Some of you may recall that last year we visited our local elementary school for workshops with Grade 5 students to write postcards.

We were welcomed back to the school this autumn, where Grade 5 students again learned how postal systems work, as well as wrote postcard messages to Ukraine’s Defenders, to Canadian troops presently serving in Poland, and to our local members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 402 (Millbrook). Students also attended this year’s Remembrance Day ceremonies held this month at the village WWI cenotaph.

Our workshop with the students included a crash course in the Cyrillic alphabet. Students practiced the unfamiliar and challenging forms, first trying to write their own names, letter-for-letter. But that’s not how to read or use the Ukrainian alphabet. Fortunately, Jean-Michel is Ukrainian and was able to explain the unique nature of each symbol as forming specific sounds. Once the students were liberated from the letter-to-letter notion, it was easier to learn to write their names in Ukrainian. With a little help. 😉

We noticed on the way to the classroom a large sign spanning the wall across the hall: Mistakes are proof that you’re trying. Perhaps this explains the ‘no fear’ factor when it came to student efforts to write in a new language?

We always ask workshop participants to try to write at least one or two phrases in Ukrainian from a translation sheet that we provide. We believe that the effort to try to write some Ukrainian signals to the reader (a Defender) a respect for their culture. The Ukrainian culture.

Guess what the students did? Most insisted that they write strictly in Ukrainian! This, of course, took some time, but the rewards were great.

Confidence can be built when one tries something new and challenging. Then, taking a step back once the task is done, to see and feel … ‘oh, wow! Look what I just did!’ Pride.

Well done students! And thank you to Ms. Alksnis for inviting us to meet with her class.

Thank you, Grade 5 students, for your lovely messages of support to those who serve the goal for freedom and peace, past and present, in Canada, abroad, and in Ukraine.

Need ideas about what to write? Check our Tips page, and our Ukrainian phrases page. Want to organize a group – small or large – we can help. Check How to Run a Workshop.

Postcards to the Front

P. O. Box 184, Millbrook, ON   L0A 1G0 Canada

postcardstothefront.canada@gmail.com

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