The 2024-2025 School Year Has Started for Students at the Bulgarian School in Boston

Snejana Iovtcheva
Program Coordinator and Registrar

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On September 14th, the Bulgarian Saturday School in Boston opened its doors and welcomed students and families for the 26th consecutive year. Smiling parents and students from all three school shifts flocked to the school yard with excitement and cheerfulness as they reunited with their beloved friends.

The school management and teachers welcomed the families in the balloon- and flower-decorated school yard with the traditional water spill, green geraniums and honey bread to wish them success and health for the school year. This is all thanks to the fiery Parent Organization, who once again took care to recreate the beautiful Bulgarian custom for the first day of school. Countless hugs, bouquets of flowers, and stories about summer adventures filled everyone with warmth and cheer.

This school year, the Boston branch of the school starts with 16 full-time teachers and 175 students. The students are divided into 14 in person classes and 4 virtual groups.

Immediately after the first bell, students entered the welcoming classrooms, where they met their new teachers and teaching assistants and dived into the learning material. We sincerely thank all the volunteers who, a week before the first bell, prepared the building, assembled new whiteboards, cleaned the desks and chairs, and arranged the school materials in the classrooms.

We wish our students, teachers and parents good luck, success, and plenty of new friendships for the new school year!

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As one of the earliest established Bulgarian schools in North America, the Bulgarian School in Boston has been and continues to be a pioneer in the development of educational methodologies and organization for schools abroad. The formation of a committed parent organization, the integration of young graduates into the Saturday learning process, the introduction and recognition of the Seal of Biliteracy by the state of Massachusetts, the adherence to educational standards and their adaptation with the help of additional educational platforms, the implementation of an electronic system for internal school registration, the introduction of a central platform for managing the learning process, the development of virtual classrooms, the launching of a children's summer camp, and the expansion of a second branch in Cape Cod. These and many other activities and initiatives prove that an educational institution, guided by an organized parent core, can establish lasting positive practices, progress with technological innovations, and contribute to the creation of a strong foundation in the Bulgarian community abroad.

The Bulgarian Children of Cape Cod are Back to School

Snejana Iovtcheva
Program Coordinator and Registrar

The Cape Cod branch of the Bulgarian Saturday School in Boston and Cape Cod opened the doors for the new 2024-2025 school year on September 7th. The teachers and administrators warmly welcomed the joyful students, their families, friends of the school and young volunteers into the spacious classrooms.

The school in Cape Cod was created and inaugurated 10 years ago by dedicated parents who are passionate about preserving Bulgarian language and culture. Since 2016, the school has found a home in the beautiful and welcoming building of Christ The King Parish Church at 5 Jobs Fishing Rd, Mashpee, MA 02649. This year's classes are divided into four age groups and classes will be held every Saturday from 10AM until 1PM. In addition to the school material, the heritage program includes thematic cultural workshops, in which the children will learn about Bulgarian customs and prepare for three major concerts: Christmas Day, the Bulgarian Independence Day on March 3, and the Day of the Cyrillic Alphabet on May 24.

The main driving force behind the cultural events in the school are the enthusiastic parents from the Parents Organization of the school. Together with the teachers they help the organization of the workshops and greatly contribute to enriching the learning experience. We are incredibly thankful to all the volunteers who support our mission of providing the children in our community with cultural diversity and the opportunity to learn and practice the Bulgarian language, which significantly broadens their global outlook.

Immediately after the first bell, the students entered the classrooms and began their work with the teachers. We are happy that this year, in addition to a teacher, young assistants will also be present in the classrooms. These are students who have already graduated from our school but remain integrated in the classrooms, gaining valuable volunteer and leadership experience.

While the students got busy in the classrooms, the parents and the management of the school participated in an informative meeting. During the meeting, the president of the school, Mr. Rosen Dimitrov, presented the history and structure of the educational organization and Ms. Zdravka Nikolova shared an emotional presentation with videos and photos from the last 10 years. Our graduates and their parents fondly recognized themselves and their friends in the pictures and recalled the warm feelings and excitement of school concerts and celebrations. This charged everyone with cheer and enthusiasm that will certainly accompany us throughout the school year.

In connection with the 10th anniversary, the school is organizing a formal lunch on September 28 at the Cape Cod Cultural Center in the town of South Yarmouth. We invite all friends and long-standing supporters of the school to join us in celebrating our first decade of academic excellence, development and community spirit.

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The Bulgarian School in Boston Celebrates the End of the 2023-2024 School Year

Snejana Iovtcheva
Program Coordinator and Registrar

On June 15, the Bulgarian School in Boston celebrated the end of the school year with a ceremony. The school records and certificates were handed out in the festively decorated courtyard of the school.

The ceremony was opened with a speech from the school's president, Rossen Dimitrov. He thanked the teachers, parents and volunteers for their work and heartfelt dedication to the school's mission of spreading the Bulgarian language and culture. 

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The first graders performed two poems, with which they marked their learning path and achievements from the first letters of the Bulgarian alphabet to the world of books and knowledge.The vocal group of Mrs. Zdravka Nikolova greeted the guests with the song "Pinocchio". 

Next, the academic director Silviya Mihaleva handed out diplomas from the Global Seal of Biliteracy to the young people who took the test with Sofia University in April this year. They also received diplomas from Bulgaria (one in Bulgarian and one in English) and this gives them the opportunity to receive a Seal of Bilingualism from the state of Massachusetts.

Prizes for the chalk drawing competition, which took place on June 1st, were also distributed. The jury had an extremely difficult time deciding the winners (individual and group) among the many talented and motivated children.

After receiving their school certificates and hugging their favorite teachers, the children ate hot dog sandwiches and treats, participated in fun games and picked out summer books from the charity sale. 

Following its tradition, the school was able to set aside from its budget for a special gift for each of its students. Thanks to the resourcefulness and organization of Zlati Shishkova and the artistic design of Didi Hatcher, each student and assistant received a multifunctional backpack with the engraved name of the school. This way, everyone will have the opportunity both to travel during the summer vacation with a tourist backpack, and in the fall to arrange the new textbooks in a school backpack.

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With thai we are closing an extremely successful and productive school year with 36 school Saturdays, with two big all-school concerts - for Christmas and for the Day of the Bulgarian Alphabet, with a number of enrichment lessons with guests from the academy and industry, with theatrical performances and thematic workshops, with a music club and several successful charity sales of sweets and Bulgarian books. All this brought us together and closer during the year and gave a sense of community. In addition, we welcomed the students from the Bulgarian school in Nantucket and created wonderful memories and friendships.

The number of students in the Boston branch reached 186 children, who were educated in three formats - in person, virtually and in individual group lessons. We also resumed the alternative in person group for learning Bulgarian as a foreign language. We made a successful Christmas donation campaign for the Bulgarian foundation "Karin Dom"and celebrated the 25th anniversary of the school with a number of events, honors, guests and a gala dinner.

We look ahead with new energy and excitement. The new school calendar as proposed by the Parental Organization promises an even more enriched program with an additional Folklore day in the Fall and a Field day in the Spring. We are also planning a visit from another Bulgarian school, with which we hope to create and strengthen the ties between the Bulgarian communities in the eastern parts of the USA. We are also preparing the 10-year anniversary of the school branch in Cape Cod.

Registrations for 2024-2025 are open from June 1st and for yet another year we are setting a record number of registered students already in the first weeks of the campaign. This continuity and involvement of parents is the most important indicator of the positive development and organization of the school. For a quarter of a century, the Bulgarian Sunday school in Boston has successfully met challenges and has skillfully adapted to the changes in the structure of the Bulgarian diaspora in Boston and the surrounding area. We are a school created by parents for parents with a mission to unite the community and create lasting connections for future generations.

We wish you a well-deserved summer vacation filled with lots of sun, games, friends, and experiences, and we look forward to seeing you again in the fall!

Work Meeting and Report at the End of the 2023-2024 Academic Year

The article was prepared by:

Snejana Iovtcheva (program coordinator and registrar)
Silviya Mihaleva (academic director)

On June 9, the teachers, the school administration and members of the Bulgarian Center gathered at the school for an annual meeting, at which they discussed the current school year and the outlook and planning for the new upcoming one. 

The president of the school, Rosen Dimitrov, opened the meeting and presented the budget for the current year and the forecasts for the next one. All registered families pay membership fees to the school and according to the rights of the members according to the statute, they can request information about the financial status of the school.

The meeting also discussed the decisions made by the Board of Directors at their April meeting. Important decisions this year are the retention of the student registration fee and the $1 increase in the hourly teacher rates (teacher rates have not been changed in three years, and registration fees were promoted last year) for the next academic year.

Thе аcademic director Silvia Mihaleva spoke about the success of the preparatory course and the successful performance of the students at the Bulgarian language exam with Sofia University. This year’s exam took place in April at the school building. She also introduced the teachers to a number of opportunities for additional qualification and training for Sunday school teachers abroad. It is with great pleasure that we notice a positive development in this direction and increasing support from the Bulgarian Ministry of Education, the University of Sofia, the University of Plovdiv and the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad.

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Silvia Mihaleva also announced that four teachers were promoted to "senior teacher" in recognition of their long experience and contribution to the education of students and the academic development of the school:

• Zlatka Shishkova, financial coordinator, teacher and head of the alternative program.

• Petya Koeva, Bulgarian language teacher of 5th, 6th, 7th grade and co-organizer of the preparatory course for obtaining a diploma from Sofia University and seal for bilingualism from Massachusetts.

• Ivan Bachvarov, teacher of geography and history of the 5th, 6th, 7th grade with a great contribution to the implementation of multimedia enrichment materials into the lessons.

• Vasilka Georgieva, a teacher with a great contribution to the development of virtual classes and material from 2nd to 4th grade.

The calendar of extracurricular events for the next year, which is prepared and offered by the parent organization every year, was also discussed. At the meeting, Veneta Andreev presented the proposed events for the new school year and discussed the organization of the two major school concerts. We are excitingly looking forward to a new school year, enriched with workshops, concerts, theater performances and open lessons with guest lecturers. New additions to the calendar for the new school year are:

• A folklore day, in which local Bulgarians will introduce students to traditional musical instruments and dances. 

• Winter gathering and presentation of traditional crafts.

• Field day, during which the students will participate in sports competitions and present presentations about important Bulgarian athletes.

These events and extracurricular activities are a realization of our mission and in harmony with the values ​​of our school. With the help of parents, the learning process is enriched and provokes active, even artistic participation of the students, and the atmosphere is more inclusive and flexible, adapted to the interests of the children. The parent organization meets at least twice a year, makes decisions about events, workshops and activities and votes on proposals related to the support of these events and the budget. The calendar is discussed with the teachers and is adapted according to the academic curriculum. Crucially, it is implemented by the students' parents.

The upcoming projects to improve the educational base and the building were also discussed. The general opinion is that this year’s priority is the replacement of the roof and the installation of an air conditioning system to improve the quality and circulation of air in the rooms. The roof replacement project was successfully completed in the late fall, and the HVAC project is due in the summer. Both projects are led by a team from the Center and the school and parent organization help financially.

The meeting ended with a treat where everyone shared a favorite dish. The experience of recent years shows that the annual school meeting between teachers and administration and the monthly teacher’s meetings are a key factor for the effective and efficient organization of the school and for the implementation of successful practices in the curriculum. These meetings allow us not only to coordinate the teaching material, but also to monitor the daily organization of the school and plan the long-term goals.

Test with Sofia University for the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy

For yet another year, our school is organizing a Bulgarian language exam in collaboration with Sofia University (SU). The test serves for the acquisition of a Certificate of Proficiency in Bulgarian as a Foreign Language. This is an internationally recognized certificate with indefinite validity that certifies the level of Bulgarian language proficiency according to the Common European Framework (CEFR) and according to the standards of the Association of Language Testing Centers in Europe (ALTE). Our students usually take a B2 level test, which is equivalent to the Massachusetts "Seal of biliteracy with distinction".

Who organizes the exam?

The exam (written and oral part) will be organized by the Academic Director of the school Silvia Mihaleva silviya@bg-school.org with the school administrator Zdravka Nikolova serving as a proctor.

When will the exam be held?

On Sunday, November 17 at 9:00 a.m. local time (4:00 p.m. Bulgarian time). The duration of the exam is about 5 hours.

Where will the exam be held?

The exam will be held in the building of a Bulgarian school:

         310 River St

         Billerica, MA 01821

What does the exam include?

The exam consists of two parts - an oral exam (speaking) and a written exam (listening, reading and writing).

• The oral exam includes an interview, two dialogues based on given situations, a monologue and a comment on a given text or picture.

• The written exam is performed on a computer and includes 3 sections:

• Listening with understanding;

• Reading Comprehension;

• Writing - two tasks for writing a text of a given length on a given topic.

The obtained seal and certificate are recognized by many schools in the state, and are also considered as a final grade when applying to Bulgarian higher education institutions. The minimum age to appear for this exam is 14 years.

How to prepare for the exam?

Our school is organizing a Preparatory Course which starts now on September 12th. The course will be led by Silviya Mihaleva and Petya Koeva and includes 10 sessions of one astronomical hour each and will be held online every Thursday from 7 pm. The fee for the preparatory course is $150. For registration and questions: silviya@bg-school.org. The deadline for enrolling in the preparatory course is August 31st.

If you have any questions, please write to Silvia Mihaleva, silviya@bg-school.org.

The Bulgarian School on Cape Cod Celebrates the End of the 2023-2024 Academic Year

On June 1, the branch of the Bulgarian school in Cape Cod celebrated the International Children's Day and the end of the school year. The academic director, Mrs. Silvia Mihaleva, congratulated the children and families for their dedication and love for the Bulgarian cause and gave start to a wonderful celebration with which the students and families commemorated their achievements during the 2023-2024 school year.

This school year 3 student groups are graduating: a group for 3-4 year old students with teacher Mrs. Silvia Alharthy, a preschool group for 5-6 year olds with teacher Mrs. Diana Gilbert and a mixed class of students from 1st to 4th grade with teachers Mrs. Zdravka Nikolova and Mrs. Teodora Torres.

The students prepared a small celebration with favorite children's songs, with which they showed the newly acquired knowledge of the Bulgarian language and celebrated the children's holiday. Parents took care of treats, decorations and fun games. "The celebration was full of excitement, songs and dances," shares Ms. Sylvia Alharthy.

We succeeded and we are looking back at an extremely fruitful and successful school year, in which we formed stable student groups and classes, gathered a core of active parents and attracted guests and aids to enrich the Saturday lessons. Finally, we handed out the well-deserved certificates and announced the start of summer vacation.

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This is the place to thank Mrs. Zdravka Nikolova for her dedication and enormous support for the resumption and organization of the branch after the long-term closure due to the pandemic. Zdravka is a longtime senior teacher and administrator at the Boston branch. She traveled every Saturday to Cape Cod to support us in adapting the curriculum, train teachers and aides, and teach music and singing to the students.

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We also thank Mrs. Galina L'Heureux for her long-term organizational support and her spirit of a true revivalist, who constantly strives to unite us.

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We also thank Mr. Georgi Zhivkov for his time and the organization of a children's chess club, with which we enriched the school lessons. Mr. Zhivkov is a former member and vice-president of the Bulgarian Chess Federation and co-chairman of the judging committee, as well as master of sports.

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We also express our gratitude to the young assistants, Yoana Dokleva, Yana Kichukova, Adam Alharthy, Martin L'Heureux, Alexa Gilbert and Gabriela Torres, who participated in the Saturday classes with great responsibility and became an integral part of the learning process. These are the young people who have already graduated from the Bulgarian school, but remain integrated in order to gain volunteer and leadership experience and contribute to the Bulgarian community.

We want to remind the families that the branch of our Bulgarian school in Cape Cod conducts Bulgarian language classes every Saturday at the address: Christ The King Parish, 5 Jobs Fishing Rd, Mashpee, MA 02649. Registrations for the new school year 2024-2025 are now open and we invite you to register as soon as possible.

The new school year for Cape Cod will begin on September 7th and school hours will be held from 9:30am to 12:30pm.

The Bulgarian Saturday School in Boston and Cape Cod Opens Student Enrollment for the 2024-2025 School Year

The "Sts. Kiril and Metodii" school in Boston and Cape Cod works under the program of the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) of the Republic of Bulgaria and issues certificates from the MES for completed studies in Bulgarian language, literature, history and geography of Bulgaria.

For the 2024-2025 academic year, the school will offer in person and virtual classes. In person classes will be held every Saturday:

1.     For the Boston area: 310 River St, Billerica, MA 01821 in three shifts: early from 8:00, morning from 11:00am and afternoon from 3:00pm.

2.    For the Cape Cod area: Christ The King Parish, 5 Jobs Fishing Rd, Mashpee, MA 02649 in one 9:30am shift. 

Virtual classes will be offered for all children except children aged 3 to 5 years (for whom only in person learning will be offered). The school will also offer adapted "alternative classes" in which the Bulgarian language is studied as a second language.

The school year begins on September 14, 2024 for Boston and September 7, 2024 for Cape Cod.

The distribution of all classes has been previously formed and announced on our page at the request of parents. Our goal is to accommodate the maximum number of children while avoiding situations where two or more children from the same family are on different shifts. This is not always possible and we ask for your understanding.

Registration fees remain unchanged. We want to remind you that fees were increased by 15% last academic year due to rising costs for new administrative positions as well as the rise in membership costs for online platforms. 

Please note that registration takes place from June 1 to August 15, 2024. Current year students have priority to register until June 30th and are guaranteed a place in the class for which they are recommended by the teacher. New students will be enrolled in the order of registration. The school reserves the right to merge or close classes if the minimum number for the class is not filled.

To encourage early registration, the registration fee of $40 will be lowered to $20 until June 30th. The goal is to allow better academic planning, adequate appointment of teachers, and the purchase of enough textbooks for all registered students.  

REGISTRATION

The Director of the Bulgarian School in Boston and Cape Cod Mrs. Silvia Mihaleva Awarded the "Ivan Vazov" Medal

In the context of the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the Bulgarian School in Boston and Cape Cod, the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad (EABA), awarded an honorary medal "Ivan Vazov" to Silvia Mihaleva. The distinction was awarded to Mrs. Mihaleva for her significant contribution to Bulgarian education and culture in North America. The medal was personally presented during the all-school concert on May 11 by Mrs. Raina Mandjukova, Executive Director of the EABA.

"I am moved! I didn't expect the prize! I accept it as a recognition of the achievements of all of us, the Bulgarians in New England, who love the Bulgarian culture, traditions and language", shared Mrs. Mihaleva emotionally.

Silvia Mihaleva is the academic director of the Bulgarian school "St. Cyril and Methodius" in Boston and Cape Cod since 2011 and started teaching in the Bulgarian school in 2001. With long experience as a teacher and with two master's degrees - one in slavic linguistics and the second in business administration - Mrs. Mihaleva continuously contributes to the development of the Bulgarian school, maintains relations with the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, with the University of Sofia, with the University of Plovdiv and with local institutions and organizations - Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Seal of Biliteracy, Global Seal of Biliteracy, etc. Thanks to her leadership and efforts, several years ago the Bulgarian language was recognized in the educational system in Massachusetts and was accepted into the "Seal of Biliteracy" program. Since then, about 50 students from the Bulgarian School in Boston and Cape Cod have successfully taken the Bulgarian language test conducted by Sofia University. For many years, Mrs. Mihaleva's family has contributed to the school and community - brother (Atanas Mihaleva), sister-in-law (Mariela Mihaleva, long-time member of the board of directors), and son (Christopher Eaton) and nieces (Rossi Mihaleva, Ivaylo Mihalev) were students and assistant teachers.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Bulgarian School in Boston, Mrs. Mandjukova also presented an honorary plaque to the school and awarded the president of the school, Mr. Rosen Dimitrov, with an honorary badge from the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad for his significant contribution to the preservation of the Bulgarian language and cultural heritage as well as for maintaining the flame of the Bulgarian spirit and self-awareness among our youngest in Boston and the region. Mr. Dimitrov has been the president of the school for over 20 years. Thanks to his strategic and wise leadership, our school and community enjoy success, cohesion and a stable presence.

It is worth mentioning that Mr. Dimitrov is one of the founders of the Association of Bulgarian Schools Abroad and an ardent supporter of spreading the Bulgarian language around the world. His wife Albena Dimitrova and his daughters Andrea Dimitrova and Elena Dimitrova are active advocates for the preservation of Bulgarian language and traditions. His son Adrian is a current student at our school, whereas Andrea Dimitrova created and coordinates the Instagram platform of the school for our school alumni. Having a social media presence and keeping up with the innovations allows us to maintain the cherished friendships among our students and to strengthen their connection with the school.

"The Magical World of Childhood", a Concert in Honor of the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Bulgarian School in Boston and Cape Cod

Snejana Iovtcheva
Program Coordinator and Registrar
snejana@bg-school.org

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"A quarter century sounds serious.
A quarter century sounds… centuries old!
And if you welcome it with a smile,
You will welcome an eternity!”
- Gergana Nikolova, Bulgarian school "Rodna Rech" Sarasota, Florida

"The role of the Bulgarian schools abroad is exceptional. Through the children, they unite communities and form the heart of the Bulgarian culture. The schools are a place for gatherings and communication and also a place for affirming a Bulgarian presence in the world."
- Prof. Galin Tsonkov, Minister of Education and Science, Sofia, Bulgaria

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A spectacular all-school concert gathered over 350 guests and students in the beautiful historic Robbins Memorial Town Hall in Arlington, a suburb of Boston.

The concert was part of the Boston School's 25th anniversary celebrations. Guests at the concert included Mr. Georgi Panayotov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the United States Mr. Angel Angelov, Consul General of the Republic of Bulgaria in New York; Mr. Adam Portnoy, Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Mrs. Raina Mandjukova, Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad (EABA); Mr. Georgi Boshnakov, Director of the Board of "Little Bulgarian School" in Chicago; and Mrs. Gergana Neykova, Director of the Board of the Bulgarian School in Nantucket. At the concert, greetings were read from the "Little Bulgarian School" in Chicago and the "Rodna Rech" school in Sarasota, Florida. The Nantucket School greeted us with a cheerful rachenica dance, performed by their youngest students, who traveled all the way to Boston to participate on the stage.

The Bulgarian poet Ivan Radoev once wrote "The children's songs - these are the lights of the watermelon lanterns that we carry in our hearts to illuminate hardships of life". Childhood  is full of miracles and magic, and we discover these through music and fairy tales. The magical world of childhood was the leading theme of this year's music concert, and original scenario was composed through the cooperation of all teachers under the professional guidance of our music teacher, Zdravka Nikolova.

The presenters of the concert were the students from our high school groups - Martin Andreev, Martina Andreeva, Samuel Flashenberg, Darin Mihov, Zoe Savov-Won and Petar Iantchev. They skillfully navigated the script, welcomed the performers on stage, and presented the performances.

The first graders took to the stage with their teacher Kristina Georgieva and assistant Deana Nedelchev. The young students introduced us to the colorful world of the favorite fairy-tale characters with the song "Pikazkite" (The Fairytales) with music by Margarita Shoselova and lyrics by Maya Dalgacheva.

Relationship with  fairytales is different for every child. Some children from a very young age love to be among books - listening, reading, or simply handling them. Others prefer to read to their little brothers or sisters, favorite toys, or pets. But what happens when pets try to read? The preschool group with teacher Darina Tsonevska and assistants Dara Mashova and Atanaska Vancheva performed the song "Chelo kote knizhki" (A cat reads a book) with music and lyrics by Dora Draganova.

The fairytales shape and enrich the child's worldview from an early age. The youngest students, from the kindergarten, with teacher Darina Tsonevska and assistant Ella Shishkova showed us that success is achieved through understanding and joint work. On stage, they performed a song and skillfully acted out one of the most popular Bulgarian fairy tales - "Dyado ryapa vadi” (Grandfather digs a turnip). Special thanks here go to the handy Ella, who knitted the giant turnip and created the stage decoration.

The students from the kindergarten class with teacher Zornitsa Vodenska and assistant Ivanina Nedelchev told us about the wolf in children's fairy tales through a song with music and lyrics by Margarita Shoselova. Vincent Anastasia, Boris Todorov and George Ullman played the role of the wolf from three different fairy tales.

There is also a wolf in the tale of “Little Red Riding Hood”. The second graders with teacher Snejana Iovtcheva and assistant Martin Draganov presented a short comedy based on Gianni Rodari’ s and corrected his "Telling Stories Wrong" with the song "Red Riding Hood" with music by Kiril Cibulka and lyrics by Bogomil Gudev.

Our walk through the world of fairytales continued with the Bulgarian Yan Bibiyan and the Swedish tall tales Pippi Longstocking. Their stories were told in songs and presented by the 3rd grade students with teacher Svetlana Dimitrov and assistant teacher Violeta Ragina. The students performed "Yan Bibiyan i Djavolcheto Fyut” (Yan Bibiyan and the Little Devil Fyut") to the music of Vili Kazasyan and lyrics by Ivan Stanev and "Pippi Dalgoto Chorapche” (Pippi Longstocking) to the music of Vili Kazasyan and lyrics by Bogomil Gudev.

The students from our second kindergarten class, with teacher Iren Hristov, told the story of Pinocchio, the wooden puppet from the fairytale "The Golden Key" by Alexei Tolstoy. The song has music and lyrics by Mikhail Shopov. They also introduced the celebration of the Bulgarian alphabet with the song "Bukvichki rodni. poznati" (Dear native letters) with music by Donka Dimitrova and lyrics by Kalina Malina.

The students from the alternative class, who study Bulgarian as a second language with teacher Zlatka Shishkova and assistant Rumi Pasheva shared their knowledge of the Bulgarian alphabet with the song "From A to Z" with music and lyrics by Natalia Delionova.

The students from our Cape Cod elementary classes with teachers Diana Gilbert and Sylvia Alharthy made the audience dance to the rhythm of the song “Tanz na Bukvite" (A Dance of the Letters) with music and lyrics by Nina Lipp.

Children grow up and childhood eventually ends, but it only looks like that! When we preserve the flames of childhood in our hearts; we can ride a stick, sprinkle a slice of bread with paprika, and warm ourselves with happy memories. The school choir, with music director Zdravka Nikolova, performed the beloved song to many generations of Bulgarians "Detstvo moe" (My Childhood) to music by Vili Kazasyan and text by Bogomil Gudev.

The Junior high school and high school students with teachers Ivan Bachvarov, Petya Koeva, Silvia Mihaleva, and Stella Wasson reminded us that “Anything is possible" in school! The song is composed by Petya Bukureshtlieva and lyrics by Irena Vasileva.

Indeed, anything is possible! We can even fly into space! This is also the dream of the 4th grade students with teacher Svetlana Dimitrova. They presented the song “Ot Kosmosa” (From Space) with music by Svetoslav Loboshki and lyrics by Tatyana Balova.

Bulgaria is located on our planet, Earth. It is the place where our parents and ancestors were born. The students from our Cape Cod branch with teachers Teodora Torres and Zdravka Nikolova presented the song "Molitva za Balgaria” (Prayer for Bulgaria) with music by Haigashot Agasyan and lyrics by Aneta Mutafova.

As is tradition, the concert ended with a school-wide enthusiastic performance of the anthem of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, with music by Panayot Pipkov and lyrics by Stoyan Mihailovski. Young and old sang "Forward, revived people, follow a bright future ..." and charged the great hall with elation.

Every school year, our school organizes two big concerts - a Christmas concert and the second one dedicated to May 24, the holiday of Bulgarian education and culture. These concerts gather and unite the community, enrich the students, and motivate them. Students get excited, frantically prepare and practice speaking in front of a large audience. The teachers, for their part, introduce the students to the rhythm, sonority, and richness of the Bulgarian language. This strengthens the connection with the Bulgarian culture and allows our children to identify themselves with their rich heritage

We thank our supporters for their unity, friendship, trust, and effort thanks to which we have all been able to preserve and spread the Bulgarian language and culture in our community in Boston and Cape Cod for the past 25 years!

Bulgarian picnic for St. George's Day

Join us for the traditional Bulgarian community picnic to celebrate St. George's Day. The event is organized by the Bulgarian School “Sts. Kiril and Metodii ” and the Bulgarian Church “St. Petka“. Food will be served by the organizers. Every portion of food comes with a raffle ticket.

When: May 26th, 2024 at 3:00PM
Address: Larz Anderson Park,
350 Goddard ave, Brookline, MA

The park’s entrance is on Goddard Ave, Brookline.

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On behalf of the Bulgarian School of Boston and Cape Cod, we sincerely thank the tireless team at Euro Food Hub for their generous donation, with which they support us yet again with the organization of this picnic!

Euro Food Hub has sponsored our raffle by providing a large variety of their products, familiar to and well loved by many.

Our school and our Bulgarian community grow and unite thanks to businesses and supporters like you!

https://eurofoodhub.com/
https://www.facebook.com/EUROFOODHUB

25th Anniversary of the Bulgarian School "Sv.sv. Kiril and Metodii" and a Work Forum in Boston

Snejana Iovtcheva
Program Coordinator and Registrar
Member of the Board of Directors
"Sv.sv. Kiril and Metodii”, Boston and Cape Cod
snejana@bg-school.org

Over the course of three days between May 9th and May 11th, a number of exciting events took place in Boston to mark the 25th anniversary of the Bulgarian School in Boston. The quarter-century anniversary of the school gathered the Bulgarian community and many guests among which were: Mr. Georgi Panayotov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria in Washington, Mr. Angel Angelov, Consul General of the Republic of Bulgaria in New York, Mr. Adam Portnoy, Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Mrs. Raina Mandjukova, Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad (EABA), Mr. Georgi Boshnakov, Director of the Board of "Little Bulgarian School" in Chicago and Mrs. Gergana Neykova, Director of the Board of the Bulgarian School in Nantucket.

Meeting with Representatives from the Community

The 25th anniversary celebrations began on Thursday evening, May 9th, with a meeting and dinner in the building of the Bulgarian School. The guests toured the building and the educational facility and met with the school management, representatives of the Bulgarian Center in New England, the Bulgarian Church in Boston, the Bulgarian Cultural Center Madara, the organizers of the Rose Festival and the leaders of the dance ensembles Ludo Mlado and 7/8mi. We spent the evening in friendly conversations and productive discussions about future cooperation and initiatives. We would like to remind you that the school, the center and the church reunited a few years ago in their desire to purchase their own building, which now houses not only the school, but is also home for the entire Bulgarian community. It hosts social and cultural events, classes, private events and Sunday church services.

Meeting with Local Businesses and Professionals

The second event took place on Friday evening, May 10th. The official guests met with local scientists, professionals, and entrepreneurs, many of whom are long-term donors, sponsors and supporters of the school and the Bulgarian Center. Mr. Georgi Panayotov, Mr. Angel Angelov and Ms. Raina Mandjukova also participated in this meeting and met many representatives of the community who expressed interest and desire for cooperation and networking. The acquisition and maintenance of the building and the community events are possible thanks to the generosity, responsiveness, and social engagement of the local Bulgarians. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their continuous support that allows us to unite the community and to maintain and spread the Bulgarian language and culture! The work meeting turned out to be extremely productive and gave the beginning to talks on creating a local "Club of Bulgarian Businesses", which would facilitate a common platform for contacts, information, and friendships.

Methodological Forum and Lunch

The third event took place on Saturday morning, May 11th. We had a methodological forum with a working lunch to discuss the mission of the Sunday schools abroad. Bulgarian teachers from Boston, Cape Cod and Chicago shared their experience and discussed best practices for more effective teaching and engagement of students. We thank Mr. Georgi Panayotov, Mr. Angel Angelov and Ms. Raina Mandjukova for their participation at the forum and for being open to hear our needs and ideas. We discussed the many challenges of sustaining the heritage schools in the United States, which are largely supported by the enthusiasm of individuals and small businesses. In the spirit of national revivalists, Sunday schools abroad survived through difficulties and have continued to be the torch of Bulgarian education. Such is the case with our Cape Cod branch, which was forced to close during the pandemic in 2020, but as of 2023 has reopened its doors to the enthusiastic 26 students and their families. At the meeting, we also discussed the success of our students who pass the Bulgarian language exams organized by Sofia University and receive the Seal of Biliteracy in Bulgarian. Some of these students attend institutions of higher education in Bulgaria. In the words of Ms. Mandjukova, "25 years is an awful lot" and we have long since answered the questions "if" and "why". We have established ourselves as an institution with a stable base, valuable experience, and organizational structure. According to her, from now on we must continue with the question "how", to meet the needs of future generations, so that our children's children continue to come to Bulgarian schools.

School Concert "The Magical World of Childhood"

Immediately after the work meeting, the guests went to the historic Robbins Memorial Town Hall in Arlington, a suburb of Boston, where a spectacular school concert "The magical world of childhood" took place. Over 350 guests, parents, teachers, and students enjoyed a wonderful concert, where each class had prepared a favorite song from our childhood: Djado Rjapa Vadi, Chervenata Shapchica, Yan Bibian, Pipi Dalgoto Chorapche, Boratino, Detsvo Moe and many more favorite songs prompted the audience to sing along and rise to their feet.

In his role as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Georgi Panayotov read out loud and presented a congratulatory letter from Prof. Dr. Galin Tsokov, Minister of Education and Science in Bulgaria. Ms. Raina Mandjukova presented our school with a plaque for overall merits for maintaining and spreading the Bulgarian language abroad and awarded the school head Ms. Silvia Mihaleva with the "Ivan Vazov" medal (link to the other article). The president of the school, Mr. Rosen Dimitrov, was awarded an honorary badge by the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad for his significant contribution to preserving the Bulgarian linguistic and cultural-historical heritage and for keeping the Bulgarian spirit and self-awareness alive in Boston and the region. Celebratory greetings from the "Little Bulgarian School" in Chicago and the "Rodna Rech" school in Sarasota, Florida, were also presented to the public. The Nantucket School greeted us with a cheerful rachenica dance on stage.

School Gala

The last event for the day was the school’s gala. The elegant event took place in the Royal Sonesta Hotel on the banks of the Charles River with a fabulous view of Boston's night skyline. More than 100 guests attended the gala. After the cocktail and greetings, the Bulgarian Honorary Consul in Boston Adam Portnoy presented a citation to the school and its accomplishments from the Governor of the State of Massachusetts, Mrs. Maura Healy. The most active members of the school were awarded for their unreserved dedication to the mission of the school.

The gala entertainment included a number of exciting performances. Students from the local Cambridge Ringe & Latin School choir greeted the guests with an a cappella version of the Shopska folk song "Dilmano Dilbero". The choir director and fellow countrymen, Mr. Ivan Stefanov chose this song as a gift to the school and elevated the energy of the event from the very beginning. The Boston dance group Ludo Mlado, the young girls from the 7/8th folk formation, and musicians from Berklee College of Music charged the atmosphere with Bulgarian rhythms and invited guests to the dance floor. The crown of the evening was the presentation of our alumni. Their casual, warm, and cheerful memories from their time at the school moved the audience. We are proud that our school has been a learning center  and a place for friendships for more than 1000 students over the 25 years of its existence.

The school's 25th anniversary has turned into an emblematic and memorable event! We thank our amazing organizing committee who dedicated their time and energy to organize the celebratory events with such attention to the smallest detail.

The Bulgarian Schools in Boston and Nantucket with a Joint Saturday Lesson

Snejana Iovtcheva,
Program Coordinator,
Bulgarian School Boston

During Saturday school hours on March 30th, our school in Boston fulfilled a long-awaited meeting. A group of 20 students, teachers and parents from the Bulgarian Saturday School in the island of Nantucket, traveled a long way to participate in a joint Saturday lesson with the students from the Bulgarian School in Boston - an extremely exciting event full of educational activities, tasty food, musical performances, and most of all new friendships!

We opened the lesson with warm greetings and short presentations of the two schools. The school in Boston was represented by the president of the school, Mr. Rosen Dimitrov, and Mrs. Zhaneta Marinov presented the Bulgarian school in Nantucket.

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The youngest students joined regular classes in the first grade classroom, where they immediately felt at home. Mrs. Kristina Georgieva had prepared fun activities for getting to know each other, a discussion of the lesson on line breaks and syllable transfer, and picture painting based on Angel Karaliychev's story "In the nest". The young students got involved actively and were happy to be part of such a large class with children from another school where the Bulgarian language is spoken.

The older students participated in a large open lesson in mixed groups with the Boston students from the middle and high grades. The lesson began with introductions in small groups, with each student telling about their interests, hobbies and most interesting character traits. It was no surprise to anyone that for the majority of them the favorite place was "Bulgaria" or "the beach". It quickly became clear how many similar interests and knowledge the children share. They "melted the ice" between them and quickly fell into friendly conversations.

Mrs. Petya Koeva and Mrs. Silviya Mihaleva conducted the first educational quiz, which included questions about the Bulgarian language. Each of the six teams had one minute to answer questions related to Bulgarian spelling, synonyms, idioms and grammar rules. Students feverishly and enthusiastically debated the correct answers and sought to earn the most points for their team.

Mr. Ivan Batchvarov held a quiz on the geography and history of Bulgaria. Here, the questions covered information from the very creation of the First Bulgarian State to present day. The students competed to correctly answer questions such as "When was Bulgaria created?", "What was the first capital of Bulgaria?", "Which ruler can we call the Lawgiver and who the Baptist?". The shared knowledge united the children and made them proud of their achievements in the Bulgarian Saturday schools.

During recess the Boston parents had arranged a lavish food spread for the guests. Students used the time to play outside together and teachers to share professional experiences and compare academic curricula.

Returning from recess, the students from Nantucket performed three folk dances. Accompanied by their folk dance choreographer Mrs. Kristina Hristova, they presented rachenitsa, Djinovsko horo and Thracian horo. The students from Boston performed three songs guided by their choir teacher Mrs. Zdravka Nikolova. We ended the long day with the emotional song "One Bulgarian Rose", to which the entire hall joined in and applauded.

While teachers and students had a full school day with conversations and language games, visiting parents used the sunny weather to meet Boston parents at a local beer garden and make new friendships, too.

The parting in the end was emotional and warm. We exchanged contacts, shared photos and left with the promise of a new future meeting - this time on the island of Nantucket.

We thank everyone - the children, teachers and parents for the wonderful organization!

The Students at the Bulgarian School in Cape Cod Celebrate with a Spring Concert

Sylvia Dimova-Alharthy and Teodora Dimitrova-Torres
Teachers, Cape Cod Branch

Snejana Iovtcheva,
Program Coordinator, Boston Branch

The Saturday School in Cape Cod celebrated the Bulgarian holidays in the month of March with a wonderful spring concert that brought together and excited young and old. The long-awaited concert took place on March 30th at the West Barnstable Community Center in Cape Cod.

The celebration began with the performance of the national anthem of Bulgaria by the students with teacher Teodora Torres. Everyone rose to their feet, and the music and the lyrics made their hearts flutter - there were even moist eyes among our guests. "One mother told me that she hadn't heard the Bulgarian national anthem for years and was very moved!” shared Sylvia Alharthy, teacher of the youngest students in the children's group. "The anthem of Bulgaria, performed by the students, not only motivated them from the very beginning to learn it extremely quickly, but also somewhat to my surprise, proved to us how seriously the students can take a project that somehow intuitively caught their attention with its significance. The children showed interest from the first auditions in class and their performance showed the respect they put into presenting it to the audience. We can only congratulate them!” added the students' teacher, Mrs. Teodora Torres.

After the national anthem, the group of the 5-year-olds performed on stage poems about Baba Marta, March 3rd and March 8th. The wonderful performance of the song "Mama" by Angel Bashev, especially touched the mothers in the audience.

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Based on the picture tale "Under the Mushroom" by Vladimir Suteev, Silvia Alharthy created a play for the youngest students. With the help of the assistants Adam Alharthy, Yana Kichukova, Gabriela Torres, Joana Dokleva and Martin L'Heureux, The youngest students recreated the plot of the play with great artistry, colorful sets and fabulous costumes. This was the first play in Bulgarian for these young children in front of a large audience. Their performance showed a great desire and motivation to perform flawlessly and their results made them really happy.

After the forest story, the class of the older students performed the poem "Mimeto" by Asen Bosev. A cheerful and original story about a spoiled girl called Mimi, who manages to subjugate all members of her family with her whims. The humorous side of the story managed to grab the audience as well. All of the children knew their text perfectly and presented the comedy professionally.

Another March holiday that was presented at the concert was Sirni Zagovezni (The Great Lent). The grandmother of one of our students, grandmother Maria, told the students and the audience about the traditions in the different parts of Bulgaria, related to Sirni Zagovezni, the meaning of forgiveness and the tradition of the kukeri. She also gave a demonstration of the "hamkane" custom by tying a boiled egg on a red thread and told the students how people in Bulgaria jump over fire for cleansing and health.

To make it cheerful and fun, each child got to jump over an improvised fire and received a small Bulgarian flag as a token. At the end, everyone sang the song "Our flag is tricolor".

"The mood of all the children, parents and guests was extremely festive and cheerful. Some parents have told me personally that they are really impressed with how hard we, the teachers, work and how we put into learning all this with the children, despite the limited three hours we have on Saturdays!” shares Mrs. Alharthy. We also thank the administrators from our central branch in Boston, who have sent us t-shirts for all our students with the name of our common school. This way everyone felt like part of one big family.

"Flowers of Bulgaria" Brought Together the Bulgarian Community in New England

Snejana Iovtcheva
Program Coordinator
"Sv. Sv. Kiril i Methodii Heritage School”
Boston and Cape Cod

The Bulgarian Center in New England gathered the Bulgarian community in the historic town hall in the city of Melrose on the national Independence Day of the Republic of Bulgaria. The theme of this year's concert was "Flowers of Bulgaria" as a metaphorical reference to the children, who are our future and greatest gift. 

And the children of our community are the students in our Saturday school "Sts. Kiril and Metodii” who participated in numerous performances, as well as in the organization and presentation of the concert.

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Following the tradition, the concert began with the anthem of the Republic of Bulgaria, inspiringly performed by Zdravka Nikolova and Albena Dimitrova. Standing tall and with our hands on our hearts, we all felt the elation of our national belonging as we prepared for the festive program.

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First on stage were the youngest participants, who are the first grade students. They performed the song "Praznik" (Celebration) to the music of Stefan Diomov. For many of them, this was their first performance in front of a large audience and we are grateful that they were given the opportunity to perform and present themselves with a beautiful Bulgarian song.

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This was followed by an inspiring recital by Samuel Flashenburg, an 8th at the Bulgarian school in Boston, who presented Dimitar Pantaleev's poem "Mojata Strana" (My Country) and recited with spirit and eloquence the symbols and beauty of Bulgaria.

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The 4th grade students prepared one of the favorite Bulgarian songs for young and old. They performed "Dŭga" (Rainbow) by Viktor Chuchkov and Dragomir Shopov and reminded us that during the hours at the Saturday school, friendship and engaging conversations are the most important ingredients for success.

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The 6th grader Riya Koemdzhiev joined with a solo performance of the unforgettable song "Detelini" (Clovers), with lyrics by Asen Oshanov and music by Asen Gargov. Riya, as well as the other participants, learned the songs on Saturdays under the skillful musical direction of Mrs. Zdravka Nikolova.

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Katya Hatcher, a third-grade student, presented the poem “Zemya kato edna choveshka dlan” (Country as big as a human palm). With heart-stirring emotions and impressive eloquence, she expressed her love for the beauties of Bulgaria.

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The song “Planetata na decata" (The Children's Planet) was performed by our former students Tanya Gancheva and the sisters Deana and Ivanina Nedeltchev, who captivated the audience with the beauty of their trained voices.

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The two recent graduates, Daniel Flashenburg and Kalina Mihova, performed the poem "Bulgaria" and set an example of social commitment in the community.

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In the second part, the concert moved on to the dance performances. Current and former students of different age groups participated in the vibrant performances of the "⅞" and "Ludo Mlado" ensembles. The "Ludo Mlado" dance ensemble, led by Pepi Petrov and Marieta Mircheva, participates in numerous festivals and concerts, and is an inseparable part of the Boston Bulgarians. The "7/8" dance club, led by Marieta Mircheva, organizes folk dance classes for everyone 4 years and up every Friday in the building of the Bulgarian School and is quickly becoming a rallying point for all young and old, whose hearts beat to the rhythm of ⅞.

Youth and adolescents had the opportunity to act as presenters and assistants during the concerts. Andrea Dimitrova and Dian Solovey, Peter Iantchev and Ivanina Nedeltchev, Karina and Vincent Anastasia, Mila and Martin Andreev skillfully introduced the program of the concert and welcomed the participants on stage.

The concert concluded with the song “Edna bŭlgarska roza” (One Bulgarian Rose), performed by all participants on the stage. In his final speech, Mr. David Flashenburg, in his role as the president of the Bulgarian center, thanked the organizers, the helpers and the participants for the wonderful evening and reminded us of the significance and importance of cultural communities in a society.

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Here is the place to acknowledge the vocal director and teacher most heartily. Mrs. Zdravka Nikolova who unreservedly prepared all the students from our Saturday school for the concert. Zdravka, as everyone fondly calls her, has been an integral part of our school since 2011 in her role as a teacher, administrator, and music teacher.

Organized by Vancha Kartalova, Gergana Ivanova, Lily Flashenburg, Viktoriya Anastasia and Veneta Andreev, the children took up this year's concert with ardent desire and got the opportunity not only to perform on stage, but also to gain experience in the organization and responsibility for the event. In this way, we, the parents, introduce the cultural world of Bulgaria to them and at the same time invite them to recognize the community as their future cause.

This concert marks a long tradition that gathers Bulgarians and friends of Bulgaria and promotes the Bulgarian language, culture and spirit. It is made possible thanks to the financial support of local businesses who generously support our cultural events and allow us to create opportunities for performances and enrichment for our children.

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Our sincere thanks go to:

• New Home Real Estate

• Balkan Enterprise 

• Godly Smoothies 

• Law office Vassil Nenkov

• Law Offices of David S. Flashenburg

• Ruhl Jahnes Architects

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We thank the photographer of the event, Mirena Chavdarova for the wonderful photos. We thank Father Rumen Pelovski and the helpers from the Bulgarian Church of St. Petka in Boston for the organized dinner. We thank the 96-year-old Mrs. Mima Sheitanova from the town of Tvarditsa, who hand-made and donated a whole basket of beautiful martenitsas for the Bulgarians from Boston. For yet another year, she mailed all the martenitsas to us from Bulgaria and delighted the guests at the concert. We also thank all the businesses that donated material and cash prizes for the rich raffle, which was organized by Viktoria Anastasia and was held with a charitable purpose for the needs of the center.

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Finally, we want to thank and acknowledge all the committed volunteers, parents and like-minded supporters who make our events unforgettable. Through countless dedicated hours of work and effort, we all weave together the threads of our cultural community and create a beautiful Bulgarian identity beyond the borders of the homeland. We create opportunities for our children, connect businesses and foster partnerships, and most of all, create friendships that bring us closer together and fill our causes with meaning.

Dear friends, we hope to see you very soon again at the future concerts and community events!

March 1st Celebration at the Cape Cod Branch

Ivanitsa Nesheva
member of the Cape Cod Parent Organization

Silvia Alharthy
teacher

The Bulgarian school in the Cape Cod branch celebrated Baba Marta - one of the most cherished Bulgarian customs with a long tradition that goes thousand of years back. On this holiday, everyone gives their loved ones a special amulet called martenitsa, for health and strength. The martenitsa is made from white and red thread. The color white symbolizes purity, innocence, joy and beauty. The color red is a symbol of vitality, health and love. In Bulgarian folklore, red is also a sign of victory, life, bravery and the light of the rising and setting sun.

We started the Saturday school day with a story about Pijo and Penda and we made our own Bulgarian martenitsas. We then welcomed Baba Marta. She told us the legend of the martenitsa and wished us never to separate and to always stay together as the white and red threads of the martenitsa are woven together. The good old woman gave every child and adult a handmade martenitsa. She truly recreated this Bulgarian holiday with great inspiration. Mrs. Zdravka Nikolova played the accordion and sang for us, and we continued the celebration with some Bulgarian “horo” dance and small Bulgarian pastries and sweets. Each child also received a spring flower in the colors of March with a wish for health. "It was an unforgettable day, filled with many surprises and emotions!", said Silvia Alharthy, teacher of the youngest school group at the branch.

Without the efforts, participation and help of teachers, parents, relatives and friends, our children would not have been able to experience and see this Bulgarian tradition. Thank you for a great day full of surprises and emotions!

The Bulgarian Students in Boston Celebrate the National Holiday of the Republic of Bulgaria

Snejana Iovtcheva
Program Coordinator and Registrations
snejana@bg-school.org

The Liberation Day, officially known as the Day of Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Oppression, is the national holiday of Bulgaria, celebrated on March 3th. It commemorates the Liberation of Bulgaria during the events of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian statehood. 

On this exciting occasion, students from the Bulgarian School in Boston participated in two meetings with Prof. Plamen Petkov. The young students of the early grades learned how Bulgarians were dressed more than 150 years ago and what their houses looked like. They also learned what guns the Opalchenci (bulgarian voluntary army units) used during the famous Shipka battle used and where we can see authentic letters written by the bulgarian hero Vasil Levski. The guest showed many photos and short films, presented interesting facts - such as the creation of the first grammar of the modern Bulgarian language and the Tarnovo dialect, which was chosen as the literary language. These stories sparked interesting questions and discussions.

During the second meeting with the junior high school students, Prof. Petkov presented additional facts from the Liberation of Bulgaria - such as how the United States of America and people from Massachusetts contributed to the Bulgarian revival. The students also learned about the war journalist Januarius MacGahan, who played a key role during the Bulgarian Liberation.

Prof. Plamen Petkov is the author of the most successful Bulgarian series - "The Bulgarians". He also has a YouTube channel with informative videos about Bulgaria and he currently works at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard. We thank him for this visit and for his ongoing cooperation with our school!

Baba Marta Visits the Students at the Bulgarian School in Boston

Snejana Iovtcheva
Program Coordinator and Registrations
snejana@bg-school.org

Following our long tradition, the students of the Bulgarian Saturday School in Boston welcomed Grandma Marta “Baba Marta” and participated in the beloved March 1st folklore festivities. The students and teachers welcomed the beloved guest with poems, songs and happy faces. This year, two wonderful women, who are grandmothers of our students, impersonated the charming guest and they were delighted by the warm welcome in our classrooms.

In the early morning, Sofia Reed's great-grandmother, the 86-year-old Grandma Vesa, toured all the classrooms. Sofia’s great-grandma is visiting her great-granddaughter here in Boston and she gladly agreed to visit our school. The young students were very interested in Grandma Marta's life in Bulgaria and asked many questions. Grandma Marta told them about the white storks, which begin to return to Bulgarian in March and announce the onset of Spring.

In the afternoon, the grandmother of 4th and 8th grade students Mila and Martin Andreev took on the role of the cheerful guest. She is also currently visiting her grandchildren in Boston and happily joined the Saturday classes at the Bulgarian School to share the wonderful March 1st custom with the children from Boston.

We are grateful to the parent organization and the parents who took care of making martenitsas, for coordinating with the teachers, as well as for the wonderful photos with Grandma Marta.

Some facts about the Bulgarian Martenitsa custom: 

• Every year on March 1st, Bulgarians prepare and exchange Martenitsas - red and white amulets, tassels, bracelets - to celebrate and welcome Spring.

The custom is to wish good health and prosperity to the person when you give the martenitsa. 

• In Bulgarian schools and daycares, it is usually Grandma ‘baba’ Marta , who visits and ties mastenitsas to all children.

• The person wears the martenitsa until the first day of spring and then ties the martenitsa on a branch of a flowering tree.

Winter Enrichment Activities at the Bulgarian School in Boston

Snejana Iovtcheva
Program Coordinator and Registrations
snejana@bg-school.org

Winter in the state of Massachusetts is capricious and unpredictable, sometimes threatening us with snowstorms, sometimes with icy winds. But our Saturday classes at the Bulgarian School in Boston are warm and enriched with the beautiful colors of the Bulgarian winter holidays.

Following the winter break, the students returned to the classrooms motivated and rested. In many of the classes, they learned and practiced the “Survakar” customs, with which Bulgarians welcome the new year and wish each other health and prosperity. They watched short films on how hundreds of Bulgarian men mark the Orthodox Epiphany feast by dancing to folk tunes in the icy waters of Bulgarian rivers and discussed the tradition of Name Days that are celebrated in Bulgaria.

During the cold January days, kindergarten and preschool students studied winter animals and life in the mountains. Through interactive activities, the students learned that the mountain is an invariable part of the Bulgarian landscape and that the highest peak on the Balkan Peninsula is called Musala, located in the Rila mountain.

The “Kukeri” and the Kukeri customs were also present during the school hours. The students listened to legends about the origin of the Kukers, studied the materials and the meaning of the Kuker clothing, worked on Kuker masks, and danced to the sounds of mountain chans.

February started with pink valentine cards. The students wrote cards and kind greetings in Bulgarian on the occasion of Valentine's Day, exchanged small gifts and filled the building with hearts and happy smiles.

On February 18, Bulgaria honors its greatest historical hero - the Apostle of Freedom Vasil Levski. During the weeks of February, the younger students got involved in the topic "Vasil Levski" by watching short films, working with questionnaires, assembling craft books, creating small texts and doing "lion's" jumps. Older students worked on thematic posters, participated in inter-class quizzes and gave presentations on the work, life and significance of the national hero.

In preparation for the upcoming holidays, the students also studied the March festivals in Bulgarian culture. In addition to making “martenichki” in a number of extracurricular workshops during the month of February, the students listened to folklore tales about grandmother Marta and her brothers Golyam and Malak Sechko and about Pijo and Penda. The Asparukh's legend of the Martenitsa, which tells about the origin of the Old Bulgarians, was also part of the lessons.

Seal of Biliteracy Test

For yet another year, our school organizes a Bulgarian language and literature exam in collaboration with Sofia University (SU). The test serves for the acquisition of a Certificate of Proficiency in Bulgarian as a Foreign Language. This is an internationally recognized certificate with indefinite validity that certifies the level of Bulgarian language proficiency according to the Common European Framework (CEFR) and according to the standards of the Association of Language Testing Centers in Europe (ALTE). Students will take a B2 level test, which is equivalent to the Massachusetts "Seal of biliteracy with distinction".

Who organizes the exam?

The exam (written and oral part) will be organized by the Academic Director of the school Silviya Mihaleva with the school administrator Zdravka Nikolova serving as a proctor. 

When will the exam be held?

On Sunday, April 7 at 9:00 a.m. local time (4:00 p.m. Bulgarian time). The duration of the exam is about 5-6 hours.

Where will the exam be held?

The exam will be held in the building of a Bulgarian school:

310 River St
Billerica, MA 01821

What does the exam include?

The exam consists of two parts - an oral exam (speaking) and a written exam (listening, reading and writing).

• The oral exam includes an interview, two dialogues based on given situations, a monologue and a comment on a given text or picture.

• The written exam is performed on a computer and includes 3 sections:

• Listening with understanding;

• Reading Comprehension;

• Writing - two tasks for writing a text of a given length on a given topic.

The obtained seal and certificate are recognized by many schools in the state, and are also considered as a final grade when applying to Bulgarian higher education institutions. The minimum age to appear for this exam is 14 years.

How to prepare for the exam?

Our school is organizing a Preparatory Course which starts now on February 1st. The course will be led by Silvia Mihaleva and Petya Koeva and includes 10 sessions of one astronomical hour each and will be held online every Thursday from 7 pm. The fee for the preparatory course is $150.

How much does the exam cost?

The fees for the exam and the preparatory course are as follows:

SU exam, mailed certificate, proctor fee	115+11+30 =$156
SU test examples (non mandatory)	$11 (for 1 test)
Preparatory course (non mandatory)	$150

How to pay?

Please pay the fee by January 31 at the following link from the school page: https://www.bg-school.org/donate, by writing a comment to the payment order "the name of the student, what are you paying for" (SU exam, preparatory course, trial tests).

If you have any questions, please write to Silviya Mihaleva.

Registration for Summer Camp 2024 Is Now Open

For a third consecutive year, the Bulgarian school in Boston is organizing a full-day summer camp in Bulgarian. Following last year's success and the requests of the community, this year we are opening pre-registration for weeks from mid-June to mid-August.

Depending on whether the minimum number of registrations is reached, we will announce and confirm the camp weeks on April 16th.

The camp will be held in the building of the Bulgarian school in Billerica.

"Words, words, words", "Cultures around the world", "Animals and plants around us and in Bulgaria", "My favorite mekichkis", are some of the numerous topics around which the children will practice the Bulgarian language with creative activities, projects and walks outside. The camp will be led by experienced teachers and enthusiastic helpers.

For more information, check out the reviews and photos from last summer and fill out the registration form.

If you have questions, please email: snejana@bg-school.org or silviya@bg-school.org