Dr. Gialamas' Summer Reading List 2010

Dr. Stefanos Gialamas

Reading for Leadership

The Servant Leader by Robert P. Neuschel

The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn

Remarks at the Obama Inauguration Event

President's Remarks at the Obama Inauguration Event

January 20, 2009

Ladies and Gentlemen:

On behalf of ACS Athens’ students, faculty, staff, parents, administration and the Board of Trustees, I welcome you to this event, Celebrating the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.

His vision of restoring opportunities and possibilities for all and reestablishing America’s standing as a beacon of hope around the world is in line with our school’s educational philosophy, principles and values.

At this point, please allow me to address the delegation of the Greek State with a few words in Greek:

Αγαπητοί υψηλοί προσκεκλημένοι και φίλοι:

Είναι μεγάλη τιμή και χαρά σε όλους εμάς της οικογένειας του ACS Athens να σας καλωσορίζουμε σήμερα εδώ, σηματοδοτώντας με το δικό μας τρόπο ένα τέτοιο ιστορικής σημασίας γεγονός όπως η ορκωμοσία του νέου Προέδρου των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών της Αμερικής Barack Obama. Η παλαιότερη Δημοκρατία του κόσμου γιορτάζει για την ανανέωση της μεγαλύτερης Δημοκρατίας του κόσμου.

Νιώθουμε λοιπόν διπλά υπερήφανοι γιατί το όραμά του νέου Προέδρου, όπως έχει εκφραστεί στο λίγο χρόνο που βρίσκεται στο προσκήνιο του παγκόσμιου στερεώματος, συμπλέει με το όραμα του ACS Athens για ίσες ευκαιρίες σε προοπτικές για όλους.

We, at ACS Athens, are committed to educating the whole student; to providing a holistic, meaningful and harmonious educational experience;to shaping the minds of young people with Ethos, as it was defined by the ancient Greeks, and to making the world a better place in which to live.

We are all participating today in an inspiring historic event. Let us commit ourselves to active participation in a common effort to create a better world for our children and grand children. So, join us in congratulating the new President and in wishing him courage, strength and wisdom for the benefit of the United States of America and the whole world.

Thank you all very much for being here tonight!

President's Welcome

Welcome to the 2008-09 School Year

Dear Parents:

I would like to welcome you to the American Community Schools of Athens and thank you for entrusting us with the education of your children. As an educator and parent of two children, one who is attending ACS Athens and the other who graduated ACS Athens and is a student at McCormick Engineering School of Northwestern University, USA, I believe that ACS Athens provides the best holistic, meaningful and harmonious education for every student.

ACS Athens continues to experience growth and improvement in student enrollment, innovative programs, technology infrastructure, facilities, and faculty development. Below are some of the initiatives put in place for the 2008-2009 school year:

Facility Improvements

• The Middle School/High School library is remodeled (floor, ceiling, etc.) with environmentally friendly materials.
• The Elementary School library is also totally remodeled
• All of the classrooms in the Elementary School have new environmentally friendly floors installed (carpets have been removed).
• The Institute of Creative and Critical Thinking is offering its programs in three new classrooms and Mr. Medeiros has his office in this new Institute of Creative and Critical Thinking facility.
• A gift shop is created next to the library.

Technology

• The Elementary School has twenty new computers in its computer lab.
• The Middle School has twenty new computers in its computer lab.
• More than forty-five new science instruments have been ordered, improving the quality of science education in the Elementary School and Middle School.
• New School Management System and Academic Tools (SKYWARD®)
• A new academic management tool has been purchased. Our faculty and staff have been trained to run this program that includes electronic attendance, progress reports, discipline information, scheduling, etc.
• A new accounting/payroll/Business Office management tool has been adopted for efficiency and effective management of the school.

“Institute of Creative and Critical Thinking - ICCT” Programs

The ICCT will be offering an after school and Saturday program in:

• Theater/Drama for students in grades 9-12
• Ballet & Modern Dance for Elementary School students
• Greek Enhancement Program for Elementary School students
• Language and American Culture for Elementary and Middle School students
• On-line High School courses (first course will be offered January 2009).

Curriculum

• Science labs for the International Baccalaureate will be incorporated into the day program and not in the afternoons as in the past.
• The Virtual Science Fair will be implemented in the Middle School.
• AP courses will be introduced.

Scholarships

• Mr. Alafouzos and SKAI have awarded five three-year scholarships to outstanding students entering the 10th grade.
• Mr. Suheil Sabbagh and Mr. Samir Sabbagh granted four new three-year scholarships for students with academic and basketball talent. There are currently ten students receiving these scholarships.
• Procter & Gamble continues to support a student on academic scholarship.

Governance

• A new governance structure has been adopted with a 15-member Board of Trustees, including three elected parents.

Summer Youth Camp

• The 2008 Summer Youth Camp was a great success with 288 students participating. Of these students, 232 were non-ACS Athens students. This program ran for three weeks and included courses in dance, English language, computers, athletics (basketball, soccer, swimming, tennis, volleyball and karate).

After School Athletic Activities

• Tennis Academy for Elementary/Middle/High School students
• Swimming Academy for Elementary/Middle/High School students
• Karate for Elementary/Middle/High School students
• Soccer for Elementary School students

New Personnel

• New Academy Principal, Mr. Brian Kelly, will assume his duties beginning the 2008-2009 school year.
• The new Librarian, Ms. Terry E. McCarthy will be assuming her duties beginning the 2008-2009 school year.
• We would also like to welcome the 15 new U.S.-trained teachers who will be joining our school beginning the 2008-2009 school year.
• A new college counselor has joined ACS Athens and will be focusing on U.S. college placement.
• Ms. Julia Tokatlidou will assume the position of IB & Discipline Coordinator.

Other

• Dr. Edward Burger, distinguished professor from Williams College in Massachusetts was the commencement speaker for the High School.
• Mr. John Alafouzos, President and Managing Director of SKAI Radio and Television, was the honored speaker for the Middle School graduation.
• The International Baccalaureate preparatory course was very successful with twelve students attending.
• The “Ethos” publication celebrated its two years of existence and the latest issue is available in all offices.
• The Chinese language course was introduced in the High School as well as in the Middle School.
• The Chinese Summer Program was successfully attended by more than 25 participants. Teachers from Taiwan delivered the program.
• We had superb college placement with more than 85% of our students being accepted in their first choice high education institution.

As all of you can see, there are lots of exciting things happening at ACS Athens. I am delighted and honored to have the opportunity to continue working with students, faculty, staff, Board of Trustees, PTO, Boosters and donors, but more importantly with you, the parents, in leading ACS Athens in the continued journey of providing the best possible educational, cultural, art and athletic programs.

My office is always open to you and your children. Active parents help students, faculty, staff and administration in reaching our goals, which are none other than providing an excellent education for our young generation.

The best way to predict the future of our children is working together in shaping it. I look forward to another wonderful school year and seeing all of you at some point on our campus.

Sincerely

Stefanos Gialamas, Ph.D.
President

Contract Renewal Under New Title

Dear Parents & Friends of ACS Athens:

I am delighted to share with you the fact that the Board of Education and I have agreed on continuing our efforts together to make ACS Athens the best K-12 international educational institution in Greece and in the region. From the position of the President of ACS Athens, I am committed to devoting my energy, time and efforts to accomplishing this goal. The mutual commitment has been extended to June 30, 2011.

It is the most appropriate time to thank all of you together and individually for inspiring your children and all the members of the ACS Athens community to make the world a better place to live. I ask you to continue working together to improve our institution.

I would also like to extend my sincere appreciation to the leadership of the Unions and Federation for their support, help and guidance. When all of us work together with respect, appreciation and trust to strive for excellence, success is the natural result.

Thank you for entrusting the education of your children to ACS Athens to prepare them for becoming the future leaders with ethos.

Let us not forget to always be kind with each other and work together to make the world a better place for our children and grandchildren.

Have a wonderful summer!

Regards,

Stefanos Gialamas, Ph.D.
President, ACS Athens

Remarks & Conclusions from U.S. Trip 2008

Report of the Head of Schools - Successful Outcome of the recent recruiting trip to the U.S.

New Projects and Initiatives Planned

I have just recently returned from a three-week trip to the United States where I visited five cities, fourteen universities, and interviewed many talented teachers who were very interested in joining ACS Athens for the next school year. I wanted to share with all of you some of the wonderful outcomes of this trip, as well as other initiatives.

Recruiting (U.S. Hires)

• Elementary School/Middle School/High Schools teachers were hired
• High School Principal
• K-12 Librarian

We are currently in the process of finalizing one MS/HS Math position and a College Counselor.

University Visits

• Dr. Gialamas visited with the following universities: University of Chicago, Northwestern, Harvard, Tufts, Northeastern, Boston University, University of Virginia, George Mason University, George Washington University, NYU, Pace University, Cooper Union, City University, Teachers College of Boston University
• Ms. Pelonis visited with: Villanova University, Penn State, Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania, Haverford University, Bentley University, Emerson University, Harvard, Tufts, Northeastern, Boston University, University of Virginia, George Mason University, George Washington University, Teachers College of Boston University

Institute of Creative and Critical Thinking

We have a verbal agreement with the following U.S. universities for the 2009 summer courses: University of Chicago (Economics), Boston University (Mass Media/Communications), Northeastern (Pharmacy).

Alumni Meetings/Receptions

There were alumni gatherings/receptions at: NYU, New York City, Monaco Hotel, Chicago, hosted by our local ACS Athens supporter Mr. Chris Tomaras, and Boston University in Boston. In Chicago, along with the ACS Alumni who attended were the Greek Consul General of Chicago, the Education Coordinator, The Cook County Treasurer (Ms. Maria Pappas), a representative of the recently elected State of Illinois Treasurer, Mr. Alexi Giannoulias, professors from five universities and friends with a total of 30 attendees. In Boston, there were also professors from five universities and BU staff as well as our alumni.

2008 Summer Institute

The course offerings for the 2008 Summer Institute have been published. The following courses will be offered for students:

• Mathematics – Williams College
• Theater – York University
• International Relations – Tufts University
• Virtual Reality – Athens Information Technology
• IB Prep Courses – ACS Athens

The following courses will be offered to faculty from around the world:

• Institute in Educational Technology – Integrating Blackboard in the Classroom – taught by two instructors from the Harvard Educational Technology Program
• Institute on Enhancing Human Potential – Enrichment and Talent Development - Enrichment Opportunities for Gifted and Marginal Students
• Creative Problem Solving in collaboration with the University of Winnipeg. Participants will earn one graduate credit for attending these courses.

Prospective Trustees from USA

Dr. Gialamas visited with prospective trustees for the new Board that will go into effect once the new governance structure is finalized.

Meeting with Greek Consul General in Chicago and New York City

Dr. Gialamas met with the Greek Consul General in Chicago and New York City to:

• Brief them on the recent US hires and their paperwork that needs to be processed by their personnel.
• To include ACS Athens in their educational information materials for Greek/Americans returning to Greece

New School Information System (Skyward)

ACS Athens is moving towards a new school information software system (Skyward), exclusively created for public and private schools for the development of student, finance and Human Resources information.

• During March the company will offer five-day training for faculty and staff
• Data transfers will begin in April and will be completed by August so that the 2008-2009 academic year will begin with the new program.

Athletics

Both our Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Basketball teams became the 2007-2008 academic year Division I ISST Champions. The girls’ team had four all-star players and the boys had two all-star players.

College Placement

So far we have the best placement for our seniors, with first and second choices in universities, as well as great offers from the United Kingdom. We are expecting the best ever placement in terms of first and second choices of colleges and universities by our students.

Enrollment

Enrollment has reached 751, with 704 paid students. This is the highest number of paid students that ACS Athens had since June, 2001.

Spring 2009 USA Educational Fair for K-Post Graduate Students

Nineteen higher educational institutions from the United States have agreed to participate in the First ACS Athens Fair, “Attending USA Institutions: A Window to Life Successes”., including the University of Chicago, UVA, Boston University, Tufts University, Northwestern University, NYU, Pace, etc.

ACS Athens and First On-Line Course

ACS Athens is offering the first on-line course to students attending regional American High Schools. We have invited seven Head of Schools of international schools from cities such as Kabul, Belgrade, Skopje, Zagreb, Thessaloniki, Ljubljana, and Tirana). The course will be: “Mathematics, Science, Technology, Society and Ethics,” and will be taught by Mr. Medeiros and Dr. Gialamas. The same course, as described above, will be offered to ACS Athens students in a hybrid delivery modality (i.e., amalgamation of face to face instruction and on-line instruction). No other international school in the world is offering such a course with such a delivery modality/mode.

“Enhancing your English in an American Environment” Program

A program offered to non-ACS students will begin in September, 2008 and is currently in its final stages of preparation. This will be an intense course (after school and on Saturdays) of six hours a week, enhancing the English language knowledge of students not attending ACS Athens. It will be made available to students in grades 4, 5 and 6 and 7, 8 and 9. Upon their completion of this program, admission to ACS Athens will be considered. We will be able to a) attract qualified students to ACS Athens; b) prepare them in the English language according to our standards so we can minimize the number of ESL students in our school. In addition, extra revenue will benefit ACS Athens.

Recognition/Publications by Dr. Gialamas

• The International Journal of Research in Education has invited Dr. Gialamas to the editorial Board and become a referee/evaluator for submitted articles for publication. The first article for his evaluation is titled “Conceptual Change Among Teachers Involved in Educational Reform”
• The on-line refereed Academic Leadership Journal has announced the publication of Dr. Gialamas’ latest article titled “A Comprehensive Approach in Faculty Performance Assessment” in their March 22nd issue.

Great Forensics Results

Our Forensics Team came back from the tournament with the following results: 1) Finalist in Group Discussion; 2) Finalist in Comic Duet Acting; 3) Quarter Finalists in Debate; 4) Honorable Mention in Impromptu Speaking. Congratulations to all the students who participated in the Forensics Tournament!

PTO Faculty/Staff Appreciation Week

I would like to thank the ACS Athens PTO for organizing the Faculty/Staff Appreciation Week. It was a great event that everyone enjoyed. The tasty delicacies that our parents prepared and sent for both the breakfast and the luncheon were definitely savored. Special thanks go to all the parents who took the time to prepare their specialty for us.

Math Competition

For the second year in a row one of our students has made the finals of the 26th annual American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME)! This contest singles out approximately the top 1% of young international mathematicians who then compete at the next level, which is the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program. We are proud to have a student represent ACS Athens in this specialized math competition.

Finally, I want to conclude this report by saying that I am very proud to be a part of all these achievements in our school and want once more to thank all of you for entrusting your children to this excellent institution.

Stefanos Gialamas, Ph.D.
Head of Schools

February 2008 Remarks

Sharing good news

More and more exciting things are happening at ACS Athens, and I wanted to share these with you.

Enrollment Report

There are currently 691 paid students enrolled at ACS Athens for a total of 730 students.

New Website

We have launched the new version of our website. By the end of the month all sections will be populated with information and fully functional. The website is designed for maximum ease of navigation, new features and community building tools.

Publicity

• Second issue of "Ethos" has been published.
• Five printed media presentations of ACS Athens have been published in various newspapers and magazines.
• Anti-Drug publicity begins this Thursday.

New Summer Program

Two courses on Chinese culture will be offered during the summer for students ages 9-12 and 7-9 and will be taught by our Chinese teacher. One adult course on Chinese culture and cooking will also be offered in collaboration with the Taipei Representative Office in Greece

Recruiting

We now have access to the ISS (International School Services) database with more than 800 teachers interested in working abroad. The principals and Director of Academic and Student Affairs are in the process of reviewing the files in the areas where there will be vacancies and focusing on identifying the best three of four individuals for these positions. Once identified, they will call them prior to the recruiting fairs for more information and a phone interview.

Alumni

The Head of Schools will hold four Alumni meetings in four cities in the United States.

University Visits

The Head of Schools will be visiting 16 universities in the United States while he is there for recruiting.

Elementary School News

• Five interactive boards were placed in the Elementary School in the following classrooms:
  • KG- Ms. Cathy Makropoulos
  • 2nd- Ms. Jane Mantarakis
  • 3rd- Mr. Spiro Pilleris
  • 4th- Ms. Carmen Papathanasiou
  • 5th- Ms. Penny Kynigou
• Teachers have been trained and are actively utilizing the interactive boards.
• This is the first year the Elementary School has had a Student Council. Student Council representatives meet once a month with the Student Council Head, Mr. Pilleris, and the principal, Ms. Pappas, and voice school-wide issues, tackle problems, and also create bonding days with the entire school. Thus far, there has been a Games Day where students intermingled for two hours and played board games. It was a huge success.

Middle School News

• Two Smart Boards have been installed one in LA and one in Humanities.
• Choir performed at the Grande Bretagne.
• Johns Hopkins Program for talented students.

High School

• Eight out of twelve Academy students who applied Early Decision or Early Action to US universities were accepted. (This is an ACS record!)2 were deferred until regular admission round in April.At the ECIS Conference in Madrid, Ms. Pelonis, Ms. Perakis and Mr. Medeiros made contact with admissions officers from 114 colleges and universities in the US and Europe -- to promote our applicants and our program and to establish contacts for future Summer Institute courses and for our hosting of a college fair late in the Spring.
• The November kick-off activity of the ACS Athens Village Project -- in which a group of our tenth grade students and teachers visited the village of Zaccharo, connected with inhabitants, heard their stories, engaged in clean-up work, performed environmental testing -- was also a huge success. Teachers and students reported that it was a most valuable experience, a great beginning step for our three-year project. A delegation of village officials who visited the school after the trip commented upon how impressed they were by our students and teachers, and by our school's commitment to community service.
• Mr. Medeiros and Ms. Zoukis visited Athens Information Technology Institute in Decemberfor tour of the facilities and to flesh out details of a continuing collaboration that will provide professional development opportunities for our teachers and enrichment possibilities for our students. As a result, all members of the Math, Science and Technology Departments will visit the facility in January, to learn about the school's work and to work with AIT faculty to identify possibilities for making connections to ACS curriculum (including opportunities for students' to access the AIT labs) and to provide them with the information about our program that they need to develop appropriate software and simulations to support teaching in Math and Science. AIT staff visited with Ms. Perakis to view the Niarchos Center to identify ways in which they can help us in the implementation of technology assisted learning in the OM program. Ms. O'Donoghue will meet with AIT librarian in early January to work out details involved in gaining ACS access to the electronic and print resources of Carnegie Mellon University.
• Six interactive whiteboards installed in Academy classrooms (English, Social Studies, Science, Languages, Mathematics).
• ACS Athens Summer Institute:
  • Agreements reached with the following institutions to provide 2-week professional development workshops for teachers: University of Winnepeg: workshop focus -- releasing the potential of gifted andtalented children; Harvard University: workshop focus -- teaching with technology -- using web-based tools to enhance teaching and learning, with specific focus on exploiting all of the possibilities of Blackboard.
  • Agreements reached with the following institutions to provide 2-week enrichment program for students entering grades 11 and 12: Williams College: Mathematics and Creative Thinking, Athens Information technology Institute: Virtual Reality, Tufts University: International Relations. (These will run concurrently with a fourth session led by ACS teachers: IB/College Prep Workshop.)

International Baccalaureate News

• IB Examination Registration for May 2008 was completed in November 2007
• University and college application process both to the UK and to the US was successfully completed
• University and college acceptances of IB students thus far have all been to the universities of their first or second choice

Academic and Student Affairs News

• Coordinate college application process & college placement
• Coordinate anti-drug week
• Organize February USA university visits

IT Department

• Creation and implementation of Blackboard courses throughout Elementary
  • Met with Elementary Faculty and exposed them to Blackboard
  • Agreed upon common menu buttons for Elementary coursesAll Elementary students have emails, this brings us to the position that all ACS students have email accounts
• In the process of updating all pc's to Internet Explorer 7

Business Office

We are looking to replace our 22 years old accounting software! Currently, we are talking to software vendors hoping to have the new software up and running by July 1, 2008.

Athletics Department

• Athletics: the development of the 1st Corporate Basketball tournament at ACS Athens for the purpose of interactive whiteboard donations for our classrooms (21 boards)
• Physical Education: the full implementation of the K-12 swimming curriculum this year (it was done over a three year period)

Optimal Match Program

The 3rd Annual Conference "Learning Differences: Daring to Dream" will take place on May 9th and 10th.

• Conference opened to ACS community, parents, educational specialists, teachers and to the greater Athens Educational community.
• Recognized specialists from all over the world will present workshops and provide tools to be used by parents and professionals in educating students with learning differences.
• Topics include:
  
  • Teaching Reading in the International School
  • Back to Basics; Effective Parenting in a time of Rapid Change
  • US College Options for Students with Learning Differences
  • IB and special arrangements
  • "A Difference in Mind"Understanding Autism Spectrum
  • Assistive Technology
  • Child/adolescent psychopathology in relation with learning differences
  • Misbehavior in children and adolescent
  • Eating disorders and nutrition
  • Physical and Occupational Therapy

On Monday we begin our second semester. I believe that all of our students are happy and well-motivated as they continue their path for learning in an environment that is rich in learning and growth in all areas.

Stefanos Gialamas, Ph.D.
Head of Schools

Head of Schools 2008 Message

ACS: Greece's Lighthouse of International Education in 2008

I would like to welcome all of you to our new website and at the same time wish you a healthy and happy 2008.

During the spring semester of 2008 several major events will take place and several new academics programs will be introduced and implemented.

“student learning” is the center of our existence

We are continuing our growth with quality and integrity as we introduce new innovative programs, upgrade facilities and technology infrastructures and plan a new collaboration with several excellent academic institutes of higher learning. Every initiative is designed and implemented at ACS Athens is done so for the benefit of our students.

We are an international pre-K - 12 institution embracing the American educational philosophy, principles and values. Thus, “student learning” is the center of our existence. We think and act only for the benefit of our “student learning.” We help out students to dream while building on their strengths, desires and talents. The faculty and staff at ACS Athens are working on an on-going basis to enhance the educational experience of our students with harmony between knowledge, decision-making, behavior and ethos.

Below are some of our major initiatives, events and programs that are scheduled to take place in the near future.

• 11th Annual Anti-Drug Basketball Tournament on February 8-10, 2008
• 3rd Annual Conference on “Learning Differences: Daring to Dream” on May 9 & 10, 2008
• Summer Institute with college courses offered by York University (Theater)
• Williams College (Mathematics), Tufts University (International Relations),
• Athens Information Technology Institute-AIT (Introduction to Virtual Reality),
• ACS Athens (IB Diploma Preparation).
• Collaboration with AIT and ACS Athens in the areas of:
  • Summer Institute;
  • Professional Development for our faculty;
  • collaboration with their library to gain access to the resource of Carnegie Mellon University;
  • working with the Optimal Match Department to assist ACS Athens in the field of Assistive Technology.
• Summer Camp Program to begin at the end of the school year for three weeks.
• Integration of teaching and learning through 12 new interactive Starboards in classrooms. By the end of this school year there will be a total of 35 Starboards in classrooms.
• Collaboration with the University of Winnipeg in offering workshops in education for talented and gifted students and instructors.
• The Harvard Graduate School of Education will present a workshop series course on web-based learning in the classroom.
• Professional Development courses for teachers from throughout the world.
• Summer program introducing Chinese art, music, culture and cooking in collaboration with the Taipei Representative Office in Greece.

In closing I would like to thank all of you once again for your support of ACS Athens. Your belief in our school and educational system is the reason we strive to become the best we can – for your children, tomorrow’s future.

Sincerely,

Stefanos Gialamas, Ph.D.
Head of Schools

2007-08 Benchmarks

Growth, Innovation & Development

The new ACS benchmarks for 2007-08

I would like to welcome you to the American Community Schools of Athens and thank you for entrusting us with the education of your children.

As an educator, and as a parent of two children, one who is attending ACS Athens and the other who graduated ACS Athens and is a student at McCormick Engineering School of Northwestern University, USA, I believe that ACS Athens provides the best holistic education for every student.

The best way to predict the future of our children is working together in shaping it.

ACS Athens is experiencing a period of growth and improvement in student enrollment, innovative programs, technology infrastructure, facilities, and faculty development. This year’s innovative initiatives include:

• The Chinese language will be introduced in the Middle School.
• Advanced Placement (AP) courses will be offered in the High School.
• Learning Centers in the Middle School/High School – students will be able to get extra help, support and guidance after school for courses they need assistance in.
• The first issue of the new publication “Ethos” has been published and is now available. The second issue will be available by September 20, 2007.
• Ms. Mary-Ann Augoustatos will be the new Principal in the Middle School. Ms. Augoustatos has been with ACS Athens for a total of 19 years, 14 of them as Mathematics Department Chairperson.
• After school programs will be available to students in dancing and Greek language enhancement.
• Qualified students will be able to take college level courses (with high school credit and college course credit) at Deree College, University of Indianapolis, American Hellenic University, and City University. Students should contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs.
• Mr. Suhail Sabbagh and Mr. Samir Sabbagh generously granted an additional four new scholarships for students with academic/basketball talent (total eight). We thank them for their generosity.
• Procter & Gamble granted one new academic scholarship to ACS Athens. We thank them for their continued support of ACS Athens.
• SKAI is continuing with their fourteen academic scholarships. We thank SKAI for their continued support of ACS Athens.
• Great college placement
• For the third year in a row ACS Athens continues its growth in enrolment with quality and integrity.
• Optimal Match is expanding by introducing a “Talented and Enhancement Program” that addresses the challenges and needs of talented students in cooperation with the University of Winnipeg, Boston University and John Hopkins University.
• ACS Athens in collaboration with the American Hellenic Institute and Mary Washington University is developing a program of networking for ACS Athens alumni to provide internships.
• This year’s Summer Youth Camp is very successful with more than 250 students attending a three-week program combining academics (English/Computers), arts, dancing, and athletics (basketball, soccer, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and karate). As a result, a similar program for weekends will be offered next year.
• This is the second year that ACS Athens is offering an innovative college course program for students. Specifically, an International Affairs course is being taught by Dr. Mufti Malik (professor at Tufts University) and IB prep classes with ACS Athens’ best teachers.
• The creation of the ACS Athens Gift Shop with school related items (supplies, etc.) will be available for everyone.
• For the first time this year, there was a Middle School Commencement Ceremony. Dr. Saleh S. Jallad of CCC was our honored speaker.
• Mrs. Harriet Mayor Fulbright of the Fulbright Foundation was the honored speaker for the HS Commencement Ceremony.
• All textbooks will have barcodes to allow for the distribution and returning of textbooks to be done in a more efficient way via technology.
• All 450 windows in the Middle School and Academy are being replaced over this summer.

On a personal note, I am delighted and honored to have the opportunity of working with students, faculty, staff, Board members, PTO, Boosters, and donors, but more importantly with you the parents, in leading ACS Athens in the journey of providing the best possible educational, cultural, art and athletic programs.

My office is always open to you and your children. Active parents help students, faculty, staff and administration in reaching our goals, which is nothing but providing an excellent education.

I look forward to seeing all of you at some point on our campus.

I wish all the best to our students and their families for the 2007-08 academic year.

2007 New Years Remarks

Our Spring 2007 Initiatives

Dear Friends:

Please allow me to convey my best wishes for a healthy, productive and happy 2007 to you and your families.

With this opportunity, I would like to express my great pride to be the leader of an outstanding team of educators and professionals who make sure that ACS Athens offers the best educational experience to your children and reiterate our collective commitment to continue to do so in 2007 and many more years to come.

I thank you again for entrusting the education of your children to us. There is nothing more important and noble than to strive for the happiness of children in their educational environment. We are committed to provide the finest learning setting, allowing them to utilize all the great opportunities ACS Athens has available. These positive experiences will certainly make our students better individuals and more competent to handle the world as they prepare to become young adults.

At this point, I would like to share with you several exciting initiatives we are planning for the spring semester but also during the summer:

• In February, the 10th Annual Anti-Drug Week will project a pro-active, positive attitude towards prevention, healing and social inclusion for victims of substance abuse through open and honest discussion, lectures, presentations and other cultural events that will educate students in the dangers of substance abuse. Educators, athletes, activists, media personalities and other professionals will share their experiences and views with our students, helping them solidify an informed anti-drug attitude. The week will conclude with the “Anti-Drug” basketball tournament and the always entertaining Celebrity Basketball Game, with the participation of celebrities from sports, media, politics and other VIP’s.

• In March, the Annual Mathematics Competition, with the participation of schools from Athens and Thessaloniki, will provide the background for excelling math students to showcase their math and analytical skills and compete with their peers.

• In April, the ACS Career Week will offer the opportunity to professionals from a variety of disciplines to share with our students their unique insight and valuable information on new career trends and exciting new fields of activity in education, business, science; from bioengineering to nanotechnology, from e-commerce to art.

• In May, the 2nd Annual Optimal Match Conference celebrating students with learning differences, will definitely be a lighthouse of specialized lectures, workshops, and other activities with leading authorities and specialists from the area of optimal match learning and support services. Participants will include educators and specialists from the local, national and international educational environment.

• The Summer Institute will offer college level courses to qualified 10th, 11th and 12th grade students. This summer’s courses will be offered by Williams College, York University, Tufts University, Bentley College, Boston University and Brown University. These courses will integrate educational trips and innovative projects that will enhance the students’ outlook of the different subjects discussed.

• The Summer Educational and Athletic Camp will be available to students 7-14 years old. The program will incorporate the learning of computers and English, with their engagement in summer activities and sports such as swimming, tennis, basketball and soccer in an English speaking environment. In a creative approach, young people are exposed to a holistic experience developing skills for the mind and the body, an approach that reflects the American educational philosophy, principles and values.

• Implementing Learning through Community Service, a unique ACS program, will continue to inspire Civic Responsibility and promote Creative Learning. This initiative adopts a teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with academic study.

Dear friends,

I firmly believe that my role as the leader of this institution is transforming ACS Athens culture to one that values creativity in learning and problem-solving with the ability to profoundly impact the community, while radiating enthusiasm, ethos, empathy and commitment to civic responsibility. This goal will only be accomplished with your help, trust and support and the hard work of our students, faculty, staff, administration and the members of our Board of Education.

I look forward to seeing you soon in our campus.