Results of the

Children’s Art and Literary Contest

With the theme

“My Family on Two Continents”

May 15, 2017

The following panel of judges

Irena Stanic Rasin – director of Croatian School of Boston, head of contest,

author and translator, www.irenastanicrasin.com

Jelena Erceg – teacher at Croatian School of Boston, graduate teacher of Croatian language

Jadranka Delac-Klepac – math teacher, award-winning children’s writer www.lektire.hr/autor/jadranka-klepac/                                                                    bib.irb.hr/prikazi-rad?lang=EN&rad=345322

Lana Ducharme – teacher at Croatian School of Boston, graphic and web designer, www.designwithcharm.com/

Tomislav Torjanac – award-winning illustrator and painter, www.torjanac.com

Dr. Aida Vidan – president of Association for Croatian Studies and lecturer at Harvard University, scholar.harvard.edu/vidan/home

Ariana Zelic – NEFC treasurer, sites.google.com/site/nefcroatia/

                                                            have selected the winners.

Congratulations to the winners and many thanks to all who have participated in the contest!
 

Croatian School of Boston

With the aim of bringing together and connecting children of Croatian descent from the United States of America and Canada with the children in Croatia who have family members in the United States and Canada, we invite all interested children to enter our second annual

Children’s Art and Literary Contest

With the theme

“My Family on Two Continents”

Organized by the Croatian School of Boston

The contest is open to children of Croatian descent from 3-18 years of age who

reside in the United States of America and Canada, and to children residing

in Croatia who have family members on the North American continent.

The contest comprises the following categories:

Writing Piece (in the Croatian language or dialect)

• prose: 3 age groups: 7-10 years, 11-14 years, 15-18 years;
• poetry: 3 age groups: 7-10 years, 11-14 years, 15-18 years;

Art Work – 4 age groups: 3-6 years, 7-10 years, 11-14 years, 15-18 years;

Comic Strip (in the Croatian language or dialect) – 2 age groups: 11-14 years, 15-18 years;

Photography – 2 age groups: 11-14 years, 15-18 years;

Audio/Video Clip (in the Croatian language or dialect) – 2 age groups: 11-14 years, 15-18 years;

The theme of this year’s contest will again center around the ties between the family members living in the USA and/or Canada and family members living in Croatia. Possible topics may include visits to relatives, family stories and anecdotes, heirlooms, or any other

positive influence or experience the children associate with the connection between the family on the North American continent and the family in Croatia.

Entries should be submitted to natjecaj@croatianschoolofboston.org, and must be accompanied by the child’s full name, age and address. Writing pieces will be accepted in pdf or word document format, or can be included in the email body. Art work should be sent in jpg format. Art and photo work must be accompanied by a title and a brief description of the subject. Due to the file size, we cannot accept audio and video files as an attachment; please send us a link to your clip on one of the standard video-sharing websites, such as YouTube.

By entering the contest you guarantee that the work you entered is original and not a copy of an existing work done by others. Croatian School of Boston reserves the right to publish submitted work on its website or in potential publications, with a credit to the author.

The first prize in each category and age group will win a Croatia-related prize. All participants will receive a certificate of participation.

The contest is open from March 3 to April 23, 2017. Winners in each category will be determined by a panel of judges consisting of members of the Croatian community in Boston, and art and literary experts from Croatia. The judges’ decisions are final. The winners will be announced on May 15, 2017 (International Day of Families) on the Croatian School of Boston website and Facebook page. A confirmation will be also sent to the winners to the email from which the entry was submitted. The awards and certificates will be sent by post.

Prizes:

3-6 years – Ogledalce, picture book, written by Grigor Vitez and illustrated by Tomislav 

                   Torjanac – 1 prize

7-10 years – Naše kolo veliko, The Most Beautiful Croatian Children’s Folk Songs CD,

                    by Goran Knežević – 3 prizes

11-14 years – A da se to dogodi tebi: Priručnik za odrastanje, book by Irena Stanić Rašin

                     and Latinka Basara – 6 prizes

15-18 years – Stepenice do neba, book by Ivana Adlešić Pervan – 6 prizes

We look forward to receiving your entries!

Croatian School of Boston

The submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges:

Irena Stanić Rašin – director of Croatian School of Boston, head of contest,

author and translator, www.irenastanicrasin.com

Jelena Erceg – teacher at Croatian School of Boston, graduate teacher of Croatian language

Jadranka Delač-Klepac – award-winning children’s writer

www.jadrankaklepac.com

Lana Ducharme – teacher at Croatian School of Boston, graphic and web designer, www.designwithcharm.com/

Lada Kanajet Šimić – head of the Department for educaion, science and sport at the Croatian Heritage foundation

www.matis.hr

Tomislav Torjanac – award-winning illustrator and painter, www.torjanac.com

Dr. Aida Vidan – president of Association for Croatian Studies and lecturer at Harvard University, scholar.harvard.edu/vidan/home

Ariana Zelić – NEFC treasurer, sites.google.com/site/nefcroatia/

It is our great pleasure to invite you to the guest talk by Croatian children’s writer Jadranka Klepac on Saturday, February 18 at 3pm. The author will present her new Spomenar (Memory Book.) This beautiful story comes with the message that “’understanding and tolerance always accomplish more than envy and resentment, because school days should bring back memories of good times, friendship and helping each other.” The book of memories that the children make for a student who moves to another town is the “best message to readers to forget petty mischiefs, and follow only beautiful and noble sentiments.*’” 

Mrs. Klepac is the author of two collections of stories and three children’s novels. Her short stories, published in children’s magazines “Modra lasta” and “Smib” were collected in Patuljci žive u kuglama (Dwarfs Live in Spheres) in 2000. Her first novel, Miris knjige (The Scent of a Book) has been included in obligatory reading list for 7^th graders in Croatian elementary schools. Her second novel Kora od jabuke (Apple Peel) received the “Mato Lovrak” award for the best children novel written in 2008.

Croatian School of Boston had the pleasure of having Mrs. Klepac as a guest in 2008. Courtesy of the author, our school library already holds copies of her books. The publisher Naklada Ljevak for that visit also kindly donated books Patuljci žive u kuglama, Miris knjige i Kora od jabuke. For the upcoming visit, the publisher has graciously donated a copy of Spomenar, as well as copies of new editions of Patuljci žive u kuglama and Kora od jabuke. 

Expanding on the topic of spomenar, we will talk about this aspect of the tradition of spontaneous culture of children and youth in Croatia. The word spomenar refers to a “book of memories” made by children for each other with (autographed) written and drawn wishes and messages, and exchanged in a “Valentine’s Day spirit.” We will reflect on two books by Mirjana Duran, Praznovjerice za razonodu (Superstitious Activities for Leisure) and Spomenari i dnevnici (Memory Books and Diaries). Approaching this topic from a scientific perspective, Mirjana Duran collects an impressive number of vintage and modern examples of wishes and messages found in these spomenars. The publisher Naklada Slap has graciously donated a copy of each of these two books to Croatian School of Boston.

The workshop following the guest talk will aim to revive the tradition of “writing in a spomenar.” Every child participating in the workshop will take home a spomenar. We will also make one for our friends from Vladimir Nazor Elementary School in Škabrnja.

This event is free and open to all members of the Croatian community.

Please RSVP to info@croatianschoolofboston. org so that we can prepare enough supplies.

We look forward to seeing you!
Croatian School of Boston

*Quote from the book review by Dubravka Težak

As part of the exchange between the Croatian School of Boston and Vladimir Nazor Elementary School in Škabrnja, our friends sent us greetings on beautiful handmade postcards with vedute from their village.

Expressing gratitude with our HAND-made Thankful Tree

Accompanied by Miran Tikvicki on the tambura, children, teachers, and family members play "Ide maca oko tebe", a Croatian singing game

We played the old Croatian game of "Smrt bijela kost" ("Death White Bone") together with the Pin-the-Smile-on-the-Skeleton game.

We started our new school year with a song and dance, accompanied by live tamburitza sounds by Miran Tikvicki.

The beautifully decorated folders for music sheets are courtesy of Larisa Oros Miller.

It was great to see so many of you!

Children’s Art and Literary Contest

With the theme

“My Family on Two Continents”

Organized By the Boston Croatian Community

Submissions were evaluated by a panel of judges:

Irena Stanić Rašin – director of Croatian School of Boston, head of contest,

author and translator, www.irenastanicrasin.com

Jelena Erceg – teacher at Croatian School of Boston, graduate teacher of Croatian language

Jadranka Delač-Klepac – math teacher, award-winning children’s writer

www.lektire.hr/autor/jadranka-klepac/                                                                   

bib.irb.hr/prikazi-rad?lang=EN&rad=345322

Lana Ducharme – teacher at Croatian School of Boston, graphic and web designer, www.designwithcharm.com/

Tomislav Torjanac – award-winning illustrator and painter, www.torjanac.com

Dr. Aida Vidan – president of Association for Croatian Studies and lecturer at Harvard University, scholar.harvard.edu/vidan/home

Ariana Zelić – NEFC treasurer, sites.google.com/site/nefcroatia/