For foreign-language pupils who are just starting the school year in a new environment, the Wrocław Centre for Social Development (WCRS) has prepared the “School Starter Pack” for the fourth time – a practical guide to help them find their way around a Polish school.
The “School Starter Pack” is published for carers and foreign-language pupils who are starting or continuing their education in Poland, having come from another country or returned to Poland after living abroad. This free brochure contains key information about the education system and tips to help them settle into the school environment.
As Maria Adamiec from the WCRS Intercultural Dialogue Team explains: “Every year we update the School Starter Pack so that pupils, as well as parents and carers, have access to up-to-date information on how the Polish education system works. The publication contains information not only on the education pathway in Poland and the organisation of the school year, such as exams and school holidays – we have also tried to explain things that may seem obvious from a Polish perspective, such as what a school day-care room (świetlica) is, what a school assembly is, what formal school attire means, what to bring as PE kit, and what an electronic class register is.”
The guide consists of two parts. The first is addressed to parents and carers, and the second directly to pupils. In the middle there is a glossary of useful school terms and sample letters for communication between parents and the school, such as consent to take part in extra-curricular activities or a note explaining an absence.
This year, the publication has been updated with, among other things, information on intercultural assistants in schools and on the statutory introduction of Child Protection Standards, which are mandatory for institutions and venues running activities for children and young people.
The guide was produced in cooperation with the Department of Education of Wrocław City Hall. The brochure is free of charge and intended for pupils enrolled in Wrocław schools and their carers.
The guide in Polish, English and Ukrainian is available online on the website of the Intercultural Dialogue Team of the Wrocław Centre for Social Development, in the Publications tab.
From September, printed copies will be available in Wrocław schools and at Przejście Dialogu WCRS (Przejście Świdnickie, ul. Świdnicka 19, Wrocław, open Monday to Friday 9:00–17:00 and on Saturdays 10:00–16:00).
The “School Starter Pack” in the media:
