Dr. Peggy Pelonis was raised in Los Angeles, California. She earned a Doctorate degree in Education from the University of Bath, UK, an M.Sc. degree in Counseling and School Psychology from California State University, Fullerton (where she also received two awards for Outstanding Student and Outstanding Research), an Executive M.B.A. from the University of Indianapolis and a B.S. in English Literature and Psychology from the American College of Greece.

Dr. Pelonis is a Licensed Psychotherapist and holds School Counseling Certification from the State of California. As well, she is a National Certified Psychologist and holds a diploma in Clinical Hypnosis. Dr. Pelonis was on the staff of Cal State University Fullerton as well as the University of LaVerne teaching in the Master’s Psychology program, she was on the staff of the Adlerian Training Institute, USA and is currently on the staff of ICASSI (International Committee of Adlerian Summer Schools and Institutes). She is Chair of the Special Interest Group of the European Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS) and works with Middle States Association (MSA) as a team member for school accreditation.

An active leadership and personal and professional growth coach and trainer and a trainer of school leadership and transformation, Dr. Pelonis conducts workshops in Europe, the Middle East and the USA. She was founder of ISOS Counseling and Educational Center and continues to conduct workshops and groups on Change and is a frequent lecturer at conferences as well as an invited speaker on various TV and radio programs. Her work on Coping with Change, Resilience as well as on Leadership in Education and Educational Transformation has been cited in journals, magazines and books. She is the author of numerous journal articles, book chapters and magazine & newspaper articles, as well as two books: "Change in the journey of life" Fytraki publications Athens, 2001 and "Yparho Allazo" I Exist, I Change) Isorropon publications, Athens 2006. Her Doctoral work involved international schools from around the world examining the views of Heads of Schools and Principals regarding professional development in such schools.

email: pelonisp@acs.gr

Ms. Anna (Annie) Angelidou is a Communications professional and certified TEFL/TESOL Instructor with 10 years of experience in communications, ESL, EFL teaching, SAT, TOEFL, and IELTS examination preparation, writing, translating and copy editing, and is committed to helping students prepare to become whole, compassionate, value-driven and purpose-centered individuals able to navigate themselves through an increasingly ambiguous and ever-changing world.

Ms. Angelidou was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, in the United States and is an alumna of ACS Athens.

email: angelidoua@acs.gr

Eleni Angelidou is an office management/marketing professional. She studied business administration and office management and has acquired several years of experience in her field. Born in Athens Greece in 1984, she has previously worked for major companies and academic institutions both in Greece and in the US. Driven by her passion for ongoing knowledge, she strives to inspire individuals around her to become the best version of themselves, no matter what they do.

She is a proud parent of a two-year old and believes that education is a way of life.

Eirini Antoniadou has studied Classics at the University of Athens and holds a certificate in Special Education by the same university. She also has a master's in Special Needs from the University of Nottingham, UK and has completed two years of training in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy at the Hellenic Institute for RECBT.

Ms. Antoniadou joined ACS Athens in 2012. She has held various positions such as Middle School Citizenship Coordinator, Student Affairs Officer and Academy OLP Specialist. She has also taught the Greek "Isotimia" program as well as the Beginning Greek program for adults. This is Eirini’s fourth year in the Optimal Learning Program (OLP) and she is excited to continue working with Middle School students in the OLP classroom as well as promoting inclusive practices in the regular classroom setting.

email: antoniadoue@acs.gr

Ms. Andriana Armodorou holds dual citizenship from Greece and the United Kingdom, where she lived for 14 years.

She did her Masters in Health Psychology at Middlesex University in London and her Bachelor degree in Psychology at the University of Plymouth in Devon, UK. For her Masters placement she worked as a patient advisor at Edgware Community Hospital in London and for her Bachelor degree's placement she worked for a year as a Social Support Worker at the national Centre with Young people with Epilepsy and associated conditions in Surrey, UK.

While in London, she worked at Broadfields Primary School as a Specialist Unqualified Teacher for children with Autism (Pathological Demand Avoidance, Asperger, ADHD) in a specialist provision within a mainstream school. She worked as an Autism advisor for the mainstream children and offered the children with low self-esteem Psychological Support to promote emotional and social balance. She also taught dance lessons using improvisation based on the curriculum for the mainstream children. At Broadfields Primary School she was the initiator for Autism Awareness across the mainstream school, and for parents. She was trained in Macaton sign language and delivered sessions across the provision setting. She also introduced Reverse Inclusion to allow neurotypical children to explore Autism. She created and designed a sensory friendly program called "Senscape" delivered on a theme based environment for children with Autism to meet their sensory needs, make them feel safe and regulated.

In addition, she worked at the Annunciation Catholic Infant School in London. She offered learning, emotional and speech and language support to mainstream children who had a diagnosis (Autism, Down Syndrome, Global Delay and Learning Difficulties).

Ms. Fergione was born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina in a Greek-Italian family. She holds a B.Sc. in Public Health Studies (2015) from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and a M.Sc. in Counseling Psychology & Psychotherapy (2018) from the American College of Greece. 

Through her studies she worked in public North Carolina high schools educating students on the importance of physical activity and nutrition on an individual’s well-being, as well having provided health education to underprivileged populations. She has contributed to planning and implementing on-campus workshops and lectures at the university level in topics such as overcoming exam anxiety and cultivating healthy relationships. This past summer (2019) she presented her master's thesis research about performance anxiety at an international psychology research conference at the University of Münster in Germany. 

Ms. Fergione has worked as a counselor in academic settings at the primary and university level, through both individual and group counseling. This will be her first year working as a Counseling Specialist in the Academy. She has been at ACS since 2017 fulfilling the roles of a counseling intern and a shadow teacher. 

She is also a certified gymnastics instructor, teaching fundamental gymnastics to ACS students at summer camp and will be teaching it as an after school program this year. She has been involved in gymnastics since the age of 4. She competed in USA Gymnastics’ Junior Olympic Program, on UNC Wilmington's club gymnastics team through college, and has been coaching gymnastics part-time for the past 8 years.

email: fergionea@acs.gr

Athina Gargali is a certified Nurse from the Prefecture of Athens and also registered with the Nursing Association of Greece. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from the Technological Educational Institute of Athens. In 2018, Ms. Gargali earned a scholarship and subsequently completed her Master's Degree in Health Economics and Administration at the University of West Attica, department of Public Health Policies.

Ms. Gargali has completed her work study as a Nurse in Konstantopoulio General Hospital. She has worked as a Freelance Nurse in Athens and since 2017, she has been working at ACS as the Head Nurse of the Health Center. Ms. Gargali holds a Pediatric/ Adults First Aid Certification as well as a certificate for a BLS/AED Provider Course. She has also completed a 3 year course in sign language.

Ms. Gargali was born and raised in Athens Greece.

email: gargalia@acs.gr

Sofia Genimata earned her Bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from Ethniko and Kapodistriako Panepistimio in Athens. Due to her love of teaching, she expanded her education and received a Master of Arts in Developmental and Learning Disabilities form Deree-The American College of Greece. She has participated in courses on "Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom" and on "Conquering Behavioral Challenges" and is currently studying to earn her certification of Reading Specialist. Ms. Genimata was born in Thessaloniki, Greece and attended school in Florida, U.S.A.

She is a firm believer that all students can reach their highest potential through differentiated learning strategies. This will be her third year as an OLP Specialist working with Elementary students.

email: gennimatas@acs.gr

Ms. Eugenia Hatziagelides received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Central Connecticut State University in 1990 and a Master's of Science in Counselor Education from Central Connecticut State University in 1993.

She worked as a Guidance Counselor from 1994 to 1997 at Lyman Memorial High School in Lebanon, CT before moving back to Greece in August of 1997 and worked at the Paidagogiko Institute as a consultant. Ms. Hatziagelides was then hired at Moraitis School and worked as a School Counselor from 1998 to 2017. She has done extensive volunteer work in shelters for women and their children. This will be her first year as Academy Guidance Specialist at ACS Athens.

Ms. Hatziagelides was born and raised in Athens, Greece.

hatziagelidese@acs.gr

Sarah Kaldelli earned her Bachelor’s degree, in Elementary Education from Goucher College in Towson, Maryland, U.S.A. Her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education was achieved from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. She has also acquired her Degree Equivalency from the Greek Ministry of Education.

She has worked in international schools in Greece, and in the Greek private school sector for the past 20 years. She has taught students with learning differences and disabilities ranging from Junior-Kindergarten to 7 th grade.

This is her 13th year at ACS Athens with the Elementary Optimal Learning Program (OLP). For the first 12 years, she was the Elementary School Optimal Learning Specialist, and is now working as the Coordinator for OLP. She has experienced many diverse professional development opportunities such as ECIS, NESA, the Learning Difference Conferences at ACS Athens, ADHD conferences and the ACS Athens Colloquium of 2016. She also routinely benefits from online coursework through the University of Phoenix. She has been a mentor to those seeking teacher certifications and to those doing internships during their academic studies. Additionally, she has authored and co-authored articles for the ACS Athens Ethos magazine. She played an active part in the development and establishment of the ACS Athens Diagnostic Center, and continues to collaborate closely with both the Center and the Counseling component of the Student Services Department. She is an advocate for early intervention, for focusing on each child’s best interests and for building confidence toward learning.

email: kaldellis@acs.gr

In his tenth year at ACS Athens, Mr. Kalogridakis was born and raised in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Rutgers University in NJ, then his Masters of Arts in Teaching from Boston University, and holds both Massachusetts and New Jersey teaching certifications. He has also completed extended course work for a Masters in Clinical Psychology from the University of Indianapolis.

Having worked as an Academy Counselor for 6 years, Mr. Kalogridakis is in his 4th year with 6th - 8th grade students, as the Middle School Counselor. Past advisor of the National Honor Society, Model United Nations club, and Student Council advisor, he is also an active coach of after school recreational teams under the Athletic Department.

email: kalogridakiss@acs.gr

Credentials

• English Proficiency, 1994, Cambridge.
• French DELF, 1995, French Ministry of Education.
• Art Restoration Certification, 2002, Public Institute of Professional Studies.
• 3 rd level Instructor Bagua Zhang, 2006, Liu Jing Ru Traditional Wushu Research Center.
• Assistant Instructor, Xing Yi Chuan, 2006, Liu Jing Ru Traditional Wushu Research Center.
• 4 th Duan Wei, Taichi Chuan, 2010, Chinese Wushu Association.
• 3 rd Dan, Ninjutsu, 2012, Bujinkan.
• Basic Life Support qualification, 2019, European Resuscitation Council.
• Mindful Educator Essentials, 2019, Mindful Schools.

Working experience

• English teacher at a Foreign Language Institute (2007-2015).
• Ninjutsu instructor (2010-2019).
• Owner of company “Karantinos Personal Training” (2016-2019).
• Martial arts based Mindfulness instructor teaching private lessons and companies and institutions (2016-2019).
• Taichi Instructor collaborating with RANDP at SNFCC (2017-2019).
• Creator and Instructor of the course Body-Mind-Balance for the full-time Youth to Youth students (2018-2019).
• Integration of Mindfulness and Taichi practices and principles in leadership retreats (2018-2019).
• Co-creator and Co-instructor of the “Equilibrium” leadership course (2018- 2019).

After training and teaching traditional martial arts for more than 20 years and experiencing first-hand the benefits that practicing and applying the principles have in both body and mind, I wanted to extend the scope of people affected. So I decided to integrate their principles and methods in different learning programs. Not everyone has the affinity or tenacity to learn martial arts but everyone can reach some level of mindfulness by adhering to their principles. And that entails, among others, being more focused and handling stress and emotional turmoil.

Personal accomplishments

• 1 Gup (Red/Black Belt) in Tae Known Do (1986).
• Paratrooper in Greek Army (2002-2004).
• 10 gold, 10 silver, 8 bronze medals in National competitions by the Hellenic Wushu Federation (2004-2019).
• 2 gold medals in the 5 th International Wushu Competition in Hong Kong (2010).
• Lecturer in 4 seminars (2011-2018).
• Sage Business School Alumni (2016).
• 1 gold medal in 1 st Mediterranean Kung Fu Competition (2017).
• 1 gold medal in 10 th Eagle Claw Kung Fu world cup (2018).
• 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze medal in the 1 st Acropolis International Wushu Open tournament (2018).

Konstantinos Kontos was born and raised in Athens. He graduated from the Technological Institute of Athens and is registered with the Nursing Association of Greece.

During his studies he spent time in various children hospitals, where he developed empathy along with the knowledge of how to take care of kids.

Nursing started for him with his internship at Ippokrateio General Hospital and continued with his employment in a variety of departments, throughout a period longer than 3 years, such as the General Hospital of Samos, the Hellenic National Defense College, house nursing, Emergency Rooms and a hemodialysis clinic. Additionally, he has a Certificate of attendance of Basic Life Support (BLS/AED) Instructor candidate from European Resuscitation Council.

His goal and main focus, is to treat each incident and each patient as a unique case and a unique personality, prioritizing their needs.

email: kontosk@acs.gr

Manos Kougioumzoglou is a licensed Clinical Psychologist/Psychotherapist. He holds three Bachelor’s and two Master’s degrees; a BA in Philosophy - Pedagogy and Psychology from the University of Ioannina, a BSc in Psychology from the University of Cyprus and a BA in Sociology from Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences specializing in Criminology. He received a Master’s of Art (MA) with “Summa cum laude” from the University of Ioannina and a Master’s of Science (MSc) from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School. He has been trained in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy at the Attica Psychiatric Hospital and Group-Analytical Psychotherapy Center. He also holds a diploma in Trauma-Therapy (EMDR).

Mr. Kougioumzoglou has ongoing publication and research activity in scientific journals and conferences. He has lengthy clinical experience in Learning Differences therapy and rehabilitation, and has worked in public psychiatric clinics. He has been training health professionals since 2016 in Personality Disorders, Grief and  Bereavement issues, Intra-domestic violence, and Psychodiagnostics. He has also worked as Head of the Department of Special Vocational Training and Education of “Theotokos Foundation,” as well as at the Red Cross where he was in charge of the Psychological and Diagnostic Services. Simultaneously, he worked as a Consultant in the Palliative Care Unit "Jenny Karezi" (Areteion Hospital). He is currently a Ph.D candidate at the School of Medicine, University of Athens. Mr. Kougioumtzoglou promotes a holistic health approach for ACS Athens in order to assist students to effectively and holistically manage psycho-emotional challenges so as to develop resilience and a strong sense of Self.

Manos Kougioumzoglou was born in Kos (Greece).

email: kougioumzogloue@acs.gr

Ms. Kouppa holds a BA in Philosophy, Pedagogy and Psychology from the University of Athens and an MSc in Inclusive and Special Education from the University of Edinburgh. Upon her graduation, Ms. Kouppa began working in various high schools in Scotland. She taught Social Studies at Burnhouse School and also worked as a shadow teacher at Gracemount High School in the city of Edinburgh.

Ms. Kouppa joined ACS Athens in 2016 as a Humanities/Language and Literature substitute. Since then, she has been involved in many aspects of the school's life. She has worked in the Writing Studio where she assisted students in developing their personal voice on a variety of written assignments and college essays. Ms. Kouppa has also been an IB CAS advisor, Study & Organizational Skills instructor and participated in the Mentor Program. 

This will be her third year as a Counseling Specialist, guiding the 11th and 12th grade students through the college application process. In her spare time, Ms. Kouppa enjoys being a world traveler and an avid reader.

email: kouppac@acs.gr

Anna Makris was born and raised in Athens, Greece, and is an alumna of ACS Athens. Ms. Makris is a Licensed Psychologist and has received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto with a double major in Psychology and Sociology as well as a Master of Science in Psychology from Kingston University. In addition she is trained in psychoeducational diagnostic testing and is one of the founding members of the Educational & Diagnostic Testing Center at ACS Athens.

She began working at ACS Athens in 2012 as an Academic Advisory Specialist and IB CAS Coordinator, assisting Junior and Senior students with the university application process as a whole. Ms. Makris is currently the Academy Counseling Coordinator in the Office of Student Affairs.

email: makrisa@acs.gr

Ms. Natalia Maravegias completed her BA in Psychology, in 2013, from The American College of Greece, and she holds a Master of Science in Health Psychology from The University of Nottingham, UK, in 2016. Currently, she is a graduate member of the British Psychological Society, MBPsS.

She is a certified fellow rational-emotive cognitive behavioral therapist, of the Affiliated Training Center of the Albert Ellis Institute. This will be her fourth year working at ACS Athens, at the Educational and Diagnostic Testing Center, and her second year as the Educational and Diagnostic Testing Center Coordinator. Prior to that, she has worked for two school years as a shadow teacher at ACS Athens. While completing her undergraduate degree she worked as a lab assistant, creating, and supervising psychological experiments for undergraduate students.

Ms. Maravegias has completed an in-depth training course in Educational and Psychological assessments, under the supervision of Dr. Michael Castleberry, Professor at the University of Washington, accredited by the State University of New York.

Ms. Maravegias was born in Athens, Greece and is an alumna of ACS Athens. 

email: maravegiasn@acs.gr

Michela Martines holds dual citizenship from Italy and Norway. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Sussex. For her academic achievements, she received a full scholarship to complete her Master's degree from the same university in Clinical Psychology and Mental Health. She is currently continuing her studies through a four-year training and supervision program in Rational-Emotive and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with children, adolescents, parents and educators at the Hellenic Institute for RECBT.

Ms. Martines has been a member of the ACS Athens community since 2017. She has held various positions including elementary school counseling intern, shadow teacher and substitute teacher. This is her second year as a member of the OLP Department.

email: martinesm@acs.gr

Born and raised in Athens, Greece, Theodora Panteli holds an A.D in Science from Jacksonville College and a B.A with a major in English Literature, Global Culture & Rhetoric, a double minor in Theater Studies and Philosophy, Politics & Law from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She spent her senior year working as a Teaching Assistant for Harpur College and the Departments of English and Theater Studies.

For the past 7 years she has been working as Learning Specialist. This would be her third year in ACS and the Academy. For the past two years she was the guidance specialist for 11th & 12th grade advisory while this year she will be the guidance specialist for 9th and 10th grade advisory. She is also a certified IB CAS advisor, offering guidance to IB students and providing them with opportunities to complete the requirements for CAS successfully.

She was a professional athlete for 14 years and the first Greek female athlete to ever be awarded with a full athletic scholarship(NCAA D1). She was a member of the Greek National Team and the captain of Binghamton women's basketball team. Theodora, is also working as a sports journalist for NovaSports Channel while she is also studying to finish her MSPsy- in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

email: pantelit@acs.gr

Danai Papaioannou earned her Bachelor's degree in Greek language and literature from the University of Athens. Upon the completion of her studies, she enrolled in a one-year program at the same university, which resulted in a certificate in Special Education, seeking to gain deeper knowledge in inclusive practices. Ms. Papaioannou also completed extensive training in Mindfulness, as she firmly believes that training our attention to experience the present moment with greater curiosity and kindness helps to provide new possibilities to identify and overcome difficulties. In August 2018, she finished a Master's degree on Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health from King's College London.

Ms. Papaioannou has been a member of ACS Athens since 2015. She has worked as the Student Affairs Officer promoting learning through service and has also served as the Administrative Assistant of the office. This will be her second year as the Academy/Middle School OLP Specialist, supporting students to develop their talents and build collaborative relationships in their learning environment. She will be also working in the Learning Commons as the Enhancement Programs Coordinator.

email: papaioannoud@acs.gr

Demetri Pelidis earned his Bachelor of Education from Boston College, a Master of Education (M.Ed), in Counseling Psychology, from Keene State College of New Hampshire, and his Advanced Graduate Degree in School Counseling from Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. Born in Zimbabwe, Africa and reared in Athens, Greece, Demetri is a proud graduate of ACS Athens.

Mr. Pelidis first starting working at ACS as a High School Counselor and has served in many capacities with both in the Middle School and Academy Counseling Departments. In his role this year as Pre-Junior Kindergarten-5th grade School Counselor he is responsible for approximately 400 students. As the Elementary School Counselor he works with school personnel, secretaries and administrators to meet the needs of our students. Demetri serves as a consultant to teachers and parents by providing support in regard to meeting student academic and emotional needs. While working together with teachers and administrators he will strive to build a partnership between the school and the home life.

Demetri has interned and worked in various school systems both in Boston, Massachusetts and New Hampshire School Districts. Demetri has completed over 25 years of professional experience in counseling and teaching students in middle school, high school, undergraduate and graduate school levels. He is a certified school counselor from the state of Massachusetts, and actively enjoys his professional affiliation with ASCA-The American School Counselor Association.

Mr. Pelidis also assists our ACS athletic department as the Boys Varsity Soccer Coach. It has been a very rewarding experience for him! Over the years our Lancer Boys Soccer Teams have earned first place gold medals in ISST championships. Prior to coaching soccer for ACS, Athens, Coach Pelidis played his collegiate soccer for the Boston College Eagles, where he was named Senior Athlete of the Year. He also played professionally in the American Soccer league for the Boston Bolts.

email: pelidisd@acs.gr

Ms. Artemis Repouli holds a B.A. in European & International Studies from the University of Piraeus, Greece. She received an M.A. in International Business from Leeds Metropolitan University in the United Kingom and has had various administrative roles within companies in both Athens and London.

Since January 2015 she has been a member of the Office of Student Affairs in the position of Registrar and since September 2016 she is serving as the SAT/ACT Coordinator and the school Registrar for Middle School and High School divisions.

email: repoulia@acs.gr

Helen Seretis has a Bachelor's in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago, and a Master's in Education with a focus on Family Therapy from the University of Miami and a certification in School Counseling from National Louis University. 

She has over five year of experience working in academia as an Academic Advisor at the Illinois Institute of Art and as a Certified Licensed School Counselor at both the Elementary and High school level. She has also completed the training and internship component for the CADC (certified drug and alcohol counselor). This is her second year at ACS Athens as an Academy Counselor.

Helen Seretis was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.

email: seretish@acs.gr

Antonia Theodori has graduated with her Bachelors degree in Applied Psychology and Human Relations from Pace University, NY in 2016. She is a graduate from Deree - The American College of Greece with her Masters in Applied Educational Psychology. She presented her graduate thesis titled, "Teachers’ Well-Being and Personality Traits as Associations of Burnout: A Comparative Study Among U.S and Greek Teachers" at the 2019 International School Psychology Association (ISPA) Conference in Basel, Switzerland.

She has worked in the NYC Department of Education as a high school substitute teacher as well as schools in Westchester County, NY working with students with a variety of different learning needs. She has also worked with middle school and high school students with learning differences using differentiated teaching strategies. She is excited to be an Elementary OLP Aide this year.

Ms. Theodori is Greek American from Brooklyn, New York.

Ms. Zalokostas was born and raised in Northern New Jersey (NJ). She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honors in Psychology from Rutgers University in NJ, and earned a Master’s of Science in Education with Honors and Certificate of Advanced Study in School Psychology with a Multicultural Specialization, from City University of New York.

Ms. Zalokostas has worked the past 6 years as a School Psychologist in NJ public schools. She has worked with preschool to high school aged students with diverse learning and social/emotional needs. She has worked as a School Psychologist in culturally, linguistically and economically diverse schools. She has helped schools develop Response To Intervention (RTI); tiered academic intervention policies and advised and co-headed the implementation of the school-wide tiered system of Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBSIS) in collaboration with the Department of Education (DOE) in NJ.

In 2013-2014 she was an International Scientific Team Member for the International WeC.A.R.E Teacher Training and Classroom Intervention Program with The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Psychology. Ms. Zalokostas has presented research on academic interventions at national conferences in the United States for the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). This is her first year at ACS and she will be an Optimal Learning Program Specialist.