Ukrainian Encore: Graduation Day

Thursday was an evening full of eager anticipation as the kids graduating the next morning were ironing shirts, polishing shoes and choosing accessories to go with their dresses.

Friday morning was the formal Graduation Ceremony for the kids completing their 9th and 11th forms (grades). If the kids are academically inclined, they go on to finish the 11th form and then on to a college or university. If not, they leave to go to a technical school after completing the 9th grade---which is comparable to our 10th.

Vera and I attended the graduation ceremony which was held outside the school in the courtyard. Commencement began with a flag ceremony followed by singing the national anthem, a message from the principal, a congratulatory letter from the Education minister, introductions of each new 1st grade student, and the ringing of the final bell---a senior boy carrying a new first grade girl on his shoulders who rang a large bell as they circled the courtyard in front of the students and parents. But the best part came at the end. Two students each threw a white dove into the air. Then all the girls walked into the center of the courtyard, made a wish and released a red helium balloon into the sky. Lera's and Nastia's were the last two to sail away. It was very moving as I contemplated what each of them might be wishing and hoping for.

There are 20 kids who will be leaving our orphanage this summer. Lera, Nastia and Svieta are hoping to attend a university together. Two of them want to become teachers. They all scored some 10's out of perfect 12's on the final exams they took last week---which are comparable to the ACT/SAT testing in the US as far as determining their next schools. Lera was ecstatic.

Last year this school received all new windows. The concrete sills next to the windows are still falling apart and look terrible, but that will probably be fixed in the next phase. I asked Vera if we could go inside the school to see the classrooms. I was amazed at how nice the school is inside----just like all the apartment buildings and houses here that look like dives on the outside, but are very nice inside.

I met Malvina's English teacher and thanked her for teaching Malvina to speak English so well. She had no idea what I had said------which probably explains why Malvina doesn't either. I turned to Vera waiting for her to translate what I'd said to the English teacher, and then realized how embarrassing that would be for her. This lady's husband had built some fun replicas in the classroom of an English phone booth and the London Bridge. Each of the classrooms had plants, interesting displays on the walls and lace curtains which gave them a really warm, pleasant, homey feel---even chandelier light fixtures.

Twenty, or nearly half of the kids at our orphanage, will be replaced with new kids during the summer. Because our orphanage is ranked number one in Crimea, the best kids from other shelters and orphanages in the area will be sent here. As I've gotten to know the caretakers, they're all wonderful people who love these kids so much and have been extremely nice and friendly to me. I really wish I'd spent more time learning Russian so I could communicate with them better, but they're very patient and always talk to me, assuming I must finally be starting to understand them. Not.

I made a deal with Malvina last night. I told her I would say a sentence in Russian to her each day if she will say one in English to me. This stretches my brain which can only remember short Russian words. But I can tell I've activated a new part of my brain because my Spanish keeps coming to mind. Not that that's good---now my Russian is coming out with a Spanish accent. Seriously.