Orange County Turkish School
2nd Annual Children’s Day Celebration Report
23 Nisan Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı Kutlama Raporu
23 Nisan Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı Orange County Turk Okulumuz’un ikinci yilinda da, yoğun bir coşku ve 150’den fazla katılımla 26 Nisan gunu kutlandı. Kutlamalar program sunuculari Semrin Aleckson’in ve Melis Kocyigit'in hosgeldiniz konusmasi ile acildi. Semrin cocuklar adina dedi ki " Bugün burada Atamız’ı ve bize emanetini bir kere daha anıyoruz. Ve ona yine bir kere daha teşekkür ediyoruz, bize karanlıktan aydınlığa çıkan yolu gösterdiği için..." Melis de su sozleri ekledi: “Ataturk’u kelimelere sigdirmak, cumlelerle anlatmak cok mumkun degil aslinda… Sayfalarca yazilsa, saatlerce konusulsa; yine de bitmeyecek bir kitap Ataturk….” Misafirlerin de katilimi ile Turk Ulusal Marsimizi, ardından da Deniz Bora Barnar’in esliginde andimizi tum ogrencilerimiz coskuyla soylediler. Ulu onderimiz Ataturk’u tanitan bir sunumun ardindan, Okul Direktorumuz Aysu Tazebay, okulumuzun bu yilki basarilarindan, sinif ve ogrenci sayilarinin ikiye katlanmasindan, 300 kitap iceren yeni kutuphanesinden ve yeni kurulan folklor ekibimizden bahsetti. Ayrica, okulumuzun basarilarinda emegi gecen degerli ogretmenlerimizi ve komite uyelerimizi tanitarak, tum gonullulere ve finansorlere desteklerinden dolayi tesekkur etti.
Program Los Angeles Baskonsoloslugu Sayin Egitim Atasesi Nazmi Ak’in ve Sayin Baskonsolos Hakan Tekin’in mutluluk ve gurur dolu konusmalari ve kutlamalari ile devam etti. Bu vesile ile, sayin Egitim Atasemiz’e ve sayin Baskonsolosumuz’a okulumuza kurulusundan bu yana gostermis olduklari desteklerinden dolayi sonsuz tesekkurlerimizi iletiriz.
Açılış konuşmalarinin ardindan Minikler ve Yildizlar siniflari ogrencilerimiz 23 Nisan sarkilari ve Ataturk konulu şiirler okudular. Minikler sinifi oğrencilerimiz ogretmenleri Hande Can’in hazırlamış oldugu Ataturk’un essiz kisiligini tanitan ve Ataturk’un onemli sozlerini iceren bir program sundular. Program Okul Direktorumuz Aysu Tazebay’in hazirladigi, Ataturk’un Turkiye Cumhuriyeti’nin modernlesmesinde cok buyuk etkisi olan devrimlerinden saltanatin kaldirilmasi, sapka ve kiyafet, kadinlara taninan medeni haklar ve harf devrimleri gibi onemli inkilaplarinin Semrin, Melis, Atakan, Burak, Ruya, ve Hikmet tarafindan piyes olarak sunumu ile devam etti.
Okulumuzun yeni folklor ekibi, ogretmenleri Rabia Hidirlar’in ve Ercan Ozbek’in liderliginde, cok sevilen Çayda Çıra ve Atabari halk oyunlarimizi oynadilar. Rengarenk kostumleri icinde goz kamastiran folklor ekibimiz, misafirler tarafindan coskuyla alkislandilar.
Resim ogretmenimiz Ciler Cetinel-Ciftci’nin onderliginde ogrencilerimiz tarafindan hazirlanan resim sergisi ve birbirinden guzel hediye sepetleri ve hediye kartlari dagitilan raffle cekilisi etkinligimizin onemli birer parcasiydi. Yaklaşık 4 saat süren etkinlik cocuklarin sihirbaz esliginde eglenmeleri, baklava, borek, ve cay servisi ve kermes ile devam etti.
Etkinlik finansorlerimiz Arzu ve Adem Kocyigit’e, bagli oldugumuz cati dernegimiz Association of Turkish Americans of Southern California’ya (ATASC), bu etkinligin tum dunyaya duyurulmasinda emegi gecen DFH Network’e, comert bagislarda bulunan diger katilimcilara, velilerimize, gorevlerini mukemmel bir sekilde yerine getiren degerli Turk Okulu ogrencilerimize, emegi gecen gonullu tum dostlarimiza bu mukemmel gune katkilarindan dolayi sonsuz tesekkurlerimizi iletiriz.
Okul yonetim komitesi olarak, zengin Turk kultur, gelenek ve degerlerimizi Orange County’de yasayan Turk toplumu uyelerine, ozellikle 1. ve 2. nesil Turk-Amerikan kokenli cocuklarimiza, yasatmaktan dolayi mutluluk ve gurur duyarak, sizlerin de destegi ile daha nice ulusal bayramlarimizi birlikte kutlamayi dileriz.
Cekilis ve kermesden elde edilen gelirin tamami okulun yarari ve gelismesi icin kullanilacaktir. Kutlamalar ile ilgili daha fazla resim icin okul websayfamizda 23 Nisan Fotoğrafları linkini tıklayabilirsiniz: http://www.octurkishschool.org/
Saygilarimizla,
Orange County Turk Okulu Yonetim Komitesi
Orange County Turkish School celebrated its second Children’s Day festivities on April 26th, 2008 with the attendance of more than 150 guests. Semrin Aleckson and Melis Kocyigit, who were the co-presenters of the program, welcomed guests with the following opening remarks: “Today, we will remember and honor the founder of Turkish Republic and his legacy. Once again, we thank him for leading us to enlightenment and paving the road to democracy.” The event continued with singing of the Turkish National Anthem with participation from the audience followed by Deniz Bora Barnar leading our students’ reciting the Türk Andı.
After a presentation about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his notable words, our School Director Aysu Tazebay talked about this year’s successes and stated that our school doubled its number of students and classes, launched a library containing more than 300 books, and developed a Turkish folk dance group. Aysu Tazebay, also introduced our teachers, and school committee to our community and concluded her speech by thanking all of our financial supporters and volunteers.
Two of our notable guests: Mr. Nazmi Ak, the Educational Attaché representing the Los Angeles Consul General, and Mr. Hakan Tekin Consul General of Turkey, Los Angeles, also mentioned how they were proud of our school, its mission, and its contributions to the Turkish-American community in this area. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them for honoring us with their presence and for their continued support of our school.
Following the opening speeches, guests had a chance to watch our Minikler (little ones) class and their program presenting Ataturk’s unparalleled character, his accomplishments, and his notable words. Our program continued with a PIYES, created by School Director Aysu Tazebay, depicting some of the key social and political reforms implemented by Ataturk. Our students, Semrin, Melis, Atakan, Burak, Ruya, and Hikmet, reminded us the importance of these reforms and their great role in modernizing Turkey.
Our folklore teachers Rabia Hidirlar and Ercan Ozbek proudly introduced our new folklore group in their colorful ethnic costumes to present Çayda Çıra and Atabari. All of our guests were impressed with our students’ successful show. As always, our students were the “stars” of our program.
Our art teacher Ciler Cetinel-Ciftci and our Minikler Class amazed our guests with their art exhibition, where Ataturk was portrayed in the way that our students imagine him.
At the end of the program, everyone joined the raffle to support the Turkish School, where guests had a chance to win beautiful gift baskets and many other gifts. Our program, which lasted more than four hours, concluded with a magic show, delicious Turkish food, and Kermes.
We would like to thank our financial supporters Arzu and Adem Kocyigit; our parent organization Association of Turkish Americans of Southern California’ya (ATASC); and DFH Network for promoting and advertising our event and school, our contributors and parents for their generous donations; our students who are the soul of our school, and our friends who continuously support the school.
Our school committee is proud to provide this service to our community by offering classes where rich Turkish culture, history, traditions, and values are taught particularly to the 1st and 2nd generation Turkish-American youth to help them connect with their heritage as well as adults and general public. We hope to continue this tradition at our school and celebrate many Children’s Days with our community’s support in the upcoming years.
All proceeds from this event will be used to further develop the Orange County Turkish School and its efforts to provide better opportunities for our students. To view more pictures from this event, please visit our website at: http://www.octurkishschool.org/
Best Regards,
Orange County Turkish School Committee
Orange County Turkish American Association
