Currently, the school is attended by about 12 people, aged from 10 to 17. In general, there are children from Polish families. But there are Lithuanians also, who just want to learn Polish. Turmantas is a multi-lingual area. 50 percent of its residents are Poles and representatives of other nationalities. As Ana Lotočko, teacher of the school, told, people speak here Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, and Belarusian. Families most often speak Lithuanian, and even if the family is Polish, it is the Russian language which dominates.
Children learn in Lithuanian schools, so Sunday School 'Šypsena' ('Smile') is the only place where people can talk in Polish. In addition, the school carries out consolidating functions, as children rather have nothing to do here in their free time. So they come here to learn Polish and have a place where they can spend their free time, have some tea, a sandwich.
Children learn to read and write in Polish in the school. They also go to the nearby church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, where they read Holy Bible in Polish.
Not only Polish
Ana Lotočka does not only teaches the Polish language, but also works as an artistic director at the local House of Culture. She is the manager of the song and dance team, teaches a variety of games. Children perform on various festivals - not only local, as they go to Zarasai, Visaginas, Švenčionys, Pabradė, Ignalina.
'We have all the necessary learning material to learn Polish: textbooks, exercise books, as well as access to the Internet. This is thanks to the financial help of the Association of Poles in Lithuania,' told the teacher. The Association of Poles in Lithuania (APL) also maintains the branch office - pays for heating, electricity. The Polish language teaching is carried out as the teaching of a foreign language, because children do not use Polish every day. 'I am happy when a child correctly says: 'thank you', 'please',' says Mrs Ana.
'The school lacks language practice. Children come only on Sundays. Outside the school they do not use Polish. Trips to Poland provided us with more possibilities. We have visited Toruń and Zakopane. It is a huge experience for children giving them a chance to use Polish in practice. This was all made with the help of APL and its president Michal Mackevič. Unfortunately, we did not manage to organize a trip this year,' told Lotočko.
Children lose their motivation to learn, because these trips were kind of a reward for their hard work in the Sunday school. Especially that even Lithuanians attend the school.
Ana Lotočko deserves a lot of appreciation and respect, especially due to the fact, that she works for free! She devotes her free time, knowledge, and energy without getting anything in return because she simply follows her heart.
She runs the schools and 'outside' lessons. Usually, these are historic-patriotic lessons. The recent one was organized on the Polish cemetery in Bagdoniškės. Ana Lotočko together with her students visits this closed cemetery every year in order to clean it and lit candles on forgotten graves.
Michal Mackevič: we help and support
'The Association of Poles in Lithuania tries to help the school, because teachers work for free in such schools,' says the President of APL Michal Mackevič. 'Such teachers simply want to do something good for the Polishness. Recently, there have been problems with trips to Poland. This is because the funding from Poland has been greatly reduced. But the best students will be awarded for sure,' ensured Mackevič.
The APL President is sure, that such schools are indeed needed. They help children to get to know Polish culture. Also, there are various cultural events organized by schools. Active young people are the core of the functioning of that APL district branch.
'We support their activities and help them,' told Mackevič.
Eduard Trusevič: such institutions have perspectives and the reason to exist
Vice President of the Association of Poles in Lithuania told, that Polish Sunday schools have been functioning in Lithuania for more than 10 years. They are located in town and villages which are far from the Vilnius Region and where there is no opportunities to learn in a regular Polish school. It can be said, that such schools have proved the meaning of their functioning, they became a usual method of learning Polish, Polish culture and other elements of Polishness.
According to Trusevič, all the Sunday schools are similar. They are attended by young people who feel the bond with Polishness. Trips to Poland are also tempting. 'These establishments function under the auspices of the Association of Poles in Lithuania. We know, that the level of such schools is different. But here we should thank teachers, who work socially in order to share their knowledge with young people,' said Trusevič.
Zarasai Branch of APL
There is a Zarasai Branch of APL (106 members) in Turmantas. It was founded in 1992 and its first chairwoman was Monika Strazdienė. Now the branch is managed by Teresa Narkevičienė. She is an active and charismatic person, who is
respected by the local community. She managed to win the tidiness for the Polish cemetery in Bagdoniškės, which has been neglected for many years - the bushes were dug up and its territory has been cleaned. But the most important task of the chairwoman is the continuation of Polish Cultural Festivals 'Let's stay together'. Culture is the most effective way to strengthen the patriotism of each nation. Cultural life of Poles from the edged of Lithuania keeps thriving thanks to such dedicated people as Ana Lotočko and Teresa Narkevičienė.
EAPL support
Chairman of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania Valdemar Tomaševski initiated the creation of APL branches in 1992. Turmantas trusts the party and its chairman what can be proved by the results of presidential elections in 2014 and municipal elections in 2015. According to the Central Electoral Commission, Valdemar Tomaševski won the presidential elections in Turmantas in 2015 - 48,04 percent of Turmantas residents voted for Tomaševski. EAPL also won in Turmantas in municipal elections - it gained 28,57 percent of votes.
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Turmantas is a town in the Zarasai district on the border with Latvia. It is inhabited by about 1000 people - Poles, Russians, Lithuanians, Latvians and Belarusians.
http://l24.lt/en/polish-education/item/101630-turmantas-poles-on-the-borderlands-of-borderlands#sigProGalleria1ec5f26a05
"This project is co-financed from the funds granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland."
