Moni's last year at school

Thirteen years ago today, just weeks after our family arrived in Warsaw, Moni started school. When I took her picture on the first day of the new school year, she for some reason adopted this unusual pose. Since then, each year, I've taken her photograph in the same place, with Moni holding her arms in the same way. Right: 1st September 1997, ul. Gajdy, aged 4 years 8 months. Moni starts at the British School, Warsaw.

Left: 1st September 1998, ul. Gajdy, aged 5 years 8 months. The British School, Year 2. At that time, the school had buildings scattered all over southern Warsaw. In Year 1 and Year 2, Moni's class was on ul. Dąbrowskiego. Note the samovar on fireplace, soon to disappear upstairs. Logs in fireplace for show only, we never once lit it in the four five winters we lived on ul. Gajdy.

Right: 1st September 1999, ul. Gajdy, aged 6 years 8 months, Moni looking as bright as a button. This will be Moni's last year at the British School. Year 3 children were now being taught on ul. Bełska. (Note in background around the fireplace: three different formats of recorded music: 12" vinyl, CDs and music cassettes; all could be played on our old Sony music centre). 

  Left: 1st September 2000, ul. Gajdy, aged 7 years 8 months. Having by now decided we're staying in Poland for good, Moni moves to a Polish school, Przymierza Rodzin im. Jana Pawła II in Ursynów, joining the second year of the elementary school as the youngest child in the class. Born in January, she should have joined year one, but her years at the British School helped her jump a class.

Right: 1st September 2001, ul. Gajdy, aged 8 years 8 months. Przymierza Rodzin's school uniform experiment never took off for some reason. This is our last year at ul. Gajdy. Our new house on ul. Trombity is being completed, amid much wailing and gnashing of teeth and costly delay. We'd move in to the (nearly completed) property on 6 February 2002...

Left: 1st September 2002, for the first time on ul. Trombity, aged 9 years 8 months. Moni's silly grin reveals milk teeth in the process of replacement. In the new house, the toys hitherto in the background have moved to the attic - plenty of space for the children to play there. Vinyl records have also disappeared as the record player in the music centre has packed up.

Right: 1st September 2003, ul. Trombity, aged 10 years 8 months. The really expensive fireplace in the background has only been used once in all the years since we moved in. Sunrise on 1 September is at quarter to six, so plenty of natural light to take the photos before setting off for school. The first day of terms starts at nine rather than eight in any case, so not too great a rush.

Left: 1st September 2004, ul. Trombity, aged 11 years 8 months. Moni's growing up fast, her trademark fringe replaced by a parting, which will return in late 2010. This is Moni's final year at Przymierza Rodzin's elementary school. Polish primary education has six classes for children between the ages of 7 and 12, so starting two years after British children do. Earlier school starts in Poland are still controversial.

Right: 1st September 2005, ul. Trombity, aged 12 years 8 months. Moni is about to start secondary school (gimnazjum) at Przymierza Rodzin. The Polish education system divides secondary schooling into two three-year blocks; gimnazjum, then liceum (the equivalent of British sixth-form college). Gimnazjum is developmentally the hardest time for children.

Left: 1st September 2006, ul. Trombity, aged 13 years 8 months. Second year at gimnazjum, and Moni's growing her hair and developing a taste for literature, music, art and film. Many's the evening that she will sit with me watching the great classics of world cinema. Long black skirt reflects Moni's interest in Judaism at this time (she taught herself the Hebrew alphabet).

Right: 1st September 2007, ul. Trombity, aged 14 years 8 months. Moni's final year at gimnazjum, final year at Przymierza Rodzin. A year of hard work and exams. Days before this photo was taken, Moni cut her hair and dyed it; she's wearing trousers to the first day of school rather than regulation dark skirt. Teenage rebel of the week.

Left: 31st August 2008. Moni, 15 years, 8 months, is starting high school, (Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. J. Kochanowskiego in Mokotów - an hour's journey by bus and Metro or train and tram). This is the start of Moni's final three years at school. School begins with an integration field trip, hence the date (31 August rather than 1 September) and casual attire.

Right: 1st September 2009. Moni, 16 years, 8 months, beginning her second year at Liceum Kochanowskiego. Properly dressed for the first day of school - regulation white blouse, black skirt. Liceum Ogólnokształcące - 'general-shaping high school', no? Two more years, one more photo, then off to university with Madamki!

1st September 2010. Moni, 17 years and 8 months, is about to start her final year at Liceum. Pass her matura exams and Moni will be off to university for five years. Now scroll up to that first photo and look at how Moni's changed from year to year and over the 13 years. And see her here before her Studniówka - the high school dance 100 days before the matura exam.