In September 2026, at the start of the new school year, Saturday lessons were filled with learning, movement and plenty of fun. The pupils received exercise books with the ‘magic words’ and class rules stuck inside. A chart in the classroom reminds everyone that the magic words include ‘proszę’ (please), ‘dziękuję’ (thank you), ‘przepraszam’ (sorry), ‘dzień dobry’ (good morning), ‘smacznego’ (enjoy your meal), ‘do widzenia’ (goodbye) and ‘na zdrowie’ (bless you), while the rules have been gathered in a ‘Class Code’ under the motto ‘Our class – our rules’.
From sounds to nouns
Next, the children revised what they know about letters, sounds, vowels, consonants and syllables. A letter is a written symbol, while a sound is a unit of speech. In Polish, vowels are written with the letters a, ą, e, ę, i, o, ó, u and y; the Polish ‘y’ always stands for a vowel, whereas in English it is sometimes a consonant, as in the word ‘yes’. This knowledge was reinforced through a movement game: on hearing a letter, pupils moved to the appropriate side of the classroom depending on whether it stood for a vowel or a consonant. They did brilliantly.
In the next lesson, the class learnt about the noun – the part of speech that names people, animals, plants, objects and phenomena – and the questions it answers: ‘kto?’ (who?) and ‘co?’ (what?). They were helped by a ‘magic bag’ full of objects illustrating the new topic – out of it came soft toys, small balls and an apple, among other things. The pupils then completed worksheets and decorated wooden figures to their own designs, which will remind them of the question ‘kto?’ (who?) – mum, dad, a friend.
Cezary, a friend for the whole year
The children also met their class friend, Cezary, who will accompany them throughout the school year, visiting each pupil’s home in turn. In his welcome letter, decorated with a picture of a stork, Cezary encourages them to describe, draw or photograph their shared adventures in a special exercise book. To end the day, the class read the next part of their class reader.
