Official inauguration of Juliusz Słowacki’s Junior High School in Bezdany

Banner fluttering in the wind, finely dressed students and pompous music gathered the society of Bezdany and their guests during the ceremonial inauguration of Juliusz Słowacki’s Junior High School in Bezdany.

The festivities began with a mass led by Arunas Mitkevičius in the Church of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn. Gatherers prayed for the whole community of the junior high school – the students, teachers, and administration. After the mass, people marched towards the junior high’s schoolyard, where the symbolic red ribbon was cut and the new school bus received its blessings.

„Today we are turning a new page in the history of our school, a history that is full of great achievements and challenges. We will put hearts into proving that we are worth the name of our patron“ – said the headmistress of Juliusz Słowacki’s Junior High School in Bezdany, Wiesława Wojnicz. She also gave her thanks to the representatives of the local government, school society and all those who helped in pursuing the goal of achieving the recognition as a junior high school. Special thanks were given to the local government, which renovated the school’s building, boiler house, refurbished the schoolyard and bough the new school bus.

„Our path towards being recognized as a junior high school was long, but the will to push forward, to hone ourselves, accompanied by your great efforts helped us in our march. Today, we may deservedly be proud of the new junior high school“ – said the mayor of the local government of the Vilnius County, Maria Rekść, who was also present during the ceremony. Mayor was content that the institution does not only focus on passing on the knowledge, but also works towards fostering the development of general virtues that are so desperately needed in modern times. Because of the inauguration, thank you letters from the mayor were given to honored teachers. Moreover, 300 euros were donated to the school.

The president of Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania, eurodeputy Waldemar Tomaszewski greeted the junior high school’s community and wished them many fruitful years of service. He also endowed the school with a painting of Merciful Jesus.

The festivities were also attended by the member of Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, chairman of the Schools Mothercountry Józef Kwiatkowski, member of Seimas Leonard Talmont, deputy of the president of the Department of Education and Administration of the Vilnius Country’s local government Sofia Ryżowa, older specialist Jarosław Subocz, district head of the Bezdany borough Michał Janczewski, guests from the neighboring educational outposts, students’ parents and friends.

A lot of good memories were undoubtedly left by the artistic part of the ceremony. Junior high school’s students performed songs and dances that accompanied the presentation of photographies depicting the most memorable events from the school’s history.

In 1997 the school received its patron, Polish poet Juliusz Słowacki. In 1998 the school received its high school status and in 2015 was transformed into a junior high school.