[ti:Ukraine's Children Celebrate First Day of School, But Missiles Still Fly]
[al:Education Report]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2024-09-04]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]Schoolchildren in the southern Ukrainian city Zaporizhzhia celebrated the traditional first day of school on Sunday. 
[00:11.33]The ceremonies began just hours after warnings of Russian air raids sounded through the city.
[00:21.01]Zaporizhzhia is just 40 kilometers from the war's front.
[00:28.38]That danger is never far from the minds of teachers and families at one of the city's schools.
[00:37.75]Russian artillery and missiles strike there so often that local officials were forced to ban large gatherings. 
[00:49.21]Only students starting their first and last years could take part in the ceremony.
[00:57.81]The Associated Press is not identifying the school for security reasons.
[01:04.65]The children wore traditional Ukrainian clothing and carried flowers.
[01:11.21]Each first year student held the hand of a final year student in a small parade.
[01:19.44]The school once had 800 students but about 300 fled the city seeking safer places. 
[01:28.16]The remaining children alternate one week of study at school with one week of online study.
[01:37.56]That is because the school's bomb shelter can hold only around 250 people.
[01:46.21]That shelter is about 75 meters away from the main school building, across an open playground.
[01:56.07]School director Kostiantyn Lypskyi said the youngest students work in a classroom just above the underground shelter.
[02:08.13]The rest of the school operates in the main building.
[02:12.48]"We prepared everything for the new school year. We equipped the bunker in case of air alarms, so children will have a safe space because our school will continue lessons during the air raid alarms in the bunker," he said.
[02:32.69]Sunday's ceremony went on without problems.
[02:37.15]Olha Komarova-Lesko is the mother of an 11th grader and a 6th grader.
[02:44.32]She said she was hopeful for the coming school year. She sees it as the best solution for the present conditions.
[02:55.70]"We are happy that the children had the chance to go to the celebration today just as in the prewar times," she said, "This is really exciting and joyful."
[03:10.81]Russia launched large numbers of missiles and drones on the capital Kyiv Monday, wounding three people and damaging schools.
[03:22.20]On Tuesday, Russian missiles killed at least 41 people and wounded over 180 in Poltova, a city in the central eastern part of Ukraine.
[03:37.02]I'm Caty Weaver.