Words such as buongiorno and grazie may be as likely to be heard on the streets of Fredericktown as they are on the streets of Rome. Students at Bethlehem-Center High School are learning a Romance language spoken by millions throughout the world but taught in few high schools in the region.

The Deemston school bolstered its foreign language program this year with the addition of an Italian course that introduces students to the language. “A lot of our students have Italian-American heritage, so it’s a way to allow them to reconnect with their heritage,” said Thomas Tedrow, Italian teacher at Beth-Center.