The Beginning of the End

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been living in Ukraine for over twenty months and have less than six to go! I realized the other day that I’m starting to experience my “lasts” here. I recently experienced my last Last Bell Ceremony, last School Leavers Ceremony, and last Day of the Town Celebration.


A few weeks ago, was the Day of the Town (З день міста), celebrating 1015 years! The celebration was actually really cool! Part of the main street was sectioned off for activities. There was a live band, competitions (like weight-lifting), and games (such as bounce houses). I was really impressed!

At school, we had the Last Bell Ceremony (27th of May) and the School Leavers Ceremony (29th of May). Last year, I didn’t teach any of the graduates. However, I’ve taught this year’s graduates since I first started teaching here. So, this year’s ceremony was more meaningful for me. All of the graduates were so dressed up! It’s like dressing up for the prom in America. I really enjoyed seeing all of the outfits and sharing in this celebration.

Now that school’s finished, we have three whole months of summer break. It’s been nice to relax a bit. I’ve also had the opportunity of seeing some gorgeous new places near Polonne. Also on the to-do list: Camp PEACE! My two site-mates and I have spent a few months planning for Camp PEACE (Polonne English and Culture Experience), which will take place the 20-24 of June. We opened it up to all seven schools in Polonne and the school in Poninka (a neighboring village). During the summer, students don’t really have the opportunity to practice English. So, I’m excited to be involved in this fun opportunity for them to improve their English and learn more about America. [On a side note, I have a handful of students who STILL think that I’m from England. So, I hope that this will be a reminder to students that I’m from AMERICA! :) ]. We’re expecting about 80+ students, some additional American volunteers, and some Ukrainian chaperones. I’m excited for these Ukrainian chaperones to maybe see a different teaching style and hopefully give them some good ideas. I’m really excited about this camp. I hope that it all goes smoothly and is a really fun experience for everybody.