LEARNING AT SIEF

A SIEF winter favorite with maestro Tommaso Moretti

Winter becomes fun and harmonious when maestro Tommasso returns each year to SIEF! His “Music ABC” class is a full immersion in “song language”; instead of talking, we sing and use rhythm patterns and tones to communicate; our hands, bodies, feet, and instruments help us tell a musical story! This offering will start to activate your child’s musical thinking (audiation). Interacting exclusively in a musical way, the teacher and the studenti investigate the essential elements of music and discover the emotions hidden inside of those. Short tonal and rhythmic songs—extracted from the classical, jazz, and folk repertories of the world—capture the students’ imaginations as explored through playful activities and body movements.

ABOUT TOMMASO:

Tommaso Moretti is a musician, educator, and composer born and raised in Macerata, Italy who relocated to Chicago in 2013.
In 2001, Tommaso moved to Rome to study Political Science at "Università La Sapienza" where he graduated in 2006.
Between 2005-2013 he released albums and toured internationally with four different bands from Rome: Thrangh, Tribraco, The Orange Man Theory, Underdog.
In 2007, Tommaso attended the basic level, the advanced level, and the specialization workshop of the national training course, "The Child's Musical Education from 0 to 6 Years Old According to the Music Learning Theory of E.E. Gordon" conducted by Andrea Apostoli, president of the Italian Association Of Musical Learning (A.I.G.A.M). Maestro Tommaso successfully passed the final exam.
Immediately after obtaining his certification as an early childhood music educator, he began working in many different daycare centers and Kindergartens in Rome and also started teaching drums in two different local, private music schools.
Since relocating to Chicago, Tommaso has become active in the city's vibrant music scene, performing nationally/internationally and releasing albums with bands and artists such as: Ben Lamar Gay, Rob Fry's Exoplanet, Eric Hines's Pan Dulce, Chicago Samba. In 2017 he released his first album as a leader: "SemoComesemo" for the local music label Amalgam.
Tommaso is currently employed as an early childhood music teacher at Scuola Italiana Enrico Fermi in Chicago and he works as drum kit educator at Music House, a local music school.

Natalja Aicardi

“We imagine new spaces, explore our body and voice, play and improvise individually and with the group.”

The “atelier of the body” is an embrace of play, motion, kinesiology, theatre, and truly being present with children. Led by Natalja Aicardi, students are engaged to use their bodies and inherent artistry to deepen play, explorations, and investigations.

In addition to “atelier of the body”, and as a diversely experienced performer, educator, and creative, maestra Natalja works alongside Finestre colleague Roberta Garufi and SIEF Atelierista, Chiara Calci, to deepen the progettazione emerging from the classroom. Project work “re-launches” throughout the school year, culminating in a public showcase or performance to bring SIEF to the community and the community to SIEF. We journey WITH our studenti at SIEF.

What are YOU curious about? Why?!

We are Scuola Italiana Enrico Fermi, so it is natural that we should look toward children as citizens with unbridled, innovative thoughts and curiosities in all things. SIEF students are scientists and researchers, engineers and dreamers—just like the supportive teachers and adults surrounding them. Through sharing work and discussions as colleagues, observations over time, parent input, student input, and a little magic, the Curiosity Lab was formed.

Curiosity Lab runs daily for enrolled SIEF students from 3:15-5:45pm with a mixed age grouping.

Student curiosities in all manner of topics and “languages” reignite in exciting ways; Lab Leaders set high intentions and have great conversations and documentation surrounding our students' passions and pursuits.

Keep alive your child’s inborn sense of wonder. Stay curious! 💕