Polish School Celebrates 40 Years

Walnut Creek, California

The John Paul II School of Polish Language, based in Walnut Creek, California will celebrate 40 years of language, culture and arts education on Saturday, March 15^th at 4:30pm at the Diablo Room at Rossmoor in Walnut Creek. Current faculty, former teachers, and graduates will all gather to share memories and honor those who have contributed to the success of the school. Coffee, tea and desserts will be served. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

The school opened in 1967 offering children and adults living in American society access to Polish language and cultural education. Enriching their lives with Polish history and heritage provides with a closer identity to their roots and family traditions. These experiences also create links and bonds with others within the Polish American community which can lead to travel, higher education and career opportunities.

Since the opening of the school, more than 1000 students have enrolled. 90% of graduates have moved onto higher education using their foreign language credits during college entrance. 200 students at the school have participated in worldwide folk dance competitions and exhibitions, including such events at World Day in Dublin, California and dance festivals in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Poetry and other literary arts are a large portion of the curriculum and students of the school have participated in five theatre performances within the San Francisco Bay Area. The school boasts among its alumni such professionals as engineers, doctors and even an opera performer.

Children as young as three years old are enrolled in the Polish language and culture classes at the Walnut Creek campus which assembles every other Saturday from September to June. Statistically it has been proven that children who learn a second language under the age of ten are more likely to speak it natively and will retain it better over the course of their lives than those who learn later. There is also considerable data which supports the concept that learning a second (or third) language early in life promotes more successful learning in a child’s native language (English). Higher SAT scores, advanced problem-solving skills and even higher mathematics achievements have all been cited.

The John Paul II School of Polish Language is a non-profit organization and has been chartered with the education and continuation of Polish language and culture since 1967. Enriching the lives of the children and adults within the Polish-American community with Polish history and heritage provides them with a closer identity to their roots and family traditions. These experiences also create links and bonds with others within the Polish-American community which can lead to travel, higher education and career opportunities.

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