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Polish Saturday school celebrates 10 years in Granite City

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A Saturday school in Aberdeen that has taught more than a thousand Polish children about their own language, history and culture hundreds of miles from their native land has celebrated its tenth anniversary.

In 2007, with more than 10,000 Poles already in the city, it was decided to set up St Stanislaw Kostka to teach the expanding number of children from the Eastern European country arriving in the city.

A decade later, the school is the biggest of its kind in Scotland and Northern Ireland, catering for more than 70 staff and 500 attendees.

It recently received a motion of praise from the Scottish Parliament.

Former Polish chaplain Father Piotr Zielinski and two members of his flock, Arleta Jasinska and Joanna Schmitz, founded the school.

In the course of that first year alone, the number of pupils increased from 30 to over 130.

Initially, the school was located at St. Peter’s church in the city centre.

The then parish priest Father Keith Herrera offered to let local Poles use the church’s premises for classes.

A year later, the dramatic growth forced a move to St. Mary’s Cathedral where the school remained for another year and the number of pupils increased to 150.

With increasing demand, in 2009 it was forced to move again, this time to Aberdeen Grammar school where it partly remains today.

But further growth has caused the school management to decide to spread the school’s classes over two sites and classes will now be held at Grammar and Harlaw Academy.

The aim of the school is to teach Polish language, tradition and history but this is supplemented by religious education at all levels.

There are also English for adults classes, with around 30 students.

Mrs Schmitz, who has a child attending, said: “Children play a big part in the school, along with adults.

“Entertainment shows and other school events are important elements of the curriculum. Eeach year there is a show for Polish Independence Day, a St Nicholas Day, and a nativity play for Christmas, along with an end-of-the-school-year presentation.”

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Aberdeen Hugh Gilbert said “We thank God for the care and blessing over the years, and we thank all parents, children, all staff, priests, the Polish government, and all the other local organisations for their support, including the city council.”