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.
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.
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!