The photo report of the Inter-district School Contest for students of Warsaw schools "The Children of Warsaw" 2014.
In the year 2014 the 1944 Warsaw Uprising Remembrance Association (SPPW 1944), on the occasion of the 70th Warsaw Uprising anniversary, organized the Inter-district School Contest for students of Warsaw schools "The Children of Warsaw".
The contest was financially supported by the City of Warsaw, under the auspice of the President of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz.
The contest's originator is Mrs. Maria Poprawa, a member of the SPPW 1944 Association's Board, the Polish philologist and historian, the teacher in the Primary School number 118 named after the Friends of Mazovia in Białołęka. If it hadn't been for her efforts and determination, the contest wouldn't have been conducted. Mrs. Poprawa single-handedly prepared the rules of the contest and then watched over its proper performance.
Many young people got interested. There were altogether one hundred and ten contest's participants from forty Warsaw schools, both primary and secondary ones.
The contest itself was made up of three modules: the declaiming, the painting and the history ones. The outcome of each participant in all of the three groups was being accordingly evaluated by the jury.
The declaiming contest gathered the biggest number of participants. The second stage of the contest was performed on May 6 and 7, 2014 in the school complex number 69 in the 8 Drewniana street in Warsaw. Its headmistress, Mrs. Ewa Furmańska, a member of the SPPW 1944, helped a lot.
The contest's participants were being evaluated in three age categories: classes 1-3 of primary school, classes 4-6 of primary schools and classes 1-3 of secondary schools. The students declaimed a wide range of poems dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising and the Second World War. The jury, while hearing the Young performers, gave several honourable awards, too.
On May 27 at the school in the Drewniana street the summation of the declaiming contest was held. The laureates prepared an interesting staging based on the poems they had presented during the contest. The performance was acclaimed by the audience. After the performance, its participants and their teachers were given memorial diplomas.
Twenty-one pieces of work were sent to the painting part of the contest. They were being evaluated in two categories: students of primary schools and students of secondary schools. The jury chose the laureates in both categories. Honourable awards were also given.
The works painted by the participants of the second part of the contest were being displayed at the National Stadium on July 30, 2014, during the special screening of the film "Miasto 44" directed by Jan Komasa. The exhibition could be admired by the audience - visitors at the National Stadium in August 2014.
The history contest entitled "The family keepsake from the Warsaw Uprising" that was co-operated with Mrs. Hanna Wach from the Warsaw Centre of Education and Social Innovations and Trainings. Its participants had relatively the hardest thing to do. Their task was to talk with grandparents or great-grandparents in order to discover some family keepsake from the wartime. Their achievements were precisely reported and well-graphically compiled or made in a form of a computer presentation.
The jury had to evaluate the works in three age categories: students of primary, secondary and high schools. In each group the best candidates were chosen.
The official end-date of the whole contest entitled "The Children of Warsaw" was June 17, 2014. The solemn meeting took place in the J. Nowak-Jeziorański Room in the Warsaw Uprising Museum in the 79 Grzybowska street in Warsaw.
The Chairman of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising Remembrance Association Mr. Maciej Janaszek-Seydlitz handed in the awards and diplomas.
The teachers who had factually guided the contestants, were also given special thanks.
When the official part had come to an end, the guests were invited to have some food and drink.
Afterwards, the laureates and all the awarded together with their caregivers, had a Chance to visit the exhibition in the Warsaw Uprising Museum. It was an unique opportunity as on that day they were the only ones visitors and could be showed around by professional guides.
In the end, a special photo album entitled "The Final of Contest "The Children of Warsaw" 2014" was designed and published.
All the laureates, the awarded students as well as people particularly merited by the contest's realization were given photo albums as an interesting keepsake that summarized the whole project.
compiled by: Maciej Janaszek-Seydlitz
translation: Monika Ałasa
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