" (The Star of Venice). You are encouraged to come wearing a costume or at least wearing a mask so as to be able to participate fully in the evening's festivities. Reservations close on Monday, February 13, 2012. See iccmilwaukee.com/italian-times.html.
      
   • If you are in Green Bay, Tuesday, February 21, 2012 
Celebrate Carnevale in Green Bay. Luigi's Italian Bistro, 2733 Manitowoc Road, Green Bay, WI 54311. 6:00 pm – Registration & Social Hour. 7:00 pm – Buffet of traditional Italian foods. Entertainment by John Contratto. Italian games and activities. Italian language students from Preble and East High Schools will be decorating Carnevale masks (Venetian style), which will be judged by attendees. First, second and third place cash prizes awarded. RSVP by February 14, 2012. View the promotional flyer for details www.wisitalia.org/pdfs/GB_CARNEVALE2012.pdf.
      
9. Speaking of celebrations, Festa Italiana will be July 19-22, 2012 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For details as they develop, go to: festaitaliana.com. Pursuing Our Italian Names Together, Chapter 22, will provide a display on the featured region, Puglia (or Apulia) italyworldclub.com/puglia/. If your family is from this region, they are looking for family trees and other items of genealogical interest for their display. Please contact George Koleas GeorgeJK676@wi.rr.com if you would be interested in displaying your family information.
    
10. Planning on going to Italy this year? There are several resources on the WisItalia website at www.wisitalia.org/pages/trip_plan.html (in particular, visit our business sponsors: Torenzio Tours and ICNOS Adventures) and www.wisitalia.org/pages/trips.html. You might also like to consider these trip opportunities:
    
    • Dairyland Walkers on a Volkssporting Adventure to Northern Italy. Dates: September 6 - 19, 2012. Includes round trip airfare from Chicago to Milan, Italy. For complete details see the tour brochure www.dairylandwalkers.com/Trips/2012NorthernItaly/NorthernItalyBrochure.pdf. For more about the organization, see www.dairylandwalkers.com/.
       
    • Consider staying at an agriturismo www.italiannotebook.com/local-interest/agriturismo/. The author of this article suggests starting your research with www.agriturismo.it/ or Tripadvisor (both have guest reviews and photos so you can get an idea of what a place offers), but there are other websites. It is also advisable to check on the holidays and festivals for the local area to get an idea of when might be a great time/less than ideal time to visit a location.
       
11. Professional Development Course for Teachers and Trainers of Italian in Rome, July 2012 - Application deadline is April 2, 2012. The American University of Rome is pleased to announce that the 4th annual graduate-level seminar Destinazione Italia: Tecnologia, Metodologia e Cultura per l'Insegnamento dell'Italiano will take place July 3-18, 2012 in Rome, Italy. This two-week technology, methodology and culture course offers professional development for teachers and trainers of Italian. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive 4.0 graduate credits from The American University of Rome, an American institution that has been operating in Rome for more than 40 years and is accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Middle and High School Teachers, Teaching Assistants, Graduate Students, University Instructors, and Teacher Trainers of Italian as a Second Language are encouraged to apply. All seminar activities are conducted in Italian. Visit www.aur.edu/american-university-rome/2011/11/technology-methodology-and-culture-seminar-2012/ for more details and to apply or contact Prof. Catherine Ramsey-Portolano at bringitaliantolife@aur.edu.
     
12. Interested in studying in Italy?
    
    • Consider learning at the language school Poliedro in San Bartolomeo al Mare, a lovely town on the Riviera dei Fiori in Liguria, offers Italian courses for all levels, all ages and students from all nationalities. Tuition is really personalized and the groups are small to enable fast learning progress in a comfortable ambient. The school offers Italian language courses at all levels for all ages and a funfilled cultural program. See www.poliedroviaggi.it/.
       
    • Learn Italian in the far south of Italy, with its beautiful beaches, coasts and crystal-clear sea! Conte Ruggiero Language School has been offering highly qualified Italian courses since 1984. They are located in Italy / Calabria and their Italian courses are recognized by the Italian Ministry of Education for Teaching of Italian as a Foreign Language. They offer high quality standards. Their teachers are all mother tongue; they have a University degree and are qualified to teach Italian as a Foreign Language. You are going to experience a perfect compromise between holiday and study, relaxation and the most effective teaching methods. See www.viverelalingua.com/index.html.
       
13. The University of Calabria offers 80 grants to foreign students who have completed a first-level degree (B.A.) and are enrolled in a Laurea Magistrale (2nd Cycle Degree) in the a.y. 2012/2013. These grants, consisting in free services from its Residential Centre, include board and lodging for the entire duration of the two-year program and an intensive course in Italian language and culture. A notification regarding the scholarships will be sent out by March 30, 2012 to students who express interest by filling in the application form (www.unical.it/portale/international/students/admission/) by February 10, 2012. All foreign students, including those who will be awarded the scholarship, must follow the pre-registration and registration procedures required by law. They will also have to accept the scholarship within 20 days from the notification.
     
14. Check out the Italian-related activities and events at www.wisitalia.org/pages/events.html. Also, the Facebook page lists events and activities, too at www.facebook.com/wisitalia.
    
    • Cure for Cabin Fever Music series – January 31 – April 12, 2012 – Milwaukee. Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St. This free-admission series will feature local jazz and blues artists on Tuesday nights and area rock and roll groups on Thursday nights. Shows start at 6:30 pm in the ICC’s Festa Ball Room. A schedule of performances is available on the web at iccmilwaukee.com/cure-for-cabin-fever.html. Reservations are recommended by telephoning the Café Scala at 414-223-2185.
       
    • Wednesday, February 8, 2012 - UW-Madison Italian Club. WELCOME BACK! Let's start the new semester with coffee, chatting, meeting great people and planning for a great semester! 6:15 pm. Place: Michelangelo's, 114 State Street, Madison, WI.
       
    • Saturday, February 11, 2012 - Italian Wine and Cheese Tasting Fundraiser with Italian Wines, Cheeses and Chocolates. 6:00 - 9:00pm at the Italian Workmen's Club (IWC) Clubhouse, 914 Regent Street, Madison, WI 53715. Please invite family and friends to join them for this social! (makes a nice Valentines gift too!). Cost is $20 per person - there will be plenty of food and drink (as usual!). This is a fundraiser for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society in Madison and is being organized by IWC member Jason Mascitti who is a cancer survivor. View the flyer (iwcmadison.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IWC-Wine-Tasting-2-11-12.pdf) for details.
       
    • Wednesdays, February 15, 22, 29 and March 7, 14 and 21, 2012 - Free Video Lecture Series on the "Great Artists of the Italian Renaissance." The video lectures by Professor William Kloss will be shown from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. These lectures cover the art historical periods known as the Early Renaissance and the High Renaissance, which extended from about 1400 to about 1520. Italy is the first and principal location of the Renaissance, and it was in Florence that it took its deepest root. Renaissance means rebirth, and it is the name given to the transition from medieval to modern times in Europe. Many major masterpieces will be discussed in detail, from Giotto's frescoes for the Arena Chapel and Ghiberti's bronze doors for the Florence Baptistery to Leonardo's "The Last Supper" and Michelangelo's "Last Judgment." This event is open to the public!
       
    • Saturday, March 3, 2012 - Madison's annual International Festival held at the Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State Street, Madison, WI 53703. It's a great indoor ethnic event with lots of entertainment for families to enjoy and the food is great! The festival is held from 11am-6pm and it's free!

       
    • Saturday, March 17, 2012 - The next general WisItalia meeting will be held at Trinity Academy, W 225 N3131, Duplainville Rd, Pewaukee, WI 53702. Please RSVP to wisitalia.info@gmail.com so we can get a head count of how many will be attending the meeting.
       
15. Here are the monthly newsletters:
    • Tutto Italiano January newsletter www.wisitalia.org/pdfs/TuttoItalianoJan2012.html. View one of her links to the Cost Concordia cruise ship that grounded off the coast of Isola del Giglio news.nationalpost.com/2012/01/16/striking-photographs-of-tragedy-in-shallow-waters-as-the-costa-concordia-sinks/.
       
    • Select Italy's January Cappuccino newsletter is now online at selectitaly.com/emails/2012_01_31_full.html. Try the recipe for Agliata - Tagliatelle with Walnut and Garlic Sauce.
       
    • Green Bay Italo-Americano Club February newsletter www.wisitalia.org/pdfs/GB_IL_PICCOLO_GIORNALE-Feb_2012.pdf. Info on their Carnevale event.
       
    • Italian Community Center (ICC) The Italian Times February newspaper iccmilwaukee.com/italian-times.html - lots of info on their upcoming il Grande Carnevale.
       
    • NIAF February newsletter www.niaf.org/news/enews/enews_february_2012.asp.
       
    • Racine Roma Lodge February newsletter members.romalodge.com/files/files/2012%20February%20%20Newsletter.pdf. Student scholarship info included.

      
      
16. Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti will be the guest of President Barack Obama at the White House on Feb. 9th. The two leaders will discuss the comprehensive steps the Italian government is taking to restore market confidence and reinvigorate growth through structural reforms, as well as the prospect of an expansion of Europe's financial firewall. Read more at www.ciaoamerica.net/.
     
17. Wanting to send flowers to Italy for Valentine's Day or other special occasions? Check out www.flower-italy.com/. Free shipping on orders over $25.

A presto,



Rita Prigioni

WisItalia Secretary and Webmaster (volunteer)

wisitalia.info@gmail.com

www.wisitalia.org