General information about Cherkasy First City Gymnasia

Dear guests,

Welcome to the First City Gymnasia (FCG). It is one of the oldest educational establishments in Ukraine. FCG was founded in 1880 as a gymnasium for boys. Later it was repeatedly reorganized into different types of school till at the end of the 20th century, in 1994, it regained its gymnasia status again.

Since 1959 our pupils have been studying English from the first form. In 1990 we opened our Saturday school that provides teaching English for five- and six-year olds who are our pupils-to-be. In 1994 we started teaching a compulsory second foreign language for students of 5 through 11 forms - German, Spanish or French. Since then a lot has been done in TESL for children: in 1 998 our Saturday school started teaching four-year-olds French; senior students obtained a number of subjects in English — British Literature, US Literature, the U.K. Country Study, the US Country Study, English Grammar, etc.; some English electives were introduced — Guide-Interpreters, Technical Translation, Applied Economics, Ecology, Typing, etc.

FCG is a polylingual school, one of UNESCO Associated Schools. It offers the teaching of 12 languages: Ukrainian, Russian, English, Spanish, French, German, Polish, Italian, Czech, Arabic, Japanese, and Modern Hebrew. Since 1989 FCG is an active member of International School Partnership Program, also participating in Ukrainian-American Program Future Leaders Exchange. In the course of 14 years of our participation, 63 FCG pupils got the opportunity of studying in a US high school during the whole academic year. Five of our teachers are national winners of Ukrainian-American Programs: they are N.V. Ananieva, L.D. Tkachenko, A.V. Stepanenko, V.A. Sylenko, P.M. Svitlychny.

The gymnasia often welcomes different official delegations. The majority of our guests are from the USA and Great Britain, but we also have visitors from France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Canada, China, Japan and other countries. International contacts are especially topical for the Ecology Group members.

The FCG teaching staff totals 64 members. It is an accomplished team of efficient and highly-qualified specialists and fellow-workers. Among them there are 2 Honoured Teachers of Ukraine, 1 1 senior teachers, 19 teachers-methodists, 43 teachers of the highest-qualification category. Eighteen teachers are Winners of the Excellence in Teaching Award of diffrent levels. Nadiya Vassylivna Ananieva, Honoured teacher of Ukraine, Ph.D. in Pedagogy, the Deputy Principal, was awarded the Order of Princess Olga for her personal contribution to socio-economic and cultural development of Ukraine as well as high achievements in professional field. Three teachers are Winners of tshe Teacher of the Year Contest, which is a well-known all-Ukrainian annual event.

The FCG body of students totals 622 pupils aged 6 through 17. They receive good academic education in gymnasia. Our pupils often win various Olympiads, which proves both our students' assiduous work and our teachers' efficiency. The gymnasia is also known for its traditional holidays - International Theatre Week, during which our pupils stage performances in different foreign languages; International Earth Day; International Elderly People Day; Day of Knowledge; the Last Bell Ceremony; the School Queen Ball, and some others, traditionally favourite with both teachers and pupils.

Our slogan reads: ALWAYS FIRST!

According to the gymnasia philosophy every pupil is unique; he or she may study after different methods of teaching & with a convenient tempo of learning. The gymnasia will provide its pupils with the best of modern methods of teaching that are aimed at reaching the highest goals. The teachers ought to be a positive example for pupils & cultivate in them such traits of character as independence of thought, respect for others, thoughtfulness & tolerance.

Our gymnasia is a magnet school for the Institute of Pedagogy of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine. Its research theme is "Organizational - pedagogical foundations of new education technologies implementation in a polylingual school".

Its problem — solving topic is "Through innovative activites and civic education to a polylingual school of international level".

Defined, substantiated and experimentally proved at the gymnasia are:

• the conception of a polylingual gymnasia functioning; the model of a polylingual gymnasia functioning;
• Dialogue of Cultures scientific - methodological and upbringing program;
• the gualities of a polylingual gymnasia graduate;
• the level - functioning managerial structure of a polylingual gymnasia;
• regulations of assessment of students' activities (by rating).