Friends of Ukraine - our collaboration with The British International School in Warsaw - AN UPDATE
Dear Stephanie,
Just an update of this weeks ‘Friends of Ukraine and Refugees’ project.
I’ve attached a letter that was sent to our parents yesterday by our Principal Ms. Sue Hill, this will give you a more detailed overview. (see below)
We are in full swing and our newly organized ‘Saturday Community Support Club’ will be starting this weekend, the plan is for the school to open every weekend, to provide a relaxed atmosphere, with our wonderful PTA serving tea, coffee and snacks through the morning and a hot meals at lunchtime.
We have fun activities for the children, supervised by our volunteer students and teachers, giving older family members a chance to relax and meet others who are in a similar position as themselves.
We will also be setting up tables so they can take home any toiletries and food items that they require. We had a big donation drive on Wednesday (I’ve attached a few photographs) we were moved and overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity. Moving forward, we will be offering the voucher scheme, empowering them to more independence.
With the wonderful response to our donation drive, we are also able to offer support to other refugees in the wider community, later today (Friday) students and teachers will be delivering 12 large bags to the train station in Warsaw who are in real need of toiletries for the refugees arriving from the border.
We will also be sending a further 8 large bags, which will be driven this weekend, to an orphanage in Ukraine itself.
Kindest Regards,
KEVIN HALPIN
COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER
Dear Parents,
Our thoughts remain with members of our community who have friends and relatives affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. These are anxious and confusing times for our students and at times like these we know that they often turn to their teachers to talk through and better understand what is happening in the world. I want to thank all the teachers and teaching assistants for how they are supporting our students.
When faced with a problem of how to support the humanitarian effort, our decisions have been made through a series of collaborations. Parents, teachers and students have all contributed ideas and now I would like to update you on our actions so far.
Donations of items
This week, I have been incredibly touched by the kindness and generosity of our TBS community. On Wednesday, our Curiosity Cove was filled with donations of food and toiletries to support the refugees. The sheer volume of donations took almost a full day to sort into various categories and I must say a very big thank you to the PTA for their invaluable support.
12 bags of items: Healthy bars and snacks, medication, nappies and toiletries have been packed and will be handed out to refugees on Friday, at the railway station.
8 bags are being donated to an orphanage in Ukraine and are being driven to their destination to be delivered this weekend.
The remaining donations will be delivered to those being supported by families in our TBS community.
Saturday Community Connections
Sometimes, playing games, having conversations and meeting people provides a well-needed sense of community. Mr. Halpin and Ms McElhill have been busy coordinating a large number of volunteers so we may run our TBS Saturday Community Connections Club. Many members of our community have been opening their homes to those who have fled Ukraine. We aim to offer a way of connecting everyone, whether they are a host or a guest, during these sessions. Fun games and activities and food and drinks will be offered in a relaxed atmosphere. Please contact Mr Halpin if you would like to bring your Ukrainian guests along this week or next.
Raising funds
Nord Anglia Education has made an initial corporate donation of $100,000 to UNICEF’s Ukrainian appeal. Students can also apply for Charitable Giving Grants through our NAE Social Impact Programme, which is another excellent avenue for our students to make a positive difference. We already have a small group of inspirational students who are working with Mrs Sawday and Ms McElhill to apply for this fund.
Fundraising events are also being arranged, the first one being the PTA Quiz on March 25, so there will be many ways that we can continue to contribute to supporting the humanitarian effort.
Schools in the UK and US have also reached out to TBS to ask where their own fund-raising will make the most impact. They are keen to are keen to join with us and purchase food vouchers to be personally distributed to refugees.
School places for Ukrainian students
We have welcomed a number of new families over the past couple of weeks and I would like to extend a warm welcome to all those who have arrived from Ukraine.
Finally, we aim to make sure that everyone feels respected and valued. During class sessions, teachers will be helping children to talk about the way they are feeling however please do reach out to class teachers and form tutors if your child is personally affected. This will help us to provide special support and care for your child.
SUE HILL
PRINCIPAL
