Contents/Contenuto. Contributi, Consiglio d Amministrazione e Sottocomitati 2. Funding Sources, Board and Subcommittees... 2

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2 Contents/Contenuto Funding Sources, Board and Subcommittees... 2 President s Message... 3 Administration... 4 Italian National Ball... 4 Occupational Health and Safety... 5 Education... 6 Teaching Projects... 6 Professional Development... 6 Italian Week in Wollongong... 8 Co.As.It. Italian Language and Culture Awards... 8 Other Projects... 9 Community Services Aged Care Services Community Settlement Services Scheme Mental Health and Counselling Services Italian Bilingual School Italian Heritage Co.As.It. Medal in Pictures Financial Report Staff... Inner back cover Contributi, Consiglio d Amministrazione e Sottocomitati 2 Messaggio del Presidente Amministrazione Ballo nazionale italiano Sicurezza sul lavoro Attività di insegnamento Insegnamento Progetti formativi Settimana Italiana a Wollongong Premi Co.As.It. per la lingua e la cultura italiana 27 Altri progetti Servizi Sociali Servizi di assistenza agli anziani Servizio per la facilitazione dell inserimento sociale 32 Salute mentale e counselling Scuola italiana bilingue Patrimonio culturale Medaglia del Co.As.It Il 2004 in foto Rapporto finanziario Personale... Interno di copertina 1

3 Funding Sources, Board and Subcommittees 2 FUNDING SOURCES EDUCATION NSW Department of Education and Training and the Catholic Education Commission Insertion Class Program NSW Community Languages School Program Out of School Hours Program Italian Government-Ministero degli Affari Esteri General Grant COMMUNITY SERVICES Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing Welfare Worker for the Frail Aged In Contatto Community Aged Care Packages Community Visitors Scheme Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC) Inner West Community Transport (HACC) Aged Project Officers Frail Aged Respite Day Care Dementia Respite Day Care Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) Community Settlement Services Scheme Central Sydney Area Health Service Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Programs Department of Community Services Youth and Family Program Italian Government-Ministero degli Affari Esteri General Grant ITALIAN BILINGUAL SCHOOL Commonwealth Department of Education NSW Department of Education and Training Ministero degli Affari Esteri HERITAGE NSW Heritage Office Migration Heritage Centre PUBLIC RELATIONS San Francesco Italian Catholic Association BOARD AND SUBCOMMITTEES BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT: Lorenzo Fazzini VICE PRESIDENT: Peter Todaro HONORARY TREASURER: John De Bellis HONORARY SECRETARY: Romano Di Donato COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Maria Daniele Patrizia Favorito Giuseppe Fin Francesco Lo Pizzo Lawrence Picone Linda Restuccia HONORARY SOLICITOR: Chris Mitchell, Partner Blake Dawson Waldron SUBCOMMITTEES EDUCATION CONVENOR: John De Bellis MEMBERS: Silvia Bedrossian-Alimeni Giuseppe Calciano Silvana D'Iapico Bruno Di Biase Giuseppe Fin Rita Giampieri Maria Migliorino Armando Tornari Giuseppina Wimott HONORARY MEMBERS: Antonio Picone Teresa Piccioli ITALIAN LANGUAGE ADVISER: Dott.ssa Luciana De Leon COMMUNITY SERVICES CONVENOR: Patrizia Favorito MEMBERS: Benedicte Cruysmans Carmine Di Campli Emanuela D'Urso Francesco Lo Pizzo Cathy O'Connell Maria Pirrello ITALIAN HERITAGE PATRON: Domenico La Rosa CONVENOR: Sam Campisi MEMBERS: Dominic Arrivolo Gino Preziosa Cecilia Tesoriero Fabian Lo Schiavo Domenico Gullifa Francesca Musicò Jim Scro ITALIAN FAMILY HISTORY GROUP Convenor: Dominic Arrivolo Vice Convenor: Fabian Lo Schiavo Members: Francesca Musicò Lores Borg Margaret De Manincor Jim Scarano Sue Lopez Jim Scro Paul Sidotti Joe Vescio Margherita Matarazzo ITALIAN BILINGUAL SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL: Bruno Di Biase Antonia Rubino Graham Sims Giuseppina Wilmott Luciana De Leon (ex officio)

4 President s Report Lorenzo Fazzini It is with great pleasure that I write this message as the new President of Co.As.It., to the Members, my fellow colleagues and staff. I would like to begin by extending my heartfelt gratitude for your continued patronage, support and sponsorship. One year ago we had a change of guard and Pino Migliorino stepped down as President. I believe it is my duty to acknowledge the voluntary work done by Pino over the last 22 years, the last five as President. As President, I am fully aware that I have taken on a great responsibility and given the calibre of my predecessors. Commendatore Giuseppe Fin and Pino Migliorino both great Italian community ambassadors, we will have to work hard to lift Co.As.It. to an even higher level to improve past achievements. While my style has been different, I do promise you that along with the Co.As.It. staff, fellow Directors, and the numerous Volunteers have all strived to deliver quality programs and services across the many platforms to meet the needs of our members, clients and funding bodies in Community Services, Education, Italian Bilingual School and the Heritage area over the past 12 months. It is important that we all in our own way continue to support the work that Co.As.It. does. Over the last 12 months I have witnessed the extraordinary media support that Co.As.It. receives. I would like to acknowledge this support and extend my sincere thanks to La Fiamma and Rete Italia, SBS Italian Radio, Corriere della Sera and Gazzetta dello Sport as well as our local media. The Glebe, Inner Western Courier and Village Voice. The media plays a vital role in passing our valuable message to the community. Allow me to also acknowledge the continued support and funding from the Italian Government (Ministero degli Affari Esteri) and the Australian Local, State and Federal Governments. This support enables Co.As.It. to continue to provide a wide range of programs and activities for the Italian-Australian community and the broader Australian community. Finally un ringraziamento to all my fellow Directors, Peter Todaro, Vice President, John De Bellis, Treasurer, Romano Di Donato, Hon. Secretary, and the Directors, Maria Daniele, Patrizia Favorito, Giuseppe Fin, Lawrence Picone, Francesco Lo Pizzo, and Linda Restuccia. I invite you to take your time, to read the 2004 Directors Report and to witness the work that has been achieved. Thank you Lorenzo Fazzini President 3

5 Administration Susi Schio Andrea Comastri Vanessa Pilla Maria Pellicciotti Margherita Selvatico The Co.As.It. Administration team is largely responsible for the behind the scenes work at Co.As.It. in the areas of Management, Accounting, Public Relations, Marketing, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), and Information Technology. In 2004 the team has worked on streamlining systems to ensure that the work carried out is both time and cost efficient. These include areas of Fleet Management and Assets Management, Maintenance and Purchasing. The Administration and Marketing Manger has been involved in the IBS Property Search on a full-time basis. Co.As.It. was able to secure the use of Casa d'italia as a temporary location for the school for 2005 and The search will continue until a permanent location is identified and confirmed. The Italian National Ball acknowledged the many contributions made by the Italian-Australian community to the history and heritage of New South Wales over the past 150 years. All proceeds raised from the event went towards promoting Italian Heritage. The evening was a great way to celebrate the Italian Spirit in Australia and provided a great networking opportunity. Co.As.It. would like to thank and acknowledge the presence of 21 corporate tables represented on the evening. We would like to thank in particular our Gold Partners for the event whose contribution and generosity is greatly appreciated by Co.As.It. and helped make the event a great success. External bookings from community groups and the commercial sector are still an important aspect of Casa d'italia. The use of the San Francesco Room and meeting rooms keeps the building active most evenings and weekends. The marketing section of Co.As.It. has been focusing its work on E-News, an electronic newsletter that is sent bi-monthly to over 1000 subscribers. E-News keeps the community up-to-date with events, workshops, information and promotions that are relevant to the Italian-Australian community. E-News has been a successful means of communicating with the general public on the work and activities that Co.As.It. conducts and supports. The Administration and Marketing Manager has continued the fortnightly segments on SBS Italian Radio together with Co.As.It.'s relationship with La Fiamma and Rete Italia, the community is kept informed with the activities of the organisation. GOLD PARTNERS SILVER PARTNERS BRONZE PARTNERS De Bortoli Omega Travel Pirelli TARBS World TV Canturi Commonwealth Bank De Lorenzo La Fiamma Sanpellegrino Corriere della Sera Caffè Fantini Cypress Lakes Resort Gysi Chocolates Frangelico SBS Radio The Tall Poppeas and La Folia Co.As.It. would like to thank patrons, sponsors and special guests of the Italian National Ball In 2004 the Italian National Ball celebrated the 58th Italian National Day and was part of the Sydney Italian Festival - Life in I style, organised by the Italian Trade Commission. The event was held at Star City Hotel's Grand Ballroom on the 21st of June 2004 and attracted up to five hundred guests. The theme of the evening was 'Preserving Our Past to Enrich 4 Our Future'. Italian Ball at Paddington Town Hall Sydney 1936

6 Anna Novoselov Raymond Money OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY Co.As.It. is aware of its responsibilities in guaranteeing its workers a safe environment and in the case of an accident a prompt return to work. For this reason Co.As.It. continued its work in 2004 as the second year of the three-year Workcover program, aimed at updating systems and procedures in work safety. The second of the four Audits under the Workcover Premium Discount Scheme was conducted in June 2004 and was successfully completed allowing Co.As.It. to continue with the program. The third audit will be conducted on the 16th June Consultation The OHS Committee completed its mandate in April 2005 after two intense years of work. Elections for the new Committee were held in April The new Committee was formed in May 2005 and will work for two years until April OHS Committee GROUP Daycare Italian Bilingual School CACP Fieldworker CACP Fieldworker CACP Coordinator Leichhardt Office Western Sydney Office Teachers Management REPRESENTATIVE Maria Martinovic Cristina Pisani Domenico De Pergola Salvatore Lo Monaco Laura Angelone Alfaister D'Amato Margherita Conti Silvia Onorati Lina Di Donato Thomas Camporeale Valeria De Fina Andrea Comastri (OHS Officer/RTW Coordinator) In the OHS Committee, all workgroups at Co.As.It. are represented by at least one member of staff. This ensures that there is appropriate consultation in regards to OHS at Co.As.It. The Committee uses a wide range of communication tools to inform staff, from newsletters and meetings to s and posters on notice boards reserved to OHS related matters. Risk Management Program On the basis of the Co.As.It. Risk Management Program the staff and management of Co.As.It. have continued to monitor the various offices and work situations with the aim of identifying and assessing potential hazards and find ways of managing them (elimination, substitution, administrative management etc.). The program has also provided for an annual inspection of Co.As.It. offices which has helped to identify and assess potential hazards for workers and visitors. The program has resulted in increased awareness of staff identifying and assessing possible hazardous situations, hence possible accidents. Injury Management Program Where accidents have occurred, the Return to Work Co-ordinator has worked with staff, health professionals and the insurance company, with the aim of minimizing the impact of the accident on the individual, their colleagues and their work program. It is important to note that the number of hours lost due to accidents has diminished in 2004 compared to the previous year. In light of announced legislative changes in the near future, which will extend the life of the Workcover Premium Discount Scheme, Co.As.It. is favourably considering the possibility of continuing in this program with the aim of maintaining a high level of OHS. 5

7 Education Lina Di Donato Luisa Baldassari Laura Del Ben Raffaella Buttini The Co.As.It. Education Program runs many Italian teaching projects throughout the State: Insertion Courses, Out of School Hours Classes for Children, Adult Classes and Storytime for Children. It also offers resources and support to Italian teachers throughout the State in the form of resource and professional development. TEACHING PROJECTS Insertion Courses The Italian Insertion Program was present in 90 primary schools (State, Catholic and Independent) in NSW during 2004 and is the most extensive of all Co.As.It. teaching programs. It ensures Italian is integrated into the normal school curriculum; in 2004 a total of 21,665 students were taught by Co.As.It. funded teachers. Each year sees movement within the Co.As.It. Italian Insertion Program. At the end of 2003, the program farewelled the following schools: Pymble Public School, Sylvania Heights Public School, Mater Dei Primary Blakehurst and Wheeler Heights Public School. However, in 2004, several new schools throughout the Metropolitan area and Queanbeyan joined the program: St Mary and St Joseph s Primary, Maroubra, Hamilton North Public School, Broadmeadow, Wilkins Public School, Marrickville, Balmain Public School and St Gregory s School, Queanbeyan. In addition to the insertion courses that Co.As.It. manages directly. Co.As.It. assists all other insertion courses in the state by providing a wide range of services and other initiatives. Students Classes No. of hours annually Teachers Insertion Courses organised by Co.As.It. 21, ,776 86* Insertion Courses assisted by Co.As.It. 35,807 1, , Total Insertion Courses in NSW 58,449 2, , Italian Classes for Adults Italian Classes for Adults is an ever-increasing project. With minor changes made to the courses, enrolments increased for each term, with an average of 130 enrolments per term. Storytime for Children Storytime for Children is a wonderful program that introduces two- to seven-year-old children to the joys of Italian language, songs, craft and books. Its growing popularity means that the bi-weekly sessions were often booked out well in advance throughout Schools Visits 2004 Adult Courses Students 197 Classes 11 Teachers 6 Storytime for Children Students 40 Classes 2 Teachers 1 Following on from some successful visits by Co.As.It. Education Office Staff to schools in 2003, a series of visits to Insertion Programs throughout Sydney as well as to Out of School Centres was conducted in The visits allowed staff to make contact with teachers, principals and staffs in their school environment. On another note, it was wonderful to experience the mini-italian worlds created by the teachers who designated a room to teach from and by those teachers who offer a travelling taste of Italy from classroom to classroom. During 2004, 24 Insertion schools, eight Out of School Hours Centres - and their 45 teachers - were visited. * (15 teachers work in both Insertion and Out of School Hours programs.) Out of School Hours Program The Co.As.It. Out of School Hours Program was conducted in 27 centres throughout the state including centres in the Illawarra, Lismore and Queanbeyan. Italian was taught for two hours after school or on a Saturday in each centre. In 2004, 977 students studied Italian in this program. Out of School Hours Program PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT In line with the Co.As.It. Education Program to support Italian teachers throughout New South Wales, the series of Inservices developed and offered by Co.As.It. aim to support all Italian teaching from K-12 in NSW. In 2004 the following inservices were conducted. 6 Students 977 Classes 61 No. of hours annually 4,884 Teachers 43** ** (15 teachers work in both Insertion and Out of School Hours programs.) 7-23 January 2004 Università Per Stranieri di Perugia - 16 participants The courses in Perugia dealt with various linguistic and cultural components, along with a variety of teaching methodologies to help

8 participants improve their understanding of Italian. This course was co-ordinated by Professor Anna Comodi, Professor Augusta Boco and Professor Antonella Cernetti, and included a language module of 40 hours, lectures of 20 hours, a cultural module of 43 hours and visits to local primary and secondary schools. 28 January 2004 Casa d Italia - 60 participants Inservice for Insertion Program Teachers on OHS and various administrative issues. During the Inservice, teachers received assorted teaching resources. 31 January 2004 Casa d Italia - 40 participants Inservice for teachers in the Out of School Hours Program. During this Inservice teachers were presented the new teaching program and were able to discuss various strategies for the teaching of Italian at primary school. Teachers also had the opportunity to meet with the Education Office Staff and discuss aspects of Administration and OHS. 3 February 2004 Casa d Italia - 7 participants Inservice for Teachers in the Adult Program on the curriculum and the planning of lesson. The course covered the following topics: methodology, the new teaching program, resources and administrative aspects as well as OHS. 5 March 2004 Casa d Italia - 15 participants This was the second part of the three-day full-immersion Language Inservice for teachers of Italian which began over two days in October/November 2003, conducted by the University of Western Sydney. This Inservice, held at both the University of Western Sydney and Casa d Italia, was presented by Professor Bruno Di Biase, University of Western Sydney and Director of LARC and Grazia Scotellaro, University of Canberra. It examined the developmental stages of a foreign language (L2) in an Italian student and included activities based on the use of the computer in an Italian classroom. The course was structured to allow the participants to present works based on the theories and activities of the course at the 5th March meeting. The Education Attaché, Luciana De Leon, also participated in this course. 19 March 2004 Casa d Italia - 5 participants This was the second part of the three-day full-immersion Language Inservice for teachers of Italian which began over two days in November Conducted by the University of Western Sydney, this Inservice held at both Peppers Fairmont Resort Leura and Casa d Italia was presented by Professor Bruno Di Biase, University of Western Sydney and Director of LARC, Susanna Pennacchi, Università degli Studi, Roma Tre, and Grazia Scotellaro, University of Canberra. It presented activities based on the use of the computer in the classroom and the theory, creation and evaluation of teaching materials for the development of the receptive skills in the learner. During this second part of the Inservice (one day only), participants presented works created by themselves based on the activities and theories discussed during the Inservice in November April 2004 Casa d Italia - 60 participants Staff Development Day for teachers in the Co.As.It. Insertion Program. During this course, teachers were able to meet with the Education Office Staff and participate at presentations relating to the teaching of the Italian language, with emphasis on the new syllabus to be implemented in 2005 in schools throughout NSW. During this Inservice participants were also given various teaching resources July 2004 and 30 October 2004 Crowne Plaza, Coogee Beach - 30 participants A professional development course for teachers of Italian was developed and organised by the Education Attaché, Luciana De Leon. This three-day course was presented by Professor Franco Leone and Annamaria Cavallaro, University of New England, Silvana Seghetti, University of Sydney, Giuseppina Wilmott, Curriculum Support Directorate K-12 and Mirna Cicioni, Monash University. It dealt with aspects of language acquisition using original texts from literature, film and song. A follow-up session was held in October 2004 for 20 teachers and was conducted by Paolo Bartoloni and Maria Cristina Mauceri from the University of Sydney. 6 September 2004 K-6 Syllabus Implementation, Wollongong (country area) - 30 participants Thirty Italian teachers participated at an Inservice held on the introduction of the new Italian K-10 syllabus September 2004 Università di Venezia, Ca Foscari - 23 participants A full immersion three-day Inservice was conducted in collaboration with the University of Western Sydney, with funding from the Ministero degli Affari Esteri. The workshops were conducted by Professor Bruno Di Biase, University of Western Sydney and Director of LARC, Professor Elisabetta Pavan and Professor Fabio Caon, Università di Venezia Ca Foscari - Laboratorio ITALS. The course examined aspects of sociolinguistic competencies and the use of games in the language classroom. 20 September 2004 CEDILS exam - 7 participants Seven teachers who attended the course on sociolinguistic competencies and using games in the classroom sat for the CEDILS exam (examination conducted in Italian on the theoretical knowledge of teaching Italian as a second language) conducted 7

9 8 by the Professors from the Università di Venezia Ca Foscari - Laboratorio ITALS. Six of the seven participants successfully gained the certificate. On-line Masters Course Università di Venezia, Ca Foscari - 4 participants Four Italian teachers, three of whom work within the Co.as.It. programs, began their studies of the Master Universitario in Didattica e Promozione della Lingua e Cultura Italiane. The course began with an on-line phase in September 2004 and will conclude in June 2006, with the first of the residential weeks programmed for June , 4, 5 November 2004 Italian Film Festival Workshops - 65 teachers To coincide with the Italian Film Festival in Sydney, Professor Anna Comodi of the Università per Stranieri di Perugia conducted two workshops in Sydney and Wollongong on how to teach Italian through the use of a film. Professor Anna Comodi also conducted a workshop on the language of adolescents basing much of her discussion on the text, Jack Frusciante è uscito dal gruppo, which is studied as part of the HSC Extension Paper in NSW schools. 31 October and 7 November 2004 Italian Film Festival: introduction, viewing and discussion - Palace Cinema, Leichhardt Professor Daniele Dottorini, NUCT and the Università per Stranieri di Perugia, presented some films from the film festival program to Italian teachers and members of the Italian community. The presentations covered aspects of the cultural background, important characteristics of the film-makers and the major points of the film. At the end of the viewing, Professor Dottorini conducted a Question & Answer session on the language and events in the film. 3 August, 8 October and 15 October 2004 Child Protection Awareness Workshops - Casa d Italia, Wollongong In line with legislation and the continual up-skilling of Teachers, Co.As.It. conducted three workshops on the Child Awareness Protection legislation for its teachers. These workshops were designed to make teachers aware of the legislation and their obligations in regards to the law. ITALIAN WEEK IN WOLLONGONG The Illawarra Association of teachers of Italian (I.A.T.I.) has been supported by Co.As.It. for many years now and Italian Week 2004 was celebrated in the Illawarra from 29 May-5 June The entire community celebrated and enjoyed the myriad events held during the week-long festivities, which included screenings of Love s Brother, Respiro and The Heart Elsewhere at the Gala Cinema at Warrawong, the Sapore Italiano and Coffee Culture Night at Nickelangelo Trattoria and Lettura Dantis in conjunction with the Dante Alighieri Association and the University of Wollongong. All primary school students studying Italian took part in the Festa della Repubblica luncheon at the Fraternity Bowling and Recreation Club where they enjoyed pasta, gelato, music, dancing and tombola. Co.As.It. LANGUAGE AND CULTURE AWARDS On 10 September 2004 the second annual Co.As.It. Language and Culture Awards took place at Mediterranean House in Five Dock. The awards were initiated to acknowledge the achievements of any person involved in the Co.As.It. Insertion and/or Out of School Hours Programs, who has worked to promote, support and maintain the teaching of Italian language and culture. The winners in 2004 were five teachers: Sebastiana Catanzaro (Out of School Hours Program) Carmen Di Napoli (Insertion and Out of School Hours Programs) Gloria Omodei-Nilsen (Insertion Program) Silvana Toia (Insertion Program) Lucia Ugonotti (Insertion and Out of School Hours Programs) All five teachers have been working for Co.As.It. for many years and are creative, enthusiastic and motivated teachers who enthuse their students to learn about Italian language and traditions. This year Co.As.It. was pleased to give an inaugural award to a parent involved in the Out of School Hours Program. Andrew Gibson was instrumental in establishing a new centre in Pymble and thanks to his efforts in organising petitions, maintaining ties between parents, teachers, the school and Co.As.It., this new centre was opened. Another first for the evening was the Co.As.It. Culture Award which recognised independent work that promotes interest in Italian culture within the Australian community. The recipient for 2004 was Melina Marchetta, author of Looking for Alibrandi and Saving Francesca. Both novels were awarded the Children s Book Council of Australia Award (Older Readers). Looking for Alibrandi is a wonderful novel that portrays the Italian-Australian experi-

10 Meryl Pannaci Annemarie Rossi Marilena Buttini ence through the eyes of a young girl of Italian origin. This novel was listed on the English prescribed texts for the HSC for the area of study of the changing perspective in the early 1990s. It is currently set as a recommended text for Stages 4-5 in the fiction, film and other texts section, and is listed as a recommended text for Stage 5 in the prose fiction section. It identifies the Italian migration experience as well as the Italian culture for students of different backgrounds. Looking For Alibrandi was also made into a successful movie in The evening hosted many VIPs: Italian Consulate Vice Consul Claudia Marini and Education Attaché, Luciana De Leon; members of Parliament and of local councils, Virginia Judge MP, John Murphy MP, Nick Dyer from Leichhardt Council, Neil Kenzler from Canada Bay Council, Quang Luu, Head of SBS and Mr Tornari from La Fiamma, as well as representatives of the Italian community. OTHER PROJECTS 2003 HSC Student Receives Scholarship Lydia Bertini was awarded a scholarship to continue her studies of Italian at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia by the Ministero degli Affari Esteri, through Co.As.It. Sydney. Lydia won her scholarship due to her exceptional results in the 2003 HSC Italian Continuers and Extension exams. Lydia was presented with her award by the Consul, Dott. Verde at the Festa della Repubblica celebration at Darling Harbour. Lydia joined a group of Italian teachers from around NSW who, with the assistance of Co.As.It., attended a three-week intensive language course at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia in January Since 1996, Co.As.It. has sponsored over 140 teachers who have taken up this wonderful opportunity to study Italian and teaching methodology. Country Schools Resources Project Co.As.It. targetted 25 schools in the rural areas of NSW to offer Italian resources for the school, the Italian teacher and the students. The project aimed to facilitate what is sometimes a difficult situation for outer-lying schools to receive better resources for their Italian department. In 2004 Armidale, Griffith and Lismore as well as the Illawarra region were targetted. Powerhouse Museum Contemporary Silver Made in Italy Exhibition In conjunction with the Powerhouse Museum and the Department of Education and Training Curriculum Support, Co.As.It. developed a worksheet for schools for the Contemporary Silver Made in Italy Exhibition in The project also supported an Italian language guide for tours of the exhibition and many of the permanent exhibits at the museum. This collaboration has developed activities which students of Italian language can use at the museum on an ongoing basis. Multimedia Resource Centre The Centre completed its eighth year of operation in It continued to attract new members and offer a greater variety of print and multimedia resources for teachers, students and lovers of the Italian language and culture. Member numbers were maintained at approximately 670 and 10,292 loans were made over the year. This signals an increase of seven per cent more loans than in In its 241 days open, a total of 11,163 persons entered the Library. While the public s use of the Internet decreased, group visits increased. Most of the 56 groups (661 persons) were primary and secondary school students. Furthermore, Co.As.It. adult students came frequently in lesson time to use the computer facilities, as well as attending introductory sessions to the Library. Other Multimedia Resource Centre news from 2004 includes the regular fortnightly visits to the Library by students of the Co.As.It. Italian Bilingual School and the increased demand for Storytime for Children meant that Terms 3 and 4 were completely pre-booked. Also during the course of the year, three Multimedia Resource Centre newsletters were produced and sent to members, and two programs of Internet instruction for Seniors (conducted in Italian) were offered. Collection resources continued to increase with some 60 new DVDs added among a total of 385 titles. This brought the total collection to almost 8,000 copies of 4,728 individual titles. Art Gallery of NSW Project Co.As.It. with the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), the Italian Consulate Sydney, Department of Education and Training (DET) Curriculum Support and the Italian Institute of Culture are developing a series of colour plates of Italian works in the permanent collection at the AGNSW, along with biographical information and Italian language activities to complement the works. The resource package will be launched and distributed to all schools where Italian is taught in mid

11 Community Services Thomas Camporeale Alessandra Martino Gabrielle Maina Marcella Murace It has been another remarkable year for the Co.As.It. Community Services Team; a year of change, challenges and significant growth. The Community Services Program is made up of a team of highly dedicated, bilingual professionals including Social Workers, Psychologists, Welfare Workers, Program Co-ordinators, Daycare Co-ordinators, Fieldworkers and Volunteers. Thanks to continued support and funding from Local, State and Federal Governments the Community Services Team is able to provide a range of programs and activities to the Italian-Australian community in the areas of Aged Care, Drug and Alcohol, Mental Health, and Youth and Family. Youth screening of the Italian film, Io Non Ho Paura Presentation by the Youth and Family Worker at the Minorities and Cultural Assertions Conference held in Wollongong Annual Seniors Week celebrations and the Volunteer Recognition Awards held in March Establishment of a Women's Wellness Group in Dee Why Continued partnership with Relationships Australia 10 In 2004 the Community Services Team gained a new Co-ordinator and part-time Administration Assistant under the Community Aged Care Packages (CACP) Program. Now in its ninth year, the CACP Program received an additional allocation of packages in 2004 bringing the total number to 168. The increase helped Co.As.It. alleviate the waiting periods for packages however more funded packages are still required to help Co.As.It. meet the community s needs. On a sad note Co.As.It. was not able to retain both its Community Settlement Services Grant, through the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA), and its Ethnic Aged Services Grant funded by the Department of Health and Ageing. However, both grants have been replaced by the Community Partners Program (CPP) which has been funded by the Department of Health and Ageing since January Although the programs differ to previous grants, Co.As.It. will still be able to continue to assist the community via a variety of projects and initiatives for Co.As.It. continued to lobby throughout 2004 for an Aged Care Worker for the Western Sydney office. We have detected an increasing gap in the area of aged care for Western Sydney and a caseworker would be pivotal in referring older Italians to more pertinent aged care service providers and residential care. Co.As.It. commenced this lobby campaign in 2003 and will continue to work on this initiative into Priority areas for 2004 included Mental Health where the team worked tirelessly at attempting to de-stigmatise mental illness via educative and media campaigns, as well as information sessions targeted at the Italian community. The team also maintained a significant case load supporting those suffering from a mental illness and their families. In the area of aged care, the team received numerous referrals to assist the Italian communitys ageing members in accessing services and in facilitating the process of entry into an aged care facility. A few of the highlights for 2004 were: Community Services Planning Day held in March Youth and Schools Project held throughout 2004 Mental Health Week held in October Volunteer Recognition Awards held in May AGED CARE SERVICES AGED CARE TEAM Co.As.It. s Aged Care Team includes two Aged Project Officers and a Welfare Worker for the Frail Aged. The role of these positions is to provide a direct casework service to clients aged 65+, community development and advocacy. One of the major objectives of the Aged Care Workers is to network and liaise with other service providers and government bodies to ensure that the needs of the Italian-speaking community are represented and addressed. The workers attend Area HACC meetings and networks with other service providers. The Aged Project Officers, funded by the Department of Ageing, Disability and HomeCare (DADHC), cover the inner west and southern regions of Sydney: Canada Bay, Ashfield, Burwood, Strathfield, Canterbury, Hurstville, Rockdale, St. George and Sutherland. The Welfare Worker for the Frail Aged is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing and covers the northern, eastern and central regions of Sydney: Manly, Warringah, Pittwater, Hornsby, Ryde, Willoughby, Lane Cove, North Sydney, CBD, Woollahra, Waverley, Botany, Randwick, Leichhardt and Marrickville. This year the Aged Care Team sought to develop new initiatives and projects, as well as concentrating on important annual events such as Seniors Day and Leaders Day. Senior Citizens Day - Saggezza e Benessere Co.As.It. with the support of the DADHC hosted the annual Senior Citizens Day at the Co.As.It. Head Office on 16th and 17th March. The event was attended by over 600 people and combined presentations, speeches and information on well-being with card game competitions, music, dancing and lunch. Information Sessions In 2004 a series of information sessions were held on asthma awareness by Italian-speaking Pharmacist Guilian Vaccari.

12 Lisa Santilli Maria Angelatos Laura Angelone Anna Pain Liliana Terilli Margherita Conti Leaders day On 25th June a training session was held for the voluntary Committee Members of the 16 Co.As.It. Aged Social Groups. The session aimed to address areas of concern for the groups as well as provide training on bookkeeping and accounting processes. The session also discussed the review the Co.As.It. Constitution and provided social group activities for the Committee Members. Women s Wellness Group Co.As.It. received funding from Warringah Council to promote and develop a gentle exercise program for senior Italian women living in the Northern Beaches area. The pilot program commenced in February The Aged Care Workers also worked with Warringah Council and the Department of Sports and Recreation to develop and promote a new Italian Walking Group in the Northern Beaches which commenced in March Grassroots Project The Welfare Worker for the Frail Aged continued to assist the Northern Sydney Regional Community Forum to promote an Italian-specific food service. The Worker also researched and designed Italian recipes to suit the ageing Italian community residing in the northern Sydney region. Social Support Groups Co.As.It. supported the following groups in 2004: Ashbury Dee Why Women's Wellness Ashfield Earlwood Auburn Hurstville Bankstown Leichhardt Blacktown Miranda Brighton Le SandsParramatta Burwood Punchbowl Dee Why Willoughby COMMUNITY VISITORS SCHEME The Community Visitors Scheme (CVS) is funded by the Federal Department of Health and Ageing and aims to enrich the quality of life for aged care facility residents by establishing links between residents and the wider community. The target group is Italian residents who may be socially isolated and whose quality of life could be improved by companionship. The Scheme offers such residents a one-on-one Volunteer Visitor to relieve social isolation and offer companionship. Volunteers are regularly assessed, recruited and trained. The CVS Co-ordinator assesses Italian-speaking residents who may be at risk of isolation in Aged Care Facilities and matches them with Italian-speaking volunteers. The co-ordinator monitors the progress and supports all Community visitors providing them with resources and bi-monthly group meetings. Training sessions for Volunteers during 2004 covered the following topics: (OHS) Safety When Visiting, Grief and Loss, Accessing Italian Resources, Education on Healthy Living and Benefits of Aromatherapy. The Scheme covers high-and-low care facilities in the Sydney Metropolitan and Blue Mountains areas. Although Co.As.It. is funded for 57 volunteers, during 2004 the Community Visitors Scheme provided support for up to 100 Italian-speaking residents with 70 Italian-speaking volunteers. The Co.As.It. CVS has received an enormous increase in its referrals for the service and expects demand to continue in the future. This demand has been projected in the national statistics, which present Italians as the largest group of the older overseasborn population. Projections up to 2011 indicate that this older overseas-born population will increase more rapidly than the older Australian-born population. 1 The Co.As.It. Community Visitors Scheme has been operating for 11 years in the Italian-Australian community. This has been achieved thanks to the great dedication of volunteers involved. Twelve volunteers were awarded special acknowledgment in 2004 for their commitment to the program since its inception in COMMUNITY AGED CARE PACKAGES The Community Aged Care Packages (CACP) Program is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. Community Aged Care Packages aim to provide a comprehensive range of services to older people in their homes to allow them to maintain their independence and prevent premature entry into aged care facilities. The service - which is culturally and linguistically appropriate - offers personal care, shopping, transport, respite and meal preparation. In 2004 Co.As.It. experienced a steady rise in demand for assistance offered through the CACP Program. The demand far exceeded the amount of service that Co.As.It. was able to provide. This year was also the first time the Department of Health and Ageing recognised the Bankstown Local Government Area (LGA) as an area in need of Italian CACP. Subsequently, Co.As.It. received five Dementia Specific Packages for the Bankstown LGA and Canterbury LGA. The Co.As.It. CACP Program provided assistance in the following areas of Metropolitan Sydney by Local Government Areas (LGAs): Inner West - Ashfield, Burwood, Canada Bay, Canterbury, Leichhardt, Marrickville and Strathfield. Northern Sydney - Hornsby, Hunters Hill, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Manly, Mosman, North Sydney, Pittwater, Ryde, Warringah and Willoughby. South East and South - Botany, Kogarah, Hurstville, Randwick, Rockdale, Sydney City, Waverley, Woollahra and Sutherland. 1 Gibson, D., Braun, P., Benham, C., Mason, F., (2001) Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Projections of Older Immigrants: People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds , Australia, page 95 11

13 Rosanna Vinci Carmela Possega Antonella King Silvana Moncelsi Maria Martinovic Riri Torsello Maria Tripodi Francesca Accardo South West Sydney - Bankstown, Camden, Campbelltown, Fairfield, Liverpool, Wingecarribee and Wollondilly. Western Sydney - Auburn, Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, Holroyd and Parramatta. To support the CACP Program, Co.As.It. employs a team of Fieldworkers who provide direct care to clients in the community. Due to a recent restructuring within the CACP Program, a fifth Co-ordinator was employed in July 2004 and a second Administration Officer was employed in August This brought the total number of staff to five Co-ordinators, one Training Officer, two Administration Officers and two Administration Assistants. Co.As.It. aims to ensure that all clients continue to receive quality care from the fieldworkers and from their co-ordinators. The coordinators work to provide the best possible care for CACP clients by working in close consultation with these clients, their families, GPs and other health care professionals, within the guidelines of the Department of Health and Ageing. Throughout the year CACP co-ordinators receive on-going professional development. They attend interagency meetings with other service providers, sharing and exchanging ideas that help to encourage new initiatives for the Co.As.It. CACP Program. In 2004 Co.As.It. continued to provide extra support through its two Social Support Groups for CACP clients living in the Auburn, Blacktown, Liverpool and Parramatta LGAs. The objective of these groups was to encourage participants to socialise and share activities on a weekly basis and to develop lasting friendships in a culturally and linguistically appropriate setting. In December 2004, Co.As.It. received notification from the Department of Health and Ageing of funding for a further 10 general CACP Packages for the Ashfield and Concord LGAs. CACP Training The CACP Training Officer is responsible for developing and organising professional training for the CACP Fieldworkers. In 2004 the Training Officer continued to consolidate the training program and implemented the following courses for all Fieldworkers Grief and Loss Fire and Safety Awareness Professional Boundaries and Assertiveness New recruits also attended external training sessions, conducted by Registered Training Organisations (First Aid and Dementia Awareness). IN CONTATTO In 2004 In Contatto returned to four editions, instead of three, and continued to offer companionship and care for more than 3,000 elderly Italian-Australians who often live with some degree of isolation. The newsletter, In Contatto, was initiated with the objective to provide information and companionship to these people. The articles range from information on new aged care services and relevant topics for elderly Italian-Australians to entertaining articles which aim to bring some lightheartedness into the homes of the elderly. The newsletter also provides information about various events which take place in the Italian community. During 2005 the aim is to make the newsletter more interactive by encouraging readers to submit their own articles. FRAIL AGED RESPITE DAYCARE PROGRAM For 17 years elderly Italian-Australians restricted to their homes due to health reasons have benefitted from the Daycare Program thanks to the generosity of the Department of Ageing, Disability and HomeCare (DADHC). The Daycare Program covers a variety of needs: transport, activities and meals, the opportunity to broaden social connections, and support for carers of the participants. In 2004, the nine Daycare Centres (which met weekly) welcomed a new Co-ordinator, Assistant and Driver. A new program was set up specifically for those with dementia in Ryde/Hunters Hill and was greatly appreciated for the respite it offers to the carers of those with dementia. Equally important was the Daycare Centre that covers the Hornsby area and is now in its third year of operation. The success of the program is due to the workers of the Daycare Centres, including the volunteers who offer their time and energy for the continued betterment of the service. 12 On-site courses for new employees were offered in the following areas: Personal Care and Hygiene Education for staff in Community Care Infection Control Practical Manual Handling Food Safety for Community Care Workers

14 Matthew Geracitano Alfa D Amato COMMUNITY SETTLEMENT SERVICES SCHEME MENTAL HEALTH AND COUNSELLING SERVICES The Community Settlement Services (CSS) Scheme funded by the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) has a dual function. Firstly, the worker aims through casework to address the unfulfilled settlement needs of the Italian-Australian population. Secondly, the project seeks community development initiatives which inform the Italian- Australian community of their rights, as well as facilitate and increase access to mainstream services. The project highlights for 2004 include: Western Sydney The Co.As.It. CSS position has a Western Sydney focus covering the Local Government Areas of Fairfield, Liverpool, Blacktown, Parramatta, Auburn, Bankstown and Baulkham Hills. Project Identifying the Unfulfilled Settlement Needs of the Italian Community This project sought to identify and outline the unmet settlement needs of the Italian-Australian community residing specifically in the Local Government Areas of Holroyd and Parramatta. The CSS Worker consulted with Italians living in the areas as well as various mainstream service providers. This project allowed Co.As.It. to effectively determine the availability and accessibility to both mainstream and Italian-specific services. The report demonstrated the impact that a lack of on-arrival services have had on the Italian community. Volunteer Awards Held on 14th May this day was a way of recognising the tireless contributions made by the volunteers who are involved with the Co.As.It. Senior Social Groups. In total, 26 people were honoured with awards for service ranging from two to 15 years. Bocce Group In conjunction with Bankstown City Council the CSS Worker continued to work towards establishing the inaugural Co.As.It. Bocce group. A community forum was held at Council in June 2004 that demonstrated an overwhelming interest by the local community. Council has offered an appropriate venue which will allow the Bocce group to commence by mid On a sad note, Co.As.It. was not able to retain funding for the CSS Program for Co.As.It. would like to take this opportunity to thank the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) for its support and assistance to the Italian-Australian community. DRUG AND ALCOHOL PROGRAM The Drug and Alcohol program is funded by the NSW Department of Health. The Drug and Alcohol Worker has carried out a rigorous program aimed at the needs of the Italian community in Sydney. The program provides the following services: health promotion, individual and group counselling, educational seminars and research. Health Promotion The Drug and Alcohol Worker has created, in collaboration with Co-As.It Mental Health Psychologists and the Youth and Family Worker, an information-based bilingual newsletter Essere & Benessere to specifically promote mental health. This new initiative is still in an experimental phase with two newsletters published in The newsletter is distributed to Italian-speaking Doctors surgeries and Multicultural Consultants as well as an version which is sent to 300 government and non-government organisations to distribute to their Italian-speaking clients. Counselling The most common issues faced by clients include: alcohol-related problems (36%), a family member who uses drugs, alcohol or cigarettes (29%), gambling (14%), problems related to smoking (14%) and problems related to illicit drugs (7%). The therapy varies according to each client's needs and abilities. Educational Seminars - School Project - Youth and Drugs In 2004 a new project completed successfully by the Drug and Alcohol Worker in collaboration with the Youth and Family Worker involved young Italian students from secondary schools in Sydney and Wollongong. The project was developed in an educative format which was integrated into the curriculum for students of Italian. The workshops allowed students to participate openly in Italian or English. For most students these workshops represented an opportunity to practise their Italian by reflecting on issues which often interest young people. Analysis of the data collected before and after the workshops showed a considerable increase in student knowledge about prevention of drug and alcohol use. A second phase of the project involved numerous schools and their Italian students with the theme Party Without Abuse. The program was dedicated to students in their last years of high school whom may have been more susceptible to abusing drugs and alcohol when celebrating the end of school. In this phase of the project, the students were invited to create a poster using the 13

15 Maria Di Benedetto Anna Piccolo Carmelo Pollicina theme Party and Drugs. These posters were exhibited during Schoolies Week in November 2004 in the display window at Casa d'italia on Norton Street, Leichhardt. Simultaneously, a radio program was recorded with SBS Radio and students from one of the schools to air during Schoolies Week. The recorded program and photos of the posters are available on our website. Research The Drug and Alcohol Worker is actively involved in repeating a research project, which was conducted 10 years ago by the Drug and Alcohol Multicultural Education Centre (DAMEC) in collaboration with Co.As.It. The repetition of this research is to further investigate alcohol, tobacco and drug use in the Italian community in Sydney. Other important activities in 2004 included: Mental Health Day - Dual Diagnosis ; Alcohol and Seniors - a program aimed at older people; Appropriate Use of Medicines ; Don't Send Your Money Up In Smoke - an anti-smoking program conducted on national No Tobacco Day, in collaboration with the St. George District Division of General Practice; and Drug Action Week which involved diverse organisations in a round-table discussion transmitted on radio. The Drug and Alcohol program was accredited via an external consultant (Quality Management Services) employed by the NSW Department of Health. The intense program conducted by Co.As.It. regarding drug and alcohol has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of many organisations, both government and non-government. In particular, we would like to thank the collaboration of the NSW Department of Health and Central Sydney Area Health Service (CSAHS), Canterbury Community Drug Action Team and the NSW Premiers Department, Medicine Information Persons MIP and National Prescribing Services NPS, Environmental Tobacco Smoke and the Associazione Papa Giovanni XIII. MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM The Co.As.It. Mental Health program is funded by the NSW Department of Health to provide comprehensive mental health services to the Italian-Australian Community. The program offers assessments and psychological treatments, through face-to-face counselling and/or group therapy, to individuals affected by a mental illness and to their families. Moreover, the program aims to promote community awareness of mental health through educative seminars and information, and encourage the de-stigmatisation of mental illnesses. consequence of these strategies, a further rise in the demand for psychological services was reported, indicating an increased awareness among the Italian-Australian community of the importance of counselling as an alternative to or in conjunction with pharmacological intervention. Highlights in 2004 The team presented a one-day seminar in October 2004 to over 90 participants entitled Benessere Per La Vita as part of Mental Health Week. The seminar focused upon holistic well-being and introduced information on the Developmental of Psychiatric Treatment of Mental Disorders among Italian- Australians, Causes of Stress and Anxiety, Dual Diagnosis, Relationships between Grandparents and Grandchildren, and Movement and Relaxation. The guest speaker was Dr. Len Destro widely acknowledged as the forerunner of Psychiatry in the Italian-Australian community. Expansion of Western Sydney sessional service based at Co.As.It. Harris Park office two days per week. Commencement of Co.As.It. regular sessional co-operation with Croydon Health Centre (formerly Ashfield Community Health Centre). Resumption of collaboration with Schizophrenia Fellowship to lay foundations for the development of a self-determined social and self-help Group for Co.As.It. clients, family members, and professional staff. The Mental Health Team collaborated with other government and non-government agencies in delivering the following presentations: Seminar for Homecare on Typical Mental Disorders in the Italian-Australian Community. Seminar for Dee Why Carers Social Group on Stress and Anxiety. Seminar for Associazione Nazionale Donne Italo-Australiane on The Importance of Communication. Report on A Psychodynamic Study of the Prevalence and Peculiar Features of Mental Disorders in a Cohort of Italian-Australians Undergoing Counselling at the MCALS Diasporas Conference, University of Wollongong. Collaboration with SESAHS Multicultural Health Unit in the development of a research article on Bereavement Counselling - Across Culture. Attendance at the Annual General Meeting of the Mental Health Coordinating Council. 14 In 2004, the Mental Health Team continued to deliver culturally appropriate psychological services to individuals and their families together with the implementation of the Co.As.It. policy of fostering psychosocial treatment and prevention of mental disorders. As a

16 Michele Sapucci YOUTH AND FAMILY WORKER The Co.As.It. Youth and Family Program is funded by the Department of Community Services (DOCS). The Youth and Family Worker supports Italian-Australians aged under 35 years and their families in three ways: Firstly, a counselling service, which offers weekly or fortnightly sessions. The main issues that arise are: relationship with parents and general family dynamics; personal problems related to individual psychological development; and problems relating to social integration. This counselling service is delivered with an awareness of intercultural sensitivities and is therefore conducted in either English or Italian. The second area is Community Development. Through this avenue, the Youth and Family Worker aims to reinforce the idea of community amongst second generation Italian-Australians by means of initiatives aimed at reinforcing and reconnecting with their Italian-Australian identity. This is in line with principles of multiculturalism, which emphasise the need of every community to maintain its own identity whilst respecting and appreciating the other cultures present in Australia. A particular highlight in 2004 were the workshops conducted for grandparents by the Youth and Family Worker. The main objective of these workshops was to bridge the intergenerational gap between grandparents and grandchildren, which is becoming one of the main problems in our community. The Youth and Family Worker also organised a day at the movies Palace Cinema Norton Street, to watch Io Non Ho Paura. It was a great success with 150 youths and their families attending. The worker provides an information service - on socio-cultural issues affecting second-generation youth. This is achieved by participation in seminars and conferences as well as through interviews and articles in both community and non-community media. Of great significance in 2004 was the Worker's participation at Minorities and Cultural Assertions a conference hosted by Wollongong University, and the presentation of three radio programs on Radio Movimento which explored topics related to youth issues with the involvement of young Italian-Australians. Michele Sapucci leading the grand-parenting workshop. Participants of the grand-parenting workshop. 15

17 Italian Bilingual School Valeria De Fina Rina Ramundi Cristina Pisani Anna Natale Francesco Alafaci Jade Quigley Ilenia Cattarin Michelle Krikstolaitis 2004 was another successful year for the Italian Bilingual School. Children attending the Transition class were involved in numerous activities aimed at developing early literacy and numeracy skills in English and Italian. Children engaged in tasks that enabled them to learn about colours, numbers, Pinocchio, animals, the concepts of hot/cold, categories/groups, family, the four seasons, transport, shapes, directions and many others, as well as learning numerous songs and arts and craft activities. And all of this in two languages! In 2004 the Transition program was offered on a three-day a week basis with each day booked out and a list of interested families waiting for a vacancy. The Parents & Friends Association, presided by Mrs Yarmila Alfonzetti, continued to provide invaluable support this year to the school community through its activities. In 2004 the Italian Bilingual School was able to for the first time, register a Year 3 cohort in the national basic skills tests. The Year 3 students from the Italian Bilingual School participated in the Literacy and Numeracy National Assessment (LANNA) testing program designed and developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). It is with pleasure and pride that we report that the Year 3 cohort well and truly exceeded the national average in all skill areas. 16 Students from Kindergarten to Year 3 participated in varied activities through the course of the year. For these children learning in English and Italian has quickly become a natural part of life. Numerous outings took place in the course of the year including: an entire school visit to Centennial Parklands as part of the Science curriculum; a visit to Hyde Park Barracks, the Art Gallery of NSW, Taronga Park Zoo and Sydney Opera House. The children also participated in the official Italian National Day celebrations at the laying of the wreaths ceremony where, for the first time, they sang traditional songs to honour the fallen. The IBS has continued to foster the advancement of the individual child as a whole person, hence the focus on the development of social awareness. Some of the activities geared towards that goal included participation in Bandaged Bear Day, Red Nose Day, the Médicins Sans Frontières Sudan Appeal, Seniors Day Celebrations, the St Vincent De Paul Christmas Toy Appeal and the nomination of our Citizen of the Year who for 2004 was Michela Fortini. The sporting program involving specialist service providers continued to prove a welcome addition to our curricular activities. In Term 1 IBS conducted a physical education program; in Term 2 a gymnastics program; in Term 3 team games and in Term 4 a tennis program. In 2004 IBS also held its first sports carnival aptly named the Mini-Olympics. Staff and students of Italian Bilingual School 2004

18 Italian Heritage Linda Nellor Co.As.It. Italian Heritage was established over seven years ago to promote the myriad contributions made by Italian-Australians to the heritage and history of NSW. Italian Heritage is promoted through: the Italian Family History Group, special events, exhibitions, education programs, research projects, collections and preservation of photographs and oral histories that directly relate to the legacy of the Italian presence in NSW. Co.As.It. Italian Heritage is a leader among culturally diverse communities. It owes its success to working in collaboration with important state and national organisations, the public and private school system, universities, local councils, family historians and the extensive input of volunteers. Collaborations have taken place with the following state and national government bodies: The History Council of NSW, The State Library of NSW, State and National Archives, The Australian Centre for Public History, The Migration Heritage Centre, The NSW Heritage Office, The Museum of Sydney, Historic Houses Trust of NSW, The Royal Australian Historical Society, The Society of Australian Genealogists, UTS and Sydney University. Special mention must be made of the success of the Italian Family History Group (IFHG) now in its fourth year. The IFHG has drawn particular attention to the growing needs and interests of second and third generation Italians who are keen to trace their family history and learn more about their Italian heritage and migration history. Four of the most exciting and successful heritage activities undertaken in 2004 were:- Italian National Ball 2004 Preserving our Past to Enrich our Future Co.As.It. Italian Heritage was delighted to be nominated as the 2004 fundraising target for the Italian National Ball. Proceeds raised on the night will go towards Co.As.It. Italian Heritage s work in promoting Italian Heritage in NSW. Five-Day Tour of the Riverina, Griffith and Mildura, August 2004 A sell-out tour organised by The Italian Family History Group, A.G.I.R.A. and Broadway Scenic Tours. The tour included travel in a deluxe five-star coach, food and accommodation in Griffith and Mildura, as well as admission to some interesting local attractions. Unveiling of Leichhardt Commemorative Plaques On Sunday 14 November 2004 there was the unveiling of three magnificent Commemorative Plaques by Leichhardt Council that honour the important role played by the A.P.I.A. Club, St Fiacres Church and the Iron Cove Fishing Fleet in the history and heritage of the Leichhardt municipality. States, Australia and New Zealand to seek her help to trace their family history via local councils. Italian Heritage Activities for 2004 Feb. Italian Family History Group - Back to Basics. Issue 5, Co.As.It. Italian Heritage Newsletter March Italian Family History Group - Joe Vescio. Italian Heritage Walking Tours of Leichhardt April Energy Australia National Trusts Awards Presentation Fundraising Movie Offer - Love s Brother Italian Family History Group - Malcolm Webster May Italian Family History Group - Diana Chessell June Italian Family History Group - Paolo Totaro Italian Heritage Walking Tours of Leichhardt July Italian Family History Group - Councillor John Dal Broi on Griffith. Issue 6, Co.As.It. Italian Heritage Newsletter Aug. Five-Day Tour of the Riverina - Italian Family History Group. Italian Family History Group - Due Conversazioni. Italian Heritage Walking Tours of Leichhardt. Northern Beaches Research Project - Sempre Con Te Sept. Let s Live Heritage Open Day for History Week Sept. Issue 7, Co.As.It. Italian Heritage Newsletter. Italian Family History Group - Lina Moffit Oral History Project with Leichhardt Council - Interviews. Family Tree Computer Classes with Sue Lopes. Bus Trip to the National Archives Oct. Italian Heritage Walking Tours of Leichhardt. Issue 8, Co.As.It. Italian Heritage Newsletter. Italian Family History Group - Sonia D Ambra. Oral History Project with Leichhardt Council - Interviews Nov. Unveiling of Commemorative Plaques Project with Leichhardt Council. Italian Family History Group Family - Richard D Apice. Italian Heritage Walking Tours of Leichhardt Dec. Christmas Party for the committee of Heritage and Italian Family History Group. Co.As.It. Italian Heritage Fundraising Events: Palace Charity Film Morning; Italian Family History Group Raffle and Collections; Family History Group Bus Tours, and miscellaneous donations. Sonia D Ambra - Vice President of the Associazione Eoliani nel Mondo Sonia discussed her role as Vice President and in particular her work with children and grandchildren of Aeolian migrants who have come to see her in Italy from the United 17

19 Co.As.It. Medal DR NICHOLAS DESTRO Dr. Destro was on the Central Committee of Co.As.It. in the late 1960s. He was then elected on the first Board of Directors in 1983 on which he served for many years. Dr Destro worked very closely with Co.As.It. Welfare staff in the 1960s and 1970s, working with the newly arrived Italian migrants across the Sydney Metropolitan area. Dr Destro is very highly regarded in his work as a Psychiatrist by the Italian Consulate, Australian authorities and the Italian community. Dr. Destro has contributed significantly to the understanding and treatment of mental disorders specific to the Italian- Australian community in Australia. He has displayed not only professional competence but also a distinctly humane and caring approach from which his patients benefited greatly. He also contributed to the elimination of the social stigma attached to the mental health problems of the community. MRS AURELIA MONTIN Mrs Montin was one of the pioneer workers for Co.As.It. Welfare section in 1968 and was involved in the establishment of the first Co.As.It. office at 727 George Street, Sydney. As one of the initial Welfare Workers Mrs Montin, along with the Voluntary Board at Co.As.It., assisted many families and individuals with on-arrival and settlement services (accommodation, housing, food, employment and interpreting) in the 1960s and early 1970s. Sub-committee. Mrs Montin also served as a Co.As.It. Board Member from Mrs Montin has worked tirelessly for the Italian community in the area of Social Welfare and has committed her life to the assistance of this community. MRS GINA SPERANZA Mrs Speranza was an active and dedicated member of the Co.As.It. Italian Social Committee from In 1987 she was a committee member of Innerwheel of the Balmain Club. In 1990 and 1991 she worked for the National Heart Foundation raising $38,000. Mrs Speranza also raised funds for Ryde Hospital. In 1992, she was elected to the committee of Associazione Abruzzesi of NSW, the club that her late husband founded and was also President of in In 1997 Gina became the Vice President of the Associazione Abruzzesi. Gina Speranza is probably best known to the community as a generous and gifted hostess who catered for countless fundraising events using her cooking skills and special recipes. She loved to cook and entertain endlessly alongside her husband Aristide Speranza. There was often a charity that needed help and Gina and Aristide would always rise to the occasion. Mrs Montin has supported many Co.As.It. projects over the past 40 years and was an active member for many years on the Welfare Sub-committee now known as the Community Services 18 Dr Destro and Lorenzo Fazzini Aurelia Montin and Lorenzo Fazzini Gina Speranza and Lorenzo Fazzini

20 2004 in Pictures/Il 2004 in foto Pino Migliorino and Lorenzo Fazzini Co.As.It. Board of Directors 2004 OHS Committee Education Team Università di Venezia, Ca Foscari, Inservice participants and lecturers Elisabetta Pavan and Fabio Caon, lecturers at the University Ca Foscari, Venezia, with the Masters students Anna Comodi and Daniele Dottorini with Luciana De Leon, Italian Education Attaché, and Lorenzo and Laura Fazzini for the Italian Film Festival workshop Italian Language and Culture Award recipients with Claudia Marini, Vice Consul, Luciana De Leon, Italian Education Attaché, Lorenzo Fazzini, John De Bellis, Sivana D Iapico, and Lina Di Donato 19