COMMUNITY SERVICES EDUCATION HERITAGE ANNUAL REPORT 2005 ITALIAN ASSOCIATION OF ASSISTANCE

COMMUNITY SERVICES EDUCATION HERITAGE ANNUAL REPORT 2005 ITALIAN ASSOCIATION OF ASSISTANCE

CONTENTS Major Funding Sources, Board and Subcommittees...2 President s Message...3 Executive Officer Report...4 Organisational Chart 2006...6 Occupational Health and Safety...7 Community Services...8 Education...12 Italian Heritage...14 Italian Bilingual School...16 Co.As.It. Medal...18 Messaggio del Presidente...21 Rapporto del Direttore Esecutivo...22 Sicurezza sul Lavoro...24 Servizi Sociali...25 Insegnamento...27 Patrimonio Culturale Italiano...28 Scuola Italiana Bilingue...29 Medaglia del Co.As.It....30 Financial Report...31 1

MAJOR FUNDING SOURCES EDUCATION NSW Department of Education and Training and the Catholic Education Commission Insertion Class Program NSW Department of Education and Training (NSW Community Languages Program) Out of School Hours Program Italian Government- Ministero degli Affari Esteri General Grant HERITAGE NSW Heritage Office Migration Heritage Centre COMMUNITY SERVICES Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing Community Aged Care Packages Community Partners Program Community Visitors Scheme Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC) Inner West Community Transport (HACC) Aged Project Officers Dementia Specific Respite Day Care Frail Aged Respite Day Care Sydney South West Area Health Service Mental Health Program Drug and Alcohol Program Department of Community Services (DOCS) 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 Italian Government- Ministero degli Affari Esteri BOARD AND SUBCOMMITTEES BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Lorenzo Fazzini Vice President: Peter Todaro Treasurer: John De Bellis Hon. Secretary: Romano Di Donato Committee Members: Frank Chiment Giuseppe Fin Linda Restuccia Ben Sonego Maria Pirrello Hon. Solicitor: Chris Mitchell (Partner) Blake Dawson Waldron SUBCOMMITTEES: Education Convenor: John De Bellis Members: Giuseppe Calciano Silvana D Iapico Bruno Di Biase Giuseppe Fin Armando Tornari Marina Ugonotti Giuseppina Wilmott Rita Zammit Honorary Antonio Picone Members: Teresa Piccioli Luciana De Leon (Italian Language Attache -Italian Consulate General) Italian Heritage Patron: Domenico La Rosa Members: Dominic Arrivolo Fr Terence Goodall Domenico Gullifa Fabian Lo Schiavo Francesca Musico Linda Restuccia Gino Preziosa Italian Family History Group Convenor: Dominic Arrivolo Vice Convenor: Fabian Lo Schiavo Secretary: Sue Lopes Members: Lores Borg Margaret De Manincor Margherita Matarazzo Michael Megna Francesca Musico Jim Scro Paul Sidoti Community Services Convenor: Patrizia Favorito Members: Benedicte Cruysmans Carmine Di Campli Francesco Lo Pizzo Cathy O Connell Maria Pirrello ITALIAN BILINGUAL SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL Luciana De Leon (Italian Language Attache -Italian Consulate General) Bruno Di Biase Antonia Rubino Graham Sims Giuseppina Wilmott 2 PUBLIC RELATIONS San Francesco Italian Catholic Association

PRESIDENT S MESSAGE Dear members, It is with great pleasure that I present to you the Co.As.It. Annual Report for 2005. In 2005, the Board of Directors, all the staff and volunteers of Co.As.It. have worked hard to ensure Co.As.It. s services were delivered with the outmost level of professionalism and dedication that the community has come to expect. The past year has been particularly challenging. A reduction in funding and the need to secure long term premises for the Italian Bilingual School has made the Board of Directors focus on good management and careful decision making. We are in the process of updating our strategic plan to clearly identify our priorities and ensure Co.As.It. continues to play a pivotal role in our community for years to come. The Community Services Team has continued to expand its activities, especially in the area of aged care, mostly driven by the continued success and increase in Community Aged Care Packages Program (CACP). The Education Team has been working towards the rationalisation of its Insertion and Out of School Hours Programs and has been successfully expanding its Adult Classes Program, now a strong component of our educational offers. Our Education activities continue to be complemented by a series of innovative initiatives in the area of Italian Heritage and Family History. The Italian Bilingual School, thanks to the unrelenting support of all the Councillors of Leichhardt Council, will continue to operate from Casa d Italia for a few more years to come. Our IBS has grown in enrolments and continues to produce outstanding results not only in terms of family and students feedback, but also by the fact it has been granted NSW Board of Studies registration for Kindergarten to Year 3 up to 2010. The above would not have been achieved without the commitment of my fellow Board members, dedicated staff and the numerous volunteers. Government funding will remain critical in order for Co.As.It. to retain the capacity to deliver our current services. For this reason it is important for me to acknowledge and thank the Italian Government, the Australian Local, State and Federal Governments, and the many sponsors who continue to believe in Co.As.It. s mission for the community and plead with them to continue supporting our activities into the future. It is also a great pleasure for me to acknowledge the unremitting support of the Italian and mainstream local media, whom greatly help Co.As.It. by ensuring its services and programs are widely reported to our community. To conclude I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and sadly also farewell Susi Schio, who, after 17 years at Co.As.It. of which 12 as Executive Officer, has moved on to pursue other ambitions in life. Susi was a great asset for Co.As.It. and we will miss her greatly. Andrea Comastri, has been appointed the new EO. Andrea assisted Susi for 10 years and comes into the position not only with a wealth of experience at Co.As.It. but also with renewed enthusiasm. I invite you to take your time to read the 2005 Annual Report and to acknowledge the work that has been achieved. Thank you, Lorenzo Fazzini 3

EXECUTIVE OFFICER REPORT 4 Dear Members and friends Welcome to the 2005 Annual Report, which outlines all the achievements and activities of Co.As.It. As the outgoing Executive Officer I am very pleased and proud of the work of the Board of Directors under the Presidency of Lorenzo Fazzini, the Managers Andrea Comastri, Thomas Camporeale, Valeria De Fina and Lina Di Donato as well as the Financial Controller Ray Money. As you read the report I know that you will be impressed by the great value that is placed by every one at Co.As.It. both volunteers and employees in providing real contribution to the Italian and non-italian community. Not all our set objectives are always achieved instantly but Co.As.It. certainly works very hard individually and collectively to achieve these goals and objectives in time. This has been a strength of the organisation and of the many people who have contributed to its existence since 1968. As you are by now aware, I resigned at the end of 2005 and while it was sad to say goodbye it was also very exhilarating to have been part of a wonderful caring organisation and to have worked with Board, management and staff who share a vision of service delivery whether that be in the heritage, community services or education sector. This is the strength of the organisation. 2005 saw Co.As.It. continue to strive for excellence in its different sectors in service delivery and to strengthen the culture of continuous service improvement. Quality - as one of the Service Reviewers from Quality Management Service wrote in their report is the result of a way of working rather than a single or set of events. In 2005, with the extensive external reviews of IBS, the Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Programs and in early 2006 the CACP Program, Co.As.It. has achieved excellent results via a range of formal and informal mechanisms. The staff of Co.As.It., with continued Board support, must be particularly thanked and acknowledged Our Education and Heritage Sections have continued not only to conduct the many significant and fundamental programs for Co.As.It. such as Insertion and Out of School Hours Programs but have also demonstrated an innovative approach to new programs such as the very successful Leichhardt Heritage Walking Tours, the increasingly popular Italian Language Classes for Adults and many other valuable initiatives. I leave the administration sector for last as it has been a very busy year for this small team lead by Andrea Comastri. In 2005, in addition to providing invaluable and professional support to the rest of the company, the Co.As.It. Administration and Marketing Team has: Successfully completed the 3rd Audit of the OHS and Injury Management Programs as part of Workcover s Premium Discount Scheme; Organised one of our most successful and elegant Italian National Balls, which in 2005 raised funds for IBS; Completed the first Equal Opportunity for Women Workplace Act work program. (This important Act requires workplaces of more than 100 people to establish a workplace program that removes the barriers to women entering and enhancing workplace in their chosen organisation). I would like to personally thank the Board of Directors, the management team, staff and volunteers current and past for their overwhelming support and service to the Italian community. I once again congratulate Andrea Comastri upon his appointment as the new Executive Officer and wish him every success and encourage you to show him the same level of respect, support and patience that you all showed me in my service to Co.As.It. over the last 17 years first as a social worker and then as an Executive Officer. Susi Schio

EXECUTIVE OFFICER REPORT Dear members, friends and colleagues, It is an honour to present to you the 2005 Annual Report together with Susi Schio. Susi has presented to you the great results that Co.As.It. has been able to achieve in 2005, a testament to not only the amazing talent of the staff and volunteers involved with Co.As.It., but also of Susi s leadership skills. At the end of 2005, while working on the hand-over of the Executive Officer position with Susi, we were able to plan a series of new initiatives which when implemented throughout 2006 will enable Co.As.It. to further improve the quality of the work that will be carried out in the future: A new Marketing Coordinator and Administration Coordinator positions, the latter encompassing the roles of the OHS Officer and the Return to Work Coordinator, have been created. These two positions will now be able to focus on developing their respective areas to enhance the growth of the company in future years. We have further consolidated the Management Team by creating a management model which will assist the various teams to take a more strategic approach to their work. In 2005, Co.As.It. embarked on a process to develop a company mission statement. After consultation with all levels of staff, sub-committees and Board members, we have developed a statement that encompasses all areas of the organisation. We have started a Strategic Planning process, which will involve the Board of Directors and Management and the consultation of all levels of staff. This will allow us to focus on our future within the changing Australian and Italian contexts. We have started working on a new Performance Management Model which, when implemented in 2006, while fostering a collaborative approach to personal and professional development for staff, will assist Co.As.It. in improving its outputs for the benefit of our service recipients and funding bodies. We started working in collaboration with the other Co.As.It. organisations around Australia, in order to have a stronger position when liaising with Government Departments and when promoting our work in the area of Italian language and culture. We have strengthened our working collaboration with other organisations in order to better develop our services to the Italian and general community through successful partnerships. Amongst others, these have included: SWIAA, the Italian Forum, Leichhardt Chamber of Commerce, Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and all the Italian media in Australia. These and other initiatives, as well as all the ongoing work which Co.As.It. staff and volunteers continue to conduct with a great level of professionalism, will form the basis of our activities in 2006. We look forward to working with all of you to improve the quality of life of the community and to promote the Italian language and culture in NSW. Andrea Comastri 5

6 ORGANISATIONAL CHART 2006

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY The new OHS Committee has continued to work by meeting bi-monthly to review policies and procedures, analyse accident and hazard reporting data and proactively recommending training opportunities for all staff. The current Committee was formed in May 2005 and will work until April 2007. In the OHS Committee, all workgroups at Co.As.It. are represented by at least one member of staff to ensure 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 to meetings and from emails to 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 the various work situations with the aim of identifying and assessing potential hazards and to then find ways of managing them (elimination, substitution, administrative management, etc.). The program also provides for an annual inspection of the offices of Co.As.It., which continues to help to identify and assess potential hazards for workers and visitors. Thanks to the Risk Management Program and the commitment shown by Management and by all OHS Representatives, all staff at Co.As.It. have become much more aware of safety at the workplace and are actively involved in ensuring safety for everyone while at work. Injury Management Program Where accidents have occurred, the Return to Work Coordinator has worked with staff, health professionals and the insurance company (QBE), with the aim of minimizing the impact of the accident on the individual, their colleagues and their work program. Both the Risk Management Program and the Injury Management Program have been further incorporated in the new Co.As.It. Management Model to ensure a more proactive approach to safety and a more efficient management of injuries and return to work processes. Premium Discount Scheme As part of the Workcover Premium Discount Scheme, Co.As.It. successfully conducted its third and final OHS audit on the 16th June 2005. The process allowed Co.As.It. to obtain a discount on its Workers Compensation Premium, which in turn was reinvested in improving the OHS and Injury Management systems at Co.As.It. Group OHS Committee 2005-2007 Daycare Italian Bilingual School CACP Fieldworkers CACP Fieldworkers CACP Coordinators Leichhardt Office Western Sydney Office Teachers Management OHS Officer/ RTW Coordinator Representative Maria Martinovic Cristina Pisani Domenico De Pergola Salvatore Lo Monaco Laura Angelone Gabrielle Maina Margherita Conti Silvia Onorati Lina Di Donato Thomas Camporeale Valeria De Fina Alessandro Conti 7

8 COMMUNITY SERVICES

Co.As.It. offers a range of community services to the Italian-Australian community residing in the Sydney Metropolitan Area. Thanks to continued support and funding from Local, State and Federal Australian Government as well as from the Italian Government, the community services team is able to provide a series of programmes and activities to the Italian-Australian community, mainly in the areas of: Aged, Drug and Alcohol, Mental Health and Youth. The community services program, made up of a team of bilingual professionals, aims to enhance the lives of individuals in the community, as well as assisting them in different areas of their lives, be it an intergenerational conflict, a mental health issue, an aged care issue or via direct service provision for the frail aged. The Mental Health Team, comprising of two full time psychologists, has been inundated with referrals for assistance in 2005. The demand for this type of service is continually growing, and individual case work remains a major focus for the program. However, over the past 12 months, the Mental Health Team aimed to address other issues at a broader level. In 2005, a series of psycho-educational seminars on the topic of depression were undertaken, including a seminar during Mental Health week in October held at Club Marconi. The team also conducted a series of radio programs on SBS, which served to disseminate information to a large number of Italians. The team continued to produce a quarterly bulletin entitled Essere and Benessere to both service providers and individual clients. The Youth and Family Program, providing individual counselling, community development and educational work, continued to assist younger Italian-Australians. In 2005, the Youth Worker, in conjunction with the Drug and Alcohol Worker, presented workshops to year 11 and 12 students of Italian background entitled youth and drugs project. The aim of the project was to discuss inter-generational issues with younger people, as well as to discuss the dangers of smoking, drinking and street/party drugs. Twenty workshops were conducted at schools throughout Sydney and Wollongong. The Drug and Alcohol Program developed innovative community development campaigns to educate the community on the harms of alcohol and drug abuse. In 2005, a partnership was developed with the National Prescribing Service and a campaign was delivered to the community regarding safe use and storage of medication. The campaign included presentations to 650 seniors during Seniors Day celebrations. The program received a grant from NRMA to produce a number of posters and resources on the dangers of drink driving. This campaign will include a number of seminars in both Sydney and Griffith in early 2006. The Community Aged Care Packages (CACP) Program provides in home support to older Italians to delay entry into residential care. The services provided through the program include personal care, shopping, meal preparation, transport, cleaning and respite. In 2005, Co.As.It. saw a steady rise in the demand for assistance offered through the CACP Program. This demand far outweighed the amount of service that Co.As.It. was able to provide. Co.As.It. received an allocation of an additional 20 packages in late 2005 to service South Western Sydney, bringing the 9

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total number of funded packages to 188. Whilst the allocation does not meet the demand for service, it will assist Co.As.It. in alleviating waiting time for the service. The frail aged and dementia specific daycare programs provides respite and socialisation for 180 individuals in the Sydney Metropolitan Area. The aims of the program are to reduce isolation as well as to provide a culturally and linguistically appropriate centre-based respite service to both clients and carers. Highlights for the program in 2005 include attendance at Scalabrini Village Austral for Christmas in July celebrations, merging of the four inner west groups for the Christmas party in December plus a number of outings to the fish markets, local parks and clubs. The Aged Care Team provide direct care service, casework, group work, training, resource development and community development. The role of the Aged Project Officers is to provide a direct case work service to clients aged 65 plus, community development and advocacy. The annual Senior Citizen s Day event was held at Conca d Oro on the 17th and 18th of March. The event was attended by 650 people and included information on wellbeing, quality use of medication, music, dancing, lunch, speeches and presentations. In 2005, the program assisted the Transcultural Aged Care Service (TACS) with a project entitled Partners in Residential Care which looked at fostering co-operation between family, carers (relatives) and staff of residential facilities. The Community Partners Program (CPP) commenced on January 1st 2005. The program comprising of two full time positions replaced the Ethnic Aged Services grant and the Community Settlement Services Scheme. During the first six months of transitional funding, Co.As.It. was able to complete projects from the previous grants and in July 2005, new projects under CPP were implemented. As background to the projects, workers completed research reports in both Western and Northern/Eastern Sydney to identify the needs of the Italian community in these areas. Both reports are available for download on the Co.As.It. website, www.coasit.org.au. The CPP workers were invited to deliver cultural awareness training to the following organisations: Bankstown Aged Care Assessment Team; the Community Independence Support Service (CISS); Casa Mia Nursing Home, and Sydney Eye Hospital. As a whole, Community Services developed and consolidated a number of important partnerships with external agencies in 2005. These include Relationships Australia, Quitline, National Prescribing Service, Community Independence Support Service, Mercy Community Care, Multicultural Problem Gambling Service, Transcutlural Aged Care Service and Bankstown Council. These partnerships, both formal and informal, served to ensure greater service provision, information and activities to benefit the Italian community in Sydney. 11

EDUCATION Co.As.It. offers a range of Italian educational options for the community in New South Wales. Thanks to continued support and funding from Local, State and Federal Australian Government as well as from the Italian Government, Co.As. It. is able to offer Italian Language education to students of all ages. Co.As.It. complements its teaching programs with a wide range of supporting activities and resources. Through the Italian Multimedia Resource Centre it offers teachers and students access to CDs, DVDs, Videos, teaching kits, printed material and other resources. Via the strategic employment of experts in the field of Education and the co-funding of the Italian Language Consultant position at the Department of Education and Training (DET), Co.As.It. is able to provide professional development programs to all teachers of Italian and the production and distribution of new and innovative resources. I 12 Co.As.It. offers a range of Italian educational options for the community in New South Wales. Thanks to continued support and funding from Local, State and Federal Australian Government as well as from the Italian Government, Co.As.It. is able to offer Italian Language education to students of all ages. Co.As.It. complements its teaching programs with a wide range of supporting activities and resources. Through the Italian Multimedia Resource Centre it offers teachers and students access to CDs, DVDs, Videos, teaching kits, printed material and other resources. Via the strategic employment of experts in the field of Education and the co-funding of the Italian Language Consultant position at the Department of Education and Training (DET), Co.As.It. is able to provide professional development programs to all teachers of Italian and the production and distribution of new and innovative resources.

In 2005 Co.As.It. Insertion schools numbered 87 in NSW, employing 81 teachers, covering most of Sydney Metropolitan area, the Illawarra, Lismore, Queanbeyan, Griffith and Armidale. A total of 21,267 students participated in Italian programs in State, Catholic and Independent schools from K-6. Children aged 5-16 years who are unable to access Italian in their mainstream school or who wish to extend their knowledge of Italian through further classes attend the Co.As.It. Italian Out of School Hours Classes held in 24 centres throughout NSW. In 2005, 951 students attended 2 hour weekly classes in metropolitan Sydney, the Illawarra and Newcastle, staffed by 39 teachers. In addition, HSC support classes have continued to be very popular amongst students in their final years of high school, looking for assistance and support with their Italian HSC studies. As in previous years, the Adult Italian classes have increased in popularity amongst the general community in Sydney. Each term an average of 10 courses were held in Leichhardt with a total of 8 levels offered. An average of 130 students enrolled per term, with 60% of students re-enroling from one term to the next. The Multimedia Resource Centre has been able to improve its service to borrowers by increasing its collection of DVDs. In 2005, membership has continued to increase and so have borrowings, notably in the DVD section. In order to provide a more efficient and consistent service, the opening times have been changed. The use of the library by the general public, IBS students, other school groups and adult students also increased in 2005. Consistent with Co.As.It. s commitment in providing professional development opportunities, all teachers of Italian in NSW were offered a range of inservices in 2005. June and conducted by professors from the Università di Venezia Ca Foscari - Laboratorio ITALS Using computers in the LOTE (Languages other than English) Classroom and the assessment of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies). Co.As.It. teachers were offered the opportunity to obtain: Senior First Aid Certificate Provided with information about Child Protection Act Workshop on the Board of Studies NSW K-10 Italian syllabus and programming of Italian classes. Through its work in the areas of Education, Co.As.It. supports the learning of Italian language and culture via collaboration with other educational institutions. Co.As.It. provides financial support to the Illawarra Association of Teachers of Italian (IATI) whose many activities aim to promote the Italian language and culture in the Illawarra region. Co.As.It. also supports the Italian Language Teachers Association (ILTA) by providing premises for meetings and financial support of the Italian Trial HSC Papers. In addition Co.As.It. has a joint initiative with the NSW Art Gallery and the NSW Department of Education and Training which comprises the creation of educational resources for the gallery s Italian artwork collection to be presented in 2006. Co.As.It. Education is consolidating its relationships with NSW primary schools for the provision of Italian language and culture programs and seeking to establish ongoing partnerships with educational and cultural providers in the endeavor to further support the teaching of Italian in NSW at all levels. Throughout the year, all Italian teachers had the opportunity to participate in the following workshops: The Developmental Stages of Language Learning and How to Teach Vocabulary, held in 13

14 ITALIAN HERITAGE

Co.As.It. promotes and facilitates activities and events that reflect the contributions made by Italian-Australian migrants to the history and heritage of NSW. Italian Heritage is promoted through: The Italian Family History Group, Italian Heritage Photographic Collection, Local heritage walking tours and regional excursions, School excursions, Research projects, Special events Exhibitions. Co.As.It. Italian Heritage is a leader among culturally diverse communities and owes its success to the flexibility of its program to work in collaboration with: Local, State and National History and Heritage organisations, Public, Private and Independent school systems, Universities and Adult education organisations, Local councils and the general public, use of volunteers and fundraising activities In March 2005, an Adult tour lunch package was added to the already successful Italian Heritage Walking Tours Program. The tour includes a one and half hour guided tour and lunch at a traditional Italian restaurant. Between March and November 2005, 305 adults and 915 school students took part in these popular tours In 2005, Co.As.It. was commissioned by the Migration Heritage Centre to conduct 10 interviews with Italian-Australians who migrated to Australia between 1946 and 1978. Interviews were recorded and photographs were taken of significant objects owned by the interviewees. These unique migration stories have become part of an exciting Migration Heritage Website called Belongings where migration history is told through significant objects that migrants have kept as mementos of their individual journeys, www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au. An exciting new Italian research project started in 2005 and will culminate in a Photographic Exhibition entitled From the Backblocks to the Frontlines launched by Hon. Gough Whitlam at Club Marconi in 2006. The exhibition consists of 16 photographic panels that celebrate the history of early Italian settlement in southwest Sydney. The Italian Family History Group continues to provide advice and encouragement for Italian-Australian community members who are interested in tracing their Italian family history and/or to learn more about Italian migration history in NSW. The group meets on a monthly basis and provides a guest speaker or a panel workshop. The highlights for 2005 include: Gerard Hindmarsh, the author of his epic novel Angelina the story of his grandmother s journey From Stromboli to D Urville Island in New Zealand. In May, Pepe Bon Accordo revealed how he became the leading producer and supplier of ducks to the table in Australia. In August, Dr Gianfranco Cresciani shared his amazing career as a notable historian and Author of Researching the History of Italians in Australia. To finish the year, entertainer Maria Venuti told the story of her efforts to trace and find her father s birth place in Sicily. She shared her recent journey to Sicily and her discovery of her Italian heritage. 15

16 ITALIAN BILINGUAL SCHOOL

The Italian Bilingual School has once again experienced a successful year in 2005. The Transition program for four year old children increased to five days per week in 2005. The strong interest in the program generated by positive feedback from families of children attending meant full enrolments and a waiting list. The little ones reached many objectives and achieved tremendous goals in the development of early literacy and numeracy skills. Transition students explored themes as varied as families and friends; animals; the life-cycle of frogs (for which they hosted numerous tadpoles); transport, including space travel; the weather; the human body and the seasons. The children also enjoyed visiting performers; participated in various celebrations and performed beautifully at major school events. Students from Kindergarten to Year 2 also had a very busy year. They participated in many and varied activities in the course of the year. In addition to the daily learning and the numerous outings that took place, students also took part in National Science Week, Children s Bookweek and the school Athletics Carnival. IBS students once again participated in the official Italian National Day celebrations at the laying of the wreaths ceremony where they skilfully sang the Italian National Anthem and other traditional Italian songs to honour the war fallen. The Italian National Day celebrations culminated with Co.As.It. s traditional Italian National Day Ball, which this year was dedicated to the Italian Bilingual School. We have 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 the Jeans for Genes drive, Bandaged Bear appeal; the St Vincent De Paul Christmas toy appeal and the nomination of our Citizen of the Year who, for 2005, was Alessandro Iunius. The sporting program continued at the Five Dock Leisure Centre. Students in K to Year 2 participated in physical activities, team sports and gymnastics on a rotational basis over the four Terms. In September we held our Athletics Carnival at King George Oval, Rozelle, and what an astounding success that was with the presence of numerous family members who helped, cheered and supported us in many ways. The Parents & Friends Association continued to support the School community through its activities, which ranged from fundraising to setting up and running a quality canteen service for IBS students. 17

Co.As.It. MEDAL Silvia Bedrossian Alimeni Silvia Bedrossian-Alimeni was born in Egypt and spent most of her childhood in Libya where she learnt the Italian language. In 1971, Silvia migrated to Australia and settled in Sydney with her family. The Co.As.It. Medal is awarded to any one individual who has made outstanding or meritorious contribution, service, promotion or assistance to the activities associated with Co.As.It. or its prior entities included social welfare, fundraising, language education, the arts or culture and not necessarily limited to activities pertaining to persons of Italian background or language in New South Wales. Silvia s long stem relationship with Co.As.It. began as a volunteer teaching Italian in 1972 when Co.As.It. was based in Bathurst Street. Silvia began teaching in the Out of School Hours program, from 1972-1975 in Fairfield, 1974-1996 in Ashfield, 1981-2003 in Earlwood and from 1992-2003 in St John s Park. Silvia also extended her knowledge to the Insertion program and taught in the Adult class program between 2001 and 2005. Silvia s commitment to maintaining the Italian language continued when she joined the Education sub committee in 1991-2005 as a volunteer. Silvia supported teachers in classrooms and was instrumental in the teaching and learning of Italian in all Co.As.It. programs. Silvia recognised good teaching practises and played a vital role on the working party for the Co.As.It. Language and Culture Awards. Silvia s life long commitment to Co.As.It. education will always be greatly appreciated and acknowledged not only by Co.As.It. but by her many students of all generations. 18

Pino Migliorino For over 30 years Pino Migliorino has been involved in community affairs including welfare, ethnic affairs, the arts and the Italian community. Pino s contribution to the Italian Community has extended across various roles. Pino has had a long commitment to Co.As.It. which began in 1983 as a volunteer and convenor of the Welfare Sub committee, a position he held until 1998. From 1995-1998 Pino moved on to become the Vice President of Co.As.It. and from 1999 2004 was appointed President. During Pino s involvement with Co.As.It. the Mental Health Program, Drug and Alcohol Program, Respite Frail Day Care program and then the provision of direct care through the Community Aged Care packages in 1997 were created and developed. Pino s foresight and commitment to Community Services has enabled Co.As.It. to adapt and consolidate its services to meet the changing needs of the Italian community. Pino was instrumental in establishing a second office for Co.As.It. in Fairfield in 1998 and helped secure the new site at Harris Park in 2003. The presence in Western Sydney has been a vital move in raising the profile of Co.As.It. in Western Sydney. Pino is currently a Board Member of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2001 2005 and member of the Sydney Florence Sister City Committee 2001-2005. Prof. Maria Teresa Piccioli Maria Teresa Piccioli was born in Bolzano, Italy and moved to Australia in October 1973. Maria completed a Diploma of Education at the University of Sydney in Italian and French in 1978. Maria started her academic career in 1976 where she was responsible for teaching Italian at Macquarie University within the Continuing Education programme until 1988. In 1988 Maria was instrumental in initiating the degree course in Italian at Macquarie University. In 1990 she was awarded a PhD. in Linguistics (Macquarie University) with a case study on bilingualism and second language acquisition. In 1990, Maria was appointed Lecturer in charge of Italian studies at the Australian Catholic University (ACU), a position she held until 2001. Maria was responsible for the LOTE Methodology course between 1993-1997 and the Italian Curriculum course in 2002 and 2003. Maria has collaborated on several occasions with the Department of Education, as a marker for the HSC (Italian) and as a member of the Examination committee for the HSC (Italian), Board of Studies. Maria Teresa Piccioli volunteered as a member of the Co.As.It. Education Subcommittee and provided invaluable advice to Co.As.It. on the teaching of the Italian language program. Maria has published several articles for the Co.As.It. journal Italiano e Scuola and has presented and published several papers on Second Language Acquistion. Pino s legacy will continue at Co.As.It. as the organisation continues to prosper from his initiatives and direction. 19

Board of Directors, AGM 2005 Presentation of NRMA grant, June 2005 Italian National Ball, June 2005 20 18 Staff at Co.As.It. Christmas Party 2005

MESSAGGIO DEL PRESIDENTE Cari soci, È con grande piacere che vi presento il Rapporto Annuale del Co.As.It. per il 2005. Durante questo anno il Consiglio di Amministrazione del Co.As.It., tutto il personale ed i volontari hanno lavorato duramente per assicurare che i servizi erogati dal Co.As.It. mantenessero quegli alti livelli di professionalità e dedizione che la comunità oramai si aspetta. L anno passato è stato particolarmente pieno di sfide. Una riduzione nei finanziamenti e la necessità di assicurare una sede a lungo termine per la Scuola Italiana Bilingue ha portato il Consiglio di Amministrazione a focalizzare la propria attenzione su una gestione più accurata ed una maggiore attenzione nelle scelte. Siamo ora nel processo di aggiornamento del nostro piano strategico per identificare chiaramente le nostre priorità ed assicurare che il Co.As.It. continui a ricoprire un ruolo fondamentale nella nostra comunità negli anni a venire. Il settore Servizi Sociali ha continuato ad espandere le proprie attività, specialmente nell area dei servizi agli anziani, per lo più trainato dal continuo successo e dall aumento del Programma Pacchetti di assistenza a domicilio. (Community Aged Care Packages CACP). Il settore Insegnamento si è impegnato alla realizzazione dei i suoi programmi sia Integrati che Extrascolastici ed ha espanso con successo il programma di Classi per Adulti, facendo di quest ultimo una componente fondamentale della nostra offerta in campo educativo. Le nostre attività educative continuano, inoltre, ad essere complementate da una serie di iniziative innovative nelle aree del Patrimonio Culturale e della Genealogia. La Scuola Italiana Bilingue (IBS), grazie al continuo supporto di tutti i Consiglieri del Comune di Leichhardt, continuerà ad operare da Casa d Italia ancora per qualche anno. L IBS ha incrementato il numero di iscrizioni e continua a produrre risultati di rilievo non solo secondo i riscontri da parte degli studenti e delle loro famiglie, ma anche per il fatto che il NSW Board of Studies ha concesso la registrazione per il Kindergarten da Year 3 sino al 2010. Quanto sopra non sarebbe stato possible senza l impegno dei miei colleghi Consiglieri, la dedizione dello staff e di tutti i volontari. I finanziamenti governativi rimarranno critici al fine di assicurare per il Co.As.It. la capacità di continuare ad erogare gli attuali servizi. Per questa ragione è per me importante riconoscere e ringraziare i Governi Italiano, Australiano (a tutti i suoi livelli, Locale, Statale e Federale), nonchè i numerosi finanziatori che continuano a credere nella missione del Co.As.It. a favore della comunità e li invito a non farci mancare il loro sostegno negli anni a venire. È anche un grande piacere per me dare riconoscimento all instancabile suppor- to fornito dai media Italiani e locali, che hanno contribuito in maniera fondamentale a far sì che servizi e programmi del Co.As.It. siano ampiamente portati a conoscenza della nostra comunità. Per concludere vorrei cogliere questa opportunità per ringraziare e, purtroppo, salutare Susi Schio che, dopo 17 anni al Co.As.It., di cui 12 come Direttore Esecutivo, ha deciso di perseguire altri traguardi nella sua vita. Susi è stata un elemento di grande valore per il Co.As.It. e ci mancherà assai. Andrea Comastri è stato nominato nuovo Direttore Esecutivo. Andrea ha assistito Susi per 10 anni ed arriva a questa nuova posizione non solo con un bagaglio di grande esperienza al Co.As.It., ma anche pieno di rinnovato entusiasmo. Vorrei quindi invitarvi a leggere accuratamente il Rapporto Annuale per il 2005 ed a voler riconoscere il lavoro sin qui svolto. Grazie, Lorenzo Fazzini 21

RAPPORTO DEL DIRETTORE ESECUTIVO 22 Cari Soci ed amici, Benvenuti al nostro Rapporto Annuale per il 2005, rapporto che descrive tutti i risultati ottenuti e le attività svolte dal Co.As.It. Come Direttore Esecutivo uscente sono particolarmente compiaciuta ed orgogliosa del lavoro svolto dal Consiglio di Amministrazione sotto la presidenza di Lorenzo Fazzini, dai Managers Andrea Comastri, Thomas Camporeale, Valeria De Fina e Lina Di Donato così come del responsabile della contabilitá Ray Money. Nel leggere questo rapporto so che sarete colpiti dal valore dato da tutti al Co.As.It., si tratti di volontari o dipendenti, a provvedere un reale contributo a favore della comunità Italiana e non. Non tutti gli obiettivi prefissati vengono sempre conseguiti istantaneamente ma il Co.As.It., certamente, lavora molto duramente sia individualmente che collettivamente per raggiungere tali obiettivi nei tempi prefissati. Questo è sempre stato un punto di forza dell organizzazione e delle molte persone che hanno contribuito alla sua esistenza sin dal 1968. Come voi già sapete, alla fine del 2005 ho rassegnato le mie dimissioni e mentre è stato molto triste dire arrivederci è stato anche molto soddisfacente aver fatto parte di una organizzazione meravigliosa e tanto dedita agli altri ed avere lavorato con un Consiglio di Amministrazione, apparato dirigente e personale che condividono una visione di servizi resi si parli di patrimonio culturale, servizi sociali od insegnamento. Questa è la forza della nostra organizzazione. Il 2005 ha visto il Co.As.It. continuare ad adoperarsi per conseguire l eccellenza in tutti i suoi differenti settori di intervento e nel rafforzare una cultura di continuo miglioramento nel servizio. Qualità come uno dei Service Reviewers del Quality Management Service ha scritto nel suo rapporto è il risultato del modo di lavorare piuttosto che una singola serie di eventi. Nel 2005, con la vasta valutazione esterna dell IBS, del programma per la salute mentale e del programma per droghe ed alcol ed, agli inizi del 2006, quella del Programma di Assistenza a domicilio (CACP) il Co.As.It. ha ottenuto risultati eccellenti misurati tramite tutta una serie di meccanismi di valutazione, sia formali che informali. Al personale del Co.As.It., che ha operato grazie al continuo supporto del Consiglio di Amministrazione, debbono andare i nostri ringraziamenti. I nostri settori Insegnamento e Patrimonio Culturale hanno continuato non solo nella gestione dei molti e significativi programmi per il Co.As.It. quali i corsi Integrati e le classi di Italiano dopo scuola, ma hanno anche dimostrato un approccio di tipo innovativo verso nuovi programmi quali le riuscite Visite guidate al quartiere di Leichhardt (Leichhardt Heritage Walking Tours) o i sempre più popolari Corsi di Italiano per Adulti e molte altre ottime iniziative. Lascio il settore amministrativo per ultimo dato che questo è stato un anno particolarmente impegnativo per questo piccolo gruppo gestito da Andrea Comastri. Nel 2005, oltre a provvedere inestimabile supporto professionale al resto dell organizzazione, l amministrazione del Co.As.It. ha: Completato con successo il terzo Audit per i programmi di gestione della sicurezza sul lavoro e degli infortuni come parte del Programma Work Cover Premium Discount Scheme. Organizzato uno dei più riusciti ed eleganti Balli Nazionali Italiani che, nel 2005, ha raccolto fondi per l IBS. Completato il primo Programma di Pari Opportunità per le Donne sul posto di lavoro (Equal Opportunity for Women Workplace Act work program). Questo Programma è orientato a realtà lavorative con più di 100 dipendenti e prevede l instaurazione di metodologie che rimuovono le barriere all accesso ed alla partecipazione al miglioramento del posto di lavoro da parte delle donne. Vorrei ringraziare personalmente il Consiglio di Amministrazione, la dirigenza, il personale ed i volontari presenti e passati per il loro continuo supporto ed il servizio prestati alla comunità Italiana. Mi congratulo, una volta ancora, con Andrea Comastri per la sua nomina come nuovo Direttore Esecutivo, gli auguro ogni fortuna e vi incoraggio a dimostrargli lo stesso livello di rispetto, pazienza e supporto che mi avere mostrato durante il mio servizio al Co.A.s.It. negli ultimi 17 anni, prima come assistente sociale e quindi come Direttore Esecutivo. Susi Schio

RAPPORTO DEL DIRETTORE ESECUTIVO Cari soci, amici e colleghi, È per me un onore presentarvi questo Rapporto Annuale 2005 assieme a Susi Schio. Susi vi ha già presentato i grandi risultati che il Co.As.It. è stato in grado di conseguire nel 2005, una riprova non solo delle notevoli capacità professionali dimostrate da tutto il personale e volontari coinvolti nelle attività del Co.As.It., ma anche di quelle manageriali della stessa Susi. Alla fine del 2005, lavorando al passaggio di consegne per la posizione di Direttore Esecutivo con Susi, siamo stati in grado di prendere decisioni che ci aiuteranno a realizzare una serie di iniziative, nel corso del 2006, che consentiranno al Co.As.It. di incrementare ulteriormente la qualità del lavoro che verrà svolto in futuro. Abbiamo ristrutturato il settore amministrativo e marketing e i livelli manageriali. Sono state create due nuove figure professionali, il Coordinatore del Marketing e il Coordinatore Amministrativo, quest ultima comprendente i ruoli di addetto alla sicurezza sul lavoro e al reinserimento al lavoro. Queste due nuove posizioni saranno in grado di contribuire all accrescimento dell organizzazione negli anni a venire; Abbiamo ulteriormente consolidato il Team manageriale mediante la creazione di un modello gestionale che assisterà i vari settori del Co.As.It. ad avere un approccio più strategico alle loro attività; Nel 2005, il Co.As.It. ha iniziato un percorso teso a rifocalizzare la missione dell organizzazione (mission statement). Dopo consultazioni con il personale, a tutti i livelli, membri dei Sotto-comitati e del Consiglio di Amministrazione abbiamo sviluppato un mission statement che include tutte le aree di intervento dell organizzazione. Abbiamo anche iniziato un processo di Pianificazione Strategica, che coinvolgerà il Consiglio di Amministrazione, il Management ed una consultazione con tutto il personale. Ciò ci consentirà di mantenerci focalizzati sul nostro futuro nel contesto Australiano ed Italiano in costante mutamento; Abbiamo iniziato a lavorare su un Modello di Valutazione del Rendimento del personale che, una volta implementato nel corso del 2006, promuovendo un approccio collaborativo allo sviluppo sia personale che professionale degli impiegati, assisterà il Co.As.It. ad incrementare la propria produttività anche a beneficio di coloro che fruiscono dei nostri servizi nonchè degli enti finanziatori stessi; Abbiamo iniziato a collaborare con i vari Co.As.It. e simili organizzazioni presenti negli altri Stati d Australia, al fine di poter acquisire una posizione più forte nel dialogare con i Dipartimenti Governativi e nel pubblicizzare le nostre attività riguardanti la lingua e la cultura italiane; Al fine di migliorare lo sviluppo dei nostri servizi rivolti alla comunità in generale ed a quella Italiana in particolare, abbiamo stabilito nuovi legami di collaborazione e rafforzato quelli esistenti con altre organizzazioni del settore. Tra le tante ricordiamo: SWIAA, l Italian Forum, la Camera di Commercio di Leichhardt, la Camera di Commercio e dell Industria Italiana e i media italiani in Australia. Queste ed altre iniziative, così come il lavoro quotidiano che impiegati e volontari del Co.As.It. continuano a svolgere con grande professionalità, formeranno la base delle nostre attività per il 2006. Contiamo di poter continuare a lavorare con tutti voi per migliorare la qualità di vita della comunità e per diffondere la lingua e la cultura italiana nel NSW. Andrea Comastri 23

SICUREZZA SUL LAVORO 24 Il nuovo Comitato per la Sicurezza sul lavoro ha continuato a lavorare, attraverso incontri bimestrali, alla revisione di regolamenti e procedure, analisi statistiche di infortuni e di situazioni a rischio fornendo raccomandazioni sulla possibilità di addestramento specifico per tutto il personale. Il Comitato in carica si è insediato nel Maggio 2005 e resterà in carica sino ad Aprile 2007. Nel Comitato, tutti i diversi settori lavorativi del Co.As.It. sono rappresentati da almeno un membro del personale. Ciò assicura il rispetto delle norme vigenti in materia di consultazione del personale per la sicurezza sul lavoro al Co.As.It. Il Comitato usa un ampia serie di strumenti di comunicazione per trasmettere informazioni al personale, da bollettini a incontri e dall uso della posta elettronica ai manifesti affissi negli appositi spazi riservati a tutto ciò che concerne la sicurezza sul lavoro. Programma di gestione dei rischi Sulla base del Programma di gestione dei rischi del Co.As.It., personale e dirigenza hanno continuato a tenere sotto controllo i vari uffici e le varie situazioni lavorative al fine di identificare e valutare potenziali rischi e trovare il modo di gestirli (eliminazione, sostituzione, soluzioni amministrative, ecc.). Il programma prevede anche un ispezione annuale di tutti gli Uffici del Co.As. It., il che aiuta ad identificare e classificare potenziali situazioni a rischio per il personale ed i visitatori delle strutture. Grazie al Programma di gestione dei rischi ed all impegno mostrato dalla Dirigenza e da tutti i Rappresentanti del Personale per la sicurezza sul lavoro, tutti i dipendenti del Co.As.It. hanno maturato una maggiore sensibilità circa la sicurezza sul posto di lavoro e sono attivamente coinvolti nell assicurare tale sicurezza per ciascuno presente sul posto di lavoro. Programma di gestione degli infortuni Dove sono incorsi incidenti con conseguenti infortuni, a qualunque livello, l addetto al reintegro nelle funzioni lavorative ha lavorato con personale, professionisti medici e paramedici e la compagnia di assicurazione (QBE) allo scopo di minimizzare l impatto dell incidente sui singoli individui, i loro colleghi ed il programma di attività ai quali essi sono addetti. Sia il Programma di gestione dei rischi che il Programma di gestione degli infortuni sono stati ulteriormente incorporati nel nuovo Modello gestionale del Co.As.It. per assicurare un approccio sempre più preventivo verso la sicurezza ed una sempre più efficiente gestione dei danni subiti e del ritorno alla piena attività lavorativa. Premium Discount Scheme (Programma per la Riduzione dei Costi Assicurativi) Come parte del Premium Discount Scheme istituito da WorkCover, il 16 Giugno 2005 il Co.As.It. ha condotto con successo la sua terza e finale valutazione sul sistema di sicurezza sul lavoro permettendo al Co.As.It. di ottenere una riduzione del premio assicurativo per quanto concerne l assicurazione infortuni. Tale risparmio è stato reinvestito nel miglioramento dei sistemi di gestione della sicurezza sul lavoro e il Programma di gestione degli infortuni al Co.As.It.