The two teacher assistants were badly injured in the blast. The shelling damaged classrooms and shattered school windows. On that day in late August, two teacher assistants stepped outside to take out the trash when the kindergarten was rocked by an explosion. Bottom right: Blood stains remain on the stairs a day after the shelling. Bottom left: Flowers were placed on the stairs where two teaching assistants were injured. NPR Top: A kindergarten in Kharkiv that was recently hit by shelling. "Usually the streets are filled with children and families going to school," she says, "but this morning it was just us." After more than six months of staying close to home and rarely seeing friends, the start of school offers a bit of the familiar.īut even walking to school this morning wasn't as normal as Shtefan thought it would be. Both mom and daughter have been looking forward to this day - to coming to school - for months. Her husband, a doctor, is in the armed forces and away from home. Watching them hold hands, reunited, Varya's mother, Alina Shtefan, remarked that the moment almost felt normal - when so much isn't normal. The friends hadn't seen each other since school shut down in February, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Two older students, Mariia and Varya, both 9, watch from a shared chair in the corner, holding hands and giggling. Because of the war, this is one of just a handful of schools in the city offering in-person classes. ![]() Older students cheer while families try and catch every moment on their phones. This fall, the war with Russia has disrupted - but not destroyed - this beloved tradition in a country that places enormous importance on education.Īt a small private school in the city of Dnipro, the day starts with a teacher leading each new first-grader through a hula hoop decorated with ribbons and leaves - initiating them into their school-aged life. Families bring teachers bouquets of flowers - there are usually so many flowers on the first day that the classrooms are bursting with colorful blooms. Children dress up in traditional Ukrainian vyshyvankas with brightly colored embroidery. Known as the Day of Knowledge, there are usually big celebrations - with rehearsed dances, concerts and lots of balloons. ![]() ![]() KHARKIV and DNIPRO, Ukraine - The first day of school in Ukraine is a big deal.
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