On April 24th, 2023, the 12th “Emeritus” meeting of former and current teachers of the English Language Team took place at the Kazimierzowski Palace. The first such meeting took place back in 2009, but the pandemic interrupted this nice tradition for two years. According to the participants’ decision, the next meeting will take place on the first Monday after Easter in 2024, which is April 8th at 12:00. The following people attended this year’s meeting (in alphabetical order): Jan Bartkowski, Maria Bożko-Szepietowska, Agnieszka Harrison (future retiree), Urszula Malkiewicz, Anna Małecka, Jagoda Piaścik, Elżbieta Sendułka, Jolanta Suska, and Ewa Zasłona.
On October 25, 2022, the traditional meeting of our colleagues from the English Language Team, who have already retired, took place at the Kazimierzowski Palace. These meetings have been held for many years around Easter time, but this pleasant tradition was interrupted by the epidemic. We are happy that we could finally meet again.
Remembering Mrs. Zofia Błaszczyk
I met Mrs. Zofia Błaszczyk a long time ago when I started working at our centre. One day, she invited me to her Name Day celebration for the first time, which she always celebrated ceremoniously on May 15th. I remember my surprise very well when I entered her apartment and instead of aunts, uncles, cousins, and nieces gathered around the table, I saw her friend, Father Jan Twardowski, Zygmunt Broniarek, a journalist, columnist, and a polyglot who knew 8 languages, and Ryszard Rembiszewski, a Polish language teacher and Mrs. Zofia’s colleague from Władysław IV high school, where she took up a job right after completing her studies.
On the occasion of her Name Day in May and her Birthday in September, Mrs. Zofia opened the welcoming doors of her house on Zwycięzców Street in Saski Kępa. And at these celebrations, in addition to the already mentioned guests – who came from near and far – there were ambassadors, journalists, former students – from the Władysław IV high school class in Praga, numerous graduates of the University of Warsaw: diplomats, embassy staff, scientists, professors, doctoral students, scholarship holders, English language teachers, and teachers of other subjects, lower and higher-ranking officials, mayors and deputy mayors, etc. Mrs. Zofia knew everyone by name, and taught the vast majority of them. In May, they came with arms full of tulips, lilies of the valley, and lilacs. There were original poems about Zofia, handwritten on decorative cards, solemnly read out. There were guitars, wine, and singing.
Let me quote Zygmunt Broniarek: “When we talk about women, we cannot fail to mention a certain… English teacher. It is Zofia Błaszczyk from the University of Warsaw, the wife of the editor-in-chief of the magazine “Ambassador,” Stanisław Błaszczyk. I am a witness to the following scene. We are standing with Mrs. Zofia, Professor Longin Pastusiak, the owner of the “Pekin” Hotel (nomen omen) in Władysławowo, Mr. Paweł (…) and his wife. Suddenly, a young man approaches the table, greets Mrs. Zofia, and says, “Professor, how much do I owe you!” What turns out? This young man is her student, Roman Smogorzewski, today the President of the City of Legionowo. Thanks in part to Mrs. Zofia – and of course his own talents – Mr. Roman can hold such a position. And although Mrs. Zofia does not like to talk about it, she is not only a teacher, but above all, a co-creator of many young Polish elites.”
Mrs. Zofia loved life, traveling, Sopot, classical music, and the Warsaw Philharmonic, but above all, people. She had a gift for seeing the good in others before being impressed by them; in every person, she saw an outstanding, exceptional, and wonderful individual. She didn’t talk about herself too much. She could create friendly bonds and maintain them for years. She remembered her friends’ and acquaintances’ name days, birthdays, and anniversaries, sending hundreds of cards and presents. She gathered many people around her. For years, she was also present in my life, which is very important to me.
She passed away on April 8, 2020. Due to the pandemic, only her immediate family attended the funeral. On April 16, 2020, Mrs. Zofia was laid to rest at the Military Powązki Cemetery. Małgosia
Róża Somla-Dembowska cordially invites you to the book promotion event “Dzieje wsi Stok Lacki” (History of the Stok Lacki Village), which will take place on October 27th, 2019 in Siedlce.
On April 15th, 2019, the 11th ‘Emeritus’ meeting of former and current teachers of the English Language Team, was held at the Kazimierzowski Palace. According to the participants’ decision, the next meeting will take place on the first Monday after Easter 2020, which is April 20th. The following people participated in the meeting: Jan Bartkowski, Marek Blichewicz, Urszula Malkiewicz, Anna Małecka, Jagoda Piaścik, Wiesława Pigłowska, Elżbieta Sendułka, Jolanta Suska, Krystyna Więcko, Mirosława Wojciechowska-Szepczyńska, Lucyna Żórawińska, and Agnieszka Harrison, who is not yet retired, as well as Mirka’s granddaughter, Kalinka, who was spending time with her grandmother due to a teachers’ strike.
On January 10th, 2018, the ceremonial opening of an exhibition of archival photographs dedicated to four centuries of Róża Somla-Dembowska’s family took place in the Audytorium Maximum building. Róża Somla-Dembowska is a retired colleague from the French Language Team. The vernissage was attended by, among others, retired and current employees of the Centre for Foreign Language Teaching. Róża Somla-Dembowska is the author of the book “Historia Rodu Somlów” (History of the Somla Family).
On April 24, 2017, the ninth ‘Emeritus’ meeting of former and current teachers of the English Language Department took place at the Kazimierzowski Palace. According to the decision of the participants, the next meeting will be held on the first Monday after Easter 2018, which is April 9. The meeting was attended by Jan Bartkowski, Zofia Błaszczyk, Sylwia Kossakowska-Pisarek, Urszula Malkiewicz, Elżbieta Sendułka, Jolanta Suska, Krystyna Więcko, and Lucyna Żórawińska.
On December 21st, 2016, a pre-Christmas meeting took place.
On January 13th, 2016, a meeting of the English Language Team took place. We learned that our colleague Marek Blichewicz was retiring.
On April 13, 2015, another meeting of the “Emeritus” group of former and current teachers of the English Language Team was held at the Kazimierzowski Palace. According to the participants’ decision, the next meeting will take place on the first Monday after Easter 2016, which is April 4. The following people participated in the meeting: Jan Bartkowski, Sylwia Kossakowska-Pisarek, Urszula Malkiewicz, Jagoda Piaścik, Elżbieta Sendułka, Jolanta Suska, and Krystyna Więcko.
On November 5th, 2014, there was a meeting of the English Language Team. We learned that our colleague Urszula Malkiewicz was retiring.
On April 14th, 2014, the VI meeting of “Emeritus” former and current teachers of the English Language Department took place at the Kazimierzowski Palace. According to the decision of the participants, the next meeting will be held on the first Monday before Easter 2015. The following individuals participated in the meeting: Jan Bartkowski, Anna Chachulska, Agnieszka Harrison, Sylwia Kossakowska-Pisarek, Urszula Malkiewicz, Krystyna Paszkowska-Hoppe, Jadwiga Piaścik, Elżbieta Sendułka, Krystyna Więcko, Mirosława Wojciechowska-Szepczyńska, and Lucyna Żórawińska.
On April 8th, 2013, a meeting of retired teachers from the Centre for Foreign Language Teaching (SzJO) took place at a café in the Kazimierzowski Palace. Present were Zofia Błaszczyk, Anna Małecka, Elżbieta Sendułka, Krystyna Więcko, Jan Bartkowski, and Agnieszka Harrison (not yet retired).
