Ciao! Benvenuti!

Hello! My name is Ms. Abbattista, and I’m thrilled to be teaching Italian again this year. With over 20 years of experience in education, I bring a deep passion for language and literacy to the classroom. I began my career teaching Italian, then spent 11 years teaching 4th grade English Language Arts, and have now come full circle, back to sharing my love for the Italian language and culture with students.

My teaching philosophy is rooted in creating a supportive, engaging, and culturally rich learning environment where students feel inspired to take risks, ask questions, and develop a lifelong love of learning. I believe that learning a language goes far beyond vocabulary, it’s about understanding culture, making connections, and seeing the world through a new lens.

In my free time, I enjoy going out to eat and trying new restaurants, especially places with unique or regional cuisines. I also have a large extended family in Molfetta, a beautiful coastal town in the Bari province of the Puglia region in southern Italy. I visit as often as I can to stay connected to my roots and immerse myself in the culture I love sharing with my students.