Somerville High School World Language teacher, Gino Colantuono, was named the 2017 Italian Consulate and AATI (American Association of Teachers of Italian) Massachusetts Teacher of the Year by the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association (MaFLA) for excellence in promoting Italian language learning. Mr. Colantuono received his award at the 50^th Annual MaFLA Conference on October 28, 2017.

Mr. Colantuono is a native Italian speaker and long-term enthusiast for Italian language learning at Somerville High School. He started teaching at SHS 13 years ago, when the SHS World Language program was more limited. Working with administrators, he dedicated himself to growing the Italian program, which now offers four years of Italian instruction: Italian 1, 2, 3 as well as AP Italian. Alongside academic Italian language work, Mr. Colantuono has been instrumental in further extending students’ knowledge of the Italian language and culture by creating a student Italian Club, supporting a nascent exchange trip with Gaeta, Italy, and developing a partnership with the Italian Consulate.

“Mr. Colantuono is loved and respected by students, colleagues and the community. He is not only an Italian teacher he is an ambassador!” says Lisa Machnik, K-12 World Language Supervisor. Mr. Colantuono is well-known for his community-building and strong relationships with students. Ms. Machnik notes, “School counselors often send transfer students to his Italian classes, knowing new students will experience a smooth, welcoming transition in his classroom.”

“Gino Colantuono is an example of the type of excellent teaching we’ve come to expect at Somerville High School,” noted Superintendent of Schools, Mary Skipper. “He goes that extra step to create community both in and out of the classroom, and to reach all of his students. We are thrilled that he is being recognized for his outstanding work, and appreciate his commitment to Somerville students.”

Students are accustomed to Gino Colantuono’s clear goal setting and outstanding communication skills to support student learning. He posts assignments and the semester curriculum on Google Classroom for both students and parents to access. When students enter his classroom, they can expect to see the day’s clearly-written objectives and their learning expectations on the room’s SMARTBoard. Students advance into fully immersive classrooms where they hear only Italian. He makes Italian language learning accessible to students of different abilities and levels.

Over the years, Mr. Colantuono has become increasingly involved in the Italian Exchange program with Somerville’s Sister City Gaeta, working with Mayor Curtatone and his staff to provide a rich learning experience to SHS and Gaeta high school students. He has chaperoned the trip to Gaeta several times, chaperoned local field trips for visiting students from Gaeta, communicated with the Italian sister school, translated documents, and organized student placements with families. Mr. Colantuono credits the exchange program with creating lifelong friendships between students in Gaeta and Somerville. The exchange provides students with rich opportunities to speak Italian, connect with families, and learn from first-hand experience with modern Italian culture and society. In Mr. Colantuono’s words, “It’s not only about the language, it’s also about the culture. Students get to see and feel what people actually live like in Italy. They learn that people there are just like people here.”

Mr. Colantuono started an Italian Club for sharing Italian cinema, literature, arts and cuisine. He says it’s also an opportunity for students who don’t take Italian to get exposure to and learn a little Italian language. To deepen his ability to share Italian culture, Mr. Colantuono developed a relationship with the Italian Consulate in Boston’s non-profit Centro Attivita Scolastiche Italiane (C.A.S.IT., Inc.) (www.casit.org). C.A.S.IT. supports the purchase of textbooks and provides two annual scholarships for graduating Somerville High School seniors. C.A.S.IT. also organized an Italian opera performance by the group Trio Classico at a recent school-wide Foreign Language Week performance at Somerville High School. The well-received Trio Classico performance was many students’ first exposure to opera.

If you ask Gino Colantuono what he likes most about teaching Italian, he’ll tell you that he loves talking about everything from art to literature to Italian world heritage sites by teaching and narrating personal experiences. But his real love for teaching comes from his connection with his students. He says, “It’s a lifelong thing. I’ve been to weddings and graduation parties. Former students call to tell me when they get a new job. It’s amazing to watch students come in as children and leave Somerville High School as adults.”

Gino Colantuono looks forward to more years of expanding the Italian program and notes that he owes his growth to the constant support and help of his administrators and colleagues at Somerville High School. He also learns from his students, saying “Somerville students are multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and very diverse. The fact that I get to learn from their cultures is fantastic.”

The Massachusetts Foreign Language Association (mafla.org) is a non-profit service organization committed to the professional growth of its members and to the promotion of quality teaching and learning and cultures from kindergarten through the college level and beyond. Membership consists of foreign language educators from all instruction and languages.

— Somerville Public Schools