The Brass Orchestra rehearsed in the old building. Their hands were frozen and they had to warm them up on an old heater.  And our choir? We sent them to an international competition in Prague where they competed with 28 choirs from all over the world. And these 14 girls brought back the silver medal. Guess who won the gold. The Slovenian National Radio Choir! 14 girls from Varshets, from our school which is not even a music school competed with a national radio choir! Our talents are also involved in the Stars of Varshets theater group, dance groups and a marching band.

We have other stars, too. Our teacher in physics, Radka Kostadinova organizes an Astro-party each year. The best astronomers of Bulgaria come to our school and through play and lectures bring space one step closer to our students.  Children are very curious to explore other worlds – planets and galaxies – and this curiosity leads them to success. Our students won 3rd place in an astronomy competition of the Bulgarian Academy of Science.

Half of our students are Roma, most of them are at risk.  Our job is difficult: to include them, to make them stay and to educate them.  They come from the primary school in the Roma neighborhood.  At first, it is hard for them to fit in.  With the support from the America for Bulgaria Foundation, we hosted a summer school where through games and fun lessons, the students catch up with their peers and have an equal start in the new school year.  Last year, two of our Roma students participated successfully in the International Roma Olympiad.  

With the support of the Schools of the Future Program of ABF, we we renovated our gym and now after the sports classes, it turns into a wonderful performance hall with a stage, lights and sound equipment of the best quality.  We completely renovated the physics classroom with the most modern equipment, including a telescope. No one is cold anymore. And the stars are not so far away.  

Ani Angelova, Principal, Ivan Vazov School, Vatshets