Ms. Varano
After nine years of teaching Italian, Ms. Katie-Nicole Bagarella Varano will be leaving BLS to teach middle school students at the Elliot School, a change that will better fit her schedule.
She reflects, “The school has given me so much. The caliber of students here is something that has just blown my mind. I learn from [students] as much as [students] learn from me.”
She has taught all levels of Italian at BLS, and currently teaches both Italian 2 and AP Italian classes. Outside of teaching, she also ran the Italian Film Club for three years.
She finds that it is difficult to apply proficiency standards to her students and to encapsulate their language skills in A-F grades.
Ms. Varano advises students, “I know BLS is a place where demands are high, but I want the students to know how in awe and proud I am of their everyday work. I hope the students know how much I’ve learned from you and that I’ll never forget the memories we have from our times together.”