Please take a moment to read this important message from our Headmaster.
Dear Friend of the BSP,
The current situation in Ukraine has had a profound impact on the BSP community. Our charity coordinators and parent supporters have done an enormous amount to provide relief for refugees crossing the border into Poland and for those families who have found themselves in the Paris area through the Saturday free shop initiative. Sadly, there seems to be no speedy solution to the crisis and the school is looking at ways in which longer term support can be given to displaced families.
On Monday 28th March the BSP welcomed four Ukrainian pupils to the school. The pupils are living locally, and we are pleased to be able to provide continuity of education for these young people. More are set to join us in the coming weeks. At the present time we are only welcoming students who can join our mainstream classes but we have plans to open a Ukrainian class later this term.
I know that there are many people, local and international, who would like to help support young people affected by the current conflict but perhaps aren’t in a position to open their home or empty their closets of unwanted clothing. I’m writing to you today to provide you with two ways of helping these students who have lost so much.
STUFF FOR SCHOOL
Our four new students have left their homes with little more than the clothes they were wearing. They are all looking to the future and their evident commitment to wanting to learn and be part of the school is nothing short of inspiring.
The BSP is providing free tuition, use of the bus service and lunch. Young people today work best when they have certain tools for the job, the school provides the education but to access learning in its broadest sense these young people need more. Would you be willing to help fund additional stationery, a laptop computer, an iPad, a new pair of trainers for sport, or even a bike for example? We want our new friends to have the opportunity to participate as fully as possible in school life and we also want them to know how much we value them. If you would like to commit for the longer term, would you be willing to support the costs of a Ukrainian pupil at the school through a monthly direct debit of 15 Euros for the next eighteen months? Funds raised this way will be used to provide support for field trips, equipment, and other school necessities. The school will continue to support tuition fees for as long as these young people are with us.
To make a one-off donation or to make a monthly contribution, please click here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/…
Not everyone is able to make a grand gesture – I can’t tell you how much a smaller one will be appreciated by these young people who have lost so much. We are in a position to assist them in releasing their ambitions.
THE UKRAINIAN CLASS
Many children in the age range 7 to 11 years old have left Ukraine and find themselves in France with no French and little if any English. They are not in a position to access our lessons without the chance to learn some more English. We have been fortunate to identify a suitably trained Ukrainian primary school teacher and a similarly qualified English and French language teacher who would like to join us here in Croissy to provide this much needed tuition. Our aim is to make these refugee pupils ready for education in France next September be it at The British School or somewhere else in France. Sadly the current conflict does not look like it will end soon. The BSP is able to provide a fully equipped classroom, bus travel, meet all employee social charges (60% of salary) and lunches for the pupils and staff – we need help in providing a salary for our Ukrainian teachers. The class will run for two months and the base salary cost for teachers is 14,008 Euros. After this vital educational intervention the pupils will be ready to join mainstream classes.
Our community has done an enormous amount to relieve the short-term suffering of these innocent families. We have to look to the medium term and ensure that these children are in a position to continue with their education despite having lost so much and suffered so significantly.
As an international community we recognise the vital importance of school for the wellbeing of children and I would ask that you think carefully about contributing to this appeal. Your donation will have life-changing effects not only for the children but for our Ukrainian teachers too. We welcome individual and corporate sponsors.
Thank you for taking the time to read this appeal. Any donation you can offer will help to ensure that young people who are suffering through no fault of their own are given a chance to experience some normality, to ensure that they have a place where they can be supported and where they can continue with their education. We have benefitted from having access to a good education. Please help us to help others whose learning has been disrupted and whose family life has been upended in such a brutal fashion.
Please consider making a donation, every little helps and we are certainly not averse to accepting a large amount of help either! Just click here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/…
Yours sincerely,
Nicholas Hammond
