This school year was full of challenges. How do you keep students if you haven't seen them at all for eight months?
Modern technologies have helped us to overcome the distances from September to May, and after the May Day holidays, we met live again. We were joined by those who did not attend distance learning and could not wait for our usual socializing to return. Knowledge was not lost, because the students diligently read, listened to recordings of shows, watched Slovenian films and online recordings of plays and events.
The bulletin “That’s us” proves that many interesting things happened this school year despite the epidemic. We celebrated the European Day of Languages, New Year's holidays, February 8, the 90th birthday of the poet Neža Maurer and the Bee Day, but we did not forget that Slovenia is the European gastronomic region in 2021 and that it celebrates its 30th birthday on June 25. We looked back and into the future and wrote down our thoughts.
The end of the school year was different than usual, because we did not invite guests from Slovenia. But socializing in small groups, in Slatina in a nicely decorated area next to the school, and in Banja Luka on the premises of the Association of Slovenians Triglav, was pleasant and we are all proud that 55 students in Banja Luka and 8 in Slatina received certificates for regular attendance.
Applications for new students are already arriving, next school year a new group of the youngest will attend classes and I am sure that like their peers a few years older they will enjoy learning the first Slovenian words, songs and games. This school year, 24 students won a reading badge, and I believe they will continue to stay true to a good book, and increase the number of readers even more.
After nine years I say goodbye, I spent many beautiful moments with my students. A new teacher is coming with new ideas for interesting lessons and projects that will connect these places and people with Slovenia. The students are missing travel, so I will write down the words I wrote to them at the farewell:
When the borders open
and a new wind blows,
the time will come for travel
and for different knowledge gathering.
That way you won't forget
what you learned
because you will speak Slovenian in Slovenia.
I was a teacher of supply teaching lessons of Slovenian for nine years, I have enjoyed teaching and various activities, so I am grateful for everything I have experienced during these years.
The students here are really busy, it is nice to have such students.
Barbara Hanuš
Translation: Ana Marjanović
