13 Jan

AZBUKA Foundation is happy to present new clubs for children: Karate and Chess

AZBUKA Foundation Bilingual Education Resource for the wider community is happy to present new clubs for children! Starting on 26th January 2016!

Studio of Japanese Martial Arts Kyokushin Karate

Every Tuesday – term times
17.30 – 18.30 Kyokushin Karate (4-13 yrs). Beginners.
18.30 – 19.30 Kyokushin Karate (7-16 yrs). Advanced.
Price: £7 per class (paid termly)
Instructor: Sensei Max has been teaching Karate, Judo and Ju-Jutsu for the past 12 years in London. He holds dan grades in these three Japanese Martial Arts, 2nd, 1st and 2nd accordingly.
Location: AZBUKA Russian-English Bilingual School, Vernon road, Mortlake, SW14 8NH

Junior Chess Club

Every Tuesday – term times
18.00 – 19.30 – 6+ years old
Price: £10 per class (paid termly)
Instructor: Augustin Madan – International Chess Master with 22 years playing experience and 10 years of coaching.
Location: AZBUKA Russian-English Bilingual School, Vernon road, Mortlake, SW14 8NH

All welcome! English and Russian speaking community.
For more information please contact us by email office@azbukafoundation.org

01 Dec

New Year Party in AZBUKA!

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13 декабря 2015, воскресенье, 16.00 – 19.00.

Russian-English bilingual School and Nursery
Vernon Road
Mortlake/East Sheen
SW14 8NH

Рекомендовано для детей с 3 – 13 лет и, конечно же, для взрослых любых возрастов!

И вновь пришло время самого главного праздника для членов Клуба Азбуки. В этом году он пройдет в здании нашей новой двуязычной школы!

Нам очень приятно, что каждый год это мероприятие пользуется такой популярностью, и что не только дети, но и взрослые получают удовольствие от волшебства этого праздника.

Это мероприятие славится: творческой атмосферой, домашним угощением (его приносят с собой все члены Клуба), театрально-развлекательной программой с традиционным участием Деда Мороза, лотереей, дискотекой и многим другим!

Количество мест в этот раз ограниченное. И все-таки детей, которые не посещают наши школы и детский сад, мы, как всегда, тоже приглашаем на праздник!

Новый Год в Клубе АЗБУКА – одно из самых популярных мероприятий, заказывайте билеты прямо сейчас, их очень мало!

Только для членов Школы, Садика и Клуба Азбука.
! Если вы еще не являетесь членом Клуба АЗБУКА, вы можете вступить в клуб, заполнив анкету и оплатив членство при входе на праздник 13 декабря). Заказ и предварительная оплата билетов обязательна!
£10.00 – с человека
£6.00 – для детей до 4 лет

Заказ билетов:
1. Сообщите нам Ваше имя, количество билетов и номер контактного телефона, отправив электронное письмо на office@azbukafoundation.org или по телефону 0781 001 30422. Оплата.
Bank Transfer: Account: SANTANDER Business
Russian Language Nursery School 40416634 Sort code 09-06-66
Checks: Russian Language Nursery school, 1 Copthall Gardens, Twickenham, TW1 4HH

Этот праздник также является мероприятием по сбору средств в поддержку технического оснащения новой Русско-английской школы АЗБУКА. Ваше участие тепло приветствуется.

21 Oct

Open letter. Maria Gavrilova – Founder of Azbuka Foundation.

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This is my appeal to everyone who shares my dream of a Russian-English school in London, of a place where our children can grow and play, study and learn, a place that welcomes any family who values the gifts that a bilingual education brings.

For the past 15 years I have dreamt of building a real Russian-English school here, in this city where I have now spent 25 years of my life. In my city. In this great, beautiful city. Every time I used to walk past a typical English school I would picture in my mind a sign that read:

AZBUKA Russian-English Bilingual School

Dreams do come true – it’s something I’ve always firmly believed, ever since I was a child. We are not defined by our conscious mind, but it is our conscious mind, our will and our spirit that shape the world around us and the lives we lead, no matter where we live or who we live with. It gives us real freedom, creativity and happiness. It becomes our world… I wonder whether there are other people out there who share my dreams. It is, after all, only natural.

In fact, I wasn’t the only one to dream my dream. For many years I have been surrounded by people who share my vision.

Not long ago, just this autumn, our dream became a reality. It didn’t happen suddenly, overnight. It started small, a new and fragile thing, but it was a reality nonetheless. The idea began back in 2000 (many people thought it was a mad idea then), when a group of us got together to set up London’s first Russian nursery. There was just my daughter Sasha and two other children, the three of them growing up together and playing together in our little nursery.

In the 15 years that have passed since then AZBUKA has grown and gathered strength. Before long we had a waiting list for our nursery and were able to open our own Saturday school using a curriculum that we had devised ourselves for bilingual children, and we had hundreds of children and parents coming to our Russian children’s club. Over 900 families have been through our AZBUKA school in the past 15 years.

My daughter Sasha is now a young woman, happy and confident in her bilingualism and enjoying the affinity she feels to both Russian and English culture. She now works at AZBUKA, counselling others and helping to nurture the next generation of Russian-English children. Her close friend whom she first met through our Russian nursery 13 years ago also helps out.

But throughout those years I always clung to my dream, or at least I did until 2015 when I finally saw, with my own eyes, the sign that read:

AZBUKA. Russian-English Bilingual School and Nursery

People who have the good fortune to learn other languages and cultures from a young age have obvious advantages in life. They develop a certain confidence in themselves, knowing that at any place and at any time they have the ability to mix with people from all walks of life, to understand their outlook and accept them for what they are, on a practical, emotional and spiritual level. Not just today, but in the past and in the future too. Languages and cultures have always merged together, and the whole process has an inherent dynamism, it is never a static process.

This reality takes many forms in different places – in the official language policy of many governments, in the day-to-day living of ordinary people, on the street, at work, in offices, clubs and parks. That is why in these increasingly mobile times a bilingual school is no longer regarded as something unusual, it is in fact a vital part of the lives of many families in many different countries across the globe. It is what you might call a universal phenomenon that lifts the boundaries of language and culture. All other boundaries are conditional and temporary. And in terms of academic attainment, the argument for bilingual education has been proven time and again.

The fact that we have a new Russian-English school is not that surprising. More surprising is the fact that it hasn’t happened earlier.

At the heart of AZBUKA we have the benefit of experienced teachers, caring individuals, wonderful resources, great teaching practice, a wealth of talent and a collective faith in our vision, a curriculum that draws on the best of English and Russian traditions in education and bilingualism as well as an essentially non-commercial approach to education.

The AZBUKA Foundation was established in 2012. Our Board of Trustees includes both Russian and English experts, people of different nationalities, cultures and professions, united in our shared vision.

The AZBUKA is not just a bilingual school, it is much, much more. Read our website to find out more about us.
http://www.azbukafoundation.org/

Please come along and join us. Our doors are open, to all your children, to your friends and relations… We welcome all-comers!

Maria Gavrilova
Founder of AZBUKA Foundation
21 October 2015

15 Oct

17 November 2015, 7pm – OPEN EVENING in AZBUKA Full-time Russian-English Bilingual school. Everybody is welcome.

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Open evening for parents / Full Presentation.
AZBUKA Full-time Russian-English Bilingual School

Tuesday 17th November at 7pm at our new premises in Mortlake. All parents are welcome.
Book early to guarantee a place. Just email your full name to office@azbukafoundation.org

This event is recommended for English-speaking parents as it will be held in English.

Please note that it is only possible to visit the school as part of our schedule of open days and evenings. If you cannot attend this event but you would like to visit and have a child who could join our nursery or school in the CURRENT academic year then please write to us and we will arrange a visit at a mutually convenient time.

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08 Sep

Historic occasion! Breaking news!

On 8th September lessons began at London’s first Russian-English Bilingual School, AZBUKA, which offers a full teaching programme (from Monday to Friday).

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The school has a nursery and a reception class (the first stage of Early Years education). The children in our reception class follow a specially designed bilingual programme. At this stage 10% of the teaching is carried out in English and 90% in Russian. In Year One the children progress to a 50-50 split between the two languages in the main subject areas. Registration has already opened for Reception class and Year 1 for 2016-2017.

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If you are interested in finding out more about our programme and teaching methods, please sign up for our next presentation, which will take place in our new school building (in Mortlake) on 17 November 2015, in English. To sign up please send an email, including your full name, to: office@azbukafoundation.org. Please notify us in good time. Places are limited.   72     12002081_1624838721103388_4072573204750638007_n 
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01 Sep

Welcome all to a New School Year!

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New term starts:
8 September – AZBUKA Full-time Russian-English Bilingual School (Reception class) and Nursery
19 September – AZBUKA Saturday School
AZBUKA Children’s Russian Cultural Centre and Bilingual Education Resource – please follow news and posts to learn about our future events, courses and presentations.