'Last year we took 4th place in a similar contest. And this year we managed to win,' told the principal of J. Obrembskio Gymnasium in Maišiagala (Vilnius district) Alfreda Jankovska. The school acquired the status of the so-called long gymnasium in 2014.
It goes without saying, that teachers and students create the school. There are best teachers at the best school. Four best teachers of the Vilnius district work in the gymnasium - best Polish teacher Natalija Jankovska, best mathematician - Danuta Aluk, best history teacher - Valerija Adomaitis, and best Russian teacher - Irena Grinevič.
'In turn our students are all great,' confirmed the principal with a smile on her face. Mrs Alfreda was born in Maišiagala and has been working as the principal of the school since 2003.
The school always wanted to be on the list of laureates and was trying to do its best to achieve this aim. 'There are many good schools in our district. The results of graduation exams are excellent, the rate of students joining universities is also high. But 'Macierz Szkola' also pays attention to the results of the examination of the native language. The Council of our school decided, that all the students should take the native language exam, although it is not obligatory according to Lithuanian authorities,' said the principal.
'Lithuanian' help
Pupils of Polish schools find it difficult to master the new course of the Lithuanian language and literature imposed by the Lithuanian authorities. 'It is for sure much more difficult than it used to be. Children are stressed. I have nothing to say about it!' Jankovska was very outraged. 'The native language is one thing, but the learned language is something different. Polish schools dedicate less hours for it than Lithuanian ones. It is not the same. It is not possible to master this language like Lithuanians, for whom it is a native language,' added the principal.
There are 160 students in the gymnasium (1st-12th grades). There is also an early school group with 20 children of 3-6 years old. 10 pupils attend 1st grade, while there are 15 students in 12th grade.
Two gymnasiums in a small town
There are two schools in such a small town inhabited by 2 thousand people (3 thousand if we include nearby villages) - Polish J. Obrembskio Gymnasium and Lithuanian Gymnasium of Algirdas Grand Duke of Lithuania, attended by almost 250 students from Vilnius district and Širvintos district. Jankovska says, that the relations with the Lithuanian colleagues are correct. But the level of Polish education is much higher than of the Lithuanian one.
'We are much better in terms of the quality of education. Even weekly magazine 'Veidas' listed us among the first hundred schools, while the Lithuanian gymnasium was somewhere at the end,' told Jankovska.
The conclusion might be that there are better teachers in the Polish school in Maišiagala. 30 teachers are working in the gymnasium. Part of them graduated from the Polish gymnasium.
'Our students join studies without any problem. They study in Vilnius, Kaunas, but also in Poland, Germany, or Switzerland. As many as 79 percent of our school graduates entered higher education this year!,' the principal was glad to say.
Jankovska ensured, that the gymnasium was doing everything possible to maintain such a high level of education. It is essential for the future of the gymnasium.
Informal teaching
The Polish gymnasium in Maišiagala is known for its extracurricular activities. And here we should mention Jasia Mackevič, who is a music teacher at the school. She also leads two choirs 'Legenda' and ' Wesołe smyki ' as well as an adult band 'Mejszagolanki'. A folk dance group 'Przyjaźń' is also functioning in the gymnasium.
Besides, the school has extensive international activities. 'We have been cooperating for a long time with the gymnasium in Krotoszyn in Poland and recently we also started cooperation with the gymnasium in Siedlce,' announced Jankovska.
Every year we invite students from Krotoszyn to visit us and also spend some time by the sea, while our students go to Krotoszyn to see the mountains. This way students have excellent language practice, learn about the world, and expand their worldview.
The gymnasium also cooperates with the House of Culture in Wysokie Mazowieckie (Poland). The program of youth exchange is conducted with this town too. Moreover, the House of Culture in Wysokie Mazowieckie has organized for our students a summer trip through a few countries - Poland, Austria, Romania, Czech Republic and Ukraine. It was a very nice experience.
Every year students of the gymnasium take part in the contest of the knowledge on the life of Pope John Paul II. And they are ones of the best. As a reward, winners take part in the trip to Rome.
Apart from that gymnasium, students successfully take part in all the republican and international contests and olympiads.
"This project is co-financed from the funds granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland."
