Congratultions, Diana!

First City Gymnasia student Diana Shypovych has received first place at the national level in the Write On! creative writing competition. Diana was awarded the top prize among Ukrainian eighth graders for her story “Taste Talks,” about a baker whose ingredients talk to him and help him invent delicious recipes. “It’s an amusing and clever tale, but it also goes deeper,” said Peace Corps Response Volunteer Sonia Scherr, a local coordinator for Write On! “By exploring how one gains or loses the ability to hear food talk, the story has meaning for all of us who pursue a creative passion.”

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Write On! Ukraine Creative Writing Competition at the Gymnasia

The creative writing of First City Gymnasia students was celebrated this week at an assembly honoring those who took part in an international writing contest.

Fourteen students won awards for the stories they wrote during the Write On! competition, which encourages creativity and imagination. All 41 contest participants from FCG were recognized at the assembly and received certificates. “Everyone took the contest and their writing seriously, and it showed in the stories you wrote,” said Peace Corps Response Volunteer Sonia Scherr, a local coordinator for Write On!

Write On! is an annual creative writing competition organized by Peace Corps Volunteers around the world. Participants have one hour to respond in English to a writing prompt, without any help from peers, teachers, dictionaries or Google. The contest is open to sixth through 11 th formers, college and university students, and adults who are non-native English speakers.

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Maria Prylipko was recognized as the best speaker in Ukraine

The International University of LCC (Klaipėda, Lithuania) is the American style educational institution with English as the language of teaching. Since 2004, the International Speaking Contest in English has been held among 10-11 graders. It motivates them to put more effort into learning English, known as the language of international communication, and can be the key to a multitude of future opportunities. The annual speaking contest is paid special attention to in the First City Gymnasia in Cherkasy, on the basis of which the school, city, and regional rounds are conducted. In the academic year 2018-2019, the winner of the regional round was Maria Prylipko, the student of the 11-A grade, presenting the topic "Dare to Think for Yourself" ("Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living"). On February 22, 2019, she was invited to go on an educational and entertainment trip to Kyiv at the expense of the university to participate in the finals, competing with the winners from 7 regions of Ukraine and won the 1st prize. We sincerely congratulate Maria and wish her success in the super finals which will be held at the LCC University where the winners from Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine will try their hand at the ancient art of public speaking!

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