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SHA STANDS WITH UKRAINE 

Dr. Natalya Romanova, a Sacred Heart Academy teacher and chair of the Math Department, spoke to our students during last week’s Friday Assembly and shared some of her insights on what is happening in Ukraine.  
 

Born and raised in Belarus, a neighboring country to both Russia and Ukraine, Dr. Romanova is familiar with the history of Ukraine and it is particularly heartbreaking for her to read about the destruction taking place in the cities, streets, and places she used to visit.
 

The students listened to various news stories about the war and Dr. Romanova touched upon the characteristics and consequences of an authoritarian regime, the impact of fake news on our understanding of reality and the tragedies unfolding as a result of this war. The students saw photos and heard stories of Ukraine before the invasion as Dr. Romanova spoke about the devastating reality of the Ukrainian history and culture being quite literally torn apart. Sharing the personal stories of her friends currently living in Ukraine, illustrated the strength of the Ukrainian people as they witness the loss of their family, their homes, and the life they had. She also spoke about the courage of those Russians protesting the war and the many volunteers joining the Ukrainian army.  
 

Being so far away from where the conflict is taking place, can make it difficult to comprehend the full scope of hardships the Ukrainians are facing daily, but hearing from Dr. Romanova helped deepen our understanding of this war and the tragic consequences of an armed conflict.  As a community we reflected on the small ways we can show our solidarity and help the Ukrainian people. At the end of the presentation, Sr. Sheila O’Neill shared with the SHA community that our students had raised over $1,800 on Friday directed to the Knights of Columbus’s Ukraine Solidarity Fund.  
 

A special thank you to Dr. Romanova for taking us on this important journey of better understanding the tragedies currently unfolding in Ukraine and an enormous thank you to the entire school community for participating in our fundraising efforts in support of Ukraine. We will continue to seek ways to show our support as Ukraine continues to be in all our thoughts and prayers.