Little Bostonians Giving Thanks in English and Croatian

The Boston Croatian community, including its smallest members, celebrated Thanksgiving at the Croatian School of Boston which this past weekend organized the annual Thanksgiving workshop for children…

Inspired by the Croatian children’s game “Ide maca oko tebe,” teachers created a Thanksgiving-themed game with new features including “puran i bundeva”. Children also made crafts, including the “gratitude turkey.” The feathers revealed what the young ones are thankful for this season: “kolači, prijatelji i naša zemlja” among others.

“The mission of the Croatian School of Boston is to create awareness in our children for their own linguistic and cultural identity starting in early age, and we provide an environment for motivated learning through friendships, games and tailored classes,” said Irena Stanic Rasin, school’s co-founder and director. “We invite all interested families and individuals to join us in our attempt to enrich the lives and experiences of our children.”

Teachers and children of the Croatian School of Boston

Croatian School of Boston provides language and culture instruction to children 2 ½ – 14 years of age, as well as themed workshops, guest lectures and potluck dinners for the Boston’s Croatian community. The school grew out of a successful pilot program started in 2007 by co-founders Irena Stanic Rasin and Irena Matulic under the auspices of New England Friends of Croatia. Language and culture instruction is offered in three age groups, led by teachers Biserka Ralic, Svjetlana Ducharme and Jelena Erceg. Since 2010, Croatian School of Boston has been publishing bilingual and multicultural wall calendars illustrated by students.

The school is now in its eight years of operation. For more information about the school, please visit croatianschoolofboston.org.

Thanksgiving turkey made by students of Croatian School of Boston