Italian Day 2025

Italian Day is always one of the happiest days on the SKiPPS calendar and this year’s celebration was no exception. From the moment students arrived at school, dressed in their brightest Italian-inspired outfits, there was a real sense of excitement and pride across our community. 

This annual celebration of language and culture brings our whole school together and continues to be a highlight for students, staff and families alike.

The day began with our much-anticipated Italian Day Parade, led by our outstanding Year 5 and 6 Italian Leaders. As they guided our students around the quadrangle, we were treated to a colourful procession of gondoliers, ancient Romans, footballers, chefs, and students proudly wearing the red, white and green of the Italian flag. It was a joyful start to a day of rich learning and shared celebration.

After the morning assembly, students moved into their multi-age groups, one of the most loved aspects of Italian Day. These groups give students the special opportunity to get to know and work alongside children from other year levels and always create a wonderful sense of connection across the school. The activities were as varied as they were engaging. 

Students played bocce at the St Kilda Bowls Club, cooked Italian biscotti, made their own pizzas in our wood-fired oven, and even recreated their own mini ‘Vesuvius’ eruptions in the sandpit. Laughter, curiosity and creativity filled every corner of the school.

A highlight for many students was the immersive Italian theatre performance L’ingrediente segreto, held in the Performing Arts room. Led by a visiting performer, the show whisked students into a lively story full of humour, music and audience interaction. Children were captivated from beginning to end and happily joined in, calling out responses, completing actions, and helping “solve” the mysteries of the secret ingredient. It was a wonderful chance for students to experience Italian language in a joyful, theatrical setting and added another rich layer to the day.

Of course, no Italian Day would be complete without delicious Italian food. Fresh, hot pizza was delivered to classrooms throughout the morning, and in the afternoon students enjoyed scoops of gelato in the sunshine. These treats were certainly a highlight and added to the festive spirit that carried right through the day.

A celebration of this scale only happens because of the dedication and teamwork of many people. Our heartfelt thanks go to Dee Sliskovic, our brilliant Italian teacher, whose vision, organisation and many hours of work made the day such an enormous success. Thank you also to her team of staff helpers and to our incredibly generous parent volunteers. In particular, we acknowledge Luca Calcaterra and others who spent the day working the pizza oven, keeping students (and staff) very well fed.

Italian Day truly encapsulates what makes our school community so special – joy, connection, curiosity and pride. 

Grazie mille to everyone who helped make it such a memorable day. A presto!