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19 May 2009 15:05

Kateryna Yushchenko Greets Zhytomyr Boarding School for Deaf Children with 80th Anniversary

May 19, 2009, Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation Kateryna Yushchenko visited the Zhytomyr boarding school for deaf children. Among other participants of the event were Head of the Zhytomyr OSA Yuri Zabela, Head of the Oblast Council Vitaly Frantsuz, Director General of MacDonald’s Ukraine Jan Borden, President of the Friends of the Children Charitable Foundation Maryna Krysa, and representatives of local authorities, the hospital’s Board of Trustees, and Ukraine 3000 Foundation.

The Zhytomyr Boarding School for Deaf Children is celebrating its 80th anniversary. On this occasion, a school museum was founded with an exhibition titled The 80 Glorious Years. The museum was unveiled by Mrs. Yushchenko and Mr. Zabela.

The guests took a tour of the school and talked to the teachers and students. They familiarized themselves with the institutions correction and rehabilitation base and visited a chapel, constructed by the children and teachers. The faculty members presented to Mrs. Yushchenko the project which had taken part in the Doing Good Starts with You charitable projects competition last year.

After that, the 80 Years of Service to People solemn meeting started. Addressing the audience, Kateryna Yushchenko made a note of the broad charitable activities held by the school for many years: due to its initiative, a hearing diagnostic room was set up at a children’s hospital; the students also take care of the retired and lonely people. Mrs. Kateryna thanked the children for their good deeds and outstanding humanities.

Mrs. Yushchenko described the Zhytomyr Boarding School for Deaf Children’s participation in the Doing Good Starts with You all-Ukrainian charitable projects competition. Last year the school won the third place with its Help Those Needing Help More Than Yourself project. Mrs. Yushchenko mentioned that this year the school had presented a follow-up to the project, winning another prize.

On behalf of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation, Mrs. Yushchenko presented the school with a swimming pool and swimming equipment, books, toys, and candy.

Also, the Ukraine 3000 Foundation and REALTON Company gave the school five modern hearing aids to the total of UAH 17,000.

President of the Friends of the Children Charitable Foundation Maryna Krysa also addressed the audience, offering her greetings on the school’s anniversary and presenting it books as part of the Books for Children project and candy. Among other speakers were Head of the Zhytomyr OSA Yuri Zabela and Head of the Oblast Council Vitaly Frantsuz. Gesture translator Natalia Dmytruk provided simultaneous translation to sign language.

Another greeting speech was made by Director of the Nurses’ Institute Viktor Shatylo, who came to the function with his students, alumni of the Zhytomyr Boarding School for Deaf Children. The Nurses’ Institute students addressed the audience in the sign language. On the occasion of its 80th anniversary, the school received a color printer and sports equipment from Zhytomyr OSA and a DVD player from the City Council. The faculty members received diplomas from Zhytomyr OSA and Oblast Council.

In the end of the meeting, students of the Zhytomyr Boarding School for Deaf Children presented a small concert.

After that, the guests planted some guilder-rose bushes in the school grounds.

A school for deaf children was founded in Zhytomyr in 1929. Since 1946 it started admitting preschoolers with impaired hearing. In 1974, a new building was constructed for the school.

At present, the Zhytomyr Boarding School for Deaf Children consists of a nursery school and a general education school. Its principal is Oleh Nikulin. The school has 107 children and 78 teachers with various specializations and features special and educational rooms.

The school has eight study groups, circles, and clubs, including a Sonechko [The Sun] movie theater and film studio, choreography studio, the European Club, Biserynka [A Bead] circle, etc. Owing to the oblast Invasport Association, the school has track-and-field, Greco-Roman wrestling, and volleyball clubs. In the last years, the school wards have repeatedly become winners in all-Ukrainian sports events among the physically challenged, artwork and amateur performance competitions.

The boarding school takes an active part in the Doing Good Starts with You all-Ukrainian charitable projects competition. In 2008 it presented the Help Those Needing Help More Than Yourself project, winning the third prize. This year the school had won another prize.