2 Istituto Comprensivo G. Melodia
Our school is located in Noto, a baroque Unesco heritage town in the south east corner of Sicily. Noto has 24,000 inhabitants, and its geographical area makes it the largest Sicilian heritage town and the fourth largest in Italy.
Noto is becoming an important touristic destination thanks to its climate, historic monuments, beautiful beaches, natural reserves and crystal blue sea. The main
school building is in the old historic centre while the other larger building is situated in the high side of the town. The school is attended by 840 students aged 3 -14, who come from different socio-cultural backgrounds. In recent years among these there are young non-EU students coming mostly from north Africa. Melodia’s students attend kindergarten for 3 years, Primary school for 5 years and then Secondary school for 3 years. In our school students follow a standard curriculum and also have the opportunity to specialize in playing one of the four instruments: piano, violin, saxophone and clarinet.
This has been well received by the students and two years ago we created an orchestra “Melodia ensemble” that performs in and out of school. Each year usually in the spring term students, aged 10 to 13 years, take part in assembling mini guides for the tourists who visit the town. There are specific events happening each year and new events to be included in the leaflets. A school magazine called “Melodia in pagina” is issued every year by students of primary and secondary school who attend extra curriculum courses. Students in the secondary school, at the end of the second term, take the exams for the ECDL, a certificate in computer studies. They also take the Trinity Certificate in English. In our school plan of educational offer, great attention is granted to promote the European dimension of education respecting the Lisbon objectives 2020. Among these objectives we have particularly adopted: a) Promoting social and civic competences b) Communication in foreign
languages c) Digital competences d) Developing a genuine multicultural attitude to other people, respecting their cultures and beliefs. The last objective is essential to be acquired by local people as there are several communities from foreign countries (Chinese, Africans and a community of ROM).
As English classes do not start before grade 6, we have a special need for international projects to motivate and multiply learning of foreign languages. Additionally, with the huge influx of migrants in particular in southern Italy, integrating them is a crucial issue fighting nationalist and anti-European sentiments. which provides another reason for support for an international project. Melodia school
has so far participated in two European projects. The fifth learning, teaching, and training activitiy of this project will take place in 2 Istituto Comprensivo G.Melodia. In this learning, teaching, and training activity, Melodia school will be responsible for the dissemination of the project products.