Dear Colleagues,
Just a short note to welcome all of our new hires to the Blog we set up three years ago to answer many of the questions that new teachers have about their new adventure in Italy. I suggest that you have a look at the questions that have been asked in the past and the answers, then shoot! I have always found that the more questions are answered before you come, the better. Clarifying some of the mysteries and ambiguities provides some level of comfort and security. However, one of the cardinal characteristics of the PYP is being a "risk taker" and you all qualify. I am confident that you will find your two or more years at BES an eye-opener in terms of professional development and as I always say, "All those stereotypes and platitudes about Italy being the most beautiful country in the world are ......... true!" Welcome on board and welcome to our team at BES!
Day
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Okay, figured out how to update the title to 2011. A start, at least.
ReplyDeleteThanks Day!
ReplyDeleteVery informative site!
I'm so excited to start at BES and meet everybody.
My name is Marissa and I'm from Edmonton, Alberta and I'm in the middle of my 2nd year of teaching (grade 4). I've been to Italy once last summer and I completely fell in love with it!
See you all in a few months!
Marissa
This is a fantastic idea Day! Merci beaucoup!
ReplyDeleteHi everyone,
My name is Catherine. I am from Ottawa, Ontario and I am also in the middle of my 2nd year of teaching (grade 2).
I am very excited about this new adventure, of living in Italy and working at BES. I cannot wait to arrive in Milan. Although, I have never been, I am sure I will love it.
I look forward to meeting all of you and working with a great teaching staff!
Au plaisir,
Catherine
Welcome everyone! Indeed, you are about to launch into an amazing journey, both with BES and with Italy. I came to Italy 11 years ago, intending to stay for three. We are pleased that you have decided to jump in with both feet and join us here.
ReplyDeleteI am the PYP and Curriculum Coordinator. In the coming months, we will be sending you links to many digital resources, school documents and accounts (e.g., Ning, Twitter, Diigo), and IBO-PYP documents.
Warmest wishes to you all!
Mary
Nice to 'meet' you Catherine and Mary! I wonder how many new teachers are starting at BES this year?
ReplyDeleteFour new "English" teachers. We are still waiting to hear from Tania and from Lori.
ReplyDeleteHello Everyone!
ReplyDeleteI'm Lori and I also hail from Ottawa, Ontario. I currently live in San Pedro Sula, Honduras and am in my second year of teaching (grade 5 reading). I am so excited to be joining the BES team in the fall! I spent 7 days in Italy a few years ago, though I've never been to Milan!
I am excited about this blog - I had a million questions before moving to Honduras and already this site has answered many of the questions I had about moving to Milan!
I look forward to "chatting" with everyone as we get ready for our new adventure!
Ciao, Como stai?
ReplyDeleteThis is probably the extent of my Italian vocabulary...lots of work to do...
I'm Tania and I am from Toronto, Ontario. I am currently living in Toronto teaching grade 1 in the Toronto school board. I have been teaching for just over a year now and I love it!
Looking forward to a new adventure in Milan, Italy. I still can't believe it's real. I have been to Italy for about a week a couple of years ago and I visited some of the major cities and it was great (best food in Europe in my opinion).
I am very happy to be joining a great team at BES and can't wait to meet all of you in six months time!!!
Bye for now,
Tania
BES closed this week for Ski Week! Yes! It is great to drink coffee and read newspapers on my iPad all morning! Going to an assessment workshop in Berlin on Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteDay
Catherine has inquired about banking and flights. With reference to banking, you will be paid at the end of each month in cash until your visa and legalization process is well underway. Last year this was in place by November, but legalization is a function of the Italian bureaucracy and is hard to predict. Once the process is in place, we will set you up with bank accounts in a local bank and you will have direct deposit and a debit card.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to flights, this, too, is a function of the Italian officials. As our school is recognized by the Italian Ministry of Education, our first day of school must be the same as all state schools. Once we know when the first day of school of kids will be, then we work backwards to schedule your arrival. Last year the new teachers arrived around August 26 and we are assuming that it will be about the same this year. Unfortunately, the Italian state school calendar is not confirmed until May, so we can only estimate your arrival date until that time.
Along the same lines, we are exploring a new way to get your visas this year. We are studying a plan with our legal consultants to bring you over taking advantage of a law allowing the issuance of visas for traning purposes. If this works, there is a chance that we will need for you to come to Milan for a week at the end of June. Can you make that happen in your summer schedules? It would actually work nicely from an organizational point of view in that you could spend a week with the veteran teachers reviewing units of inquiry and making plans for next year. It would give you a taste of what is to come. As soon as we have more definite information about this possibility we will get in touch..... this week, I think.