Escaping war-torn Ukraine, children grow the roster at a Canadian school.
A teacher in class, where students are exposed to the Ukrainian language.Matviy, a 6-year-old boy, has been attending a school named Ridne Slovo, which means "native word" in Ukrainian, for two years and primarily focusing on reading and writing in Ukrainian -- to become fluent in his mother tongue, despite being separated from it by thousands of miles.
At the very beginning, there were only several dozens of pupils in the school. But this year the number has grown to 160 children -- the smallest is just over 2 years old and the eldest is 14 years old, said Iryna Dziubko, a school administrator. Fifteen teachers, including seven people who have also recently relocated from Ukraine, teach children how to write and read in Ukrainian, Ukrainian studies, history, math, logic and Bible studies, as preparation for the first communion.
"It is all about remembering where you are from, about having friends in here and enjoying the community of your own," Ihor said. The whole family arrived in Sri-Lanka three days before the Russian invasion to Ukraine, hoping to spend their two weeks' vacation there, but got stuck. They attended a local British school for 18 months. Back then, Olena realized that she had to start speaking Ukrainian instead of Russian.
Therefore, the family relocated to Vancouver and there, in this school, Olena was deliberately looking for other Ukrainian-speaking children, hoping that they would interact more and become friends with her daughter and son. "Our son was born in Poland, we are raising him in Canada, he has never got to know Ukraine for real, so, this school is the only option for us to build up some identity in him, give him the understanding who he is," he said, adding, "I want him to promote Ukrainian culture, proving that it is as good as the others."
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Russia issues stark warnings as US shifts policy on Ukrainian missile useOn Monday, another Russian missile attack started fires in two apartment blocks in Odesa, in southern Ukraine.
Read more »
Russia launches massive drone and missile attack, targeting Ukrainian energy sitesRussia on Sunday launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine, described by officials as the largest in recent months.
Read more »
North Korean troops in Russia are shelled by Ukrainian forces, an official saysA Kyiv official says North Korean troops recently deployed to help Russia in its war with Ukraine have come under Ukrainian fire. It is the first time a Ukrainian official has said that Pyongyang’s units were struck, following a deployment that has given the war a new complexion as it approaches its 1,000-day milestone.
Read more »
North Korean troops in Russia are shelled by Ukrainian forces, an official saysA Kyiv official says North Korean troops recently deployed to help Russia in its war with Ukraine have come under Ukrainian fire.
Read more »
Russia issues stark warnings as US shifts policy on Ukrainian missile useOn Monday, another Russian missile attack started fires in two apartment blocks in Odesa, in southern Ukraine.
Read more »
Ukrainian community to mark 1,000 days since Russia invaded Ukraine with downtown rally, marchThe developments in the war are being watched closely in the Chicago area, where there are more than 300,000 Ukrainians in the city and suburbs.
Read more »