The first school bell rang in the Junior High School in Butrimonių

The school year 2013/14 started on 1^st September, Sunday, in the school in Butrimonių. This year is special for the whole society in Butrimonių, especially for this year twelve year students: they will be the jubilee students who will graduate from the school for 40 years and they will be the first graduates from Anna Krepsztul’s Junior High School in Butrimonių.

The students, the teachers and the parents started the school year at the service in Saint Michel Archaniol’s Church. The priest Szymon Wikło wished all the best to the whole society of Butrimonių. Then, all people went to the beautifully redecorated  modern school, where the characteristic noise could be heard. The noise was connected with looking for colleagues, meetings after a long separation and exchanging news.

– We dreamt about the Junior High School for many years – Teresa Sawiel, the headmaster said to the journalist of “Kurier”. – The main problem was connected with a low number of students in higher classes. The rules have changed recently and they allowed to have one (not two as it was before) class of XI and XII. We want to create a Polish school where Polish language can be heard, where people who are at the borderland here can feel appreciated.

What will alter after the change of the school status?

– Actually, anything will change – the headmaster says. – The aims and the tasks of the school keep the same. The school stays the school – no matter what the hierarchy is, the school has one aim – educate young people in order to make them proud of their school after their graduation. We want our graduates to say: “The school helped me choose my way of life”. But the requirements will be higher – the status of Junior High School plays a role.

The graduates of the school: Józef Kwiatkowski, the parliamentary representative to the Parliament of Republic of Lithuania, the chairman of the Association of Polish Schools’ Teachers in Lithuania „Macierz Szkolna” (“Schools Mothercountry”); Józef Rybak, the deputy headmaster of the administration of Council in Šalčininkų region; Zdzisław Palewicz, the mayor of Council in Šalčininkų refion visited the ceremony of inauguration. Many genius people attended the school: lawyers, doctors, priests, social activists and teachers, who come back to school in order to share their knowledge with students.

Many teachers who work here now, graduated the school. The headmaster is proud that they are the specialists who are highly qualified, and who serve the students. The headmaster is glad that young people, the graduates of the school come back and find their place. Similarly to Teresa Sawiek, two graduates of the school came back after finishing the school and they work as teachers of Lithuanian. What’s more, a computer technician, a Polish teacher, a teacher of beginner students, a Music teacher and a social educationalist came back to the school. Many teachers of an older generation are the people who make their students success, the teachers are as follows: Janina Sakson – the well-known Polish teacher, Zofia Zujewicz – the ex-headmaster of the school, Stanisław Mikonis, Czesław Sakson and many more good educationalists.

– The Junior High School is the success of the present and absent teachers who created the school in Butrimonių – Zdzisław Palewicz, the former pupil of the school, the mayor of the Council in Šalčininkų region said.- They thought about reaching the height of their career when they performed their daily routine. It’s a success of parents, who create the community, and pupils who showed their respect to their school by their attitude towards the education. A Junior High School is a big challenge because it is not enough to be a pupil of Junior High School, one has to be a very good student.

The distinguished guests: Edyta Tamošiunaite – the deputy Minister of Education, Leonard Talmont – the parliamentary representative to the Parliament of Republic of Lithuania, Regina Markiewicz, Regina Kazarevskaja, Julija Adamonienė, Henryk Danulewicz – the manager and the employees of education and sport department of the Council in Šalčininkų region, Bolesław Daszkiewicz – the chairman of the administration of the Council in Šalčininkų region, Butrymańc – the starost, Wanda Bielska – the graduate of the local school, chairmen of Polish schools appeared at the ceremony.

The hearts of ten excited first class students beat fast, as they entered the Junior High School and were taken by 21 students of twelve class. They pledged to be good students, take care of a good name of the school and cleanliness of the mother tongue… , Sandra, Justyna, Diana, Dorota, Andżeła, Rolanda, Demian, Tomasz and Daniel received wonderful rucksacks filled with necessary school accessories stood by Compatriots from Poland. Barbara Rodziewcz – the tutor of the first class students is the graduate of the school. Now, she himself meets further generations of students – this class is the forth one in which she is a tutor.

„It’s not so important for a man to know a lot,

but to know well,

not to know by heart but to understand,

not to be interested in everything a little bit,

but to be interested in something a lot” –

Barbara Rodkiewicz wished all the best to her pupils using above mentioned words by Janusz Korczak. The sound of the first school bell yet and – Anna Krepsztul’s Junior High School in Butrimonių started the new school year.

Source: http://kurierwilenski.lt/2013/09/02/w-gimnazjum-w-butrymancach-zadzwonil-pierwszy-dzwonek/

Tłumaczenie by Anna Kwiatkowska w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Anna Kwiatkowska  within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.