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.
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.
