It could be said that the primary job of every child growing up is…
TO LEARN
As a result, in every society, you will find a system of education. Although some countries do this better than others, it would be hard to find a country that didn’t understand the importance of educating its young people.
Listen to these accounts from Madison Perekotiy about their family’s experience with school in Ukraine:
FIRST BELL
In Ukraine, the first day of each school year always occurs on September 1st, and it is always a huge celebration! The first day is usually a performance or ceremony called “First Bell”, and students literally ring in the new school year!
We experienced First Bell for the first time when our oldest son, Chambers, started 1st grade. Because kindergarten is not an official grade in Ukraine, some children go to daycare or preschool, while others stay home until it’s time to start 1st grade.
About a week before school, Chambers attended short practices with his class for the big First Bell performance. Each student had to learn a part of a poem in Ukrainian and a song to perform as a class.
When we arrived at the school, Chambers joined his classmates while we sat in the auditorium to wait. I looked around and noticed that each parent was holding a bouquet of flowers. I wasn’t sure why, until I found out later that we were supposed to bring flowers for the teachers — oops! Good thing she had plenty of bouquets covering her desk!
The opening ceremonies began with songs and choreographed dance from the second, third and fourth-grade classes. Then the first-grade class nervously stepped on stage to recite their poems. The teacher stood behind them to remind them of any words they might forget. Chambers was very anxious, but said his verse confidently!
After the performances, the class paraded around the auditorium ringing bells to signal the start of the new school year!
We really enjoyed this new tradition and celebration as it emphasized the importance of education in Ukrainian culture.
Maybe you can bring this new tradition to your school too, no matter where you live and learn!
KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION
What is the last day of school like in your class? Is it a party, a performance, or maybe just a normal day? Ukrainians recognize events with performances and celebrations! This can include anything from songs to poems to dance to costumes.
Ukrainian schools start in first grade. As a result, they do not have mandatory Kindergarten, just an optional year called podgotovki, meaning “getting ready”. In May, our son Chambers graduated from the preschool at our local church in Odessa!
All the students of the preschool from ages 3 to 6 performed several fun songs! They even learned one in Russian Sign Language.
Next, one of their teachers helped them perform a skit where they “tested” their knowledge of letters and numbers. Our second son, Lev, was also a part of the celebration and he recited a poem about the letter “O”.
The students who were graduating from Kindergarten donned blue robes and graduation caps. At the end of the ceremony, each of the graduates was called up to the front. They each received a certificate from the director of the school and all the teachers!
Our children’s preschool is small so the students are all so close to each other. Many of them were really sad to be finished with school and moving on to “big” school.
After the celebration, we all ate a little feast which consisted of fruit, cookies, homemade lemonade, and tea.
Does your school have Kindergarten Graduation? What is this ceremony like? How do students in your school celebrate the end of the school year? How does our Ukrainian school compare to your school?
It is hard to image a child anywhere in the world that doesn’t have some type of opportunity to learn, whether it is a public, private or even a “vocational” school where kids learn a trade. God loves children and he loves to provide for their education.