UKELODEON: For The Next Generation (04/09/06)

UKELODEON

For The Next Generation

Plast kids help the cause: a new cultural center in New Jersey

by Yarema Belej

WHIPPANY, N.J. - For three consecutive Saturdays, children of the local branch of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization sold tickets for a benefit car raffle along Route 10.

Accompanied by their counselors and/or parents, they stood in front of the local Stop & Shop and Shop-Rite, as well as on the property of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church helping to sell tickets that offered buyers a chance to win a brand new Lexus car.

"The kids helped double the number of tickets being sold at those locations," said Christine Bilanycz, member of the Women of Whippany (WOW) fund-raising committee.

Thanks to their charm and enthusiasm, people were more than happy to make donations to have a chance to drive away with the new car, she added.

These are some of the children who will benefit the most from the new Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey (UACCNJ) in the next few decades. With big smiles, a lot of excitement and nice signs, Plast "novatsvo" and "yunatstvo" sold many more tickets than the stands did without them.

"These kids are the future of our church, and it was great that they helped all of us," said Ms. Bilanycz. "I would like to thank each and every one of them."

Plast is among the community organizations that will call the new cultural center home. The UACCNJ is being built on Jefferson Road, north of Route 10, in Whippany, N.J.

Students at St. Josaphat School celebrate Catholic Schools Week

by Taissa Zappernick

PARMA, Ohio - "Character, compassion, values." These three simple words can mean so much to so many people. From paper chains to collages, students at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic School decorated the halls with their artistic interpretations of the theme of this year's Catholic Schools Week.

On Sunday, January 29, Catholic Schools Week began with a community liturgy at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral.

The students, parents, faculty, parishioners and friends joined in praise and thanksgiving for the blessings bestowed upon St. Josaphat School. The students graciously thanked everyone for their contributions and for volunteering their time to our school.

After the liturgy, everyone enjoyed touring the school and browsing through the student projects that were on display at the open house. After admiring the projects, guests enjoyed a brunch.

On Monday, the real fun began! Teachers were each granted three wishes for things they would like to have for their students. Each homeroom received games, puzzles and other fun things.

We also celebrated the 37th anniversary of the ordination of our pastor, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Michael Rewtiuk. Students enjoyed red, white and blue cupcakes handed out during lunch on Tuesday, while the teachers indulged in a brunch sponsored by the student council.

Wednesday held more fun. Students were permitted to come to school dressed in casual clothes, but it didn't end there. The second half of the day was a "free day." Grades K-3 enjoyed a funny movie, while the older grades, 4-8, played bingo and sang karaoke.

Thursday was a no homework day! Teachers did not assign any homework, which meant Friday became a no test day. The Student Council visited the pyrohy workers and thanked everyone for their dedication for such an important project.

Catholic Schools Week ended with a bang at St. Josaphat. We shared a pizza lunch sponsored by the PTU with our parents and grandparents. The students, grandparents, parents and faculty watched a movie of the prior days of Catholic Schools Week. We shared laughs and jokes of how we acted on tape. After the movie, we enjoyed a "Mad Science" assembly, where students learned a lot, but had fun, too.

In short, everyone enjoyed Catholic Schools Week.

Taissa Zappernick is a seventh grader at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral School in Parma, Ohio.

Mishanyna

Find the capitalized words in the Mishanyna grid.

It's almost time for EASTER. And for Ukrainians that means it's also time for pysanky. Painting or, more properly "writing" on EGGS (from the word 'PYSATY," to write, from which the word "PYSANKA" is derived) is a time-honored form of DECORATIVE art in Ukraine. In fact, pysanky can be traced to the prehistoric TRYPILLIAN culture.

Each of the SYMBOLS that appears on a pysanka has a meaning. The COLORS on a pysanka also have specific meanings. (We suggest a good pysanka book to learn more about the importance of all of the pysanka's elements.)

Pysanky symbolize the RENEWAL of life and the coming of SPRING. With the adoption of CHRISTIANITY, they came to also symbolize the RESURRECTION of Christ. Pysanky were also believed to have MAGICAL powers; they could shield its bearer from evil, cure illnesses and PROTECT homes.

So, when you make a pysanka as a GIFT for someone, you are nurturing a TRADITION that reaches back to a time long, long ago.

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