Polish Saturday Schools (officially: Schools of Polish Heritage Subjects) are evening/Saturday schools for Polish emigrant children – teaching the Polish language, history, geography, and religion. Their diplomas are recognized by the Polish MEN, allowing for a return to the Polish education system without compensatory exams.
Why Send Your Child
- Preservation of the Polish language (most often lost in the 2nd generation)
- Possibility of studying in Poland in the future – recognized certificates
- Peer community with a Polish background
- Polish traditions and culture (Christmas, Easter, national holidays)
- First Communion, Confirmation in the Polish-Catholic tradition (in some schools)
Main Centers in the USA
🗽 New York and Surroundings (largest Polish community)
- Polish School of the Holy Trinity – Brooklyn, 200+ students, religious + secular, grades 1-12 + Polish maturity exam
- Polish Saturday School of Henryk Sienkiewicz – Greenpoint, Brooklyn
- Polish Saturday School in Maspeth/Ridgewood – Queens, popular among recent arrivals
- Polish School of Maria Konopnicka – Staten Island
- Polish School of Nicolaus Copernicus – Manhattan
🌳 New Jersey
- Polish School of Adam Mickiewicz – Wallington, NJ – one of the largest
- Polish School in Garfield, in Clifton, in Linden, in Trenton
- Many schools at Polish parishes (e.g., St. Stanislaus in Garfield)
🏙 Chicago and Illinois (2nd largest Polish community)
- Polish School of Kazimierz Pulaski – Chicago
- Polish School of St. Maximilian Kolbe – Niles, IL
- Polish School of St. Andrew Bobola – Chicago
- Educational Center Polish School – Schaumburg, IL
- Over 20 schools in the Chicago metropolitan area, coordinated by the Association of Polish Teachers in America (ZNP)
🚗 Detroit / Michigan
- Polish School of Adam Mickiewicz – Hamtramck (historical Polish enclave)
- Polish School of Henryk Sienkiewicz – Sterling Heights
☀️ Los Angeles and California
- Polish Saturday School of Henryk Sienkiewicz – Burbank, CA
- Polish School of Nicolaus Copernicus – San Francisco
🏟 Boston, Connecticut, Massachusetts
- Polish Saturday School of Tadeusz Kościuszko – Boston
- Polish School in Hartford – Connecticut
- Schools at Polish parishes in New Britain, Meriden, New Haven
🌴 Florida
- Polish School in Orlando
- Polish School in Miami
- Polish School in Pompano Beach
🤠 Texas (Houston, Dallas)
- Polish club lessons in Houston
- Polish weekend school in Dallas/Plano
How to Enroll Your Child
- Find a school nearby on the website of the Polish Consulate or ZNP website
- Contact the administration – they often have an open day in August/September
- Fill out the application + provide documents (child's passport, school certificate from the previous school if applicable)
- Pay the tuition (typically $400-1,500 per year)
- The first day is usually the first Saturday in September or around that time
Costs
- Tuition: $400-1,500/year for one child (sibling discounts)
- Books: $100-200/year
- Trips, academies, uniforms: optional
- Many parish schools offer scholarships for families in difficult situations
What If There Is No School Nearby
Polish Online School (accredited by the Polish MEN) – operates a virtual school with state certificates: polska-szkola.pl. You can also teach independently at home (homeschooling) using state programs ORPEG.
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