AND SO SCHOOL STARTS !!

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Here are photos of the Schoolbag Distribution Day for our children from last year’s class at the “Future of the Family” kindergarten – free education to Albanian and Roma children who would not be able to attend school otherwise.

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We gave out the schoolbags the day before school started, but as you can see in some of the photos, baby brothers and sisters came along so that they could see what
school was going to look like for them this year, too.

He is really not unhappy. It is just that he was telling me about his feelings of uncertainty as to whether he would ever like “regular” school as much as he liked going to the kindergarten. This look is priceless though, because I saw it on his face many times during the past year — mainly when he was uncertain about something.

Some of the mothers wanted their picture made with their child, too. I love this one. The mothers have been so involved in the school this past year. It is a great thing to see the whole family benefiting from the educational experience of the child.

Habibe couldn’t let this little one go away empty-handed, but she didn’t want all the other children to see what she gave her either.

What a great student this young man is!

I loved this closeup of him – and that slight grin on his face.

The day these photos were made, lots of children from the past 5 years came by to greet us. Every one of them said the same thing – in different words — “No other school can ever compare to this one. I love to come back every year to see the graduating students get their schoolbags for first grade.” I have to say, “ME, TOO!”

More pictures to follow in the next few weeks.

As Habibe says, “Once the new ones stop crying long enough to make their photos.” HA! I

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It is the same story every year — it takes about 2 weeks for them to learn what is going on. After all, they have never been out of their own home/neighborhood before. This is a frightening experience at first. But I can also say that they will be crying by December 31 (when the New Year break begins) –at that time it will be because they have to miss school for 2 weeks of holiday!!

Shelia