Italian Heritage Month has been proudly recognized during the month of June at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) since May 2012. The Province of Ontario also marks Italian Heritage Month and as a result the Italian Heritage Month Act was passed in 2010.
This year’s theme for Italian Heritage Month is Sharing Our Stories and Embracing Our Future/Condividere le nostre storie e abbracciare il nostro futuro.
We are excited to share the many stories from Italian ancestors whose contributions helped shape our Canadian cultural mosaic. Italian stories and traditions reaffirm identity and connect us to one another. These stories allow us to walk for a moment in someone else's shoes, and to see ourselves in others. Stories unite future generations while they evolve and create new customs and traditions for us to embrace. Together, the past, present and future will redefine what it means to be an Italian-Canadian.
To commemorate this year’s theme, we invited all TDSB students from all TDSB schools to submit a video that captures their special memory or tradition with their nonni (grandparents) or an elderly caregiver/guardian. We hope you enjoy them!
Additionally, we invited two authors to some of our schools to share their recent books on their Italian heritage with our students. I Call My Grandmother Nonna by Bruna Di Giuseppe-Bertoni and Nonna & The Girls Next Door by Gianna Patriarca on their Italian heritage with our students. We are thrilled to share Bruna’s visit at Park Lane Public School! Enjoy the video that captures some highlights.
Gianna’s visit to Beverly Glen Junior Public School will be shared shortly.
June is also Seniors Month, and the TDSB has launched an activity for students from Runnymede Junior and Senior Public School. Participating students were asked to draw and write a message on a postcard that features a white lily, the national flower of Italy. These postcards will be distributed to the residents of Villa Colombo Home for the Aged during the month of June.
Let us continue to share our stories and embrace our future.
For highlights and more information on Italian Heritage Month at TDSB, please follow @ItalianHer1 on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram @ItalianHeritageTDSB https://www.instagram.com/italianheritagetdsb/
