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OUR LIFE M o n th ly , p u b lis h e d b y U k ra in ia n N a tio n a l W o m e n ’s L e a g u e o f A m e ric a V o l. M S E P T E M B E R 1 9 9 5 E d ito r: T A M A R A S T A D N Y C H E N K O UKIE SCHOOL — PRESERVING OUR ROOTS B y B O R Y S P R O K O P O V Y C H T h e s ix th d a y o f th e w e e k fo r m a n y U k ra in ia n c h ild ren is n o t a d a y o f rest. W h ile th e ir n o n -U k ra in ia n frie n d s a re p la n n in g e x c u rs io n s o r s p o rtin g e v en ts, th e a v e ra g e U k ra in ia n c h ild is fillin g u p th a t o ld “S a tu rd a y ” s c h o o l b a g fo r th e trip to U K R A Y IN O Z N A V S T V O — U k r a in ia n s c h o o l, ir re v e re n tly re fe rre d to as “U k ie S c h o o l”. T o g e th e r w ith th e C h u rc h an d y o u th o rg a n iz a tio n s , U k ie S c h o o l is o n e o f th e tria d s o f U k ra in ia n e d u c a tio n . It has b e e n a vital k e y in p re s e rv in g o u r la n g u a g e , h is to ry , c u ltu re , lite ra tu re a n d tra d itio n s fo r g e n e ra tio n s o f U k ra in ia n c h ild re n . E ven th e w o rs t c ritic a d m its th at U k ie s c h o o ls h a v e d o n e th e ir jo b a m a z in g ly w e ll to th e p o in t th a t to d a y th e s k ills le a rn e d th e re a re b e in g e x p o rte d to U k ra in e w h ic h is re -d is c o v e rin g its h e rita g e a fte r 3 0 0 y e a rs o f s u p p re s s io n by R u ssia. V is ito rs fro m U k ra in e a re q u ite s h o c k e d to fin d th ird a n d fo u rth g e n e ra tio n U k ra in ia n s s p e a k in g an d w ritin g U k ra in ia n a fte r b e in g c o n s is te n tly to ld o v e r th e p a st 7 0 y e a rs th a t U k ra in ia n s in th e d ia s p o ra h a v e to ta lly fo rg o tte n th e ir h e rita g e a n d h a v e a s s im ila te d in to th e c o u n trie s th e y s e ttle d in. U k ra in ia n -A m e ric a n s vis itin g U k ra in e p ro v id e q u ite a s h o c k to th e n a tiv e s , e s p e c ia lly in E a s te rn U k ra i ne in c itie s lik e K h a rk iv a n d P o ltava. B u t d e s p ite th e o b v io u s b e n e fits , p e rh a p s n o o th e r fo rm o f le a rn in g h a s b e e n so s e v e re ly la m e n te d by u n h a p p y c h ild re n a n d p a re n ts a lik e s in c e th e first U k ie s c h o o l o p e n e d in th e U n ite d S ta te s . A s I listen s y m p a th e tic a lly w h e n m y c h ild re n c o m p la in a b o u t g o in g to s c h o o l o n S a tu rd a y , I k n e w th e y w ill o n e d a y re a liz e th e im p o rta n c e o f all o f th is, a lth o u g h I s h a re s o m e o f th e ir c o m p la in ts — n o t in w h a t is b e in g ta u g h t, b u t in h o w . A s a U k ie s c h o o l d ro p -o u t s o m e fo rty y e a rs a g o , I lo o k b a c k on m y o w n S a tu rd a y s an d se e h o w v a lu a b le th e y w e re a lth o u g h lik e m o s t c h ild re n o f U k ra in ia n d e s c e n t, I c o m p la in e d a t th e tim e . W ith th e b e n e fit o f h in d s ig h t, I se e th a t all th a t c o n n e c ts m e to U k ra in ia n life w a s n u rtu re d th ro u g h U k ie s c h o o l. M y s e n s e o f e th n ic b e lo n g in g , m y k n o w le d g e o f th e h is to ry , g e o g ra p h y , lite ra tu re , c u ltu re a n d tra d itio n s , g a v e m e an o u tlo o k on m y h e rita g e th a t m o s t A m e ric a n c h ild re n s im p ly d id n o t h ave. M a n y te a c h e rs th e n , as n o w , w e re n o t p ro fe s s io n a l e d u c a to rs b u t d e d ic a te d p e o p le w h o g a v e th e ir tim e an d e ffo rt to a n o b le ca u s e — p re s e rv in g o u r ro o ts . M a n y of m y te a c h e rs had o n ly re c e n tly a rriv e d in th e U n ite d S ta te s fo llo w in g W o rld W a r II a n d d id n o t e v e n sp e a k E n g lis h . T h e y b ro u g h t w ith th e m th e fa m ilia rity o f ho w th e y h a d b e e n ta u g h t in th e “O ld C o u n tr y ” a n d th e y d id th e ir b e st to re c re a te th is k n o w le d g e fo r c h ild re n w h o w e re g ro w in g up in a b ra n d n e w ag e. I re m e m b e r s e v e ra l te a c h e rs in th e ‘5 0 ’s w h o h a d th e ir o w n p e c u lia ri tie s , a n d b e in g w e ll in to s e n io r ag e, th e ir m e m o rie s w e re n o t as s h a rp as th e y o n c e m ig h t h a v e b e e n . C h ild re n b e in g c h ild re n , w e to o k a d v a n ta g e of th is lac k o f fo cu s . O n e o ld e r c ro s s -e y e d te a c h e r s e e m e d to lo o k e v e ry w h e re e x c e p t a t th e c h ild h e w a s a d d re s s in g w h ic h le ft n o e n d o f a m u s e m e n t. A n o th e r, ra th e r w e ll ro u n d e d la d y , h a d a h a b it o f w a lk in g b e tw e e n ro w s o f s tu d e n ts as s h e ta u g h t. H e r b ro a d p o s te rio r w a s an irre s is tib le m a g n e t fo r h a n d w ritte n sig n s th a t fo u n d th e m s e lv e s m a g ic a lly ta p e d th e re to th e d e lig h t o f all th e c h ild re n sh e p a s s e d . T h e n , o f c o u rs e , th e re w a s th e m y s te ry e x tra s tu d e n t th a t th e rest o f th e cla ss g le e fu lly c re a te d a n d d id e x tra w o rk fo r. T h is im a g in a ry cla ss m e m b e r, tu rn e d in h o m e w o rk b u t n e v e r s e e m e d to s h o w up fo r cla ss. T h is s tu d e n t e v e n to o k te sts a n d p assed th e m . T o d a y , I’m s u re o u r te a c h e rs k n e w w e th o u g h t w e w e re fo o lin g th e m , bu t th e y let us c o n tin u e b e c a u s e it w a s a le a rn in g e x p e rie n c e fo r all o f us. T h e y used lo g ic an d c o m m o n s e n s e in s te a d o f ru les , re g u la tio n s and fo llo w ing p ro c e d u re s . I’m n o t q u ite c e rta in , h o w e v e r, if th e m y s te ry s tu d e n t ev er g ra d u a te d . B u t d e s p ite th e g a m e s , w e d id le a rn a b o u t U k ra in e an d e q u a lly im p o rta n t, w e h ad a s o c ia l life b u ilt in to th e S a tu rd a y s c h e d u le th a t has la s te d th ro u g h th e y e a rs . In fa c t, w h e n I s tu m b le d u p o n th e d is c o v e ry th a t g irls w e re p e rh a p s n o t to o b ad ev en if th e y c o u ld n ’t th ro w a b a s e "HALUE Ж И Т Т Я ”, В Е Р Е С Е Н Ь 1995 17
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