For years now I have been claiming, that for parents of schoolchildren Christmas is not the most hectic season, but the approaching first school day, and that it is not New Year’s Eve midnight that deserves fanfares, toasts and fireworks, but the last day of September, when we (parents or guardians) celebrate the marathon of schedules, classes, fees and timelines survival. This is doubly true for parents of more than one child.
Therefore, it is not surprising then, that a parent or foster parent is pleased when things work out well, not only for them, but especially for their children when they bloom and starting to have friends, etc. Even though they still sometimes prefer weekends and holidays, but generally, it is agreed that school is a good place for them to be.
In one of our articles from last year we wrote about a girl, resident of a children’s home, named Veronika, who has a talent for drawing and who would very much like to go to a high school, where she could further develop her talent. She began attending the painting classes “Painting Squirrel” of C4C’s Martina Pupcsiková, who subsequently helped her apply for the High School of Design and Crafts in Kladno. Together with Renata Kaiserová, an academic painter working in Kladno, she systematically prepared her for entrance and talent exams.
We were so glad that our effort was successful. Veronika was accepted and we knew that for her, one season ends and another begins. High school is a big breakthrough, for a long time you don’t know whether the choice was right. The child gets into a new team of classmates, has to learn to think a little differently, learn and process information. At the same time, he or she is at the time of puberty, when sometimes, everything seems difficult.
That’s why adults are very happy to see that their child is flourishing, having friends and doing well, irregular fluctuations notwithstanding. So for us now it’s time to rejoice, because we have just received a report on how our Veronika is doing at her dream school.
She has completed her first semester and has the first semester report in her hands. She overcame the period when she was finding out how whether she had made a right decision and the chosen school fulfilled her ideas.
“Veronika has passed the first half of the year with distinction,” wrote us her class teacher, Mr. Michal Šrámek. “That means she’s an excellent student. One of her teachers, Mr. Brynda, praised her for her sense for colors. In practice, she is also hardworking and has an active approach to tasks. Her behavior is trouble-free; she is a favorite in the class and rated by others as a good girl. She missed only 22 hours in the first half of the year. She looks like a cool girl to me.”
Petra Erguvanli, the project manager of Springboard to life, smiles happily. “We are very happy and very grateful for that. Veronika has started well, has taken a big step on the road of life and we believe that she will continue to do well in the future too!”
Author: Zuzana Šrámková
