Kids are back to school in Ukraine.

In the midst of a war, children and educators are desperate for a sense of normalcy.

View this email online Sept 18, 2022 This week, Elissa Nadworny takes us to Ukraine for the first day of school. Plus, some student loan news: Almost half of U.S. governors asked Joe Biden to cut his debt forgiveness plan. Claire Harbage/NPR Happy Sunday, The first day of school in Ukraine is a big deal. Known as the Day of Knowledge, there are usually big celebrations — with rehearsed dances, concerts and lots of balloons. Children dress up in traditional Ukrainian vyshyvankas with brightly colored embroidery. Families bring teachers bouquets of flowers — there are usually so many flowers on the first day that the classrooms are bursting with colorful blooms. This fall, the war with Russia has disrupted — but not destroyed — this beloved tradition in a country that places enormous importance on education. At a small private school in the city of Dnipro, the day starts with a teacher leading each new first-grader through a hula hoop decorated with ribbons and leaves — initiating them into their school-aged life. Older students cheer while families try to catch every moment on their phones. Because of the war, this is one of just a handful of schools in the city offering in-person classes. Claire Harbage/NPR Two older students, Mariia and Varya, both 9, watch from a shared chair in the corner, holding hands and giggling. The friends hadn't seen each other since school shut down in February, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Watching them hold hands, reunited, Varya's mother, Alina Shtefan, remarked that the moment almost felt normal — when so much isn't normal. Her husband, a doctor, is in the armed forces and away from home. Both mom and daughter have been looking forward to this day — to coming to school — for months. After more than six months of staying close to home and rarely seeing friends, the start of school offers a bit of the familiar. But even walking to school this morning wasn't as normal as Shtefan thought it would be. "Usually the streets are filled with children and families going to school," she says, "but this morning it was just us."   Nearly 4 million students returned to school in Ukraine this month, despite the war. The majority will do some form of online learning – in some cases, it's because the school has been destroyed by bombs or is too close to the fighting. Schools offering in-person learning are required to have adequate bomb shelters. One thing remains true for all Ukrainian school children: as the war rages on, they're dealing with a lot of trauma. And their teachers are determined to provide support. Read more here. — Elissa Nadworny, Correspondent, NPR Ed Let’s get into this week's news…  Almost half of U.S. governors ask Joe Biden to cut the student loan forgiveness plan. In a letter to Biden, Republican governors say they support "making higher education more affordable" but don't want to "force American taxpayers to pay off the student loan debt of an elite few." The governors, all Republicans, argue that the lowest income Americans will be paying the debts of doctors, lawyers and professors "with the most debt, such as $50,000 or more." The governors also expressed concern that the forgiveness plan could encourage higher education institutions to drive up their costs, and therefore worsen inflation. Read more here. — Ayana Archie, Newsdesk Reporter  Newsletter continues after sponsor message Seattle Pacific University leaders are sued for anti-LGBTQ hiring practices. The lawsuit alleges that the six defendants, members of the university's board of trustees, use their position of power to "advance the interests of a religious denomination at the expense of the students, alumni, staff, and faculty of the university." It goes on to say that the hiring practices at SPU, a private Christian university, prohibit individuals in same-sex relationships from full-time employment. Read more here.  — Dustin Jones, Newsdesk Reporter Virginia has moved to restrict the rights of trans students in its public schools. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's administration has proposed new policies for the state's schools regarding how they treat transgender students, including restricting which bathrooms they can use and which pronouns they may go by. The Virginia Department of Education released its 2022 Model Policies online Friday, effectively rolling back the work of Youngkin's predecessor, Democrat Ralph Northam. The new rules will affect the more than 1 million children enrolled in the state's public school system. The revamped rules explicitly state that students must only use bathrooms and locker rooms associated with the sex assigned to them at birth. If a student wants to participate in a sport or other extracurricular activities, they must, again, only participate in teams that align with the sex assigned at birth. Read more here. — Jaclyn Diaz, Newsdesk Reporter And before you go, take us into your kitchen… NPR wants you to share the story behind your favorite family recipe. We all have that one dish that excites our palates and makes us pine for those special memories with Mom, Dad, Grandma or maybe a favorite aunt who created these delicious, comforting dishes. Every family has that favorite dish — and there's a story behind each recipe. NPR wants to hear yours! Follow this link to tell us your story.  See you next week. Listen to your local NPR station. 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