The inter-school stage of the citywide readers’ competition “Winged by the Word” was held at the Levi Yitzchak Schneerson Jewish Lyceum No. 144, the leading educational institution of the Dnipro Jewish Community. The event brought together students from nearly thirty Dnipro educational institutions. Young participants presented insightful performances in the genres of artistic reading and recitation, demonstrating a genuine love for the word, poetry, and Ukrainian culture.
The event gained particular significance with the participation of a representative from the Dnipro City Council’s Department of Humanitarian Policy, Maryna Ratushna, the Chief Specialist of the General Secondary Education Sector within the Department of Educational Activities of the Education Directorate. She congratulated the contestants and personally presented the awards, emphasizing the importance of supporting talented children and developing creative initiatives among schoolchildren even in the challenging conditions of our time.
Participants performed in three age categories, and their skill was evaluated by an independent professional jury. The panel included Olga Voronko, a consultant in the Language and Literature Education Area of the “Center for Professional Development ‘Educational Trajectory'”, Olena Kostenko, a consultant in the Foreign Language Area of the same center, as well as Natalia Proshchenko, Director of Preschool Education Institution No. 115 (the “Bais Tzindlicht” Early Childhood Center). The jury members faced the difficult task of selecting the best among a large number of bright and emotional performances.
A special page of the competition was the “Poetry Without Borders” category, which included children with special educational needs. Their performances moved the audience with particular sincerity and depth, and all participants in this category were recognized with certificates and memorable sweet gifts.
The lyceum experienced special joy from the results of its students, who achieved the highest placements in various age categories. Among the younger schoolchildren, victory was won by Arina Buzhanska, a 3rd-grade student. Among the middle age group, the best was Michael Zolotarevsky, a 5th-grade student. Among the high school students, first place was taken by Daniel Medyany, an 11th-grade student. Their mentors played a significant role in preparing the winners, helping the children to reveal their creative potential and feel confident on stage.
“I want to express sincere gratitude to every single participant, for your courage to step up to the microphone and your ability to live poetry with your heart is already a great gift. And although the competition rules oblige us to choose only one winner, your main reward is not even in the applause, but in that moment when the audience held its breath listening to you, in the genuine admiration of the audience for your talents, and in the words of thanks for the inspiration you gave,” noted the Lyceum Director, Olena Krasnova. “Such competitions help children not only to discover their talents but also to learn empathy, to feel the beauty of language, and to share the light of their soul with others. For the opportunity to hold such events and support the creative development of children, even in such a difficult time, we wholeheartedly thank the Dnipro City Council and the Mayor of our city, Boris Filatov.”
