Ukrainian Week

Students dressed in Ukrainian attire on Thursday’s NUT Day

 

From Monday, March 23 to Friday, March 27, students and staff of IHMS celebrated their unique culture and heritage for an entire week. This week, which is always the last week before the March break, is called Ukrainian Week.

 

The theme for this year’s Ukrainian Week is a look at the traditions, the rituals, and the the various symbols involved in a “Ukrainian Wedding”. In fact, the Ukrainian Concert on Thursday, March 26 was entitled “Wedding, Wedding, Wedding”.

 

The theme for this year’s Ukrainian Week. . .

“The Ukrainian Wedding”

 

 

 

 

The stage as it was set up for the Ukrainian Concert on Thursday

 

 

Monday, March 23, the first day of Ukrainian Week, was a NUT Day –  “No Uniforms Today”. Students and staff were encouraged to wear blue and yellow clothing symbolizing the colours of the Ukrainian flag – a blue sky above a brilliant yellow field of wheat. Students also spent time rehearsing for Thursday’s Ukrainian concert.

Students displaying their colours on “Blue and Yellow Day”

 

On Monday, and for every day throughout the week, students were able to participate in a daily trivia contest designed to teach them about Ukrainian wedding customs. The trivia questions (and answers) were in an information sheet sent home with the students. Students entered their answers for a chance to win a daily prize.

 

A student entering an answer for Wednesday’s trivia contest in the K-3 container. Student answers to the trivia contest were separated into 3 different grade levels which increased the chances of winning a prize!

 

Tuesday and Wednesday were very similar to Monday except they weren’t NUT days. Students continued with their rehearsals for the Ukrainian concert. They also continued to participate in the daily trivia contest.

 

 

 

 

Ukrainian Wedding Bread One of the more interesting activities that students did during Ukrainian Week was preparing a sample of traditional wedding bread. Under the guidance of Mrs. Wdowiak (one of the school’s Ukrainian teachers), each student formed a sample of bread dough into: Shyshky (bread in the shape of a pine cone) and Holuby (bread in the shape of doves)  . Three examples of Shyshky, a pine cone shaped bread   An example of a Holuby. a dove shaped bread  . Mrs. Wdowiak showing the grade 8 students how to make Shyshky and Holuby .

 

One of the highlights of Ukrainian Week was Friday’s perogy lunch

 

Thursday, at least in the morning, was very similar to the previous three days of Ukrainian Week. Students continued with their concert rehearsals and the daily trivia contest. In addition, Thursday was also another NUT day – “Ukrainian Wear Day”. On this day, students were still required to wear their navy pants (or skort), but were free to wear a t-shirt or a sweatshirt with a Ukrainian slogan.

 

Students dressed for Thursday’s NUT day

 

Thursday, in addition to being another NUT day, was also the most exciting day of the week because it was the day of the concert. The concert was performed twice that day in order to accommodate the schedules of parents who work shift work. As has been the case for years, there was a 1:30 matinee performance in addition to the traditional evening performance at 7:00.

 

A few photos from Thursday’s Ukrainian Concert

 

Friday, March 27 was the last day for the trivia contest, and the last day before the beginning of the Spring break. Thanks to perogy donations from various Ukrainian Catholic parishes, and to the parent volunteers who cooked and served them, students were able to purchase a delicious perogy lunch served by the IHMS Parents Guild.

 

Students enjoyed perogies that were donated to the school from various Ukrainian Catholic parishes. The perogies were then cooked and served to the students by parent volunteers.

 

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the IHMS staff and parent volunteers, Ukrainian Week for 2020 was another smashing success!

 

On Friday at 1:00 p.m., students and staff marked the end of Ukrainian Week by attending Divine Liturgy at Sts. Vladimir and Olga Cathedral before being dismissed for spring break.