Reviews From the Joint Event Between the Bulgarian School in Boston and Cape Cod and the Bulgarian School in New York

The article was prepared by Snejana Iovtcheva

Adding one Bulgarian school to another, one child singing in Bulgarian to another... Let's hope, let's hope. This is the recipe for preserving the Bulgarian language and spirit in America." With these words, the welcome of the Consul General in New York, Mr. Angel Angelov, began at the joint event of the Bulgarian School "St. Cyril and Methodius" Boston and Cape Cod and the Bulgarian Children's Choir and School "Gergana" - New York. The event took place at the historic Arlington Town Hall in suburban Boston and marked the start of a three-day tour in October.

The young students from the choir and school "Gergana" performed the musical "Kak bez muzika" in front of a full hall of enthusiastic guests. As previously announced, the performance is adapted in Bulgarian by Valentin Hadjiyski based on the musical "The Sound of Music" by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein and is directed by Gina DiDonato.

The high school students of the Bulgarian Children's Choir and School "Gergana" also participated in the performance. Dressed in thematic costumes and with rhythms from the era of ABBA, they sang "Dancing Queen" with Bulgarian lyrics.

The concert concluded with a folk song performed by Viktoria Popova, a young student from the Bulgarian school "Bulgarian Voices" Rhode Island - the newest Bulgarian school in the American Northeast, led by Teodora Licheva. The folk song sparked an impromptu dance with the audience and performers in the hall.

Following the concert, a party ensued with plenty of pizza and desserts for everyone, providing the Bulgarian communities the chance to connect. The food distribution was organized by youth volunteers from our Saturday School in Boston, showcasing once again that the values of our community are being passed on to the next generation.

“It was a wonderful celebration that inspired the children and the guests! I thank everyone who once again invested tens of hours of their 'free time' to remind us that Bulgaria is where our children feel Bulgarian," Mr. Angelov wrote in a Facebook post.

A methodological meeting between the two schools took place on Sunday

Following the delightful musical performance, the leadership and teachers from "Gergana" and "Sts. Cyril and Methodius" gathered for a methodological meeting. The discussion covered topics such as the organizational structure, best teaching practices, program specifics, as well as ideas for approaches and models to promote Bulgarian culture and identity. Neli Handjiyska, the director of "Gergana" school, presented Silvia Mihaleva, the director of the school in Boston and Cape Cod, with a plaque of appreciation for her contributions to the activities of the Association of Bulgarian Schools Abroad. Small school gifts featuring the emblems of the two schools were also exchanged. Our two schools are among the five founding members of the independent, non-governmental voluntary Association, which currently includes over 110 schools outside the borders of Bulgaria.

Students from "Gergana" visited several universities in Boston

As part of their visit to Boston, students also visited local universities and learned about their academic organization, application process, and student life. Early Sunday morning, the “Gergana” students had the opportunity to tour Northeastern University with Professor Krasimir Marchev, a lecturer at the university.

Later that day, they also visited the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and explored the "infinity" corridors, peeked into laboratories, and climbed to the top of the MIT dome with Mrs. Snejana Iovtcheva, who holds a doctoral degree in linguistics from the institute.