Month: December 2025

From 8 to 12 December, our school hosted expromt concerts. Each class had the opportunity to step on stage and perform their own song.The performances were truly varied: from calm lyrical compositions to bright and exciting numbers. Some classes made costumes, others added dance elements to the song – giving each performance its own character and mood.

Improvised concerts filled the school with a warm and creative atmosphere. We thank all the performers and their class teachers for their contribution to creating a festive atmosphere and bringing a real New Year spirit to the school.

Yevgenia Zovmer

This week saw a rather unexpected exchange of New Year greetings between TTRK students and students from Kharkiv School for Children with Special Needs No 12. It all started when former Kharkiv resident Anželika Ibrahimova, who now lives in Lithuania, took part in an Erasmus+ education project in October 2025, where she got to know a project participant from Estonia – TTRK teacher Igor Kalakauskas. On the eve of New Year and Christmas, Anželika appealed to everyone she had met in Tallinn (representatives of seven countries) to support the students of this school.

Those who have been following the situation regarding Russia’s attack on Ukraine know that almost every night there are rocket and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. The city of Kharkiv, just thirty kilometres from the Russian border, is no exception. School No. 12 was attacked by Russia in July 2022, and the building suffered significant damage as a result of that bombing, as well as subsequent attacks. This did not, however, prevent the school, which, incidentally, is attended by visually impaired children, from functioning.

In addition, Anželika Ibrahimova is the founder and leader of Asteriks, a Kharkiv-based youth volunteering organisation for high school and university students. The members of “Asterix” help children with disabilities in boarding schools in Kharkiv and the region. Special School No. 12 is one of the boarding schools whose students were unable to evacuate, many staying in the city on the frontline.

Igor Kalakauskas, with the support of 3rd grade teachers Alla Vares, Olesya Ofitserova and Ella Polovinchyuk, recorded a New Year’s Eve performance by TTRK 3rd grade students for the 3rd and 4th graders of Kharkiv School on 4 December. This video clip was published on Youtube and a link was sent to Ukraine. 8. On 5 December, those who were approached by our Year 3 students (and these were personal appeals to each of the 15 students) saw the video and couldn’t help but respond. 9. On 1 December, TTRK students saw a video map of Kharkov sent in response.

For ethical reasons, we do not consider it appropriate to provide a direct link to both videos, but only provide screenshots. However, we feel it is necessary to note that the spontaneous exchange of congratulations was intended to create what is commonly referred to as empathy in Estonian schoolchildren. We know that many of those who watched these videos could not hold back tears – so sincere were the children’s emotions in these videos.

We are all familiar, to one degree or another, with the horrors of a war that has been going on for almost four years. But we often forget that it did not only affect the military, but also ordinary people. It hit children particularly hard, who lost loved ones and were forced to leave their homes. In our school, children of Ukrainian refugees are enrolled in almost every class. Therefore, the story of this video exchange can be seen as a lesson in humanity.

We would like to express our gratitude not only to the teachers and students of TTRK, but also to the parents of our students who helped the children to find the right words.

On the 9th of December, a group of several dozen 5th-8th graders, together with four teachers and three parents, made an unforgettable field trip to the Finnish capital Helsinki. The whole expedition was organised by history teacher Igor Kalakauskas.

To go to Helsinki is to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of modern European culture with its unique architecture. The young excursionists saw the famous cathedral in Senate Square, the unusual monument to the composer Jean Sibelius and the rock-cut Temple Church, and visited a Christmas market. Each sight was a vivid illustration of history, geography, music and art lessons.

One of the most memorable and “tasty” moments of the programme was the visit to the guest centre of the world-famous company Fazer. Here, theory met practice in the sweetest way! The young people not only learned about the history of the legendary Finnish brand, but also got a closer look at the process of creating masterpieces of confectionery. The visit culminated in a tasting session, where everyone could appreciate the subtle flavours of chocolate, the variety of caramel and even try traditional Finnish liquorice. The pleasure was boundless!

But there was no need to be bored on the way back. Igor Kalakauskas had prepared a quiz on Finnish history and customs for the young travellers. The youngsters recalled the names of the country’s prominent historical figures, important dates and events, actively competing in their erudition. It was a great way to consolidate the new knowledge acquired during the day.

Photo by Inna Rüü, Maria Leosk, Irma Grigorjeva, Igor Kalakauskas