Welcome!
Thank you for your interest in Boskola.What is Boskola
The Béla Bartók Hungarian School of Boston — Boskola (bosh'-koh-lah) for short — is an extracurricular school with all-volunteer teaching and administrative staff, whose mission is to enrich the Hungarian language skills and cultural appreciation of children between the ages of 3 and 18. Classes and scouts meet on alternate Saturdays at the Follen Community Church at 755 Massachusetts Avenue in Lexington, Massachusetts. Please see the academic year page for the details of this year’s schedule.
History
Boskola was established in the year 2000 and has grown consistently since then. It is currently made up of over 85 students from over 50 families, with the students grouped into classes among ten teachers according to their age and language skills.
Mission and Scope
The mission and scope of the school is continuously evolving. In 2003, the Gábor Bodnár scout troop was added to the school’s offerings. With many opportunities for fun and educational Hungarian-language interaction among its participants, including canoe trips, camping trips, and other activities, the troop has grown to be an indispensable component of the school's cultural enrichment program.
In 2007, an adult beginning Hungarian language class was added in response to the increasing demand of non-Hungarian-speaking parents and siblings. As a result of the success of this program, an additional pilot course will be added this year (fall 2008) for school-age children who are not Hungarian speakers.
The envisioned goal of the children’s beginning Hungarian class is twofold:
(1) To familiarize those children who have no Hungarian at all with enough of the language to be able to communicate simple concepts,
(2) To improve the skills of children who already have some Hungarian so that they can participate in mainstream Boskola programs.
What Boskola is NOT
We regret that the mainstream Boskola classes and scout troop are not set up to teach Hungarian to children who do not yet understand or speak any of the language. Based on our experience, it would be very difficult to cover the curriculum in our already limited class time, if both Hungarian speakers and non-speakers were in the same classroom. However, we are sensitive to the fact that children pick up languages very quickly. If your child has some understanding of Hungarian but does not speak, he or she may still be able to join the mainstream program. Prospective students who fit this scenario are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
For those students who cannot yet be admitted to the mainstream program, we are offering a beginning Hungarian class. Please read the Mission and Scope section for more information.
If you still have questions regarding whether Boskola would be appropriate for your child, please contact us.