Under the Waterford Sun

BY STEPHEN CHUPASKA

The spa town of Montecatini Terme is located in Tuscany, home to some of the most famous cuisine in the world.

So, it stands to reason that the 30 Italian exchange students who visited Waterford High last week from Liceo Scientifico Sualutati, would have discerning palates and render some judgments about local victuals.

"The best has been pancakes with maple syrup," Michela Meoni, 16, said.

In addition to New England maple syrup, the Italian students spent 10 days sampling local sights and attractions as well as getting a flavor of American high school life.

"We get to see the reality of things," Meoni said. "It's not just big cities like New York."

Led by Waterford High foreign language teacher Mark Foster, the 30 exchange students, who also were chaperoned by three teachers, visited the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and the Mystic Aquarium.

Earlier in the week, the students took in Boston's Freedom Trail and went on trips with their host families in Waterford. A trip to New York City also was on the agenda.

"It's not so different than Italy," Francesco Quiliconi, 16, said.

Foster said the Italian students' visit is part of an effort to establish a sister-city relationship between Waterford and overseas towns.

"It's starting slowly," Foster said.

In the spring, a group of Waterford students will journey to Montecatini Terme for a reunion with their newfound Italian colleagues.

But this time, it was Waterford's turn to play host.

And last week the Italian and American students went on that time-honored rite of passage for local students-a Project Oceanology excursion.

Even though about a third of the exchange students were perhaps wondering how to translate "Dramamine" into Italian and back again, many of them had a fine time investigating the sea-life in the Thames River and Long Island Sound.

According to Montecatini Terme English teacher Maurizio Quiliconi, the exchange students, as the name of the school suggests, specialize in science.

"It's good they get a look at a different (school system)," Quiliconi said. "There's much more freedom (in America) with the curriculum. In Italy there are fewer choices."

Also, Quiliconi said the students took note of the school-sponsored sports, something that is rare in Italy, as most teenagers join private athletic clubs to play soccer or basketball.

Quiliconi said about 90 percent of the students at his school will go on to university, which is much cheaper than American colleges.

"It's about 3,000 euros," he said.

Foster said Waterford High in the past year has established relationships with secondary school equivalents in France and Germany, and will hopefully welcome more exchange students in the future.

Waterford High Principal Donald Macrino said last week he sees good things in having overseas students mingling in corridors and classrooms.

"In the local sense it's enriching (for our students)," Macrino said. "It helps us be more global and less provincial."

s.chupaska@theday.com