Rosa Freisond with her pupils and colleagues

The first graduates of the Ukrainian 7-year school in Yaryshev. I am in the top line the third from left. This photo was taken in Yaryshev in 1940.

I finished school in 1934 at the age of almost 16. Once Buchatskiy, the tenant who rented a room from us, asked me whether I wanted to become a teacher. I laughed - teachers were like idols for me. He said there was a 2-week teachers’ training course in the village and after finishing it I could go to work. It goes without saying that I rushed to this course. After finishing it I obtained a certificate of a primary school teacher. The course sent me to work at the likbez school. Of course, I felt awkward having to teach people of the same age as my parents, but they treated me with respect as they should treat their teacher, and they enjoyed studying. I liked my job. I worked there for a year before I was offered a job of a primary school teacher at the 7-year Ukrainian school. I hadn’t turned 17 yet and enjoyed playing with my pupils during intervals.  They respected me. My sister made me a sateen dress, dark blue  in white polka dots. I wore it all year round and when there were ceremonies or meetings at school, I sewed on a white collar to it and it became a fancy dress.

In the first year of my work at school I was elected deputy of the local town council. There was another council of the farmers' part of the town. I was responsible for making minutes of meetings. Not all deputies had education to do this.

There was an affiliate of Tulchin Teachers' Training School in Yaryshev. I attended classes in the evening there. A year later I finished it with all excellent marks and entered 3-year Teachers' Training College in Vinnitsa. I studied there by correspondence. I went to Vinnitsa to take exams once a year.