Being a kid raised in a Polish family, my brother and I were sent to Polish school, three hours every Saturday morning during the regular school year. Since my brother's only a year and a half younger than me, my mother decided thatwe should go to the same class, tha way, in the end, she didn't have to spend an extra year with my brother.

The first six years, elementary school, we had the same teacher, Pani Wladyslawa Slusarczyk, but we called her Pani Wladzia. We attended a school called Polska Szkola Im. Matki Boskiej Czestochowskiej. The building where we had our classes was rented by the polish school, so we actually changed locations during that period.

For Christmas, the entire student body was always involved in recreating the nativity scene. Every student had a part to play, even the smallest and youngest. Singing of Christmas carols was also a must.

At the end of the year, there was also some kind of presentation, usually different poems, sketches, songs to bid farewell to the graduating students and to the school year that just ended.

We also attended 3 years of high school at Polska Szkola Im. Krolowej Jadwigi on St-Denis Street. This school had both elementary and high school levels. We had a different teacher every year and the style of teaching was different.

I believe this was a great thing for my brother and me. We learned to read, to write in Polish, though my brother still has difficulties. We learned a lot about the history, geography and litterature of Poland which we could not have learned at home.