JOYFUL ATMOSPHERE MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR IN BANJA LUKA

A cheerful crowd of smiling students, a festive mood, and a sunny afternoon set the tone for this year’s edition of the “Great Beginning” (“Veliki početak”) event in Banja Luka, the largest city of Republika Srpska.

PHOTO: Aleksandar Čavić

The highlight of the event was the appearance of popular YouTuber Braco Gajić, who entertained the students with fun quizzes and engaging interaction, creating an unforgettable atmosphere.

As in previous years, one of the most anticipated moments was the traditional balloon release — over 500 balloons filled with gifts such as school supplies, clothing, and other school-related items delighted the young attendees.

The area in front of the sports complex at Mladen Stojanović Park was filled with joy, music, and dance. Among the guests was the Mayor of Banja Luka, Draško Stanivuković, who used the opportunity to wish all students, teachers, and parents a successful and happy school year.

City Project Manager Milada Šukalo emphasized that the City of Banja Luka traditionally organizes this event at the start of every school year.

“A new feature of this year’s ‘Great Beginning’ is a three-day program that kicked off with the student tournament ‘Step of a Champion’. In addition, this year we were joined by educators who prepared various educational workshops. The main program was enriched by performances from local choirs, cultural and artistic societies, and, of course, YouTuber Braco Gajić with his children’s quizzes. As always, the balloon release with valuable gifts is an essential part of this event. The goal is to provide extra joy and support to our students and their parents, alongside other initiatives introduced by the city administration led by Mayor Stanivuković,” Šukalo said.

She explained that the gifts hidden in the balloons included school supplies, clothes, shoes, and other back-to-school essentials.

“The true highlight of this event, however, is the start of the new school year, which we aim to make easier with our new campaign ‘School Without Burden’. With the goal of reducing the weight of schoolbags, the City of Banja Luka, on the initiative of the Mayor, has purchased shelves for schools. In addition, a number of gently used textbooks will be available in classrooms for students to use throughout the school year. A school is only successful when children go to it with a smile, and that is our guiding principle,” Šukalo concluded.

The unforgettable day was made even more special by performances from the children's choir "Vrapčići", the "Gema" Dance Club, vocal studio "MaMa Vox", and several cultural and artistic societies, including “Piskavica”, “Pelagić”, “Srpski vitezovi”, “Čajavec”, and “Dragočaj”.