30th anniversary of Private Primary School "Szkoła jak Dom"
When 30 years ago, in 1992, the first 27 students, headed by the originator and founder, the then and current headmistress, Mrs Jolanta Kałuża, started their education in the Private Primary School "Szkoła jak Dom", founded in Katowice, probably only a few, including Mrs Jolanta Kałuża, could have assumed that it would become one of the largest non-public educational institutions permanently inscribed on the map of the city and the region.
"Szkoła jak Dom" has just celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. The two-day anniversary celebrations, held on December 2 and 3, were honored by the presence of many distinguished guests; representatives of the city authorities, local educational authorities, directors of domestic and foreign private schools and representatives of institutions, foundations, and associations cooperating with the facility. There were speeches, thanks, congratulations, tears of emotion, commemorative decorations and flowers. There was also a huge jubilee cake! The gala was graced with a cello performance by Chen Hanxiang, and the students and teachers of Szkoła jak Dom graced the two-day anniversary celebrations with a beautiful concert of wishes "What's in our soul".
It is hard to believe that today Szkoła jak Dom, which is part of a complex of sister, private educational institutions that have grown up next to it, educates over 250 students within its walls, employing almost fifty teachers (including several with a doctoral degree), and almost thirty service employees. Today, it can boast of 733 graduates, many of whom, having completed their education at renowned high schools and universities almost all over Europe, today occupy prominent and responsible positions, run business, artistic or scientific activities and successfully face the challenges of the modern world every day.
Today, in 2022, the School continues its mission, sharing space with other educational institutions established by Jolanta Kałuża. They are: Private Pre-School "Domowe Przedszkole", M. Wańkowicz Private High School, international kindergarten Winnie the Pooh and, the youngest in the family, the international school Complex of Silesian International Schools in Katowice. This whole informal complex of private schools and kindergartens, occupying the educational building in Witosa Housing Estate in Katowice, brings up, educates and prepares almost 900 pupils and students for responsible adulthood. The teaching staff alone consists of almost 170 teachers, tutors, native speakers, pedagogues, and psychologists. The building at Witosa 18 has grown along its length over the past years and grew up two storeys! Modern sports fields, a playground and a real sports hall have appeared, and classrooms and subject laboratories have been equipped with modern and ergonomic equipment. The school, however, is not only a magnificent building, walls, corridors or even the well-equipped classrooms. It is also, and perhaps above all, an idea; spirit, values, mission, and people gathered around them.
A modern school - and Katowice's "Szkoła jak Dom" is undoubtedly one of them - is even more: it is an idea that has been successfully implemented for 30 years to prepare children and youth to meet the challenges faced by current students in terms of their further education and the approaching adulthood. It is impossible not to mention the undoubted successes that the institution can boast of in this field, consistently being among the top ten primary schools in Katowice for years, whose students achieve the best results in external exams. It is impossible not to mention association cooperation with UNESCO, the Goethe Institute, the Cervantes Institute or the Cambridge English Language Assessment, whose examination center is located at Szkoła jak Dom. Language certificates in English, Spanish, and German obtained by students are associated with these institutions.
Finally, it is impossible not to emphasize how much of its educational efforts the school focuses on shaping social responsibility and sensitivity of its students, cooperating for years with the House of Guardian Angels in Katowice, Cordis Hospice, the Silesian Association of Education and Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities "Akcent", supporting the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, or mothers and children - victims of war and Russian persecution in Chechnya, and now victims of war in Ukraine. In the last few months, Szkoła jak Dom and its sister institutions have accepted several Ukrainian children who were war refugees pro bono, organized several transports of medicines, clothes and food to Ukraine, and purchased two electricity generators for the Ukrainian population from the donations. The originator, founder and headmistress of the school, Jolanta Kałuża, perfectly understands that education is not only about passing textbook knowledge and polishing "school" skills. She knows - and tries to encourage her staff to accept this belief - that a modern school is supposed, to a large extent, to shape competences; competences that allow a young person to understand the world around them and find themselves in its increasingly confusing reality. In this area, she cooperates with other non-public entities and school principals as part of the National Board of Non-Public Education and the international non-public education association ECNAIS. And she is constantly creating her school so effectively that - apart from the above-mentioned successes of her students and graduates - she can boast of the laurels of the nationwide Lady Business Awards and the title of Entrepreneurial Woman 2022, won in recent days.
Let's wish our Szkoła jak Dom and its Headmistress many more "thirties" and many more similar, beautiful jubilee celebrations!
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