News & Events
On April 26th the Italian program participated in the 7th Italian Day Contest at Brandeis University, a friendly Italian language competition among high schools organized by MITA ( Massachusetts Italian Teachers Association) and won a second prize, competing with Medford High School and Arlington Catholic High School.
A group of 27 students from all four levels of the program contributed to create a performance answering the topic L’ABC dell’ecologia (the ABC of Ecology). The students collaborated to craft a skit and a song in Italian and met for several weeks to practice. This was a good opportunity to practice the language outside class and through performing arts.
Congratulations to Ms. Rossi's Italian 1 students - Vyushti Khetan, Maisy Day, and Michael Falchuk. They have been recognized for their achievements in the Italian language contest organized by the Italian Consulate in Boston. The theme of the contest, "Italiano: Lezioni di Sostenibilità," centered around sustainability themes inspired by Italo Calvino's works.
The Italian program also celebrated Il Carnevale, the beloved Italian tradition, with the vibrant Lexington Italian Community on Saturday, January 27th. Our talented students graced the stage, captivating audiences with their ioyful singing and performances. Families and enthusiasts of Italian culture came together to enjoy two hours filled with delightful music and the aroma of delicious traditional food, including frittelle, chiacchiere, focaccia, and pasta. It was not just a celebration, but a chance for everyone to mingle, encounter friends, and immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Italian culture This year we enjoyed also the presence of Ivana Marroncelli, the director of the Ufficio scuole of the Italian Consulate.
French students enjoy a concert with LeFLOFRANCO. What a show! Nov 2, 2023
Italian 1 students celebrated the end of the year with a trip to Rancatore. Thanks to the precious collaboration of Monica, students were able to use their skills to order a gelato in Italian . Grazie Monica! Bravi ragazzi!
The 2023 Fiestaval du Cine was a huge success! Big shout out to the French & Spanish Film Teachers (Amy Parrish, Sumana Mukerjee, & Beckie Rankin) and their students! They shared original student films in Spanish & French with English subtitles each block of the day!
Congratulations to Tara Pai, Digital Winner of the 2023 AATSP Poster Contest!
Felicidades!
On April 13, 2023, thirty LHS Italian students participated at “ La giornata dell'Italiano '' the Italian Day Competition for secondary school students of Italian organized by the Massachusetts Italian Teachers Association (MITA). This year four high schools joined the competition: Lexington, Winchester, Medford and Methuen. The event took place at Brandeis University in Waltham and was co-sponsored by the Italian Consulate in Boston.
The theme of the performance was “Viaggio in Italia” Traveling in Italy. The skit was about a friendly competition among the Italian regions, each one trying to convince tourists to visit. Students modified the lyrics and performed a rap song to describe the 20 regions of Italy, and also created mini descriptions of each region using rhymed lines. In addition, students decorated their T-shirts to emphasize landmarks and products of the regions. Other students prepared a visual presentation with images of the regions to make the performance more captivating. At the end of the skit the tourists were mesmerized by the beauty of the country. All the students were well prepared for the event and won the first prize!!!
IMG_6697.MOVCheck out this Manie Musicale Project from 2 French students in Ms. Rankin's class. Haaniya and Erin created a musical video. Their attention to detail, the deep understanding of the song, and their keen editing skills made this project come to life.
Erin & Haaniya.MOV
Un grande ringraziamento alla signora Rossi e alla signora Dorfmann per l'organizzazione!
On February 4th the Italian program hosted the annual Italian Festival in collaboration with the Italian community in Lexington. The theme of the festival was Carnevale; a traditional holiday in Italy where children and adults dress up in masks and costumes. There are many Carnevale celebrations in Italy with regional masks, parades and foods. Our festival had live music, which featured an array of classical Italian songs. Students sang two songs, Felicità, which emphasizes how we can find joy in everyday activities like studying Italian together, and 20 Regioni which celebrates the uniqueness of the Italian regions. They also presented their own masks and skits, demonstrating an understanding of the culture they had gained in class and their personal connection with the theme of their masks. Everyone enjoyed the music, the food, and the lively atmosphere full of diversity and celebration!
Author, Jennifer Degenhardt, visited LHS to discuss her novel María María and hurricane Maria's devastation of Puerto Rico in 2017.
A few Spanish students ask for an autograph.
Mustafa Soykurt, le Consul Général de Boston, with LHS French students on Dec 13, 2022.
Marie-Josée Duquette, Attachée à la Culture et aux Affaires francophones et éducatives, Délégation du Québec à Boston spoke to French students about Québec. December 2022
Merci Mme Choate and Mme Kimura for organizing this event for students!
Isabella Barbesino wins the black-out poetry contest with the Italian Embassy and Italian Cultural Institute of Washington. October 2022
Here is how Isabella describes her work Trasformazione della voce italiana
The title of my poem is the transformation of the Italian language.
I was inspired to write this poem while listening to my cousins in Italy. While playing, talking or playing video games, they use English words mixed with the Italian language, like “ciao, bro!”.
In the title of this poem you can see the transformation from the classical language represented by the cursive and the current language represented by the minecraft font which is square, modern and has an American touch. I wrote the word “Italiana” in several colors to represent the diversity of the Italians.
The musical notes show how music has had an impact on the Italian language for young people. Not only music but also video games, social media, and movies.
I wanted to show that Italian is also spoken in Switzerland and Corsica.
The most important part of my project is why I used the first chapter of the Promessi sposi di Alessandro Manzoni. Manzoni transformed the Italian language, leaving behind the old and difficult words and used instead a more modern language that was more understandable to many people. Now the Italian language is changing again!
Transformation of the Italian voice
Di Isabella Barbesino
(From Promessi Sposi di Alessandro Manzoni - Capitolo Primo)
Transformation
New streams of voice from the North
extend through those lands
In times in which they taught the country
how considerable is the advantage
And they never failed to spread
From the heights to the shores
Check out this bulletin board created by Italian students for the Settimana della lingua italiana nel mondo. These students participated in a contest organized by the Italian Embassy in Washington "Cancellature" and composed poems in Italian using the technique of erasure poetry.
Students from Ms. Rossi's Italian 1 class practice their Italian skills by ordering ice cream at Rancatore's.
Check out these short films created by Spanish 5 students
French students share their films at the World Language Film Festival.
Spanish 2 students doing a fantastic job asking and answering questions about their travels!
Check out this interview with senio Hasnain on Lead with Languages.
https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/2022/04/14/ask-away-5-questions-for-a-future-aerospace-engineer-learning-french/
Check out this interview with senior Anushka Bhagwat on Lead with Languages.
https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/2022/02/09/ask-away-5-questions-for-a-learner-of-french-and-hindi/
Check out these short films from students in Ms. Parrish's Spanish 5 Film and Conversation classes.
The attached slide show is meant to be a virtual theater experience -- click on the notable latinos on the red carpets or in the lobby to learn about them.
To navigate: either enter the lobby and click on a genre that interests you - that will send you to a room of posters and you can click on which film, then navigate back to the main lobby. OR you can click TAKE ONE in the lobby, scan the titles and students' names and choose a film that way.
Alejandro Montoya Marín spoke to Sra Parrish's Spanish 5 students about filmmaking, working under COVID conditions, and life as a latino filmmaker.
Each year, as part of a unit on immigration, AP Spanish students read the first chapter of the classic 1987 text Borderlands. The author, Chicana activist Gloria Anzaldúa, writes not just about the border between Mexico and the U.S., but also the borders between race, class, gender, and so many other elements of our identities. Students must then create an original piece of art that represents an important borderland in their own lives.
Mr. Casey invites you to take a stroll through a virtual museum that features the students' outstanding works. Next to each work, you can click on a flag to hear the artist explain their piece in English or Spanish. (The password for English videos is borders2021; the password for Spanish videos is fronteras2021). Be sure to take a "brochure" once you enter the museum so that you see the names of all the wonderful students who contributed their projects & how those projects have been organized in the museum.
Some of Mr. Martha-Reynold's Spanish 4 students had the opportunity to speak with Patricia Sobalvarro from Agenica ALPHA and Ronnie Millar from Rian Immigrant Center to learn more about immigrants in the community and how to get involved.
Congratulations to Daisy Li and Julie Arnold. Daisy and Julia are Platinum winners, which is the highest award in Le Grand Concours (National French Contest).
Italian students and teachers sponsored an Italian Festival on Saturday February 29th.
They celebrated the work of the Italian students and explore all the wonderful things Italian culture has to offer!
There was live music, skits, crafts, demonstrations, booths on Italian culture and style, virtual tour on a Vespa, food tasting and Espresso “in tazzina”
ItalianFestival2020.pdfMs. Floerke and the German 4 students visited the German International School Boston. LHS students read their fairy tales to the preschool and kindergarten students and even had time to play.
Ms. Liu and Ms. Yao celebrate the Chinese New Year with their students.
Ms. Yao also invited a guest speaker, Marcus Larsen-Strecker, who studied Mandarin as a teenager. Ms. Yao and Marcus met 6 years ago while completing a Fulbright program (Teaching Chinese as Foreign Language) in Xi'an. Marcus spoke to the students about his experience learning Mandarin and the work he does now on culture exchange and immersion programs.
Cathy Brooks, Middle School WL Department Head and Beckie Rankin, LHS French Teacher, head to Capital Hill to meet with members of Congress at the Assembly of Advocates, ACTFL National Convention.
Senior Italian students played bocce and chatted in Italian with Ms. Arrigo's father.
Congratulations to Paula Prado who won a two week study trip to Italy from the American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI). Paola will study at Scuola di Italiano Dante Alighieri - Campus L'Infinito di Recanati
Congratulations to Julia Arnold and William Soylemez! Julia and William were first place winners on the National Spanish Exam. Julia is a student in Señora Hanley's Spanish 2 class and William is a student in Señor Martha-Reynold's Spanish 2 course.
Congratulations to seniors Kate Romero, Eric Zhao, and Eliza Mezhirov. Kate is the recipient of the Nicholas Barnett award. Eric is the recipient of the Chinese American Association of Lexington award. Eliza is the recipient of the Rafe Jenanyan award.
Madame Kimura and the French Club hosted Cabaret on Saturday evening April 6th!
Students in Señor Casey's Spanish class, who have been studying global warming and other environmental issues in Spanish, were tasked with creating promotional videos for the Lexington Green Team, aimed at explaining to their peers the purpose and importance of this group and why/how it's important to "go green" at LHS.
Check out these Spanish Green Team Videos!
"Salva Nuestra Planeta" "El Equipo Verde"
"Salva Las Tortugas" "Ayuden al Green Team"
Tina McBride and Lin Jensen from Lexington Green Team visit Señor Martha-Reynolds' Spanish 2 class. Students will write letters to Principal Stephens and make recommendations for a more eco-friendly LHS.
Student work from Señor Casey's Spanish 2 Honors class.
Check out these skits from Madame Rankin's French 3 class!
IMG_0328.MOVIMG_2094.MOVNoteworthy Faculty News:
French teacher Heather Kimura presents at ACTFL in New Orleans with 2 Lexington middle school teachers, representing how social justice is essential to world language education.
Mr. Ryan Casey, Spanish Teacher, is the recipient of the 2018 MaFLA (Massachusetts Foreign Language Association) New Teacher Award for excellence in world language teaching. !Felicidades!
Ms. Beckie Rankin, French Teacher and 2nd Vice President of MaFLA introduces the theme of the 2019 MaFLA Conference
Junior Megan Ren earns the PLATINUM award for her AATF Grand Concours Level IV. Congratulations Megan!
Kaija Gisolfi-McCready and Giulia Silver receive the Nicholas Barnett Award at World Language Awards Night. Congratulations Kaija and Giulia!
Ms. Arrigo's Italian 1 students use their Italian skills to order ice cream at Rancatore's.
Team España wins the World Cup in penalty kicks vs. Italia! Friday May 25
Congratulations to the French and Spanish Film & Conversation students.
French Club members lead the group in singing "Elle Me Dit" "Papaoutai" and "Champs Elysées".
French Club hosted Cabaret Night on April 7th.
Students performed "Make our Garden Grow" from the Candide musical
Congratulations Italian students for performing the Primo Canto of Dante's Divina Commedia at La Giornata Italiana on April 6, 2018 at Northeastern University.
Reflection Empowers Learners.pdfNoteworthy Faculty News:
Ms. Rankin publishes in the Language Educator. Rankin, Beckie. "Reflection Empowers Learners". The Language Educator, August/September 2017, pp. 34-36.
Beckie Rankin, French Teacher, is elected 2nd Vice President of the MA Foreign Language Association.
Ryan Casey, Spanish Teacher, and Beckie Rankin present at the MaFLA conference, October 20017.
LPS French Program receives the Exemplary French Program with Distinction award from the AATF. (2017)
Mr. Abdu-Glass, Ms. Arrigo, Ms. Dorfmann, Ms. Durand, Ms. Floerke, Ms. Kimura, Mr. Martha-Reynolds, Ms. Rankin, & Ms. Sullivan enjoy a day of professional learning at MaFLA Core Practices Institute March 9-10, 2018.
Madame Kimura's French 3 students reading their fairy tales at Les P'tits Bouts preschool
