Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all classes are currently offered online. We are closely monitoring the situation and will review the options for in-person learning when public health officials advise it is safe. The safety and will being of our students is our number one priority!
The Juliusz Słowacki Polish School is located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood in the historic Polish Home building. Our students are children from Polish and “mixed” families, as well as English-speaking adults. Under the guidance of dedicated, experienced teachers they learn to read, write and speak Polish. They also learn about Polish history, traditions and culture. The classes are taught in a pleasant atmosphere, but with a serious approach to the material.
We welcome everyone who wishes to learn Polish in Seattle.
The idea of starting a Polish School was initiated by Jan Cieslar, a teacher by profession who taught at Polish refugee camps in Germany. As soon as he arrived in Seattle in 1951, he embarked on his mission of providing Polish education, at first by offering private tutoring. After a while he gained the support and trust of the Polish community and opened the Polish School at the Polish Home in Seattle. At that time the school was attended by around forty students – both children and adults. The most recognized teachers of that time were Jan Cieslar, Jozefina Misztoft, Jozef Lopatto, Martha Golubiec, and Barbara Strutynski. The school thrived for three decades, but closed for six years after Jan Cieslar’s death.
“The idea of once again organizing the Polish School to teach Polish language skills and Polish history was born in 1989,” recalls Ireneusz Predki. In 1990 he did the administrative work required to start the school up again: he set forth the school’s statute, completed its registration, and on September 4th of that year classes began with thirty-five students in attendance. The school offered education to preschoolers, children from kindergarten through middle school, and adults, and used a strong academic curriculum adapted from the Polish Teachers’ Association in Chicago.
During summer vacations of 2006 and 2007, thirty students and parents participated in a Polish language camp organized by Krystyna Swietlicka at the Cascades Camp and Conference Center in Yelm; the 2008 camp was organized by Anna Babcock. Over the years our students have participated in competitions about the legacy of Jόzef Piłsudski, Independence Day, Polish poets, and an art contest among Polish schools across the country. For two years, during her work at our school, Anna Cholewinska published the school’s monthly paper, Kleks (Ink Blot). Also, at the initiative of Maria Grabowska, for the past fifteen years the school has hosted an annual party for all children and adults in the Seattle Polish community. In 2017, in addition to fun and games, there was a performance by the puppet theater Jester from Vancouver, BC.Victoria
“I would strongly recommend the Polish school to students at any level. After a year, I went from not speaking a word of Polish to being able to have a conversation, order food, and shop at a store in Polish. Ania is an excellent teacher, the books and online material are very helpful and the classes are always engaging!”
Sam
I love my Polish class! It’s amazing to see the progress that our class has made over the course of a year from not even knowing how to introduce ourselves, to now being able to hold a conversation in the language. Ania puts a lot of effort into making the classes engaging and ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to practice speaking. In addition to learning the language, we also go beyond the textbook and learn about Polish culture and the country, which has been really fascinating. I highly recommend the class to anyone with an interest in Polish language and culture.
