Beryozova Shkola Graduation

The social event of the year, the Beryozova school graduation, took place last Tuesday. I wouldn't miss this for anything. We have poems. We have songs. We have speeches. As a sample, we have the proud kindergarten graduates (complete with mortarboards) reciting poetry:
Possibly they were singing Russian songs; I took pictures but no notes. This year, the high school graduated three girls; they chose pink and black as class colors; mirrored in the reciters (or singers) above. Here are our lovely high school grads:
They were serenaded by the lower grades:

Added value was provided by a puppet show:
These are very bright kids, and they work hard. They collected an incredible assortment of certificates and awards:
The tricolor ribbons are from the "Olympiada" or Olympics, a statewide competition for Russian-language children. The village cleaned up!

This school would not be what it is without its Principal, Margaret.
Margaret is at left in blue, standing with all the graduates: Kindergarten, eighth grade, and high school. At various times, Margaret got to the school on skis, four-wheelers, four-wheel-drive, and walking. It is relatively recently that we have an (almost) all-season road.

Finally, the graduates made their speeches, and were presented with their diplomas.

After this, there was food, Russian food prepared by the proud and hard-working mothers of the village.

The Beryozova school may be small, but it can hold its own -- indeed, is way ahead of -- any factory school that I have seen in Alaska, and most other places to boot. Long may it flourish.