H-ton Students Visit Italian American Museum

Huntington High School Italian teacher Natalia Kopshti accompanied her students into Manhattan for a visit to the Italian American Museum in Little Italy.

“The upper level Italian classes were able to interact and learn about 32 life size marionettes created by the Manteo family, a Sicilian family that emigrated and brought with them a form of entertainment that became a staple in the Little Italy community,” Ms. Kopshti said.

The students then went to the Italian restaurant, La Mela and enjoyed some delicious Italian food before heading back home. “It was wonderful for the students to experience firsthand the talent and impact Italians had and still have today,” Ms. Kopshti said. “It is important for my students to experience as much of the culture firsthand as possible and I hope to offer many more of these field trips in the future.”

As a follow up activity, students recreated their favorite marionettes from the trip. Their work was impressive.

Located at 151 Mulberry Street, “the Italian American Museum preserves, promotes, and celebrates the culture and history of Italian Americans, serving as living record of their contributions to America and a bridge between the remarkable past and the evolving future of the community,” according to its Facebook page.