Livorno «School is the draft period of life: if you make mistakes you treasure them for the rest of your years». The concept is so intense that you have a hard time imagining that the author is an eighth grade “girl” (Michela De Giambattista 3°C Benedetto Brin school). It is no coincidence that Michela and four other middle school students from Livorno are the winners (she placed fifth) for the best “essay” (“Once upon a time it was called a theme – smiles Professor Paola Luperi, president of the jury – but someone decided that today it should be called that”) which had as its basis for reflection another “work” by a student of the Liceo Classico Niccolini Guerrazzi, who, having grown up, had the opportunity to make a career until he became President of the Republic.
We are obviously talking about Carlo Azeglio Ciampi whose son Claudio yesterday awarded the five finalists who commented on these reflections on the school of our illustrious citizen: «What is school? – this is the inspiration for Ciampi’s writing – It is training for life, which is not just work, because it is also collective life and therefore also the many relationships with one’s neighbors, with one’s workmates, with the entire society… ».
Organizer of the scholarship Gianfranco Porrà president of the Pro Liceo Classico association of Livorno, the jury chaired by Professor Luperi herself was made up of teachers Maria Chiara Bartalucci, Irene Chioni and Laura Marchisio. The scholarship award ceremony took place yesterday in the gym of the De Amicis schools in the presence of the principal Carmine Villani.
The winners were selected from five sections of the middle schools of Undici Maggio and Brin. Even before the ceremony, a dutiful celebration was given to two “centists” who graduated last year from Niccolini himself, Dafne Cosimi and Edoardo Lucarelli. After Gianfranco’s greeting, Claudio Ciampi gave the floor, with an impressive resemblance to his father in his prose and posture, who warmly thanked the participants and praised the five winners.
A word from the winners: in fourth place Filippo Nardini (3rd B Brin) who writes: « At 11 years old my evolution took place: I learned to live – writes Filippo – to experience school more serenely and even to enjoy it. Then there will be life: ready, set, go. Like in an athletics competition.” Then two equal second place students Dario Tommasini (3rd B XI Maggio) and Anna Bartolini (3rd N De Amicis). The first is striking for the description of the transition from a child to a boy “who has learned to listen and understand how he can learn lessons from every person”. The second for the end of the essay: «This is what school is for: to outline your confused and blurry outline but also above all to make you understand who you are». Among other things, Anna was mistakenly read a theme that wasn’t hers and only at the end did she politely point it out amidst the laughter of the jury and the audience. Finally, the first classified, who will benefit from the scholarship of 250 euros (the second 150, the fourth 100, the fifth 50) Marco Tarabotto (3C Brin): «In this year of middle school I understood the true meaning of the word personal sacrifice and hard work. I realized that if I want to get where I want I have to put aside distractions and focus on my goal. This concept can be summed up in the simple words of a famous singer-songwriter and teacher like Roberto Vecchioni: dream, boy, dream».l
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