Olginate June 28, 2024, was the last day of school for the nursery school on Via Marconi. After 152 years. For this reason, former students and families, led by Silvia Cazzaniga, organized two days of commemoration, also dedicated to Piera Biffi, who for 47 years was the soul and backbone of the school that was also called “Piera’s nursery”. On Saturday at the Jolly theater, Don Matteo said: «The most beautiful word is thank you. Thank you to Piera Biffi who for almost 50 years took care of the nursery and the education of our little ones. It is always sad when a journey ends, but it is precious to look forward and not lose this presence on the territory by starting something new».
Mayor Marco Passoni underlined: «A chapter is closing, but not the book. All together we must open a new one, understand what the community needs today, what service can be activated. Let’s think about that structure that belongs to the community.”
Then there was a succession of photos taken in kindergarten starting from 1920, thanks to Stefano Scaccabarozzi, up to the present day. Then space for the memories and words of affection of former teachers, collaborators, cooks, former students: from the newly eighteen-year-olds to Innocente Corti, a student in the 1930s and entire families who grew up in that nursery for generations. It was impossible for Piera Biffi to resist the emotion: «The kindergarten was born because the people of Olgina believed in a dream, and it continued because it was loved. We were the first in the then province of Como to draw up an agreement with the municipality and in all these years the administrations have always helped us, even when there were few children. Don’t let it be said that they closed us down.”
Words of appreciation also came from Italo Bruseghini, historic former mayor of Olginate: «Until 1978 it was that school that supported the educational impact of the children of Olginate. For this reason, when the state school was founded, it was decided to create four sections, not six, so as not to put the private school in difficulty, which it was right to give credit to, despite the opposition being against it. With the arrival of the then parish priest Don Luigi Gilardi, this was an excellent example of collaboration between the public and private sectors»
