Alexandra Kazickas Lithuanian Saturday School in Riverhead, NY is a nonprofit organization formed for educational pursuits, operating under the rules of Lithuanian Educational Council of the USA (IRS Tax exempt # 36-2985877). The school has served about 500 members of Lithuanian community of the East End of Long Island for the past two years. We now have 32 students enrolled, age 3 to 16. They learn Lithuanian language, history and culture. The  program is funded through tuition and Kazickas Family Foundation,  though fundraising is necessary for extra curriculum projects.

     History. As the number of Lithuanian youth was growing on the East End, in spring of 2005 a group of mothers – Biture Lauzadiene, Violeta Naskauskiene and Neila Baumiliene decided to find out how many Lithuanian families would be interested in sending their children to school, what day of the week-end they would prefer and would there be any volunteers in helping to create it. Answers to the inquiry letter were received within a week – thirty kids were signed up. Saturday was picked as the preferred day and parents promised their help. According to the demographics of Lithuanian population on the East End of Long Island, the decision was made to establish the School in Riverhead.
      The Second wave Immigrants – Mr.Juozas Giedraitis, Mrs.Dalile Polikaitis, Mrs.Elona Vaisnys and Ms.Margarita Bareika gave a lot of advise. Lithuanian Community started forming thanks to Mrs.Neila Baumiliene’s initiative and a big help from Father Vytautas Gedvainis  from Putnam, CT as well as Monsignor Edmond Putrimas (Lithuanian Buishops’ Conference Delegate for the Apostolate of Lithuanian Catholics Living Abroad) from Canada,  when Lithuanian Priests acquired permission to come to St.John the Evangelist Roman Church in Riverhead to celebrate Masses in Lithuanian on a bi-monthly basis. After Masses, weather permitting, Lithuanians gathered in a picnic where the opportunity to know each other expanded.
      In spring of 2006, five mothers Mrs.Jolanta Vilcinskiene, Mrs.Daiva Matoniene, Mrs.Renata Petrauskiene, Mrs.Gitana Albinson and Mrs.Neila Baumiliene participated in Lithuanian School Conference of the East  Coast of the USA which took place in  “Maironis Lithuanian Saturday School” in Maspeth, NY with the intention to see  how these schools operate.

      The school creating process was well accelerated as Mrs.Gitana Albinson joined in actively. She contacted other existing Lithuanian Schools in the USA, got much needed information and documentation, found a place to rent on the premises of Grace Episcopal Church in Riverhead. Later on, she found Liability Insurance Carrier and opened a bank account. Meanwhile, Mrs.Neila Baumiliene was involved in further organizing the Lithuanian community and coordinating the dates for gatherings and events. She focused on getting the parents of school age children together.  Having learned from the School Conference that school finances are tight, her mission became to create “a near private school” with  better funding. This would free teachers and administration of  constant looking for funds and give them the much needed time to focus on students – finding ways and methods to educate. The decision was made to contact very well known Lithuanian businessman and philanthropist Dr.Juozas Kazickas and his wife Mrs.Aleksandra Kazickas who live in the area.

      On September 10,2006 seven parents as Lithuanian Community representatives visited with Mr.&Mrs.J.Kazickas where they were warmly accepted and assured of the Kazickas Family Fund support.

      The following week flyers were sent out to come to a meeting right after Lithuanian Mass on September 17,2006. It was called with the purpose to establish a Lithuanian Saturday School. Over thirty parents attended. They checked out the the grounds of the future school and actively participated in all the discussions. The Kazickas family for many years have been sharing  their love, wisdom and wealth  with Lithuanians in Lithuania and around the World. Kazickas Family Fund is known of supporting Education of Lithuanians. During the meeting, the parents voted to name  the school after Aleksandra Kazickas honoring  her devotion and love to her family thus contributing to the fame  and success of her husband. In the meeting the following decisions were made: the  principal of the school was named to be Neila Baumiliene, the accountant – Gitana Albinson, the monitor/janitor – Martina Ulskiene, the head of parent committee – Renata Cheshire. The teachers were to be – Lithuanian language teachers- Renata Petrauskiene and Ramune Kurbanoviene, history teacher – Algirdas Vysniauskas, geography teacher –Jolanta  Vilcinskiene, music teacher – Vilma Vysniauskiene. All of the above with the higher education diplomas from Lithuania.  It was agreed to start the school year with the Opening Ceremony on October 7th 2006, and hold classes on thirty one Saturdays and end the school year on June 16,2007.

      On October 7th 2006, Grace Episcopal Church witnessed the opening of Lithuanian Saturday School. One hundred Lithuanians gathered to celebrate the First School Year of the First Lithuanian Saturday School on East End of Long Island. Among the third wave immigrants who live here for a little over a decade, the presence of 96 years old J.Giedraitis, Fred Lucka (84),Angela Minsovitch(87), Genevieve Thomas (80) all well known in the Lithuanian community for their active involvement in “Vytis” organization, as well as most honorable sponsors Mr &Mrs.Dr.Juozas and Aleksandra Kazickas showed the unity of all Lithuanians living in the area for the great purpose – to keep Lithuania living in the future generation of immigrants.

     Alexandra Kazickas Lithuanian School is located on the premises of Grace Episcopal Church, 573 Roanoke Ave, Riverhead, NY 11901. Mailing address – in care of Neila Baumiliene, 127 Straight Path, Southampton, NY 11968. Tel: 631-204-1329.

     Purpose Minimum: to establish a Lithuanian Saturday School on East End of Long Island for the Lithuanian youth living in the area with a purpose of teaching them Lithuanian language, history, geography,  literature, music and overall cultural heritage. As well as update them on the life in Lithuania. This school could also serve other nationals who are interested in learning Lithuanian language and culture.
     Purpose Maximum: in addition to Purpose Minimum, if additional funding is available to create a first Lithuanian Saturday School that would accomplish a mission of a private school as an example to teach students manners, etiquette, respect the Earth, their bodies and others, give them opportunities to participate in Cultural and Scientific Life in and around NYC, connect with other Lithuanian students all over the USA so they eventually could participate in cultural and political life not only in the USA but as well as Lithuania.

Bank of Ideas

     1. Currently children are divided into five groups according  to their age and knowledge. It is recommended to regroup children into grades so they could eventually graduate from school with a diploma/certificate. For this purpose more teachers will be needed.
     2. Prepare a teaching program for graduates to take tests that would evaluate their Lithuanian Language  knowledge, so they could get a credit “Lithuanian as a Foreign Language” which will be acknowledged in Universities and Colleges in Lithuania should they want to pursue higher education there. Ministry of Education of Lithuania is getting a project ready to get the system in place to acknowledge diplomas of Saturday Lithuanian Schools from all over the World.
     3. Create a website which would allow applicants to fill out applications, students to find homework as well as visitors to learn about academic life and events.
     4. Open an Adult Education Class.
     5. Hire a full time music teacher to teach students songs and eventually participate in the Song and Dance Festivals in Chicago, IL.
     6. Having in mind that group trips serve as bonding opportunities and a good socializing environment, organize trips to
     6.1.Other Lithuanian Saturday schools (i.e. New York, Philadelphia, Boston ) to make friends with other Lithuanian students, to participate in “knowledge Olympics” or “athletic games” in between Schools.
     6.2. Such Cultural Events  as concerts of Lithuanian singers, musicians, theatre artists or
 Prominent People, Lithuanian consulate and embassy and United Nations staff.
     6.3. Annual Summer  Picnic in Putnam, CT, Lithuanian Summer Camps “Dainava” and “Neringa”.
     6.4. To NYC Museums, Opera House, Ballet, Philharmonic, Art and Science Exhibits, Public events i.e. runs or walks for a purpose.
     7. Acquire a projector to be able to show news directly from Lithuania, movies about Lithuania and information acquired through internet.
     8. Organize School summer camp, especially for students under 12 who stay around for the 10 weeks off school and can not be home alone to free parents to work in summer.
     9. Rent a gym on a regular basis for students and/or parents to play sports. Organize sports events.
     10. Hire or/and invite lectors for after school classes to polish students manners and overall behavior in public and well as dress code and etiquette, wellness, responsibilities to the Earth. As well as vocational choice, arts and crafts, Lithuanian culture, cooking classes etc.
     11. Organize outings to the Fundraisers/ Restaurants for students to practice etiquette.
     12. Make a Lithuanian culture representation program so students could demonstrate it during international events such as international week in CMEE (Children Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton).
     13. The school could serve as a Lithuanian Community center where concerts, dance classes could be organized, lectors invited, community information gathered with a purpose to unite the Lithuanians and keep Lithuanian culture living.