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DEAR STUDENTS,

TEACHERS AND PARENTS

Today is a bright holiday because we are once again on the threshold of our school! On this day we are along the path of knowledge and unite our will and effort to make the Bulgarian education better.

DEAR FIRST GRADERS,

Today for the first time you will hear the school bell and you will find a new world of knowledge and communication in front of you. Do not be afraid to ask and seek answers to all the questions you're interested in. Your teachers and parents will be constantly next to you, giving you the necessary support and love.

DEAR STUDENTS,

Years in school are our start in life. Use them to learn the most important lessons - how to be good and tolerant people, how to achieve your dreams, how to work in a team and helping your peers. Years in school create the most sincere and long friendships. Follow them with happy moments and love for knowledge.

DEAR PARENTS

Good education gives you the opportunity to have a  successful career and start in life. Support your children, believe in their success and be an integral part of school life!

DEAR COLLEAGUES - TEACHERS,

We turn to you with an honour to your undying spirit of being missionaries and educators, to honour the energy you put to form a unique universe in the soul of each student.

Center "Amalipe" will continue to be your friend and will support your efforts to preserve and develop schools, to improve the quality of education in them, turning them into a community center!

We will be next to you to deal with the challenges of the new Act on pre-school and school education, because quality education for all children is an investment in the better future of Bulgaria!

Because we all live on one address "The success of every child"!

Good luck!

 The team of Center "Amalipe"                                     September 15, 2016

The team of Amalipe Center are the lucky ones who each year experience its unique and unforgettable September 15 because we enjoy thousands of children\'s smiles from all parts of Bulgaria, the hope of many successes and warm teachers\' eyes. We are grateful to all schools involved in the program \"Every student will be a winner\", funded by the Trust for social achievement that once again made us part of the magic of the first day and the first bell, along with a number of ambassadors and representatives of national, regional and local institutions.

Center \"Amalipe\" will continue to be your friend and will support your efforts to preserve and develop schools, to improve the quality of education in them, turning them into a kind of community center!

Because we all live on one address \"The success of every child\"!

And more information on this exciting day at the schools, part of the program \"Every student will be a winner\" you can see the page www.romaeducation.com

School bell will mark the beginning of the academic year 2016/2017 in 240 schools participating in the educational program of Centre "Amalipe" - "Every student will be a winner" The ambassadors of Switzerland and the Netherlands, Deputy Education Minister Krassimir Kiriakov, Ombudsman Maya Manolova, Director of the Center for educational integration and officials from state institutions and embassies will visit some of the schools and will bring many children's smiles and joy to express their support of parents, students and teachers from partner schools.

Current information about festivities and guests is available at www.romaeducation.com

"Every student will be a winner" is a long-term program implemented by Amalipe and supported by the Trust for social achievement. The main activities are focused on dropout prevention and keeping Roma children in school, improving education results, increasing the number of reintegrated (enrolled back in school) children significantly increase the percentage of Roma youth who continue their education in secondary schools.

The main group targeted by the program activities are over 40,000 students (of whom more than 20 000 are Roma children) from I to VIII grade in 196 schools during the academic year 2015/2016  (177 primary and 19 associated schools). Activities include also their parents and relatives and the wider community.

Achieved results of the program up to date:

· Participating 196 schools in the network "Mission Amalipe";

· Students involved in "Ethnic Folklore - Roma folklore" - 4151

· Formed student councils / parliaments in 168 schools, enrolled about 1721 students;

· Included 1040 students - mentors;

· Included nearly 1,400 parents in parenting clubs at schools;

· Included nearly 2,500 teachers in seminars, training and other initiatives;

· Over 2,000 guests, students and parents at the Children Roma Festival "Open Heart";

· Working with about 500 pupils at risk - children at risk;

The results of the 2015/2016 school year include:

- The percentage of dropouts for the year was 0.78% (282 students), which is very much below the national average. In 109 schools there is not a single dropout;

- Increased educational results;

- Increased number of students, continuing their education in secondary schools to 80% of the basic graduates

More information and a detailed analysis of the results, see in the section "Publications" on http://amalipe.com/index.php?nav=publications&lang=1

During the academic year 2015 - 2016, the program was implemented in 196 schools. Due to increased interest from September 2016 it will include 240 schools nationwide.

Trust for social achievement (TSA) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to break the vicious circle of poverty by promoting opportunities that help the most disadvantaged citizens of Bulgaria to achieve educational and economic success. TSA supports programs for its integrity, growth potential and transparency help to improve the welfare of the poorest people in Bulgaria, with a special focus on Roma

CIDT "Amalipe" with the support of the Regional Education Institution Veliko Tarnovo held a regional meeting of directors of kindergartens of 4 districts from Central North Bulgaria working on the program "Ready for School", supported by Trust for social achievement. The workshop involved representatives of REI - Veliko Tarnovo and REI - Shumen, representatives of municipal administrations from municipalities, implementing the project activities, representatives of Center "Amalipe" Veliko Tarnovo, and  Association "Pleven Public Fund - Community Centers".

Participants in the meeting were welcomed by Ms. Rosalia Licheva, head of REI Veliko Tarnovo. She turned to the audience with the words: "The beginning of the new school year is a new challenge for all of us. I am glad that here we are representatives from state and municipal structures and representatives of civil society, demonstrating our unified desire to work together in the field of early childhood education in Bulgaria. With Center "Amalipe" we will continue working together on projects and in particular the successful implementation of the project "Ready for School 2016-2017"

During the workshop participants shared their experience in the field of early childhood education, and were discussed upcoming activities during the current academic year. Guidelines for joint work were developed, as well as was done evaluation of the results of the two previous academic years of the project. All directors of kindergartens of the 4 districts expressed a single opinion that thanks to the financial support for the provision of free education, attendance of children from vulnerable communities in childcare facilities has increased. Ms. Boshnakova of  kindergarten "Children's World" in Gorna Oryahovitsa said: "Thanks to the support of the project, we not only increase our attendance, but we were able to reduce the migration of children from one village to another. We managed to motivate parents that early education is the best start to prepare for school. "

The following conclusions emerged of the meeting:

1. It is necessary for the government and local authorities to understand that early education in Bulgaria should be generally available to all children regardless of ethnicity, social status.

2. Children do not attend kindergartens primarily due to financial difficulties of parents and when supported, the attendance is visible.

3. To ensure equal access to early childhood education is necessary to work in a broad coalition between government, local authorities and civil sector.

During the school 2016/2017 year Center Amalipe will work In total of 23 settlements of the regions of Veliko Tarnovo, Shumen, Targovishte and Pleven. During the current school year Center "Amalipe" will support 107 children from Veliko Tarnovo region, 66 children from Pleven, 38 children from Shumen and 25 children from Targovishte. Support includes: payment of fees for kindergartens, Internet fees for kindergartens, payment of medical check ups and provide teaching materials.

Contractor of the project is "Trust for social achievement" (TSA) with the support of the "America for Bulgaria" Foundation. The project is implemented throughout the country in partnership with 16 NGOs.

Project duration: August 2016 / June 2017

Contact information:

Sylvia Boyanova, Project Coordinator, 0884 858 655

Trust for social achievement (TSA) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to break the vicious circle of poverty by promoting opportunities that help the most disadvantaged citizens of Bulgaria to achieve educational and economic success. TSA supports programs for its integrity, growth potential and transparency help to improve the welfare of the poorest people in Bulgaria, with a special focus on Roma