Edukacja – Ewa Drobek

GAP SYMPOSIUM

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were remarkable days for the Żmichowska Śpiewa project team, as we spent them at the 54th Scientific Symposium in Ustroń, the GAP Symposium. Our presence aimed to showcase the talents of our students and the concept behind the Żmichowska Śpiewa project. We received this prestigious invitation last December from one of Poland's most renowned economists, Professor Jerzy Hausner. The surprise event, kept secret until Friday, turned out to be a great success, as far as I could tell from the hallway conversations.

The experiences that followed are still overwhelming and hard to fully comprehend or put into words. It was a time of meetings, engaging conversations, genuine curiosity about others, the joy of sharing knowledge, and an incredible synergy between professors and students. Professor Adam Rotfeld's masterful lecture was phenomenal. The opportunity to meet and converse with the presidents of Poland's leading companies and establish contacts was invaluable. And 'Śpiewogranie' – a beautiful, indescribably extraordinary event. It was also a special moment to meet Pavlopavo, the author of my favorite 'Mikrotyki.'

These three days were about recharging our batteries and instilling faith in our hearts that change is possible, that we can build a different kind of education. A heartfelt thank you for the invitation and the chance to be a part of this extraordinary initiative.

A special thanks to Iza Kurlanda, Marlena Bujniak, Natalia Smaś, and Janek Pentz for pouring their hearts out on stage and significantly promoting our school. Our conversations, singing together, and dancing further convinced us of the importance, beauty, and warmth of the relationships we share.

Professor, I will take your advice to heart... I will strive to emulate the Master in my actions.

Visitng Pope Francis

Visitng Pope Francis

October 2021 made dreams come true that we could not even have dreamed of.

Together with the representatives of the Żmichowska Śpiewa project, Piotr Zubek and Janek Pentz, we went to the Vatican to sing for Pope Francis. The boys presented songs of Astor Piazzolla, the Pope's favorite repertoire. I broke the walls of the Vatican to make this dream come true.

Zagraliśmy dla bezdomnych w noclegowni. To był niesamowity koncert. Dla takich emocji robię projekt Żmichowska Śpiewa. Dla tych chwil, kiedy możemy dać cząstkę siebie i odrobinę radości drugiemu człowiekowi, okazać mu szacunek, odpłacić za dobro, które dostaliśmy.

We also played for the Ursuline Sisters in the convent where we slept. The boys probably never heard such kindness, so many beautiful words!

The next day we visited Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner - an amazing man who is truly close to people and solves their real problems. Within 4 minutes, he brought his entire office and the homeless who were waiting for a meal to the corridor of his office, so that not only he, but also his employees and the poor, could listen to the concert in thanks for his help in organizing this trip. This great cardinal restores faith in people and the church as an institution that sees the people...

We could also feel the breath of the Eternal City for a moment, amazingly empty at this time of the year. We also had the honor of going down to the Necropolis, several meters underground and seeing the tomb of Saint Peter, as well as visiting the Vatican Gardens. We participated in the mass - the memory of John Paul II in St. Peter's Basilica.

There was a lot of excitement and there were tears of happiness.

We have established many contacts that may become the beginning of a longer cooperation.

One thing is for sure, the city and the people welcomed us with open arms. We tried to pay back the same!

If being a teacher is about creating a space for development and teaching young people how to be good people, then this time, with the help of many wonderful people, I have succeeded.

I'm about to turn 45 and I feel that maybe only now that I understood what it means to be a teacher - mentor.