Students and teachers at a Georgia elementary school show support for the school’s custodian, who is a Ukrainian native. Lana Gazhenko, the head custodian at Oak Hill Elementary in Covington, Georgia, was born in Ukraine, but immigrated to the US and has been with the school since it opened 21 years ago.
In that time, Mrs Lana (as she’s known to the students) has come to see the staff and students at the school as family. But she still has family in Ukraine and — like many Ukrainians — they are suffering because of the Russian invasion, now in its second month.
Last week, the students and staff at Oak Hill came up with an idea to show their support for Gazhenko. All the students from pre-k to fifth grade and many of the teachers created pieces of art to blanket the school’s walls, expressing support and love for Gazhenko. When she arrived at school one day last week, she was surprised with colorful “Hope for Ukraine” artwork everywhere. “My school, kids, teachers made me a really big surprise,” she says of the display. “Oak Hill family is family, you know — not just school, not just work. This is family.”
- The school also created a crowdfund campaign to raise money for Gazhenko’s family and other Ukrainians during this challenging time.
Source: NY Post