Croatian School “Cardinal Stepinac” – New York
Language is the foundation of every culture and national consciousness, and thus our Croatian people. This fact is evident in our parish community, and it is on this foundation that allows the “Croatian School Cardinal Stepinac – New York” to function and exist.
The work, sacrifice and love for children and Croatian culture connects our teachers, the children, their parents, committee and the overall parish into a living entity. This entity contributes to the life of the Croatian community in New York City, the life of the parish and strengthens our cultural links with the Croatian homeland.
The main purpose of the school is to teach children the Croatian language, our culture and our history. Children also learn to sing Croatian songs and dances. At various events organized by the school, the children read poetry, sing and dance in front of the Croatian community of the parish. Events are well attended and are good opportunities for children to demonstrate what they have learned and to see all the results of the teachers’ and parents’ efforts in this cultural work. Each year, there are two major events (the Christmas program and the Mother’s Day program) that allow the children demonstrate the ability of speech and singing in Croatian and in a special way, performing traditional dances and customs of our Croatian regions.
During a long, rich history of the parish, there were various forms of organization of the school and organization of learning the Croatian language. Currently, there is a committee that takes care and organizes lectures, performances and other events related to the school. All involved in the school voluntarily donate their time, energy and knowledge for the good of our children. The school board consists mostly of parents of students, i.e. usually mothers. The teachers are also volunteers and parish staff.
Each year, classes are held from the beginning of September until the end of May, on Friday evenings. It is important to note that parents, children and all those who are involved in the school truly invest a lot of time and effort to come to School on Friday’s because of the aggravating circumstances of the life of the school and the parish of traffic jams which is an integral part of life in this metropolis.
Hrvatska Škola “Kardinal Stepinac” – New York
Jezik je osnova svake kulturne i nacionalne svijesti pa tako i našeg Hrvatskog naroda. Ove činjenice je svjesna i naša župna zajednica i na ovom temelju radi i djeluje “Hrvatska škola kardinal Stepinac New York”.
Rad, žrtva i ljubav za djecu i Hrvatsku kulturu povezuje učitelje, djecu, roditelje, odbor i župu u jednu živu cjelinu koja doprinosi životu Hrvatske zajednice u New Yorku, životu župe i jačanju naše kulturne povezanosti s domovinom Hrvatskom.
Glavna je svrha škole učiti djecu Hrvatski jezik, kulturu i povijest. Djeca također uče pjevati Hrvatske pjesme i plesati Hrvatska kola. Na različitim priredbama koje Škola priređuje, djeca čitaju poeziju, pjevaju i plešu pred Hrvatskom zajednicom u župi. Priredbe su dobro posjećene i dobre su prigode da djeca pokažu što su naučila i da se vidi plod učiteljskih i roditeljskih nastojanja u ovome kulturnom radu. Božićni program i program za Majčin dan, dva su glavna događaja na kojima djeca pokazuju sposobnost govora i pjevanja na hrvatskom jeziku i na poseban način izvedbom tradicionalnih plesova i običaja naših Hrvatskih krajeva.
Tijekom duge i bogate povijesti župe bilo je raznih oblika ustrojstva Škole i organiziranosti učenja Hrvatskog jezika. Trenutno se o vodstvu škole brine odbor koji organizira nastavu, predstave i druge događaje vezane za školu. Svi uključeni u rad škole dobrovoljno daruju svoje vrijeme, energiju i znanje za dobro naše djece. Odbor škole sačinjavaju uglavnom roditelji polaznika, tj. uglavnom majke. Učitelji i učiteljice su također dobrovoljci te župno osoblje.
Svake godine nastava se održava od početka mjeseca rujna pa do kraja svibnja, petkom u večernjim satima. Važno je napomenuti da roditelji, djeca i svi oni koji su uključeni u rad škole ulažu uistinu velike napore i vrijeme da petkom dođu u školu jer je posebno otežavajuća okolnost životu škole a i župe prometne gužve koje su sastavni dio života u ovom velegradu.