UKELODEON: For The Next Generation (04/11/99)

UKELODEON

For The Next Generation

Teachers make a world of difference

by Lydia Smyk

I remember those seemingly endless hours of Ukrainian school: sitting in class studying declensions and the geography of Ukraine. It seemed as though the material was antiquated and useless. Students doodled and daydreamed, but somehow retained an incredible amount of knowledge.

Many of those students are now themselves teachers, youth counselors and subscribers of The Weekly. Now they are the ones teaching Shevchenko and Ukrainian history, and are active in our community. Which is where we come in. Our hope is that UKELODEON becomes a tool for them to reach all our children - those who speak the Ukrainian language and those who don't.

Here in the state of New Jersey newspapers have become useful tools in the classroom. I know that throughout various communities in the U.S. local publications have done the same. The newspaper is seen as a tool to enhance basic skills and knowledge. UKELODEON, too, can be used to enhance knowledge of our heritage.

With this thought in mind, I distributed copies of the premiere issue of UKELODEON to my third grade Ukrainian students. The torture of Pani Smyk's Ukrainian reading and vocabulary became fun as the children tackled the Mishanyna. They did it for homework and then begged me for insider information to solve the riddle. No such luck. I encouraged them to talk to their families and help them solve the puzzle.

My fourth graders looked at the publication differently. When I asked one of my pupils whether he will read UKELODEON, he emphatically said: "No!" Why not? I was curious because we are open to suggestions and here was one of our target demographic group rejecting the product. He replied: "I don't plan on reading your paper because I am going to write my own!"

A simple answer, but, to my surprise, my whole class began spending every free minute formulating their own publication.

* * *

Every parent is a teacher, and as teachers we have many diverse roles. Take a few minutes and encourage your children to read UKELODEON. Solve the riddle, solve the Mishanyna. Encourage them to become involved. Those few precious minutes together may teach them more about themselves and their ancestry.

Ohio student's science project wins

CLEVELAND - Lev Horodyskyj, 16, a senior at Padua Franciscan High School, brought down the house at the Northeastern Ohio Science and Engineering Fair with his project on earthquakes. His four-year independent research into earthquake-resistant construction was recognized as the best engineering project and also won the grand award in physical science.

Almost 500 students, from grades 7 through 12, participated in this competition.

Lev, together with another student who won a similar award for biological science, will now represent Ohio at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair to be held in Philadelphia on May 2-8.

Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, was selected as this year's site for the prestigious international competition because it was in this city nearly 50 years ago that the first international science and engineering fair was held on May 21, 1950.

This year, about 1,000 students from across the United States and 30 countries will compete for scholarships and other prizes. The competition will take place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and will be open to the public on Thursday and Friday, May 6-7, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Lev will present his research to those interested on Thursday, May 6, from noon until 3 p.m. All visitors are welcome. Let's support our budding young Ukrainian scientist.

Mishanyna

Solve our monthly Mishanyna (hodgepodge) by finding the words below. Good luck! (And ïËÒÚÓÒ ÇÓÒÍÂÒ!)

babka, basket, beets, butter, candle, cheese, Christ is risen, dye, egg, eternity, ham, horseradish, kovbasa, krashanka, kystka, paska, pysanka, salt, wax.

Myshka's mystery

Well, my little quick ones, I've decided to give you a riddle that won't cause you to fall down in despair. I was a certain kind of man. With a surname like mine on April 29, it's amazing that I was selected.

And, the answer to last month's mystery: Mykola Lysenko, a composer (he wrote music), who was born on March 22, 1842.

The correct answer was submitted by 8-year-old Lev Wolansky

of New Providence, N.J. (who found the answer with a little bit of help from his musically inclined mom).

(Remember, send in your answer to our April mystery and your picture could appear in UKELODEON.)

Pysanka project hailed as success

Our office looks just great! Thanks to you, readers of UKELODEON.

Our thanks go out to all those who sent us their colorful Ukrainian pysanky: Andrijko Malynovsky, age 3, Jersey City, N.J.; Stepan Woch, 3 3/4, and Bohdon Woch, 5, East Hanover, N.J.; Stepan Nesteriwsky, 8, Newark, N.J.; David Demianicz, 7, and Jessica Demianicz, 4, Elizabeth, N.J.; Markian Blazejowski, 5, Bayonne, N.J.; Michelle Bilyj, 12, East Stroudsburg, Pa.; Adam Klapko, 8, Newark, N.J.; Larissa Smyk, 9, and Roxanne Smyk, 9, Orange, N.J.; Christine Sulyk, 6, and Taras Sulyk, 9, Bayonne, N.J.; Andrew Kardach, 10, Newark, N.J. (he decorated two pysanky); Paul Hadzewycz, 7, Morristown, N.J. (he sent in three pysanky); Larissa Stakhiv, 4, Waldwick, N.J.; Andrew Puzyk, 9, Mountainside, N.J.; Chrystyna Lazirko, 9, Clark, N.J.; Stepan Halkowycz, 9, Teaneck, N.J.; Danyla Frazier, 8, Union, N.J.; Tatiana Martynetz, 9 3/4, South Orange, N.J.; Vitaly Tsabak, 10, Newark, N.J.; Olena Lyashchenko, 9, Newark, N.J.; Alexandra Burns, 9, Roselle Park, N.J.; Stephanie Borai, 9, Newark, N.J.; Daniel Lesko, 8, South Orange, N.J.; Kristina Rakoczy, 9, Whippany, N.J.; Alex Sydoriak, 9, Upper Montclair, N.J.; Matthew DiLiberti, 8, Hillside, N.J.; and Mira Diakiw, 6, Philadelphia (she sent in her own design).

That's a total of 33 pysanky - 31 of them from New Jersey and two from Pennsylvania. What happened to the other states of the U.S.? And Canada? And the rest of you?

Special thanks also go out to the teachers and youth counselors who facilitated this project: Lydia Smyk and Kathleen Kornas of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic School in Newark, Chrystya Woch and Olenka Halkowycz of the School of Ukrainian Studies in Jersey City, and Dana Kolodij and Ms. Halkowycz of the Jersey City branch of the Ukrainian Youth Association (SUM).

Check it out!

For a real treat, check out your pysanky designs in color on our website: http://www.ukrweekly.com/UKELODEON.shtml

Let's lace up those skates!

Seems like many in the Northeast had the same idea for a pleasant outing: ice skating. (Do you recognize any friends?)

MONTCLAIR, N.J. - The Passaic, N.J., chapter of Plast sponsored an ice skating trip on February 21 to the Montclair Clairy Arena. Fifty enthusiastic skaters attended the event. For two and a half hours "ptashata," "novatstvo," "yunatstvo," counselors and their families happily skated around the rink. Some first-time skaters started onto the ice with shaky knees, but, with the assistance of the more experienced, were skating freely in no time.

CROMWELL, Conn. - Over 80 youngsters and parents participated in the first annual ice skating party sponsored by the Ukrainian Youth Association (SUM), Hartford Branch, on Saturday, March 20, at the Champions Ice Skating Rink in Cromwell, Conn.

OUR NEXT ISSUE:

UKELODEON is published on the second Sunday of every month. To make it into our next issue, dated May 9, please send in your materials by April 30.

And, don't forget, your input and ideas are welcome. So, drop us a line:

UKELODEON, The Ukrainian Weekly, 2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280, Parsippany, NJ 07054; fax, (973) 644-9150; telephone, (973) 292-9800; e-mail, staff@ukrweekly.com.

UKELODEON: it rhymes with nickelodeon. Yes, that's a kids' network (spelled with a capital "N"), but the original word referred to an early movie theater that charged a nickel for admission. According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the root of the word, "odeon," is from the Greek "oideion," a small building used for public performances of music and poetry. Our UKELODEON is envisioned as a public space where our youth, from kindergartners to teens, can come to learn, to share information, to relate their experiences, and to keep in touch with each other. Its contents will be shaped by the young readers of the next generation.

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