From February 24 to 29 our students are enjoying the intermediary winter vacations. The decision to have an additional vacation period in the end of February was made in October in agreement with the parents of the students of all classes (confirmed during the teacher-parent meetings) and the board of the FCG as well as approved by the relevant order of the gymnasia principal. This work schedule is FCG-specific only, the rest of Cherkasy schools are studying during this time. The resolution to have the intermediary vacations was driven by the fact that the FCG had only one week of New Year holidays. Thus, to conform to the letter of law which reads that the number of mandatory vacation days in Ukrainian schools should be 30 (except summer holidays), the FCG is on holidays now. You can see the school's plan of work for the vacations on our website in the section ANNOUNCEMENTS.
Of course, while the majority of the students are resting, all teachers and support staff are 'in the thick of the battle' at work. The food service unit will be repaired by the school technicians (at the instruction of the State Consumer Service), and teachers will hold a council, and take part in a training organized by the Cherkasy Medical Academy among other events. A large group of high school students are spending their vacations with use taking language courses in England under the supervision of the English teacher A.O. Ukhan (in the photo)
On January 13th, our gymnasia hosted the first stage of the International Public Speaking Contest, which is sponsored and supported by LCC International University in Klaipeda, Lithuania. This year, the students of grades 10-11 were offered the topic “Great Leadership and the Power of Self-interest”. The winner of it is a grade 11A student Anastasia Shpak, taught by Y. K. Pais, who will represent our school at the regional stage of the competition on February 18, 2020. This year the contest is held in 8 countries: Ukraine, Armenia, Albania, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia and Georgia. The winner from each country will receive a ticket and will be eligible for 3-week intensive English language course worth 600 euro at the English Language Institute in Klaipeda. We wish Anastasia such confident victory at the next stage as well!
For three years in a row now, our educational institution has maintained partnership with the 503rd Marine Corps Battalion in Mariupol. The cooperation began with the regular visits of the gymnasia's traditional festive events by the military unit commanders and deepened in 2018-2019. Several students from our school have even gone through combat training at the marine corps base and received the right to wear their berets.
Today, the Battalion officers occasionally come to assist the teacher of the Fatherland Defense course in conducting his classes and bringing them closer to reality. In addition to that, three times a year, gymnasia students gather and send the marine corps soldiers various goodies and small gifts for the holidays.
At the beginning of December 2019, the command of the military unit honored our input by inviting a delegation from the gymnasia to participate in the traditional officer's ball, which has been held since 2017.
On December 18, the official reception of partner schools and non-governmental educational institutions cooperating with the Cambridge University of Testology "Cambridge Assessment English" took place in Kyiv. Our Principal S.I. Sayenko was present at this extremely solemn event.
One of the important factors of the high school student's performance is obtaining an international language certificate, which acknowledges the level of command of a foreign language and is recognized all over the world.
On November 7, our primary school was a lively and interesting place to visit. The Royal Mail began its work in the gymnasia; the foundation of this initiative was laid by the gymnasia principal in the spring at the royal ball.
Specially for this purpose, real postage stamps with the image of the acting Gymnasia Queen and envelopes with our school symbols were made. All primary school students were invited to the opening ceremony, at which the gymnasia principal Serhiy Ivanovych Sayenko addressed everyone with a welcome speech and presented them with a teddy bear toy named Paddington. The Gymnasia Queen Daria Khmelnitska also spoke to the juniors, solemnly cut the red ribbon, received a stamp with her own image from the hands of the Student President of the gymnasia, and invited everyone to have personal correspondence with her majesty. In her speech, she emphasized on the ancient and magical tradition of correspondence with the queen and encouraged everyone to actively participate in this new school tradition.
On October 21, Mr. Cap Hensley, a teacher from the United States of America and a PhD from Liverpool University, began his work at the gymnasia. He has lived, taught and traveled all over the US, but for the past several years he has been living and working in America and Ukraine equally. Mr. Hensley will work with the high school students, run the English Club and help most prominent gymnasia students prepare for the Olympiads. His help is completely on a volunteer basis.
Between October 8 and October 20, 2019, a group of five educators from our region are participating in the Open World programhttp://www.americancouncils.org.ua/en/pages/13, administered by the American Councils in Ukraine and the Rotary Movement. Our teacher of Computer Study E. A. Kovalenko, his colleague from Kaniv high school T. L. Mision as well as three other young scientists from Bohdan Khmelnitsky National University (S. V. Babenko, V. A. Diduk, and V. A. Litvin) have already spent a week in Washington, where they were welcomed by the American Councils, and since October 14, the project participants have moved to Kansas, where they are now hosted by the local Rotary Club Hutchinson https://hutchrotary.org.
On September 16, a new vice principal working in the realm of educational activity was appointed by the order of the gymnasia principal. This position is now occupied by Olena Naumenko (eshtok2008@urk.net), who until recently worked as a teacher of English in school # 31. She is the teacher-methodologist who has the highest qualification category, is the ambassador of the international program E-twinning-plus, and the manager of the program Generation Global among numerous other achievements. She has replaced at this challenging post Nadia Ananieva, an honorary vice principal of our school, who has devoted to the gymnasium 38 years of her life and lifted the educational establishment to a whole new level in terms of teaching and learning foreign languages.
The Kamikawa English School principal from the city of Kogušima, Sakio Kamikawa, visited the gymnasia on July 24. The goal of his arrival in Cherkassy was signing the cooperation agreement with our school. The agreement of this kind was the twentieth such cooperation treaty for this Japanese school and the fifteenth for our gymnasia.
The International Gymnasia Theater involving the students of grades 1-4 and 6 as actors invited their classmates, parents, friends, and teachers as viewers to the incredible performances on May 29, 2019. Among the teachers who prepared the plays with their students were Y. K. Rabenko, L. M. Erdman, A. O. Kalieva, and O. M. Omelyanenko. Especially exciting was the staging of "Alice in Wonderland" prepared by O. M. Omelianenko teaching in grades 4-A and 4-B. Young actors played with pleasure. They not only learnt all the words extremely well, but also paid significant attention to English pronunciation and intonation. Actors skillfully danced the cattery, which envoked the burst of applause among the audience that was particularly impressed by the performance of Little Bug - SKIBIDI. As for the students of 2A and 2B grades who this year participated in the staging of the English folk tale "The Gadfly's Palace" for the first time, for them the performance on the stage of the gymnasia became a sort of dedication to the life of our school theater and brought tons of happy moments and experiences. It wasn't only the students of 1, 3, and 6-B grades taught by Erdman L. M. who readily joined the preparation of "Three Little Kittens", and "Peggy the Pintsize Pirate". Their parents, just as those of all other groups, helped with creating props, decorating the stage and finding costumes for the little characters of the plays. Teacher Y. K. Rabenko with her 4th grades staged "The Chronicles of Narnia", the work of K. S. Lewis, equally popular with children and parents. Children's costumes were simply impressive. They also spoke English with pleasure trying to maintain proper intonation and showed excellent acting skills. So, the gymnasia community definitely enjoys and supports the tradition of such performances in English and Spanish. Hopefully, in the next academic year we will be able to see the performances of this kind and quality in German and French as well.
On May 31, the Last Bell Ceremony for all participants in the educational process of the First City Gymnasia was conducted. Traditionally, it took place in the Friendship of Peoples Palace of Culture. The keynote of this year's celebration was the 25th anniversary of the newspaper 'Gymnasist'. During a quarter of the century the newspaper 'Gymnasist' has become a kind of the chronicle of the greatest achievements of our students, teachers, and alumni. The gymnasia newspaper is one of the oldest printed school publications of the Cherkassy region. The first issue of the newspaper came out of print in 1994. Also during the event, everyone present was able to remember the brightest moments of the 2018-2019 academic year. It really was full of bright celebrations, holidays, competitions, contests, projects, victories and travels. The traditional part included the walk of our leaders, the inauguration of the newly elected president of the gymnasia, the greetings of the elementary and high school alumni, the 4th and 11th grades respectively. Within the 1.5 hours of the event, the participants and guests, who filled the festival hall of the palace up, turned over hundreds of pages of the passing year.
The All-Ukrainian tournament of young philosophers and religious scholars was being conducted in the village of Zarvanitsa, Terebovlyan district of the Ternopil region between May 13 and 17. Our team consisting of Katerina Velko, Maria Bichenko and Katerina Duda, led by their teacher V. A. Silenko, won the second degree diploma at this complicated competition. 15 teams from different corners of Ukraine participated in the tournament. Last year, our team received the third degree diploma, which means that we are advancing our skills in such disciplines as Philosophy and Religious Studies.
When the father of the First City Gymnasia’s American volunteer came to Cherkasy this week, he got a chance not only to visit FCG, but also to work with several of the English classes that his daughter co-teaches.
Barry Scherr, the father of Peace Corps Response Volunteer Sonia Scherr, spoke to three sixth form classes and two ninth form classes. He also was a guest speaker at FCG’s English Club for middle school students. Mr. Scherr, a retired professor from the state of Vermont, talked to the sixth formers about language learning in America and his own experience learning Russian and studying and traveling in Eastern Europe — including Ukraine — in 1969-70. With the ninth formers he discussed the American education system, from primary school through university. During his presentations, students listened attentively and asked sophisticated questions that made clear their ability to express themselves in English.“The students in both the sixth and ninth forms at FCG showed a very strong knowledge of English for their grade level,” he said. “And I was very impressed to learn that all were studying at least one additional language as well.”
On April 17, 2019 the 14 school winners of the Write On! creative writing competition received books featuring their stories. Compiled by Peace Corps Response Volunteer Sonia Scherr and Vice Principal Nadiya Ananieva, the book examines the role of creative writing in helping students become more proficient users of English. Sonia, who served as a local coordinator for Write On!, presented students with copies of the book, titled Language Learning through Creative Writing at School, at an assembly on Friday. Here is Sonia’s speech at the ceremony in the Assembly Hall:
I’m thrilled to present copies of a book featuring the winning stories from the Write On! competition at Cherkasy First City Gymnasia. First, though, I want to thank the many people who made the book possible.
Diana Shypovych, a student at Cherkasy First City Gymnasia, has been named an international winner in the Write On! creative writing competition. Diana was awarded second place among eighth graders for her story “Taste Talks.” Her story was selected from submissions representing 13 countries around the world. “We’re thrilled that Diana’s story got the recognition it deserves,” said Sonia Scherr, who hosted the local Write On! competition at FCG. “It’s a terrific story that exemplifies what Write On! is all about: creativity and imagination.”
In the period from April 6 to April 13, 2019, our debaters Kirill Mironenko, Maria Prilipko, Anastasia Shpak and their coach Yulia Pais were in Israel where they participated in the first International English-language Debating Tournament organized by the Rotary movement of this country. They won the second prize, losing only to the Czech debaters, whom we sincerely congratulate as their victory was deserved.
All the participants of the tournament were able to visit some of Israel's most famous places during their stay, such as the cities of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa among other beautiful locations of this small but culturally rich country.
First City Gymnasia student Diana Shypovych has received first place at the national level in the Write On! creative writing competition. Diana was awarded the top prize among Ukrainian eighth graders for her story “Taste Talks,” about a pastry chef whose ingredients talk to him and help him invent delicious recipes. “It’s an amusing and clever tale, but it also goes deeper,” said Peace Corps Response Volunteer Sonia Scherr, a local coordinator for Write On! “By exploring how one gains or loses the ability to hear food talk, the story has meaning for all of us who pursue a creative passion.”
First City Gymnasia student Diana Shypovych has received first place at the national level in the Write On! creative writing competition. Diana was awarded the top prize among Ukrainian eighth graders for her story “Taste Talks,” about a baker whose ingredients talk to him and help him invent delicious recipes. “It’s an amusing and clever tale, but it also goes deeper,” said Peace Corps Response Volunteer Sonia Scherr, a local coordinator for Write On! “By exploring how one gains or loses the ability to hear food talk, the story has meaning for all of us who pursue a creative passion.”
The creative writing of First City Gymnasia students was celebrated this week at an assembly honoring those who took part in an international writing contest.
Fourteen students won awards for the stories they wrote during the Write On! competition, which encourages creativity and imagination. All 41 contest participants from FCG were recognized at the assembly and received certificates. “Everyone took the contest and their writing seriously, and it showed in the stories you wrote,” said Peace Corps Response Volunteer Sonia Scherr, a local coordinator for Write On!
Write On! is an annual creative writing competition organized by Peace Corps Volunteers around the world. Participants have one hour to respond in English to a writing prompt, without any help from peers, teachers, dictionaries or Google. The contest is open to sixth through 11 th formers, college and university students, and adults who are non-native English speakers.
The International University of LCC (Klaipėda, Lithuania) is the American style educational institution with English as the language of teaching. Since 2004, the International Speaking Contest in English has been held among 10-11 graders. It motivates them to put more effort into learning English, known as the language of international communication, and can be the key to a multitude of future opportunities. The annual speaking contest is paid special attention to in the First City Gymnasia in Cherkasy, on the basis of which the school, city, and regional rounds are conducted. In the academic year 2018-2019, the winner of the regional round was Maria Prylipko, the student of the 11-A grade, presenting the topic "Dare to Think for Yourself" ("Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living"). On February 22, 2019, she was invited to go on an educational and entertainment trip to Kyiv at the expense of the university to participate in the finals, competing with the winners from 7 regions of Ukraine and won the 1st prize. We sincerely congratulate Maria and wish her success in the super finals which will be held at the LCC University where the winners from Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine will try their hand at the ancient art of public speaking!
