ETHOS Vol.4, No.2 - Spring 2010

Spring 2010 ñ Volume 4 ñ Issue 2

Leaders in Our Time: Past, Present and Future Cover Story: We are the World Student Leaders: Global Citizens Making a Difference Beyond the Books: Pedagogy in Action

Alumni Affairs ñ Professional Development ñ Community Connections ñ Footnotes ñ Smiles around Campus

STUDENT SERVICES

Undergraduate Programs Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature (BAELL)

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT)

Students in English Language and Literature will acquire in-depth knowledge of the English language, including its grammar and syntax, as well as the social and cognitive aspects of language usage.

A competency-based program, which provides students with all the necessary credentials to deal with traditional business technologies and evolving multimedia-related technologies and services.

Bachelor of Music (BM)

Bachelor of Science in Psychology (BSPsy)

A professional music degree, it balances the academic study of music through courses in music theory and music history with rigorous technical training in music performance.

The undergraduate program in Psychology combines perspectives from the social and the natural sciences to gain an understanding of human behavior and provides the option to students to focus on their particular area of interest.

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) Students in Business Administration will acquire a general understanding of a wide range of information about business and competencies in business practices as well as specialized knowledge about their area of concentration (optional).

Associate of Science in Enterprise Network Administration (ASENA) Students in Enterprise Network Administration will acquire the technical skills necessary to install, configure, operate and maintain a network.

Graduate Programs PhD in Applied Linguistics

Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics (MAAL)

The Program is intended for a broad range of working professionals in a variety of occupational fields, but is specifically designed for practitioners who work in the Teaching of English to Speakers of other Languages (TESOL), English language testing or translation/interpretation.

The program provides participants who have a professional interest in language with a valuable opportunity to familiarize themselves with the latest developments in the field of Applied Linguistics. It offers them rigorous training in the application of linguistic principles in the areas of Teaching English as Second/ Foreign Language and Testing.

Professional Master of Business Administration (PMBA) The Professional MBA is designed to address the educational and career needs of individuals with five or more years of business experience. It aims to promote career mobility, flexibility and multi-functionality.

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The MBA program is designed to address the student’s desire for practical knowledge, a promising career path and personal development.

Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) The Master of Science in Information Technology is a graduate education program designed to develop exceptional IT specialists who are recognized for their high level technological expertise,creative and inventive thinking and professional competencies.

Master of Arts in Translation (MAT) The program emphasizes the integration of academic and realworld preparation for translators. It complies with the European Commission’s Directorate General for Translation guidelines for Master’s degree programs in translation and can be completed in one year of full-time study.

Master of Arts in Conference Interpretation (MACI) The program equips students with the theoretical foundation and practical skills needed for consecutive and simultaneous interpretation in their specific language pairs. It complies with the European Commission’s Directorate General for Interpretation guidelines for Master’s degree programs in interpretation and can be completed in one year of full-time study.

\ Faculty Mentoring / Academic Advising \ Library & Information Resources \ Writing Center \ Health Services \ The Career Development Program \ Financial aid

ALUMNI SUPPORT & ASSOCIATION The University supports the Alumni Association efforts. Membership in the Alumni Association provides graduates with a to the Hellenic American University.The Association is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and maintains an office on the Hellenic American University premises. Soon, alumni will have their own link, with exclusive access, on the Hellenic American University website.

Membership in the Alumni Association gives graduates the opportunity to , to make contacts that will help them professionally, and to participate in special activities and events.

lifelong connection

exchange ideas and share experiences

www.hau.edu.gr HEADQUARTERS: Salmon 36, Manchester, NH 03104, USA, Tel.: 603 645 1800 ATHENS CAMPUS: Kaplanon 12, 106 80 Athens, (Metro station: Panepistimio), Tel.: +30 210 368 0950 Fax: +30 210 363 3174, e-mail: university@hau.gr Hellenic American University admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, physical disability, or veteran status to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the University. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, physical disability, or veteran status in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.

Our Mission ACS Athens is a student-centered international school, embracing American educational philosophy, principles and values.

Through excellence in teaching and diverse educational experiences, ACS Athens challenges all students to realize their unique potential: academically, intellectually, socially and ethically – to thrive as responsible global citizens.

Publisher: ACS Athens. Editor-in-Chief: Desiree Michael. Production team: John Papadakis, Marianna Savvas, Stacy Filippou.

Contributors: ACS Athens Faculty, Staff, Students, Parents and Alumni. Art Direction, Design & Printing: Multimedia SA. Cover Design & Concept: Dot Repro SA. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine (text or images) may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.

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Ethos: n.Greek: ethos: nature, disposition. The characteristic spirit of a culture, era, community, institution, etc., as manifested in its attitudes, aspirations, customs, etc; the character of an individual as represented by his or her values and beliefs; the prevalent tone of a literary work in this respect.

L E T T E R S

Letter from the Editor In the four months that I have been at ACS Athens, I have witnessed leadership in every event from the Pan Hellenic Forensic Tournament to student performances. Thus, I found it difficult to determine which event best modeled the meaning of leadership and global citizenry--both were deemed to be the themes of this issue. So, what you will find is an entire Cover Story section and an entire section on Student Leadership. However, before saying more, I would be remiss not thank Ms. Marca Daley for modeling leadership through her action of passing on the Ethos torch to her next teammate. For me, her action was one of the greatest models of leadership that I had witnessed in some time. Ms. Daley provided clear instructions on how to follow and carry the torch to the next level: that is a leader and I think we can all tip our hats to Ms. Daley!

Speaking of which…Ms. Daley dedicated an entire issue of Ethos to learning through reflection. Some teachers shared that their students learned best through this stage of critical thinking. Each Ethos is compiled in hopes that our readers will reflect and join in our conversations, goals and efforts to take our students to a deeper level of learning. Therefore, I have included web links and email addresses to invite our readers to take the opportunity to reflect and interact.

The letters to leaders from our 5th grade students (you can find them at the end of the Cover Story section) led me to reflect on my own daily actions as a global citizen. My interviews with our leaders, literally, took me back to the origin of my desire to change the way students were educated: At age seven, after watching the invasion of Cyprus, I believed that if leaders were educated to respect others, the outcome of global conflicts would be quite different. Thus, the exercise of building this issue of Ethos around leadership reminded me, ever so clearly, of my goal to work towards a sustainable solution for the reunification of Cyprus. However, as Dr. Gialamas points out

in his interview, it is necessary to understand all members of the community with which you will partner before building sustainable solutions.

Further reflection occurred when Ms. Gaines’ elementary school students brought tears to my eyes when singing to Toto’s hit Africa.

Four years ago, I visited Malawi, Africa and paid the annual school fee for a young child, school improvements and the hiring of two school staff members. Then, I went back to being an American. The amount of money I paid for one consumer convenience in one year could have paid for 24 children to attend school for a year (or 2 children for 12 years). In this issue, though I could not include all of the requests of our children, they are clearly asking us to be global citizens and make choices that will ensure the health of the Earth and the health of their own children. I hope you will find something in this issue that will resonate with you and will move you to reflect as well.

I will concur that for some, this issue of Ethos may seem emotionally heavy, but the nature of true leadership often requires facing issues head-on without the sugar coating, as our Newscoop students are uncovering in their travels to the divided lands of Palestine and Israel, and as our student writers and student leaders so poignantly highlight in their letters. As we watch North and South Korea on the brink of war and parts of Athens, Greece and Bangkok, Thailand set ablaze, the need for leaders with positive ethos is very clear.

Some of the resulting actions from student requests may seem ever so small, such as those expressed in an article by our ACS Athens Elementary School Principal, Dina Pappas. Acting on her own vision, she has changed the diets for children today--in our time. This action is not as minute as it may appear. A recent article in Time Magazine revealed that epigenetic researchers discovered that a person’s dietary choices and habits can actually change the longevity of life of their off-spring. Therefore, Ms. Pappas’ efforts are to be commended. As requested by her student constituents, she is a leader making decisions that will impact their children’s children.

I hope that you will share in the passion and dedication with which Dr. Gialamas and the ACS faculty, students and community are collectively stringing together their leadership efforts to create global citizens. However, I am compelled to recall a quote of Oprah’s, "Hope is not a plan," but your contributing actions can be.

Desiree BTW, speaking of contributions and actions, I cannot thank the ACS Community enough for pulling through in less than a two-month period to lift this elephant--Ethos--and making it happen.

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Dear ACS Athens Community Members: The ACS Athens Board of Trustees is pleased to announce President Stefanos Gialamas' contract renewal, until June 2015. Under Dr. Gialamas' leadership our school has reached new levels of excellence in all areas and is fast becoming one of the best international schools in the world.

Q & A with the President Normally Dr. Gialamas has a Q&A section as the introduction to Ethos. However, as you will read in his interview, as part of the cover story collection, a leader has to remain in front of the population being led. As this Ethos goes off to print, Dr. Gialamas is fulfilling an honored commitment to parents to travel with their children into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict zones. Therefore, we featured the next step of the ACS Athens vision that he presented at the Spring 2010 Staff Meeting.

From Better to Best: The Next Five Years Normally, Dr. Gialamas has a Q&A section as the introduction to Ethos.

However, as you will read in his interview, as part of the cover story collection, a leader has to remain in front of the population that he is leading. As this Ethos goes off to print, Dr. Gialamas is fulfilling an honored commitment to parents to travel with their children into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict zones for a lesson beyond the classroom. Therefore, we featured the next step of the ACS Athens vision that he presented at the Spring2010 Staff Meeting.

From Better to Best: The Next Five Years As teachers prepare to leave for their summer vacation, Dr. Gialamas invited the ACS Athens faculty to rise to higher heights of academic thought and content design. Teachers are encouraged to think about how they will take their students’ academic curriculum from better to best over the next five years through the design of "authentic courses."

Over the last five years, the ACS Athens team has worked to make major changes towards

positioning ACS as a lighthouse model for other schools to emulate. Dr. Gialamas’ vision is to create an educational institution that serves student needs beyond their attendance at ACS Athens. This includes, but is not limited to creating a brick and mortar institution that facilitates research and development, communication, mathematical and technological skills, and finding the "best-fit" for higher institutions.

For three years, Ethos magazine has served as a roadmap and testament to the numerous hours, activities and efforts that teachers, students and community members committed to implementing this shared vision. This commitment continues to flourish within the framework of a holistic, meaningful and harmonious educational experience.

Now, in the next stage of developing the vision, teachers will have the opportunity to author change that will impact student progress and academic performance beyond their own tenure at ACS Athens as many staff members, as well as students, belong to an international entity of fluid members.

With the changing demographics in mind, Dr. Gialamas encourages teachers and departments to pool their knowledge, locally and globally, to develop critical designs in academic content that

will set the tone for an authentic ACS Athens Integrated High School Diploma. It is said that some of the best business ideas are born on a café napkin; however, Dr. Gialamas is a step ahead and invites the ACS community to send their innovative ideas for curriculum design via Blackberry or PC to creativeideas@acs.gr or suggestions@acs.gr . He reminds teachers that the students look up to them to lead the way in creating highly knowledgeable individuals, and thus, the next five-year projection plan "…is your chance to take ACS Athens students to the Champion League of Education!"

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As we embark upon our most ambitious and innovative projects yet, Dr. Gialamas' leadership will be invaluable in implementing Board policies and safeguarding our educational philosophy and values, which make ACS Athens such a unique proposition.

Constantine Stergides

CONTENTS Enhancing Education

Pedagogy in Action

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49

Professional Development

6

Hail and Farewell

47

Cover Story

62

Student Leaders

Footnotes

12

32

Alumni

64

67

Community Connections 55

Table of Contents ENHANCING EDUCATION Gift of Books Student Survial Kit: ACS Resource Research Tips and Tricks What is Math Literature Math through Literature COVER STORIES We are the World The Marks of Leadership The String Theory and Educational Leadership Leading on Location Leading from the Middle with Meaning The World's Issues through the Eyes of Children Food for Thought What's on the Menu?

STUDENT LEADERS Student Leaders in Action Jessica Ogunnorin:The Courage to Embrace the Unknown The New Student Initiative The Fate of the Earth is in Our Hands!

Theory of Knowledge Students Model Leadership for Haiti Earth Club: “Leading By Example” Who's Leading Who? Our Little Shining Stars Forensics Helps Students’ Civic Responsibility Debate: The Thrill of Oration and Persuasion Donations for Tanzanian Children Boy Scouts of America Troop 343 HAIL AND FAREWELL PEDAGOGY IN ACTION Journalism and Democracy Project Leading the Way for Collaborative Relationships A World of Possibilities Democracy in Action Learning Leadership, Culture and Intuitiveness through Drama Interdisciplinary and Team Teaching at the IB Level From the Classroom to the World Favorite quote on modeling leadership COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS 2nd Annual ACS COLLEGE VISITS to the Boston Area Discovery Through Travel – Part II On-Line and On-Site: Education for Global Citizenship ACS Athens Supports the Nightingale Initiative for Global Health & the International Heartsongs Project Collaboration at its Best: The PTO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Talents Uncovered Other Conferences/ Workshops/Presentations/Courses FOOTNOTES The American Mathematics Competitions ACS Student Wins Panhellenic Tournament in Chess ACS Athens Hosts the 2010 Pan-Hellenic Association Forensics Tournament What's New in IT? Cross Country ALUMNI SECTION

Marianna Travlos Laith Kalai Terry McCarthy Tina Dellas Maria Falidas Interviews by Desiree Michael Interview with Ms. Kate Gaines Interview with Dr. Dorbis Interview with Dr. Gialamas Interview with Academy Principal Brian Kelly Interview with Middle School Principal MaryAnn Augoustatos Invterview with Newscoops' Camilla Warrender Dina Pappas Interview with Mr. Nikos Interview with three students Peggy Pelonis and Annie Constantinides Gaith and Laith Kalai Maria Kormpou Chris Monopolis Toni Fleeher & Jane Mantarakis Stavroula Salouros Cathy Makropoulos Marca A. Daley

By Nasos Abuel Jill Rivers Amanda Arman, Robin Bradley & Stephanie Kutson

John Papadakis, Anna Valivesaki and Camilla Warrender Angelik Grigoratos, Emily Mouratoglou and Christiana Perakis Miah Confer Kate Blaufuss Sophia Thanopoulou Dr. Lykourgos Hristako

By Irene Soteres Angela Spiliot Stelios Kalogridakis Rannelle McCoy Janet Karvouniaris and Kathleen Jasonides Ellen Froustis-Vriniotis Patty Dimitriadis, PTO President

8 8 10 10 11 11 12 13 16 18 22 23 24 28 30 32 32 33 34 34 35 38 40 41 42 43 44 46 47 49 49 50 51 52 53 53 54 54 55 55 56 58

Sue Protopsaltis & Dora Andrikopoulos Ellen Froustis-Vriniotis

60 61 62 62 63 64 64 64

Marca A. Daley Desiree Michael and Mary Manos Alexander and Daphne Apostolidis Marianna Savvas

65 65 66 67

Jeff Bear

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E N H A N C I N G EDUCATION

The Great Gift of Books "There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world.

A love of books is the best of all."

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis When I was a little girl, my grandmother framed this image for me, and it still graces the walls of my home. She regularly took me to my neighborhood public library in the Boston suburb of Dedham. There, she helped me choose beautiful and exciting storybooks. We always seemed to check out a large stack of them. At home, she would read these books to me, inviting me into the enchanting world of literature and adventure.

Besides those days becoming cherished memories, the experiences with my grandmother fostered and nurtured a love of reading the written word and of the world beyond my own existence. Indeed, books have always been among my most treasured possessions, and I feel very fortunate to have received these gifts at a young age. My favorite books serve as portals into my past. They are a reference of information that I have turned to for guidance over the years, and they are a source of comfort and joy. On a personal level, they are dear to me, yet, they have also helped me to grow academically. As far back as nursery school, my scholastic strengths were my vocabulary and verbal abilities. I have no doubt that my language skills were due to my exposure to literature.

Perhaps, these positive experiences are why I care so much about the role of books in children’s lives and how libraries play an important part in their educational growth. I also believe that we as parents and teachers have a responsibility to help lead and encourage children of every age to read books. This role is especially important today in the age of the Internet.

When I first enrolled as a student to ACS Athens, one of my earliest memories was being impressed with the Elementary School library. I strongly believe that now, more than ever, ACS Athens should continue its tradition of cultivating students’ interests in books and libraries. Not only will this exposure to books create better students, it can create better-informed global citizens as well.

To me, the library of a school is its scholarly heart and soul, where all the collected knowledge over the centuries is gathered and preserved. It is also a small representation of the larger world beyond the school’s community.

Harold Howe, a former US Commissioner of Education, believed, "What a school thinks about its library is a measure of what it thinks about education."

If this is true, then the fact that we have two excellent libraries is a testament to our institution. Dr. John Dorbis, who has been a revered member of the ACS Athens community for over 45 years, recently answered in an interview that a considerable part of what makes a school great is its library: "With 8

Marianna Travlos ACS Alumna

textbooks student knowledge is limited to simple fact-based and rote-like learning. Whereas, with a library, the world is made a little bit larger."

Therefore, having two wonderful and rich libraries at ACS Athens is one more thing for which the students should feel grateful.

The truth is, however, that these days it is very difficult to raise children’s interests in books, let alone feel grateful for them. It may be especially challenging in Greece to get children excited about books, as there are no neighborhood public libraries and school libraries are not in abundance. I have found that, because of this, many Greek children, sadly, associate books merely with school and schoolwork, not with joyful diversions. Perhaps then, students coming to ACS Athens at an older age, who have not been exposed to libraries before, are not aware of what a library can offer and that reading books can be a pleasant pastime. Thus, we educators should not assume that all middle or high school students know how to use a library. Many of the students may need our guidance.

Recently, with the help of the PTO and our librarian, Terry McCarthy, the two ACS Athens libraries received new and fascinating gifts for a new generation of students to cherish. As educators and parents, we can use these latest additions as an opportunity to re-introduce our students to our libraries. For it would be such a shame, if the books just sat on top of the shelves collecting dust. However, if we ignite a spark of interest in them, then they may carry that with them. That small spark could grow and reading books could become a lifelong habit.

Last year, I had the opportunity to help out in the Middle and High School library for a couple of months. I noticed that many students were not enthusiastic about the idea of using the library; but, Ms. McCarthy and other faculty recently noted that in the Elementary School library, the children are very excited by and care for the books. A child even cried because he was so distraught that he had accidentally torn a page of a book. Though I do not wish for any child to cry over damaged books, I am grateful for the librarian and teachers who have taught younger students to care for these gifts. Maybe, the younger children can serve as examples to the older ones, since, as students enter Middle and High School and use the computer more, they appear to become detached from books. I know that it is difficult to pry this generation away from their beloved computers and their dependence on the Internet, because they often see the use of books as an inconvenient task and an inferior

means of research compared to the plethora of information they can find online so quickly and easily.

Clearly, I am not debating the convenience or usefulness of the Internet; I am, however, presenting a challenge that we as parents and educators nurture the appreciation of books that students have when they are younger and not allow the Internet to take the place of or destroy that instinctive connection to books. We can step in and guide students in using the library for all of its gifts. When students write a research paper, we can encourage them to use books as references as well and not retrieve all their information from online sources. By doing this, we can inspire them to browse the library’s bookshelves, which expose them to countless subjects and

topics; and like my trips to the library with my grandmother, this exercise will introduce them to things beyond their care, thus enlarge their world and help to create enlightened global citizens. Therefore, let us teach them, if they do not already know, or remind them, if they have forgotten, how precious books are and not to take these great gifts for granted.

-Marianna Travlos

Marianna Travlos is an ACS Athens graduate. She holds a BA and MA in Art History.

Currently, she serves as an ACS supporting staff member and is pursuing her Masters in Teaching.

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E N H A N C I N G EDUCATION

ACS Resources: Library Laith Kalai Our library is remarkable. It’s not the library you’d get lost in, but definitely the library you’d want to be in all day. It is a jungle of resources; we have thousands of books, tons of encyclopedias, several computers, helpful people, learning centers, comfortable couches and more!

The library at ACS is divided into three floors. The first floor, or ground floor, holds the reception where our librarian is usually located. You can ask her anything about the library; she is always happy to answer questions. The ground floor also has a lounge area with couches, around 10 stands of books on display and a magazine stand. The bathroom or WC is also on this floor. It is next to the librarian’s desk.

As you climb up the stairs to the second floor, you will see several tables aligned with nice red chairs. You will find most students sitting around those tables doing work or working on their laptops. On this floor, we have the following: ñ A wide variety of books and novels that you can check out ñ Around 15 computers with a relatively fast internet connection ñ Wireless internet connection throughout the library. Ask the librarian for the password ñ The MS* Computer Lab is to the back and left of the open table area ñ Writing Center: This center is dedicated to helping students with their writing. It is run by Mrs. Jasonides. If you need someone to proofread your essays with you, help you write something up or guide you with the writing process, then you may want to check out the Writing Center. ñ Mrs. Spilliot’s Computer Lab: This is a friendly and supportive atmosphere in which to work and learn in. If you are nice to her, you just may gain her hospitality. She has around 25-30 computers in her room and a printer. If you want to work in a more silent atmosphere than the open area of the library, ask

her if you may use one of her computers.

ICCT** office and IB Counseling Area: Located on the third and final floor of the library are several round tables where students can go to work. There are additional computers there. You will also find the ICCT Office of Mr. Medeiros and two classrooms along with a nice round lounge area where students usually gather to read books or quietly discuss schoolwork. Finally, you can find Ms. Mandy there. If you are in the IB program, she can help to direct you with your IB and college questions.

Finding books: If you’re looking for a specific book at our library, you should use the OPAC program found on all computers in school. It is a very simple program where you can search the title of the book or an author’s name, and it gives you a code that looks something like this: "FIC 353.65" which means that the book is located in the FICTION (FIC) section under the number 353.65. These numbers are found on the spine of the books. If you have any questions or need assistance finding books in the library, you can either ask a student or the librarian.

So there you have it. The ACS Library has the right people, the right technology and the right environment for you to conduct research, read a book, surf the web (NO FACEBOOK), relax or simply listen to your iPod on our comfy red couches.

For any further information, please find me or contact me at laith23@gmail.com!

I’d be happy to clarify any confusion or answer any of your questions. *Middle School **Institute for Critical and Creative Thinking

RESEARCH TIPS AND TRICKS Given that books are not yet anachronistic, our Information Specialist and Librarian, Terry McCarthy has some research tips and tricks for teachers and students alike.

Ms. McCarthy put together an extensive collection of internet sites, hardback and soft-back references, stating, "The idea is to make research clearer, easier and more direct so that teachers and students are all marching in the same direction."

In May of this year, Ms. McCarthy held a step-by-step workshop for teachers to understand how to access these 10

sources of information in order to share them with their students.

Ms. McCarthy, who holds a Masters of Education in Technology in the Curriculum from Lesley University, is on her way to China, but she was kind enough to provide a video* walkthrough of her workshop for parents, students or new teachers who may want to maneuver the world of research sites online and through, yes, books and journals! *Visit http://www.acs.gr/research-tips-tricks/

What is Math Literature?

At the ACS Academy, a new student activity organized by math teacher Maria Falidas is the Math Literature Club. My first reaction upon hearing of this was "who knew such a thing existed?"

After reading several of the books that the students read and discuss, I too was hooked and feel it is my duty to spread the word on this fascinating new endeavor.

Math Literature The solution to one of the long-standing problems of mathematics, Fermat’s last theorem, was published in 1995 and the publicity caught the public’s imagination.

Several books and even movies, A Beautiful Mind and Good Will Hunting have since appeared. Some deal with the lives of mathematicians, such as The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan; some use mathematics as the center of the plot, such as The Parrot’s Theorem and Pythagorean Crimes; the recent best-seller Logicomix is a graphic novel about the quest for the foundations of mathematics through the eyes of Bertrand Russell. One of the authors of Logicomix is Apostolos

Tina Dellas, Academy Science Teacher Doxiadis, who also wrote Uncle Petros and the Goldback Conjecture. Doxiadis and his colleagues formed the group Thales and Friends.

Thales and Friends works to "explore the interrelationships between mathematics and narrative." The group holds international conferences about math literature every summer in Greece and celebrated its five-year anniversary with seminars on math literature. This year, it will be held at the Benaki Museum. Both Ms. Falidas and I attended the July 2009 conference in Naoussa. We look forward to attending the 2010 conference as well.

One of the goals of Thales and Friends is to provide a forum for secondary school teachers, who run reading groups for students, to begin discussing math literature.

The ACS Athens Math Literature Club raised 400 Euros this year and purchased 15 math literature titles for the library.

Mathematics through Literature As winter fades into summer, the peaceful thought of reading a book at the beach takes the place of a quiet night reading a book near the fireplace. Isn’t it a peaceful and relaxing image? Perhaps, for those of us who love to read a book, and those who do, may wonder why others do not find it as peaceful. I do not know why I love reading, nor do I remember when I started to do so. Reading for adults may be a habit or a hobby, even a passion, but for some students it starts as a school assignment and remains a school assignment.

According to the 2005 U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report, 64% of 4th graders and 73% of 8th and 12th graders perform at basic reading level. Furthermore, NAEP reports that students in grades 4, 8, and 12 who read more frequently for fun have consistently higher average reading proficiency scores than those students who read less often.

The achievement levels in Mathematics in recent reports are also discouraging: In 2009, ACT reported that about 42% of the U.S. highschool graduates tested were ready for college-level math; the findings were consistent with the College Board’s SAT statistics that showed no improvement in math. NAEP recent testing in 2009 showed that less than four out of ten 4th graders and 8th graders are proficient in mathematics. Improving achievement in mathematics is essential as the understanding and communication of mathematical processes are

Maria Falidas Academy Mathematics Teacher

interconnected with achievement in sciences.

So how can we inspire students to see mathematics in a different light, outside of complicated word problems and algebraic equations? The Mathematics Literature Club is a book club for Academy students at ACS Athens. It was created with the sole purpose to view mathematics through a different perspective. Through weekly meetings, we discuss a fiction novel about mathematicians, mathematics and much more. We sometimes read and discuss chapters from our book, but most times we talk about Mathematics: the epic quests to prove a theorem, the magic tricks with numbers or the mathematical symbolism in painting and architecture. It is exciting to share with each other all of these bits and pieces of Mathematics that have inspired the work of artists, scientists and mathematicians throughout the ages. What is more exciting is that through a fiction novel mathematics gets the chance to unravel their beauty and intrigue students to search beyond their math textbooks.

This year at ACS Athens, the Math Literature Club is hosting the Annual Mathematics Fair celebrating Mathematics through literature on June 25th and 26th.

The fair is organized by Thales and Friends, a non-profit organization that aims in bridging the chasm between Mathematics and other cultural forms. In this event, students from schools around Greece will come together to present their work from various activities in their mathematical reading groups.

As the next issue of Ethos will be dedicated to uncovering the holistic and meaningful techniques that teachers and parents use to teach Mathematics and IT, we will follow up with Ms. Filadas’ Mathematics Literature Club.

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Wise owl fact: Thales was a Greek philosopher who predated Socrates. Thales (600 B.C.) traveled to Egypt and brought geometry to Greece.

A Message for the Leaders of the World Marisa Black Our world is like heaven on earth, But if we pollute it, It won’t be ours for long.

Remember all the little polar bears, Who are drifting away from their families.

Remember the threat of global warming, We will endure if we help save the earth.

As your jobs are to bring our world together In the right direction.

You must have an indomitable spirit, Perseverance and help along the way.

Your beautiful words are like an echo.

Once you say something, It goes across the globe, Like a ship that has set sail for the seven seas.

Make every word the best You’ve ever spoken.

May peace be with you On your journey for world peace!

In Ms. Spiliot’s Computer 9 classes, ninthgrade students were assigned the task of creating their own Public Service Announcement (PSA) videos that would model positive leadership qualities and influence people to think positively about life. Throughout this issue, you will see highlights of their scripts. The actual videos can be found on the ACS Athens website at www.acs.gr/video-gallery/

C O V E R STORY

Teacher in our time: Past, Present, Future

‘We Are the World’ an Interview with Ms. Gaines involvement for Tanzanian children (via Ms. Jill River’s trip to Africa).

The students ended their performance in memory of the 1.8 million displaced victims of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake by singing of one of Michael Jackson’s biggest singles, We Are the World. The 1985 creation of this song for humanitarian aid required lots of cooperation and leadership. As the international students of ACS stood on stage singing this song, it was clear that these messages were intertwined in the magnificence of music.

After the show, Ms. Gaines shared her story…

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On Friday May 21st, with a Gershwin-style of Porgy and Bess boldness, ACS Athens music teacher, Ms. Gaines, brought true meaning to Dick Clarks’ famous quote: "Music is the soundtrack of our life."

On that day, ACS students took their audience back in time to present the 80’s Karaoke Party. From the seats of the theatre, it may have seemed like just another wonderful and fun ACS performance to viewers. However, though the performance was filled with lots of laughter and joy, there were tear-jerking moments when songs were used, so very craftily by the music teacher, to bring transparency to values like globalism and compassion. To the back drop of none other than Toto’s 80’s hit song, Africa, students retold of their fundraising

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C O V E R story What made you think of creating a musical performance like this?

Originally, the idea was to honor Michael Jackson in some way, but I knew doing an entire concept based on his songs would be too much.

Regardless of how anyone feels about Michael Jackson socially, his music was fantastic and every musician in the world mourned the day he passed. I realized while researching his songs, that I had forgotten just how incredible the 80's music was and how it made me feel. Like I mentioned in the concert, I grew up on a farm in Kentucky and because I had a TV with only one, possibly, two stations if we were lucky. I didn't have much to do and so, with the help of wire hangers and aluminum foil for reception, I played my little pink radio as much as I could. I also knew that 80's fashions were making a comeback and thought "what better time to honor the music I love so much!" I knew that everyone, despite age, could relate to this music. It was a happy time and the music expressed this perfectly! Never could I have imagined how much the students would grab on and love this music as much as I did. When I first brought up an 80's theme to the fifth graders, I was shocked to see extreme excitement and the

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willingness to do whatever it took to pull it off.

When did you begin mobilizing to create this performance?

I began the research process in January. I knew there were so many songs I wanted to put in this concert, but could only allot for a certain number; therefore, I wrote down every song that I could recall or find, and began to narrow it down to which ones were maybes and which ones were must haves. Right after spring break, I had the list down to about 45 songs, and I played the ones I couldn't decide between for the students, observing which songs they responded best to. Once I saw which ones they would enjoy and work on the most, I finalized the list. The students then began working on these songs during the first full week after spring break. It took 6 weeks of rehearsal time with the students, but approximately 10 hours a week at home fixing the songs to fit the students' musical needs. I used a freeware program called Audacity to tweak the song's key or tempo to fit the students in each class. This process takes constant updating to suit the needs of every class. Without the capabilities of this program, the concert would not have been possible. I also had to make sure

that the lyrics for each song fit the karaoke version that we used. It wasn't as simple as cutting and pasting lyrics, I had to listen to them multiple times, counting and recording correct lyrics every time. It's a time consuming process that pays off once the students are in the classroom because it makes rehearsals much smoother. I believe it's a music teacher's responsibility to do all the work at home so that students can get the most out of rehearsal.

The hours it took to prepare were well worth it. With such a grand notion, I had to make sure that everyone involved, including Ms. Confer in art, the theater technicians, and the classroom teachers were all aware of everything going on so that we could all be "in tune" once concert time rolled around. It's always difficult to make what you know in your head is possible come to fruition, but thanks to the collaboration by everyone involved, the concert was a success.

During preparation, how do the values of globalism and leadership come through?

As for globalism, I can only refer to how students would have ideas about what they thought would look good on stage. Although they always had great ideas, I sometimes had to remind them that it must work for everyone, not just themselves. The idea that you must take everyone into consideration can be a lot to take in for a child, but it is something that I believe can be taught when figuring out what works best for the performance setting.

In reference to leadership, it played a key role in our rehearsal schedule. Sometimes there was more than one group in each class, which meant that one group needed to get something done on their own. I would designate responsibilities to one or two particular students and they would go and work with their group to fulfill those tasks. I was always impressed when a group would learn what was needed and come back ready to work on something new! Rehearsing for performances is a great way for students to step up and be leaders and to learn about all the responsibility of being a leader.

Sometimes being a leader is not an easy thing, something that we all learn, but I was continually impressed with how fast the students learned this. They worked so well together that they often came up with

ideas that would work that I had never thought of!

What was the educational value behind the performance?

This is the most important part. I would be very arrogant to put on a concert with no educational value. I have been a part of too many performing groups to know that no matter the content of the concert, the underlying message is always one of self achievement. I liked putting on this concert not only because it was different, but because it gave me the opportunity to produce "chamber ensembles" or small groups. Too often, there are large performing groups from each grade that sing a song in unison where students can hide. In a concert like this, no one is safe! I like knowing that all students have a starring role, some bigger than others. Many students love singing solos while some feel more comfortable being a part of the group.

Either way, it was a way for me to give the students an opportunity to be a "rock star for a day"! Every child deserves the opportunity to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves, but also to feel like they are the most important person in the world. On stage, whether you are singing, dancing, acting or playing an instrument, you feel like a star and that feeling can translate into so many other things in life. Having grown up a performer, I (almost) never fear of doing something that is out of my comfort zone, and because of that I know that I can succeed at just about anything. I strive to give my students that confidence, that assurance that they can do anything! I know that most of them will not be, or choose to be musicians, but I do know that they all have the chance to be successful in whatever they choose to do with their lives. I just hope that as an educator, I can teach them ways to become the best version of themselves, and I think this concert showed them just how much hard work is truly worth it.

If you would like the DVD recording of this program, contact Ms. Gaines for further information.

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C O V E R story

The Marks of Leadership Every spring in Greece, select students spend endless waking hours preparing for their International Baccalaureate (IB) exams. Why? They are in pursuit of an IB Diploma. If they spend the last two years of their academic careers well-committed to the IB Programme, upon completion and receipt of this diploma, students Julia Tokatlidou can gain acceptance Director IB Diploma Program into most European, African, Asian and North and South American colleges and universities. These students are one step ahead of their fellow classmates; in that, an American high school diploma is not accepted by all universities throughout the world. Furthermore, with a high-level of rigor and perseverance, IB Diploma students may qualify to knock-off one year of university studies. For those who successfully complete this mission, they can thank Dr. John Dorbis, the longest serving Superintendent of ACS Athens.

As the head of an international school representing 52 countries, it was disconcerting for Dr. Dorbis to learn that many of his students were returning to their home countries without recognized credentials. Therefore, he felt it his responsibility to find a program and curriculum that could provide students with the academic certification they needed; however, he wanted a curriculum structure that matched with the American philosophy of student inquiry and project-based learning. His search led him to Switzerland, the headquarters of the IB Programme.

Bringing the IB Programme to Greece was not a particularly simple feat as the mid-seventies granted Greece another wave of the international political spot-light. Dorbis, however, successfully convinced the Institution that ACS Athens was a suitable candidate with a matching philosophy for its students.

Finally, the desired authorization was given in 1976. Today, thirteen schools in Greece offer the IB Programme!

However, the introduction of the IB Programme to

Interview with Dr. John Dorbis Desiree Michael, acccompanied by Chris Perakis Greece1 is only one of many academic enhancements to the Jk-12 system that Dr. Dorbis has, humbly, contributed. His lifelong engagement with education began at the age of five, when his first grade teacher did nothing more than her job: she nurtured minds; she encouraged little spirits and she made the world just a little bit bigger for him and his classmates to see beyond their own existence. His teacher? Mrs. Cleo.

With a twinkle of joyous memory, he commends her saintly delivery of education, "She marked my life." From there forward, a leader in education was born.

Growing up in an international surrounding, Dr. Dorbis attained fluency in five languages, English, French, Arabic, Italian and, of course his native tongue -- Greek.

He went on to gain his Bachelor's degree from City University in London and then, his Master's and Ph.D. in Education and Comparative Literature from the Sorbonne, in Paris. Upon completion of his degrees, he returned to his birth city, Cairo, and began teaching simultaneously in a high school and at the American University of Cairo and the Egyptian University. However, on paper, the aforementioned anthological review of events makes time fly and life look easy.

As Dr. Dorbis transitioned from the carelessness of childhood into the responsibility of adulthood, he did not escape the eternally scaring decisions of world leaders. WWII required his service. Though Greek, he was drafted by the British Army. Once again, his life was marked, but this time by war. It marked how he would lead as an educator and it marked the values that he would instill in his students: His experiences emphasized the need to raise positive thinkers who would understand the concept of peace and freedom, and who would appreciate people’s differences. As Dr. Dorbis had grown up in an internationally diverse community, with different cultures, different tongues and different religions, he became wellaware that the onus of ethical values lies in the hands of leaders. War showed him that we should try very hard in life, "to avoid hatred," but war did not deter him from his path of becoming an educational leader.

Not surprisingly, the direct path that Dr. Dorbis did plan to becoming a university lecturer did detour upon his marriage to a highly educated and compassionate Greek woman. To the benefit of so many of us today, he left his teaching jobs in Egypt, and in 1957, he arrived in Athens. Through a family member, he was introduced to the principal of an American school in Kifissia that had recently chartered its name as the American Community Schools of Athens. There, he accepted a position with the English Department. Initially, he viewed 1

www.ibo.org: Currently, there are over 2,100 IB Diploma Schools in 139 countries. ACS Athens was the 60th applicant to the program. IBO aims "to share educational experiences across boundaries of religion, culture and ethnicity."

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ACS Athens Student Profile: Principled - They act in accordance with fundamental principles of integrity, honesty, and humility, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities, among other values.

They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.

that position as a temporary patch until he had an opportunity to become a full university lecturer. Ten years later, while juggling evening university lectures, he was still serving as the Chairman of the English Department. During those years, he witnessed the transition of his school from the quaint tree-lined streets of Kifissia to a quiet piece of open land in Halandri where wandering chickens and goats constituted the neighboring population.

In the mid-Sixties, only a few years after the school’s relocation, surprisingly, Dr. Dorbis received an evening call from the Board President, who urgently summoned Dorbis to come to his Embassy residence in Psychico. An emergency meeting was held with the participation of the serving superintendent. It was there that Dr. Dorbis learned that he had been appointed to serve as ACS Assistant Superintendent.

However, his resolute goal of becoming a university professor also stared him in his face. He had also been appointed Lecturer to the Graduate School of Economics and Administration of Athens. Nonetheless, he accepted and his new position at ACS and at the university permitted him to pursue his insatiable passion for his own personal development and for further understanding the American system of education and constantly promoting it in Greece and on the international scene. He flew to Boston and completed Post- Doctoral courses at Harvard in School Administration and Comparative Education. He continued teaching during summers as a visiting professor at Michigan State, Western Michigan, Peabody College, Boston University and University of Arkansas.

His travels were not unscathed. He too, like many foreigners on American soil, felt the raw edges of change during the Sixties. However, Dr. Dorbis used that experience to better understand the diverse population of the 2500 students he served here in Athens. This torrent of social transition simply reinforced the importance of what he had gained from childhood and war_a strong belief in understanding diversity of our fellow global citizens.

Finally, in the late 70’s, after the cumulative years of professional training, lecturing and serving as Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Dorbis was no longer asked to become superintendent. The ACS Board stated, "You are the Superintendent!"

His path was set. In 1992 he was selected as "Superintendent of the Year" by the

American Association of School Administrators (AASA). He went on to deliver great changes to ACS Athens, including the involvement of ACS teachers in the National Writing Project; the encouragement of an Aeolian (wind generating) electricity project operated by the students; the nascent adoption of school Technology and the hiring of key staff members who have continued to model his leadership and values to this day.

Additionally, Dr. Dorbis holds five prestigious US and international distinctions. In his honor, a portion of the ACS campus was named the "John Dorbis Plaza."

In 1994, Dr. Dorbis retired from his position at ACS. As an International Education Consultant, he is frequently summoned by world leaders to share his educational pedagogy and philosophy of leadership.

Modestly, he attends major school events to give support to the students and families of the community where he has left his indelible marks of global leadership.

Dr. Dorbis’ Six Tips for Creating a Great School: 1. Exchange of knowledge amongst international students 2. American Educational System: create a curriculum that allows for small class sizes in which individuals can develop leadership 3. Team-teaching 4. Use of Library – very important tool for education; without a library students simply memorize information from textbooks. A library gives meaning to education and opens the mind 5. Gradual integration of Technology skills in teaching and research at all levels through appropriate approach provided by well-trained teachers 6. Evaluation 17

C O V E R story

The String Theory and Educational Leadership

Dr. Dorbis and Dr. Gialamas In interviewing Dr. Gialamas on the simple question, "From your experience, what makes a good leader and how do you, as the leader of ACS Athens, implement your philosophy?" I was amazed at the depth of technicality and process that drive his relaxed, caring and jovial leadership style. This two-hour interview brought to mind scientific theories that reveal the complexities of such simple events as the rising sun. The most suitable theory for a comparison to Dr. Gialamas’ educational philosophy of leadership is the String Theory. Furthermore, comparing our human interactions to the smallest particles that make up our world seemed befitting given the themes of global citizenry and leadership.

Though there are various string theories, The Standard Model String Theory holds that our world is made up of twelve basic building blocks that interact with one another through four known forces (gravity, electromagnetism, and the weak and strong nuclear forces). The twelve basic blocks consist of six quarks--the smallest known particles to science--and six leptons.

The variations in the theory arise from the relevancy of dimensions.

Currently, there are 25 accepted dimensions and the dimension of time; however, many of these dimensions are unobservable and fall into the realm of the unknown. The String Theory posits that the above identified particles do not 18

Desiree Michael Editor, ACS Athens Ethos

exist in a three dimensional state, but rather, in one dimensional strings that often function in these unobservable realms--sound familiar?

The problem in education arises from particles and elements operating in unobservable realms. Educators receive students who come to them with many unobservable conditions, and who may function in realms that the average person finds hard to fathom; and yet, educational leaders are left with the task of identifying the make-up of children and moving them forward. (Dr. Gialamas shared a simple shoe scenario that if remembered may help educators better identify solutions for all children.) Likewise, educational leaders at the administrative level often face the daunting task of proving the existence of their vision in the realm of the unknown. It is this task that Dr. Gialamas now faces in leading his ACS staff into the future, which is one of the unobservable realms-time.

In Dr. Gialamas’ world, the smallest and most important particle of education is the child. Then, there are the parents, the teachers, the administrators, the school staff, the boards and the community support organizations (such as the PTO & alumni). Beyond, there are the larger particles, the colleges, universities and employers. According to Dr. Gialamas, the collective interaction of these particles plays a significant role in creating a successful academic career and lifepath for the student. Employers want qualified personnel with skills that are applicable to the future, "We are training students for jobs that do not even exist yet." So, how does a leader of today’s institution guide students to reach their end goal?

Like the four forces within the String Theory, Dr. Gialamas relies upon four fundamental forces to lead: 1. Understanding 2. Partnering 3. Developing Professionally 4. Balancing with ethos Theoretically, all of these elements create a simple manifestation of a string.

That string is what Dr. Gialamas refers to as the Theseus Thread, which he uses to lead. Unlike the goal of winning, leading allows others to follow, primarily, because of this connecting thread to the end goal and back. Thus, the challenge he raises for educators at ACS Athens to see his vision is not for ACS to win a title, but for a broader purpose--the lighthouse effect--so that other institutions may follow as well.

In this interview, Dr. Gialamas carefully explained how he lays down a flexible thread of leadership. And though it may appear to be a bit derisive, the fact of the matter, very much like the old cliché, "There’s a method to the madness," is that--in the world of academia from which Dr. Gialamas’ experiential foundation is established--he has a history of valid assessments, valid observations and valid

applications that resulted in the discovery and development of new and authentic elements to the world of education. By the end of my interview, I was left thinking: The String Theory has one more new theory to add, The Gialamas Particle Theory of Education.

Dr. Gialamas and student Daniel Speckhard college-level professionals; because, it is the secondary teacher who makes the last link in a child’s academic career before college: "We created an amalgamation of sorts. You see, the beauty of this mix is that secondary teachers present, publish articles, write grants, co-teach and invent with professors." Secondary teachers and their students then gain a better understanding of where students are going--a better understanding of greater particle dynamics (see supporting article: Preparing Students for the College Experience--online @ www.asc.gr).

Over the course of the first five years, ACS Athens developed partnerships with the University of Richmond, University of Indianapolis, Tufts University, Williams College and York University Toronto. "In November of last year, Ms. Peggy Pelonis [Director of Student Affairs] and I flew to the United States to receive the Nikolai N. Khaladjan International Award for innovation in higher education. We were the first Jk-12 school ever to receive such an award. So, you see, there will always be those who don’t believe."

Not surprisingly like electrons, that are full of charge, Dr. Gialamas goes on to say, "Within any organization, there are two-to-three percent who are the movers and shakers." Then there are the protons--they will move more actively when in the right temperature. "Fifty percent are observers--they will watch events unfold and when it is safe, they jump on board." Finally, there are the neutrons--Dr. Gailamas refers to these as "the deniers and doubters." "They will find two million reasons for not accepting change and they make up about 47%." However, once in motion, Dr. Gialamas explains that the semblance of electrons, protons, and neutrons will keep moving once the vision is realized. Thus, it is the dimension of

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The First Fundament Force in Educational Leadership: Understanding Each child is a potential beacon of light and like the smallest particles, they can have a profound impact on greater things. Thus, understanding the individual make up of each child is critical. Protons and neutrons are both made up of three quarks, but differing combinations of quarks. Children, the smallest of our particles, are made up of a variety of quark-like combinations, resulting in different behaviors and different functions in their future existence as global citizens. In order to create a "best-fit" down the line, the onus is on educators to understand the complete structure of a child. In a comparative scenario that Dr. Gialamas uses in speeches, he states: Imagine if you gave me a shoe_a size 35, when I wear 40. It would be painful for me to walk in these shoes. Eventually, I will decide not to walk. People will then label me lazy and stupid. They will say that I have no dreams. No stamina.

What happens if I continue to sit and not walk? I will eventually become a useless element of society.

When considering the shoe size scenario--the educational approach to teaching a child--Dr. Gialamas emphasizes the importance of educators to identify the smaller combination of particles within a child, "the bones, the height, the weight…and then find the shoe that fits! Then, our students can fly!" Imagine if scientists did not take the time to identify the particles which they study….

The second part of Understanding is comprehending the students’ final destination. The rapid changes in technology dictate that educational curriculum follow suit. Given that Dr. Gialamas clearly understands where students need to go, he is inviting his team to design an authentic shoe that is comfortable, flexible and durable, yet, valued by others. This is his vision. Dr. Gialamas has commissioned the staff of ACS Athens to pull all of their particles together and reach into the realms of the unknown to develop a unique element_an authentic ACS Athens diploma--that will give students value in the eyes of the greater particles: universities and employers.

For Dr. Gialamas, this feat is easy for him to envisage, "When the vision and the leader become one and the leader cannot be separated from the vision, this is total leadership harmony. For the leader, there is no pretending or preparing at that point. Whether others believe the vision or not, saying the truth makes it easier to say one thing one time. Then, the leader and vision are inseparable."

However, for some, his vision is tantamount to those elements which exist and function in unobservable dimensions. So, how is it that Dr. Gialamas is going to make his next five year vision visible and understandable for others? Tangible experience and time.

Dr. Gialamas is the first to admit that his expertise is not in the area of Jk-12 Education, but it is in the area of knowing how to lead schools to reach beyond their fullest potential. "Five years ago, when I unveiled my vision stating that colleges and universities would be knocking at our [ACS Athens] door, there were those who did not believe me." At that time, Dr. Gialamas had envisioned a new type of secondary school teacher, who would directly interact with

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C O V E R story time that will help others understand what is initially unobservable.

This positive association of particles that occurs over the continuum of time involves the next two forces in educational leadership: partnering and developing professionally.

element_a Practitioner’s-based Electronic Engineering Technology Degree. Dr. Gialamas notes: In this partnership, there was nothing to impose. I had 18 advocates who had ownership of an idea. They used the theories of Vertical Curriculum Design and pulled out what was really needed in the student curriculum. The Electronic Engineering Technology Degree was the best degree ever and it is one of the most popular today. In 1999, these leaders came up with the brilliant idea to implement this degree in the Silicon Valley where the Fremont campus is located.

However, to create an authentic degree, Dr. Gialamas recounts that it did not happen overnight, "That model needed a lot of leadership as a partnership with bounded flexibility.

Over time those boundaries changed."

Thus, understanding and partnering are two key forces in creating successful academic elements. At ACS Athens, Dr. Gialamas took his time to understand his population. He identified and established nine-area leaders and he is in the process of transitioning those leaders through the third stage in order to lead the creation of their own authentic element--that means advancing their own professional development and leadership skills.

The Second Fundament Force in Educational Leadership: Partnering Partnerships are associated with the force of partnering and like the analogous flexible shoe, Dr. Gialamas believes that partnerships must be flexible as well. He contends that many people are afraid of partnerships very much like their fear of unobservable realms, "‌they are afraid, because people believe that partnerships have to be divided equally, but partnerships are not based on equality; they are based on fairness. They can be divided 90:10, 80:20 and so on." As differing variations of particles of an element work together and determine an element’s properties, Dr. Gialamas states, "All of us in an academic environment are partners; we have a partnership with varying percentages.

Two or more people have to agree to a partnership and how it will be divided.

Most importantly, they have to agree to disagree and depending on the Dr. Gialamas and a Nine-Area Leader, Chris Perakis progress and maturity of their partnership, the flexibility can change.

The Third Fundament Force in Educational Leadership: Developing Here, the element that has to be very well-defined is the relationship."

During his previous commitments as an administrator in higher education, Dr. Professionally The goal of developing educational leaders is to create a sustainable vision Gialamas created many successful elements of partnerships. He did so from using the process of Understanding that he knows best: "A leader must make the first over time. Thus, after a leader has taken the time to understand the particle dynamics of an educational community and worked to create cohesive elements move to understand the people who he is leading."

As Vice President of Academic Affairs at DeVry University, he had the such as relationships, Dr. Gialamas expresses that in order to avoid instigative responsibility of establishing a strong academic partnership with other loosely leadership*: "A leader should always focus on developing other leaders. This is connected DeVry leaders on 20 campuses in 18 cities throughout 2 countries. In order the most important aspects of leadership. A complete leader must develop more to develop a well-defined element, Dr. Gialamas flew to each campus, listened to leaders." It is just as important for an institution to develop its leadership-base as heads of departments and other representatives within the nuclei of those it is to develop its students. He continues, "It is about finding the right people for communities. After three months, he identified the recurring problem. He identified the position or the right place and putting people there."

At DeVry University, Dr. Gialamas instituted a Leadership Academy in which leaders_people who had the ability to lay down a Theseus Thread for others to follow.

He pulled them together, defining the first element--a flexible partnership. Later, he the previously identified 18 area-leaders could attend and were guaranteed a invited the partnership to sit down with him and brainstorm the creation of a novel promotional position at a DeVry campus upon completion.

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If you are hungry, learn how to grow rice; if you are thirsty, learn how to build At ACS Athens, during the first phase of his vision at ACS Athens, Dr. Gialamas initiated the formation of the Institute of Critical and Creative Thinking wells; if you want a peaceful and prosperous world, you want to learn how to (ICCT), which serves as a think-tank, incubator and launch pad for innovative educate children. It is a rare opportunity to have the power to help young academic and technological ideas like the latest collaborative work of ACS children.

Therefore, as a leader, Dr. Gialamas balances the elements of education Athens staff member Ms. Helen Sarantes and the University of Pennsylvania professor, Dr. Eleni Miltsakaki. Together, these two educators are developing an within a framework of ethos (philosophy/values) that he refers to as harmonious, meaningful and holistic learning: educational search engine, mind and body; education and Choosito!. The ICCT focuses on meaning; present and future partnering with the ACS staff in opportunities all come together. At order to display their professional the nucleus of his educational development whether it is a community, Dr. Gialamas says, "We vertical-level workshop, technology want to inspire students to find their or an artistic display of personal own leadership identity. We want development. them to become the architects of Furthermore, the Nine-Area their own buildings." In achieving the ACS Athens leaders and all staff ability for students to design their are encouraged to attend summer own new elements in life, their leadership workshops to improve learning process must include, "a their skills. Seven of the nine theoretical base, the experiential leaders are currently pursuing their approach, civic responsibility and MBA and one a Ph.D. For unique and authentic projects." educators, being students Within these guidelines, Dr. themselves, while leading students, Gialamas believes the educators at can better bridge the gap of guiding ACS Athens will have no problem secondary students towards their creating a flexible authentic ACS choices of higher education and Athens Diploma and successfully career paths. leading our tiny quark-like particles Though the third force is a to the Champion League of critical force in Dr. Gialamas’ Dr. Gialamas and his daughter Zaharo Gialamas Education and beyond. Continually, philosophy of educational leadership, his staff has shown evidence of their it is not the final force that brings abilities to incorporate these elements of learning into their work with students. everything together. That role belongs to the force of balance.

Furthermore, overall, they have shown a collaborative understanding of Dr. Gialamas’ four forces of educational leadership.

The Fourth Fundament Force in Educational Leadership: Though the String Theory is often referred to as the Theory of Everything, of Balancing with ethos Dr. Gialamas reiterates his belief of why it is crucial for leaders to take the its four major forces, there remains a void of understanding around the force of first step to understand their population, "There are zillions of articles and books gravity. Unlike the String Theory, though Dr. Gialamas may have doubters to his to tell you how to become a leader, but that is nonsense because every situation vision, he has carefully constructed and strung together each of the forces of his is different." This awareness is situational leadership. Nonetheless, there are philosophy, wrought with examples for others to follow. He concludes, "In the elemental forces that remain the same--the forces of good and bad. Dr. Gialamas end, maybe leadership is all about integrity, love and vision!"

As a testament to leaders in our time, clearly, Dr. Gialamas has laid a path to prefers to focus on the good forces of educational leadership: "There is no problem with having power when it is utilized for the benefit of others. Everyone innovative educational leadership. tries to find an underlying agenda for leaders who want to give children opportunities. What if there is no agenda and no scenario? Can’t it be that *Instigative Leadership is a useful style of leading for short spurts of time (i.e. one time or someone simply loves children and wants to make them happy--not spoil them, annual projects). but give them the resources and the love they need to make mistakes, and help Editor’s note: Like an onomatopoeia, the title The Gialamas Particle Theory of them to overcome those mistakes and accomplish their dreams?"

Education would bring to mind the depth of concept with all of the above elements and forces, On the other hand, Dr. Gialamas concedes if there has to be an agenda and so one need not repeat a two hour interview or read a six page paper--one would, simply hear final element, it is this: the phrase and understand.

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Dr. Gialamas' Summer Reading List: The Servant Leader by Robert P. Neuschel The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Works and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary by Mark Sanborn

C O V E R story

Leading on Location

Interview with Academy Principal Brian Kelly

By Desiree Michael

Leadership styles come in different forms with many titles and examples of implementers. There are instigative leaders, who find themselves being great initiators of concepts and ideas--innovators, whose ideas go when they go. Military leaders inform us that there are dictatorial leaders. These leaders must be readily equipped with answers, as their community may not have a driving vision or may not have achieved a sufficient educational standing to interpret critical thoughts, due to age, poverty, or many other factors. There is collaborative leadership in which the collective knowledge of a group drives a vision.

Two years ago, Academy Principal Brian Kelly contributed his leadership style to the collective group at of leaders at ACS Athens. He firmly believes that leadership depends on many factors, one of which is location. For this reason, Mr. Kelly refers to himself as a situational leader. One must apply the type of leadership that is relevant to a specific location and even a specific occurrence.

Mr. Kelly gained his experience about leadership and location after administrating in extremely different global cultures. He entered the international scene of education after teaching with his childhood teachers at his alma mater in Burlingame, California--Benjamin Franklin High School. Mr. Kelly started his career there in 1994 and describes that experience as one of "the most rewarding things in life." There, he had the opportunity to become a co-worker with teachers who taught him. He may have stayed in that position for many years had he not awaken one morning with an "incredible desire to see the world."

His desire took him to South Korea. Where, in that situation, he found himself in a fledgling school under conditions that required more autocracy as the collective experience level was quite low. In comparison, Mr. Kelly points out that one of the

To the Leaders of the World The leader that I want to advise will need to save the world from catastrophe.

I will want you to be creative and take control of the earth.

Be peaceful and believe in yourself.

These are the most important qualities that a good leader should have.

Try to make people believe in recycling and cleaning up the earth.

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greater strengths of ACS Athens is that there are local area leaders with more than 20 to 30 years of experience. He emphasizes the need for an administrator to switch to a collaborative leadership style: For an international school, "ACS has been lucky to get people to stay here. The teachers are incredibly gifted. Here, they can think outside of the box and be rewarded for that. Therefore, to not include that professional experience would be a mistake." To sum up the difference between his experience with the school in Korea and ACS, he says that coming to ACS was like getting on "a train that was already moving, and all you have to do is hang on for your life!" This is why Mr. Kelly believes that one style of leadership is never enough and one must be truly cognizant of the location and when to implement each style.

For instance, Mr. Kelly points to a situation in Colombia where it was critical that he switch from being a strict directive leader to a more compassionate leader. He explains that this particular area was "a poor farming community where the people lacked voice and civic contribution." The unethical activities carried out by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) affected "every family." Mr. Kelly learned to have a level of sensitivity to students’ personal issues that was of no relevance in other international locations: "Many of these students had witnessed or lost relatives in a local village massacred for illegal land acquisitions." Mr. Kelly confrms, it is very clear that, "Situational leadership requires a repletion of skills."

There are many other situations that "tested" Mr. Kelly’s spirit. Nonetheless, he knows that being a good leader means understanding when to apply the correct leadership skill. Now that he is moving on to lead another school population, he will do so "with great regret," for he believes that the ACS Athens community is "a very special community unlike any other in the world."

By: Catherine Koukouta

Remember, always do the right thing and be responsible and brave.

Be careful to invest in things that are not bad for the earth.

This is important; you have to take it seriously.

The most important thing that you have to insist on is don’t waste too much water.

Whatever you say is a breath from the earth.

I wish you good luck and make the earth proud!!!

Leading from the Middle with Meaning Once longing to become a Mathematical Research Statistician and dabble in the realm of uncertainty, Middle School Principal MaryAnn Augoustatos made a major career choice instead. She took her knowledge of mathematics and brought it to children--lots of children.

For the last 21 years of her career, Mrs. Augoustatos has taken on leadership roles at ACS Athens. After her fifth year of teaching and realizing that she loved imparting knowledge to students, Mrs. Augoustatos took on the challenge of leading the ACS Mathematics Department from Junior Kindergarten through twelfth grade. For 16 years, this commitment afforded her the ability to co-develop programs like the ACS Athens Math Competition and create an Elementary School Math Specialist position to help improve students’ performance. Currently, as the Middle School Principal, Mrs. Augoustatos implemented a Friday Group to keep students in the academic fold and on target.

Mathematically speaking, for the most part, teaching and leading provide a greater probability of life-long utility to others; a clear example of this reality occurred just as our interview was taking place: A student, who is a part of Mrs. Augoustatos’ Friday Group, enters her office. He begins cleaning the small fish tank that is home to a lone goldfish and greets parents and guests as they come into the office; nonetheless, the student happily completes his mission as it has become part of his civic duties. He then informs Mrs. Augoustatos that the English writing project, which a teacher assigned, is not to his liking.

Thinking fast on her feet, Mrs. Augoustatos uses her background in statistics--using multiple options to find solutions to uncertainties. In giving a student the option to increase his probability of success, Mrs. Augoustatos asks the student, "What are your favorite subjects?" He responds, "P.E. and Art." As not to lower academic expectations or circumvent his teacher’s assigned project, she offers the student a chance to create his own writing project: He is to develop and write a sports brochure. He must determine the sport, number of players, plan out their needs, describe facilities, etc.

Surprisingly, after carefully understanding his assignment, the student heads

Interview with Middle School Principal MaryAnn Augoustatos

towards the door excited about his new project; but there is a catch as Principal Augoustatos reminds him, "You just got yourself an additional project. You will still have to complete your originally assigned project after you create this brochure and outline." However, without any show of disappointment, the student acknowledges his responsibilities and heads out the door. Now, he will gain meaning for learning: Writing an outline that relates to what he likes makes his learning experience tangible; it also creates a template for his initial assignment and increases his chances for writing both projects successfully.

Mrs. Augoustatos reassures me that the most challenging uncertainties do not come from the students, but from the unavoidable daily disruptions that face school leaders. Therefore, she consciously designs her day to "ensure that everything has student learning as the focal point."

Keeping that focal point at the center requires the collaborative efforts of team that is sharp, knowledgeable and well-trained in the latest teaching techniques. Mrs. Augoustatos emphasizes, "This is why I strongly believe in professional development and I believe that one of the best opportunities for professional development is serving on accreditation teams." Mrs. Augoustatos has served, not only as a member of such a team, but also as the Co-chairperson representing the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. She also serves as the leader and evaluator of all ACS Athens Chairs and Coordinators from JK-12. In this position, Mrs. Augoustatos is able to hold campus-wide workshops and impart the skills and development that she has garnered from her own training. In azddition to pointing out small tips on how to engage students successfully for meaningful learning, she collaborates with her staff members for improved curriculum development and standards-andbenchmarks implementation.

In her continued journey to give meaning to learning and increase her students’ academic probabilities for success, Mrs. Augoustatos will complete her International Administrative Certificate from Lehigh University by July of this year.

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C O V E R story

The World’s Issues, through the Eyes of Children In 1994, the year many 2010 seniors were born, Camilla Warrender, ventured into an unfamiliar world that would not only change her life, but eventually the lives of many to follow (many who were not yet born).

Accepting the invitation of a friend, Bibi Andersson (well-known actress of director Ingmar Bergman), Warrender traveled to Bosnia in the dead of winter. She accompanied her friend Bibi, who went to repair the heating system for the Sarajevo National Theater. Warrender’s original goal was to assist in providing cultural relief to besieged Sarajevans. However, after witnessing the reality of being in the middle of a civil* war, it became quite clear to her that there was more happening than civilians fighting one another. There was genocide. Grimly, while the world went on with its daily routine and politicians debated the relevancy of using the word genocide, more and more Bosnian civilians died. Warrender watched as little to no aid came from surrounding European nations and Americans remained blithely unaware and uninformed of the degree of human losses.

Ten years later and back on American soil, yet still harboring a disquieted soul, Ms. Warrender set out to create an organization that would change the way audiovisual information could be presented. As fate would have it, one evening while in Boston, ACS Athens’ President Dr. Gialamas was introduced to a lady who was in the process of giving shape to an idea. That lady was Ms. Warrender. The idea: What if students were given support to seek out information for global issues that matter?

What if students were able to tell the truth about an issue or conflict? What if students were able to do that from the fairest viewpoint possible? What if that information were disseminated globally via the internet and students could collaborate worldwide? And last but not least, what if their actions influenced the actions and solutions of others?

The challenge: How to best deliver information that is as factual as possible and as fair as possible, and in a way that would engage an otherwise disinterested audience? Such an endeavor would require painstaking accuracy of research, the use of reliable and varied sources, and imagination.

For Warrender, meeting a man with a vision "to shape the minds of young people with ethos to make the world a better place," was an ideal connection and best fit. From that point forward, the idea, the challenge and the vision known as Newscoop, could now spread its wings. ACS Athens would become the premier pilot school for other schools to model. As global citizens being nurtured in the process of making ethical decisions, our students rose to the challenge.

The next step was to make the first Newscoop collaborative project meaningful to the lives of students at ACS Athens. Ms. Warrender created a list of global issues and events from which interested students could choose. The Cyprus Resolution, The Macedonian Issue, The Elgin Marbles and The Israeli-Palestinian issues seemed most plausible. However, students’ desires gravitated towards the investigation of

highly controversial issues, such as Blood Diamonds and Blood Minerals; the latter of the two, less known, has resulted in the most deaths of any armed conflict since WWII. Nonetheless, after careful review, the first group of students chose to uncover the realities behind the Israeli-Palestinian Struggle. To support the students’ efforts,

_________________________ *Historians still debate whether the resulting armed conflicts from the secession of areas in the former Yugoslavia should be labeled as civil wars or not.

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To the Leaders of the World

By Malcolm Mehrabian You’d better clean up your act.

You’d better stop thinking of your people as a source of money.

It’s only you who cares about the money, And it’s you who are willing to destroy the earth in the process of making it.

You entice us, so that you can live a more rich and luxurious life.

It is you who are destroying hundreds of ecosystems, Killing us, Killing yourselves, Just for your precious money.

You are making all these bombs And enough fire power to blow up the earth.

Warrender flew to Athens twice. In April of this year, the final video documentary was viewed in the presence of the Palestinian Ambassador, SKAI television, the wellknown former Superintendant of ACS Athens, Dr. Dorbis, and many more VIP members of the Athens community. Very pleased with the outcome, Warrender reflected on the initial and difficult steps that faced the students: Sometimes it was a challenge to selectively pull facts and assemble them. The research necessitated us stepping back from preconceptions and our own biases. The fact and bias checking was really a lesson of the heart, because in the end, we still had to trust our greater intuition to balance and see through to what the critical facts were, as well as what would help our viewers understand the situation. If young people have understanding of a global issue, they might, indeed, care enough to become involved. But it all begins with understanding…understanding is the biggest step towards meaningful change.

For Warrender, the release of a restless spirit came with the awareness that other schools are now following the same process as ACS Athens to make Newscoop an international project: Students of The Chapin School, an ACS partner school, are about to uncover the issues around Blood Diamonds. A school in Cambridge, Massachusetts is collaborating with a Cambodian school on coverage of Southeast Asian childhood-trafficking. And there are many others. Ms. Warrender can now rest in knowing that the cries of lives lost during a war that once was, have not gone unheard. Matched with one man’s visions to create global citizens, Ms. Warrender’s dream to deliver accurate news that is seldom heard is coming true. Through the eyes and minds of children, it can be expected to continue for a long time to come.

To close one chapter and move on to the next, in May, Camilla Warrender traveled with the first group of ACS students, Dr. Gialamas and other ACS staff members to Tel Aviv, Hebron, Bethlehem and Ramallah. A true understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian Struggle is underway for the next generation of leaders.

(To view the students’ news documentary go to http://www.acs.gr/skainewcoop-videos/)

I wonder what you will do with all of these?

One bomb will destroy any ecosystem for centuries.

And all this again Just for your precious money.

Everybody else has to suffer for you to get money.

You know very well what’s going on, And all the problems you are causing, You just don’t care.

So step down or fix this mess up.

What are you going to do with all your money When we’re all dead?

If you kill us, Who will you get your money from?

We’ve only got one world And if you destroy it, Where will we go?

You have plenty of money for space exploration, But you are using it to build new shopping malls.

I hope you have understood, So get going, And clean up this mess!

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C O V E R story

Advice and Warning:

By Alexandros Markowitz

Leaders of the world, be dependable and honest to the world. Do not back away and do not be shy. Please, do not be offended by even the worst of comments. Pick a good government that you can rely and depend on. Set some goals and be assertive. Be alert for violent leaders and nuclear weapons in the wrong hands. Protect your country from crime and murders. Deal with the economy bravely. Build your army very strong in case it is needed to defend your nation or allies’ countries. Take space exploration one step further. Speak carefully and wisely.

Leaders, oh, leaders you have to do something about global warming. Help the Israelis and Palestinians solve their problems in the West Bank. Please, take measures on the drug trade in Mexico and across the planet. Make laws to help the environment and to make the Earth a better place for the next generations. The animals that are living on the Earth with us are dying fast. Some of them are even facing extinction. Therefore, we mustn’t cut down the rain forest at the rate we are.

Last but not least, just give peace a chance.

To the Leaders of the World

Leaders around the World

By Ji Yung Kim

By Alyssa Newman

Leaders of the world, be strong and honest. Don’t be afraid to follow what your heart tells you to do.

Speak with strength and love in your voice. Share your ideas with the people and the world. Be careful of what you say. Think before you speak. Watch out for those trying to ruin your job and ruin the world.

There are many responsibilities for leaders. You need to think of all the problems in the world. We have problems with water and pollution.

We need clean healthy air. You must listen to all of us and help us.

Please help the animals. If you help us fix these problems, please be patient. Please help us!

Your word can make a difference. Words can make war or peace.

Worlds can build a country or tear it apart. Words can cause death, but also save lives. I am asking you to be strong, honest, kind and fair.

Please help the world.

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I think that to be a good leader, you should try to help nature and the environment. Be someone who will love the Earth and help it. Try to be creative to stop pollution on the earth.

You leaders will get to make hard choices. Watch out for people trying to fool you and benefit themselves. Think before acting! Avoid being persuaded into doing something for money.

We have too many conflicts facing us. Before solving the conflicts, you must think about how the world will change from your decisions! You can only solve global warming by presenting a solution that has many pros and less cons. You should definitely make laws to enforce recycling, because if you are too lazy to do something your people will die with too much polluted air. Our world is not something that you can play with. Although you’ll never fix deforestation, you can slow it down. So, try to stop it now before it is too late.

You are the ones who can stop all the pollution. Your people will listen to you. They might disagree with you, but you need to be brave and stand against them. Speak about what is really needed rather than your self-interests. Be thoughtful before speaking, because your decision may not be a good decision.

I believe you all can do it. Try your best and be persistent. You are the ones who can do it.

Believe in yourselves as we believe in you! This is for the world. You can change the world!

To all the leaders of the world,

A Message to All Leaders (abbreviated)

By Virgil Galatis

By Kamal Be assertive.

Try your best.

And remember always to be patient and persistent.

Do not harm the animals.

Do not pollute our beloved world.

Avoid being cruel.

Don’t think and care for whatever you like, But listen to others.

Leaders, say what you want to say.

Speak with your strength.

Don’t be nervous.

Do your best.

Share ideas with people.

Do not be dishonest and mean to people of the world.

Be calm and don’t get angry.

Watch what you say.

Make sure it will help the world.

If the animals become extinct, There will be no animals to eat, No birds to sing new songs, And even blind people will have no dogs To guide them on their way.

If you waste the earth’s water, There will be no more water to drink, To swim, To plant, To wash our clothes, Or to live.

Your words affect us all, If you tell us to stand up for you, And help you, We always will.

If you don’t try to make a difference, No one will try.

Stick to your dreams, For the future is there waiting for us all!

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C O V E R story

Food for Thought Dina Pappas Elementary School Principal More and more in the world, we face the problems of obesity in children.

Although rare in the past, obesity now affects more children and adolescents. It has become a leading medical problem and one of our greatest health challenges.

Five years ago, the leading five nations which had the biggest problem of obesity were: ñ United States 30.6% ñ Mexico 24.2% ñ United Kingdom 23% ñ Slovakia 22.4% ñ Greece 21.9% (OECD Health Data 2005) Currently, the ten fattest countries are American Samoa, 93.5%, Kiribati (in the Pacific Ocean), 81.5%, U.S., 66.7%, Egypt, 66%, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 62.9%, Israel, 61.9%, Croatia, 61.4%, United Kingdom, 61% . The United States has over 66% of its population overweight and Europe is on its tail at a staggering 48%. 750 million people worldwide are overweight, out of which 300 million are obese. Obesity is responsible for 325,000 deaths every year and the biggest threat is heart disease. What is happening? Why are most countries numbers continuing to increase? What are we doing wrong?

Once a country introduces the American fast food chains that are high in fat, salt and sugar, the dangerous obesity trend ultimately follows.

Additionally, as humans, we are becoming increasingly more sedentary. Our lifestyle is becoming more comfortable as a result of modern day technologies.

At ACS Athens, we tend to love global and challenging problems that we, then, tackle on a smaller scale. We care about the whole child: "academically, intellectually, socially and ethically to thrive as responsible global citizens."

One aspect of our students’ well-being is what we offer them to eat during lunchtime.

Being an Elementary Principal at ACS Athens for four years, I have seen a tremendous improvement in the quality of food in our cafeteria. The problem was first brought to my attention when a small group mothers of elementary school students and faculty came to me. They asked if the menu could contain more healthful choices. At that point, I formulated a small Cafeteria Committee comprised of parents and faculty to hear their suggestions on what

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ACS Athens Student Profile: Balanced - They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

could be improved. After observing and meeting with them, I took on the responsibility of creating the menu for the Elementary School.

Currently, together with Ms. Makropoulos, the Kindergarten Faculty and Head of the Early Childhood Department, we create the elementary school’s monthly menus. Ms. Makropoulos created a tally sheet template that she distributes to all teachers who have contained classroom lunches. This group includes the Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten Departments. Daily, they document if the students eat the prepared meals. The feedback is important in creating future menus, such as the below menu choices.

We make a conscious effort to provide meals that are healthful and enjoyable. Pasta always seems to be a big hit and so, we offer it once a week. The other days of the week, we make sure that we offer poultry, fish, beans and a traditional Greek dish such as Pastichio (baked meat and pasta casserole with besamel sauce), Gemista (stuffed tomatoes) or Spanakorizo (spinach with rice). As we have an international clientele, we try and include in foods from different cultural origins, such as tacos and meatloaf. Mr. Niko, the head of the cafeteria, is more than willing to try new dishes as long as we give him a picture of what we want along with the recipe.

Since our improvement efforts began four years ago, we no longer offer fried foods, soda pop or sugary drinks. Each meal we create is balanced to have a main course, fresh vegetables or salad, and fruit. If students do not like the hot meal, they always have the option of choosing a healthful sandwich, which includes salad and juice or milk. Since the Elementary School students are young, our goal is to try and teach them to eat healthful and nutritious foods.

A good solution to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, in addition to getting sufficient exercise, is healthy eating.

As one can see, our students are always at the heart of our solutions. It was especially touching when I received four letters from students in Ms. Rivers’ class, Reileigh Fleeher, Ilia Sharp, Effie Labrinos and Billy Lambriniadis, who wrote to me discussing their various concerns on the menu. I invited them to observe the process of selecting menu items and permitted them to voice their concerns since they were representing their classmates as well. As a result, these 4th grade students made several healthful contributions to the current May 2010 menu. In creating a harmonious, meaning and holistic educational experience, every voice can be heard. Children have the knowledge to make a difference and every individual has the choice of what they put into their mouth. A balanced life is a happy life, which starts with thinking about the foods we eat.

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C O V E R story

Action Item: What’s on the Menu?

How many ways can you serve a school lunch? How many ways can you serve vegetables?

Well for six years, the cafeteria director, Mr. Nikos and his six-member cafeteria staff have been serving ACS Students. With 21-years of experience, Mr. Nikos ensures that someone from his staff is available from 6:30AM until 5PM, so that JK-12th grade students may have something to eat during their academic hours.

Over the years, due to requests, the cafeteria team has seen the menu change. It is changing towards a more healthy selection of foods (see Food for Thought); however, Mr. Nikos points out, "Students will only eat what they have learned to eat and that starts at home. We try to do our best in serving a variety of food, but most of the time the students choose what they know."

Based on requests, the team of chefs prepare daily meals most of which are made from scratch. Only in emergencies do the staff use frozen vegetables.

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Interview with Mr. Nikos Head of Cafeteria

Otherwise, everything from fresh tomatoes and peppers, fresh carrots, cabbage and broccoli to fresh seasonings like onions and garlic are used to create a variety of tasty vegi-combinations. There is even Pop-eye’s favorite dish--freshly steamed spinach!

Since ACS Athens is an international population comprised of more than 54 nationalities, satisfying the needs of more than 800 globally-diverse students is a large order to fill. Thus, in an effort to help students choose a more harmonious and balanced way of eating, ACS Athens is working to place the menu online. This way students may check in advance, "What’s on the menu?" and yes, it will be accompanied by thumbnails to assist those who may not know what a Gemista, a stuffed tomato, is--in Greek or English.

If you have a dish that can enhance your child’s holistic, meaningful and harmonious experience, email us at ethos@asc.gr. Your recipe may get picked to be "On the Menu!" If Mr. Nikos chooses your dish, we may publish it in the next Ethos. Bon Appétit or Kali Orexi!

Dimitrios Kotinis Ms. Spiliot’s: Public Announcement Project, Technology Computers 9 Positive thinking is very important, but nowadays, it is rarely part of our society. The current generations have to live in a very stressful world, where, at any minute, things may go wrong. We are dependent on many things and we have to face many problems that,

in the past, could be and were ignored. The current circumstances do not allow us to be positive, to stay happy and look at the glass half full, but, if we want to solve the problems of today, we must, instead, think of them as opportunities to improve our world.

Sofia Papanikolaou Ms. Spiliot’s: Public Announcement Project, Technology Computers 9 In my commercial I wanted to show the world that there are so many choices in life instead of just sitting at home all day and doing nothing. Life goes by very fast and every moment is important and special to each one of us. We should have a balance between going out, studying and relaxing. Life can be taken away in a matter

of seconds; and, in my opinion, we should live and experience as much as we can--the more experiences you have and the more people you meet, the more intelligent you become. Another very important factor is that a healthy body and mind makes you a stronger character. That is what I feel works best!

ANNOUNCING THE GRAND OPENING OF THE SECOND MRS FIELDS COOKIE CAFE IN NEA ERYTHRAIA Come in and enjoy fresh baked Cookies, Brownies, or Muffins with your favorite beverage; plus select a gift package from a wide range of ideas for your loved ones.

Make your moments special with a unique Cookie Cake or Cookie Card.

Custom made orders, You can order your own logo and create the cookie of your dreams.

Also featuring YOVANA Frozen Yogurt by TCBY. Mrs. Fields Cookies, since 1977, is the worlds leader in fresh baked cookies.

10% discount on all gift packages, cookie cards, cookie cakes for all ACS Faculty, Students & Alumni, until the 1st of June, 2010.

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Anaxagoras 7, Nea Erythraia

·Franchises available in select districts such as Glyfada, downtown Athens, etc.

Looking for Franchise’s all over Greece. Please contact 210 8077670

STUDENTleaders

Student leaders in Action Student Leaders: Student Leaders is a new segment of Ethos that will feature students who use their understanding of leadership and set examples that others may follow. Throughout the year, students will be featured on the website in a similar section to give voice to students from Jk-12. We hope this highlight is a feature you will enjoy.

Setting the Stage in IB Visual Arts: Raphael Kokkinos and his classmates led the way in student art displays; however, Raphael had an array of drawings and paintings that did not follow the ordinary.

Raphael states that his creations are done in the moment. In essence, he gives little thought to his work; he feels something and then creates it. He rarely creates art to send a message: "I look to other cultures for inspiration and influence, but I think I create my own style. I try to create something that looks nice to me."

However, from his submitted pieces, he says one piece, in particular, did have a meaning (held in photo). Quite fitting for this issue and in-line with the observations of many of our students, it is entitled The Destruction of Earth: Nature’s Inevitable Death.

Raphael plans to continue studying art and techniques. If, in the end, he is able to join the ranks of other unique artists, who have influenced and inspired, he says, "It would be very flattering to leave my style behind, but my main goal is to achieve quality work."

A selection of Raphael’s work (and his classmates) can be viewed online at http://www.acs.gr/photo-gallery/ib-visual-arts/.

A Student on a Mission: Gikas Theodossiou is a member of the National Honor Society and the Environmental Club. As all members make a commitment to serve their communities in one way or another, Gikas decided to use his efforts to help the earth. All those new colorful recycling collection bins around campus…they are in place due to the coordination and directorship of Gikas. Together with his team, he arranges to have the municipalities called once a week to pick up all the cans and paper items that make their way to those colorful bins, and believe it or not there is a need for more.

If you’d like to participate or support the Environmental Club in their mission to promote our stewardship of the Earth, you can find them on Facebook at ACS

Athens Recycling Committee. Otherwise, simply toss your cans and paper waste products into their respective bins.

Panagiotis Mertikas Ms. Spiliot’s Public Announcement Project Technology Computers 9 It is important to send out positive information to the community. Commercials are a great way to inform the community because many people are either listening to the radio or watching television. They can show people that doing one or two things like picking up the garbage is good for the community. When there were commercials about seatbelts, overall, it helped everyone. Public announcements can teach people something new. They can teach people to go out for a run, how to be active citizens and how to put their minds to use for positive change. This is why public service commercials and information are important for the community.

Medical Minds: Under the guiding hands of ACS Athens’ Dr. John Moissidis, students Kareem, Remos, David, Efthimios and Ionnis have started a skeleton medical publication on the main website of ACS Athens. They have entitled their online medical journal or e-zine, Health and Lifestyle. Each student will have the opportunity to name his own special category of medicine, technology, psychology or research that suits his* interests. For instance, one student created a subcategory of the publication to address neurological findings that may interest parents and students alike. He has named this page Mind and Brain. On the other hand, student Kareem Yahya says his interest is in plastic surgery and he would like to see various types of informative pieces published to the ACS website that focus on the advanced findings in this field of surgery. He, too, will create his own landing page.

If you would like to submit articles or share medical links with this young team of medical-minded students, contact Dr. Moissidis at moissidis@gmail.com.

The current landing page can be found on the ACS Athens website at http://www.acs.gr/health-and-lifestyle/. *All students are welcome join.

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Wise owl fact: Feb. 2010 American Psychological Association News for alternative learning styles: According to new research, artists perceive the world differently than non-artists. Their brain literally interprets the world as a collection of lines, shadows, shapes and contours; whereas, non-artists see the world as a collection of objects.

Jessica Ogunnorin The Courage to Embrace the Unknown Peggy Pelonis, Director of Student Services Annie Constantinides, Director of Athletics Tenacious, tough, aggressive, persistent, hardworking, a team player, a leader: these are the words that describe Jessica Ogunnorin on and off the court. Always part of the action on the court, Jessica consistently goes after the ball. She is the last one to leave practice having always worked to her maximum capacity. Even after practice she works on her game, a strong indication of her determination to achieve her goals. Jessica is constantly giving of herself to her teammates to help them become better players. What she gets in return is an internal satisfaction and a team of people who look up to her: when the going gets tough, the team looks for Jessica. Academics are just as important to Jessica who strives as high in school as she does in sports. No doubt, her hard work has paid off: The University of California at Riverside has awarded her a full athletic scholarship.

Born in Athens, Greece, to a Nigerian family, Jessica attended Greek public school until ninth grade, when she heard that ACS Athens was making scholarship possibilities available to top students and athletes. Jessica applied for the scholarship and she was accepted. Visiting the campus, she was fascinated by what she discovered: a very different world. A school filled with children from varied cultures, with teachers who were excited about teaching and cared about instilling a love for learning in students, counselors and administrators that she could actually talk to, a supportive environment that was really set up to help students succeed and reach their individual potential.

The atmosphere at ACS Athens made Jessica want to give the school her very best. Yet at the beginning she wondered how she would fit in, how she would come to belong and how she would tame her internal stress. Both academics and basketball were daunting in a new and foreign environment. But Jessica’s spirit and her determination to move ahead in life, to take advantage of the opportunity that had presented itself, overtook her fear of the unknown. She drew strength and confidence from her supportive teachers and fellow students. She wanted options and the only way to get them, in her mind, was to learn. She did what came most natural to her in her life; she played basketball and studied hard. Jessica comments: "Basketball created options for me; it was the way to my future. It was hard sometimes and I was discouraged. Discouragement however, turned to determination when I got a low grade in American Studies. That shocked me and made me want to turn it around." Turn it around she did. Jessica finished her high school career on the Principal’s List, having compiled a straight A academic record.

Injured during her junior year, Jessica missed that year’s championship. Mastering her disappointment, she cheered on her teammates, got back into top physical condition and led them to first place in the ISST* this year. In these achievements, the multiple strengths of her character are evident. Evelyn Pittas, her English teacher

sums up these qualities succinctly: "Jessica is a creative individual, with a high degree of personal initiative. Jessica is a standout among her classmates. Her class preparation is excellent and she willingly shares her ideas with others.

Jessica is a young woman of a wellrounded education, high ideals, and sound integrity. She is a warm, friendly, hard-working, thoughtful person."

There is no doubt that Jessica is ready to once again embrace what lies ahead.

She says it best: "By coming to ACS my dreams got bigger…. I am ready to go to the USA and to do well, to make my family proud. ACS was a safe and secure place that has made me confident to take risks. I am ready to face the unknown." *International Schools Students Tournament

Dr. Gialamas and Jessica Ogunnorin 33

STUDENTleaders

The New Student Initiative Gaith and Laith Kalai The New Student Initiative, NSI, was launched as a result of two students’ attempt to make their community a better place for ideas to prosper. Laith and Gaith Kalai started with the idea that potential for innovation within any given high school community is endless--especially within the ACS Academy. Below, is an overview of how the two brothers initiated their first project for their organization, NSI. Apart from our daily academic work, athletic and extracurricular interests, we both wanted to achieve something within the school that would allow the participation of other students. Initially, our idea was to start a Habitat For Humanity® chapter at ACS,; however, due to the laws limiting minors Gaith Kalai from manual labor (even for a charitable cause), we were unable to organize a school chapter. As we moved on and brainstormed ideas for projects that we could carry out, we hit another brick wall. We had diverging ideas, all seemingly irrelevant to one another, with no coherence whatsoever. So our solution was to start a local ACS club where all those seemingly incoherent ideas could fall under one name and one group of students.

Unfortunately, with time being a restrictive factor, it took us about two school quarters to actually form such a group and gather a team of dedicated members.

The first project which we decided to embark upon was one that held personal value for both of us. We were new students in a new country and a new school.

As new students a year ago, we faced numerous difficulties adapting to our new environment. As we entered school in the middle of a school year, we felt a simple guidebook from the students’ perspective would have been extremely handy.

Instead of merely pointing this out, we decided to make it our first project. We wanted something useful that could welcome new students to ACS Athens in the years to come. This project involved utilizing our existing team of students, collectively brainstorming, creating a table of contents and assigning roles to each chapter--the gist of which aims to help new students transition to their new school and possibly their new country. As we have completed our first mockup version of the New Students’ Survival Kit, we will make an online version available for comments and feedback to help us and future contributors to improve our first project*.

From another angle, the New Students’ Initiative has helped us to grow as students and leaders within our community. This project inspired a friend of ours to start another group project with similar aims as he moves to a school in a foreign country.

As once new students, if incoming students are not satisfied with what is being offered, NSI will try to encourage and guide them to start their own projects based on their own initiatives.

We, as a group, seek to encourage talented and creative ACS Academy students to build upon the status quo in order to improve it and make our community a better place in which ideas can and do flourish.

The fate of the Earth is in our Environmental Science Student hands! Maria Kormpou, Teacher: Ms. Pauline Mamouzellos, M.Ph. Nowadays, there are many public awareness commercials about how we should all try to save our planet.

Even though they are very informative and helpful, they are not convincing enough. I think to really understand what happens with the environment, we have to get involved!

That’s what I did. I took the high school’s Environmental Science course and found out that it was a very interesting and surprising experience. It completely changed my view of the environment and the way we treat it. Making that change is the best thing I have done as a global citizen. As it combines all the other sciences applied in today’s environment, I found it to be the most interesting science course I have taken. It is a mixture of chemistry, biology, geology, meteorology, economics and many more subjects. Through interesting topics, chapter discussions, research, lab activities and field trips, students are invited to learn about our planet and the environment in which we all need to coexist.

Through this course, I realized that we are facing a huge number of problems that need solutions as soon as possible. We have caused this beautiful environment to suffer through consistent harmful activities like land destruction, overuse of pesticides and fertilizers, water pollution, overuse of fossil fuels and overconsumption. Our activities have created consequences; therefore, those activities need to be altered. If we do not alter our actions as a whole, the future will be bleak for us and our children.

However, visiting the Gaia Center was a beautiful experience. Learning about the five environmental challenges of water, energy, food, transportation and resources, revealed how much we really have to face these challenges immediately. Earth is unique and we need to take better care of it!

One of the challenges, energy, provided information on simple ways that we can limit energy consumption in the home: turning off electronic devices and unplugging them when not in use; using energy efficient light bulbs; putting the computer into Energy Saving mode, instead of putting it on screen saver; using the sun’s energy to heat water instead of electricity; using solar batteries; and recycling electronic devices.

Upon returning from Gaia Center, I started applying these measures.

Moreover, I deeply understood the importance of recycling--we need to recycle!

As a global population, we are creating too much garbage. The Earth cannot support us anymore. We can use less and limit our dependence on packaged products. To help, I now use a permanent shopping bag to avoid using plastic bags.

Finally, I learned that the over cultivation of land along with new technological equipment has caused deep wounds on the Earth’s surface. Unfortunately, improved public awareness is needed to heal these wounds and re-establish a healthy environment. Rotating crops and organic farming is a big step in this direction. To help the Earth in this way, I continue to add more organic products to my diet.

To summarize, being a better global citizen means to understand, support and try to save the Earth, our planet, through achievable individual and group efforts. Only if we all try to do our duty towards our home, will we succeed in saving it and finally saving ourselves. After all, the Earth’s fate is in our hands.

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ACS Student Profile: Communicators - They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They are capable of listening to and receiving ideas from others, both from within and outside of their own cultures.

Theory of Knowledge Students Model Leadership for Haiti Service Learning in Action Chris Monopolis 1st Year Full IB Student Haiti needs help, and the students of the ACS Theory of Knowledge classes have responded: In the spirit of action, TOK students raised $1,370.00 to support the charitable organization, Partners in Health. The students chose the organization themselves.

TOK in Action: By utilizing the various ways of knowledge, from IB History and Economics to IB Art, Science and Mathematics, students informed the public about the realities of Haiti in distress following the January 2010 earthquake. Through the use of various slogans and campaigns, students raised the public’s awareness in creative ways. For example, the slogan 'Bring back the color', related art to an Area of Knowledge. It utilized the metaphor that the earthquake had stripped Haiti of its color as if turning a traditionally vibrant painting from color to black and white. Another powerful campaign tool was this poem, by Dina Ghazal, which related Language to an Area of Knowledge:

These powerful slogans produced powerful results.

Choosing Partners in Health: One group of students researched possible charities to support, and then they narrowed their choices based on the following set of class criteria: The organization had to have a foothold in Haiti and a strong rapport with the local communities;, it had to be well-structured and effectively staffed; and the charity had to utilize the donation for relief, rather than for its own operational costs.

In the end, we decided that Partners in Health was the best choice; they have had a center in Haiti since 1985. They are staffed by local professionals.

We also discovered that in the past, Partners in Health has used approximately 97% of the money it receives to bolster its efforts, while only using 3% in operational costs. Since the charity was the most cost efficient and most established organization there (as our research yielded), we decided to donate to them.

This collaborative class service project inspired other, similar endeavors, such as a raffle undertaken by the Spanish and French Foreign Language departments. Next year, we plan to create a similar service project, due to the success of this year's, and hopefully, to an even greater level of success.

The TOK classes, taught by Dave Nelson and Eli Pupovac, were motivated in undertaking this task and lived up to wider aims of the course. Students sought to increase their knowledge and awareness of the situation in Haiti by using the five Areas of Knowledge of TOK, while promoting civic responsibility.

International donations and support for Haitians through Partners in Health continues through the organization’s "Stand with Haiti" campaign: http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti

POEM I see people who are hungry, Living in a country of no regulation.

People begging for help, And no one willing to be their leader.

I see people fighting life itself, Trying to survive.

People fighting against their destiny, When even nature is their enemy.

See what I see?

I see people with no dreams, But nightmares of their reality.

People imprisoned in their needs, People of a lesser God. I see children drowning in tears of loss, Searching with empty arms for a tender hug.

People completely distressed, Lost in their misery, Lost in the mire of human ignorance.

See what I see?

I see and I help.

Do you?

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STUDENTleaders

Earth Club: "Leading By Example" Toni Fleeher and Jane Mantarakis

As a member of Earth Club, "I was able to experience what it was like to work with younger kids. I had lots of fun getting to know the elementary students and helping them learn. We got to exchange ideas and all of us learned so much. I believe children are the leaders of our future. We need to teach and show younger children the right way to live so they can grow up and live healthy, enjoyable lives and save the Earth. Earth Club is a fun, easy way to meet new people and also help the Earth.

Courtney Newman

I learned how to interact with little kids and to see their point of view towards the environment and other subjects as well. I also improved my teamwork skills and learned to respect other people’s opinions. The younger children are those who will lead the future and they have to learn to love our planet and respect nature. This is how they can develop a sensible and sensitive character.

Andriana Boudouraki It’s lunchtime! Volunteers from 2nd and 8th grades gather their food items and head to the first meeting of the ACS Earth Club. The buzz of lively chatter and greetings turns into a serious discussion as Earth Club members set ground rules for how they will manage their time, share responsibilities, collaborate to learn more about problems facing our planet and help transfer environmental awareness to the larger student population, and eventually, even beyond the campus community.

Older students, taking the lead, organize the younger students into six rainbow colored teams with each group taking on a specific topic related to environmental concerns: Red Team – Protecting Animals and Their Habitats Blue Team – Maintaining Water Resources 38

Green Team – Replenishing Vegetation and Protecting Forests Orange Team – Retaining Agricultural Land and Avoiding Huge Landfills Purple Team – Reducing Air Pollution Yellow Team – Alternative Resources for Energy Realistic Goals: Each group identifies problems, possible solutions and actions that students themselves can do to contribute to positive changes for our planet Earth.

Students read, discuss, share ideas, take notes, write action plans and create a slideshow to share with the total Elementary School student body on Earth Day in April. Second graders agree to paint pictures of "Our Wonderful World" to show what our Earth can continue to be if we take good care of it.

Why Earth Club? Older members shared why they like Earth Club and think it is a good idea: "I thought it was nice being able to work with and teach the 2nd graders. I thought they were really cute and some of the ideas they came up with were great. I think Earth Club is a good idea because it is teaching kids about how important it is to save the planet and we’re helping them help the Earth."

Nicole Spaulding "I liked helping the elementary students and sending a message to the people to think about the environment. At Earth Club we can learn about solutions for the environment’s problems, and then we can inform other people about those solutions."

Alexia Celia Peza "The elementary students gave many ideas about how to make things better for the Earth. They have nice helpful ideas. For example, we can help the planet by changing the minds of people who pollute the world."

Anastasia Kavvadia "We exchange ideas and have a good time working together. We help other students learn more about the environment and influence them. Together, we can work towards having a better future."

Juliana Tsamantanis "Earth Club is fun and productive. We help children understand how to help our Earth."

Anna Avgoustis "It was fun interacting with the younger kids. I enjoyed hearing their ideas and telling them mine about helping the environment. Earth Club is a good way to inform people about the dangers that face the Earth."

Daniel Zoumaya "If we teach others to help, there will be a bigger spread of people who know how to help the Earth."

Gili Levit On Earth Day, April 22, the Earth Club shared a meaningful presentation to the total Elementary student body as planned and left their audience with a challenge to "Make Every Day Earth Day"!

Modeling the ACS Athens Student Profile: Through student driven initiatives, such as Earth Club, students reinforce and apply many skills they’ve acquired across various curriculum disciplines as they promote service and action for a better school / community and world: Problem solving and higher level thinking in order to generate problems, solutions and actions for environmental concerns facing our communities.

Research, using a variety of resources to find information and activities that could help the Club involve others and build their environmental awareness.

Cooperative group work in which members assume various roles as leaders, managers, team players and assistants.

Self-management and discipline required in order to manage time, space, materials, collectively and independently while meeting, working and presenting their topics to an audience.

Communication skills listening, discussing, note taking, reading, summarizing, speaking, creating power point slide shows, painting images, connecting to lyrics of "It’s A Wonderful World."

Earth Club has been a rewarding experience for both the 2nd and 8th grade communities. Their collaborative efforts are a shining example of both leadership and global citizenship. Earth Club members hope to continue their work to promote environmental awareness and action for the rest of the school year and plan to expand club initiatives next year. They challenge the whole ACS community to join their efforts promoted by their motto, "Make Every Day Earth Day!" 39

ACS Student Profile: Reflective - They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

STUDENTleaders

"CITIZEN OF THE MONTH" at the ACS ATHENS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL "Who’s Leading Who?" Stavroula Salouros Physical Education Teacher

All around the world, teachers, parents and other community leaders are recognizing that children are more than tomorrow’s leaders-they are leaders today. Children often make the connection between what they learn in school and the world in which they live, making them capable of being valuable resources for schools and communities. They can learn how to deal effectively with various disputes and how to contribute to their communities.

At the ACS Athens Elementary School, we believe it is not too early, or too late for that matter, to begin teaching children the basics of leadership.

Children are taught the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." As a result, children are learning to appreciate and respect others who may see things differently than they do. They are encouraged to communicate effectively with peers and to learn that everyone 40

is given two ears and only one mouth. So, they learn to listen twice as much as they speak! Children understand that careful listening is the key to good communication.

Additionally, children are learning about collaboration and teamwork. They will need to learn how to get along in the world with a diverse group of opinionated individuals. They will need to learn about compromising and how to give and take so to ensure the task is complete. Therefore, they are learning about responsibility, meeting deadlines, being prepared for class, as well as persistence and determination, so that they have a foundation of personal pride.

Based upon all of these leadership values, two elementary students are chosen from each grade level each month to serve as the Citizens of the Month. These two children then depict all the qualities of leadership and exemplify them each and every day. Also, they are asked to write a mini autobiography and attach their pictures.

Guests, teachers, parents, administrators and local leaders are welcome to view these student-leader biographies as they are placed on display outside of the Elementary School Library. Though, being a leader is a difficult task which requires responsibility, perseverance, determination and confidence, at the ACS Athens Elementary School, we believe that all students can be leaders!

Our Little Shining Stars Cathy Makropoulos, ACS Elementary School Kindergarten Teacher

Parents often come to me and say, "Everyday, I ask Johnny what he does in school and he always answers," "Nothing." It seems to be a common complaint voiced by parents around the world in many types of educational settings.

Teachers regularly make it their duty to inform parents, both formally and informally, what their children are taught during the school day. Perhaps one of our Newsletter topics will spark a conversation about the math concepts covered that week, or a story title will help them explain more about their projects that were sent home.

Yet, Early Childhood educators face an even greater challenge of reporting on students’ progress several times throughout the year on a written document.

Most of the learning that takes place cannot be recorded by the child on paper.

The teacher relies on his or her observations that are recorded as anecdotal notes that have been collected throughout the year.

For these reasons, Student-Led Conferences for Parents are a unique and important opportunity for parents and children alike. Student-Led Conferences allow parents to celebrate their child’s growth. It is a hands-on approach which allows parents to see the wealth of learning that takes place in the school setting.

They are performed in the most familiar setting for the child, his or her classroom. During the conferences, the teacher, acting as the facilitator of the process, will set-up the classroom with centers that are used daily. Material is

placed at the centers for children to use. A card (for parent use) explains what the child will be expected to do at each center. Children have the opportunity to showcase all that they have learned!

At ACS Athens, we allow the conference to be held in the language that the family is most comfortable with. It is amazing to watch the parent/child interaction among the families whose mother-tongue is not English. These children share with their parents what we could never translate for them. Parents get a better picture of the daily routine. This can even be taken a step further by video taping a typical day in your classroom and playing the DVD as an introduction before the children begin their center work.(Be prepared, parents will want to have a copy of this keepsake!)

The possibilities for celebrating learning are endless. The goal of giving those little stars a chance to shine during Student-Led Conferences is crystal-clear!

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STUDENTleaders

Forensics Helps Students Develop Confidence and Marca A. Daley Forensics Coordinator Encourages Civic Responsibility Anyone who regularly visits the ACS Athens website might remember a ‘press release’ that was posted on February 28, just a week before ACS hosted the 2010 Pan-Hellenic Forensics Association Tournament. That ‘post’ serves as a perfect introduction to articles written by two of our forensics team stalwarts.

"Forensics, in the formal sense of the word, refers to public debates or formal argumentation suitable for a court of law. For the school’s purposes, Forensics provides an opportunity for students to be involved in various forms of public speaking. Debate, Oral Interpretation of Literature, Original Oratory, Group Discussion, Duet Acting, and Impromptu Speaking are included in the competition. During the tournament, students have the chance to display a number of skills acquired over a long period of training and preparation. They gain experience from performing in front of peers, visitors, and guests and are judged by independent judges. Students also learn through research in libraries and on the Internet, practice their English (since the working language of the tournament is English) and most of all are exposed to and able to discuss and debate current issues. In addition to the enhancement of public speaking skills, students sharpen their research skills, writing skills, and their ability to work in cooperation with others through discussion and debate. The ultimate intent of forensic events is to provide students with an opportunity to develop confidence in their ability to communicate ideas and points of view. ACS Athens, a studentcentered international school, supports and embraces the philosophy of forensics as a way to challenge all students to realize their potentials and become responsible citizens."

One question has always concerned educators: How does one encourage responsible citizenship? In the Forensics events of Debate and Group Discussion, the answer is simple: through researching, analyzing and discussing the issues, forensics students have ample practice in all three activities.

Debaters spend much of their time preparing their cases (both for and against) on resolutions that this year included:

ñ This House Believes That shop hours should not be regulated ñ THBT media reporting of the H1N1 virus has done more harm than good. ñ THBT the protection of the environment is the responsibility of developed countries.

ñ THBT parents should have the right to choose the gender of their child. ñ THBT public health care is preferable to private health care. ñ This House Believes in affirmative action for university entrance. ñ This House Would ban the production of non-green cars. ñ THW never release convicted felons on compassionate grounds.

Group Discussion also requires that a student know his topic well, but unlike Debate, Group encourages participants to come to consensus and solve 42

problems related to the topic. This year the general topic was food, but the students’ research included:

ñ Eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia, diabetes, heart disease, health obsessions ñ Hunger/ feeding the world program; wastage ñ Bio-fuels ñ Health food versus junk food (advertising, education program, cooking skills, good diet)

ñ Food staples (corn and derivatives, effects on behavior, additives) ñ Organically cultivated crops; GM crops When the Debaters and Group Discussants come together in their particular rounds, they have collected their information and data, had a chance to synthesize it, and now have the opportunity to use their analytical and speaking skills to convince others of their viewpoints. They have all ventured beyond their classroom walls and into the world in the process of becoming responsible world citizens.

It is from this vantage, that of becoming responsible world citizens, that the students, Nasos Abuel (First Place Debater) offers his personal perspective on what Forensics has meant to him.

Debate: The Thrill of Oration and Persuasion

Debate is a constructive emulation of arguments between two opposing sides.

The task of a debater is two-fold: The first facet is to determine a coherent argumentation, which will be substantiated with examples and critical reasoning; the second facet is to cogently present this argumentation to the judges and spectators, while refuting and annulling the arguments of the opposing team. Possible topics include important world issues and controversial social matters. The veritable thrill of debate, however, is purely its objective: supporting one side, even if as an individual you are fanatically against it. A debater quickly realizes that every issue has two rhapsodies to it and that both can be argued.

Of course, in certain cases this is not very simple; being proposition, let’s say to the topic, "This House Believes That Political Assassinations are a Legitimate Weapon of Foreign Policy" is not a piece of cake. It requires a canny methodology and an intelligent approach of the motion. The situation is further aggravated if we consider the pressing time intervals that are given to debaters in order to build their case; then the whole undertaking may seem extremely challenging. Quite frankly, it is. But don’t worry. After your first debate you will understand that your greatest adversity is not the motion or the opponent. It is your one-sidedness and your trepidation.

In essence, these are two things that you deal with in debate: your prejudices and your fears. A debater becomes more open-minded and more prudent and sensible.

In the long run, determining arguments for both sides may make one evaluate his actual perspective. Moreover, you become more considerate in your own life and the way you deem the different viewpoints of others. In effect, you learn to regard the glass both half full and half empty, depending on the circumstances. Inevitably, you will succeed in conquering your fears. You will quickly see that by thinking freely, you will be able to find some rational manifesto behind the side you have to support.

As you debate, you will gain primordial experience and transcend your known limits and truly become a thinker and orator. Personally, more than preparing my case is my moment of oratory. The casual debater will often simply consume himself in explaining the issue and just iterating his team’s arguments. But the proficient and excellent debater will give a show and entertain, in a sense, his audience. In the Panhellenic Tournament, each debate team consists of three speakers: The first

Nasos Abuel 10th Grade Academy Student

speaker defines the motion in a way that will be most favorable for his team (first speaker defines only if he is proposition; if he is opposition, he accepts the definition and attempts to rebut it) and he presents the first argument of his side; the second speaker, the case constructer, begins by countering and refuting the points of the opposing side and continues by presenting the remaining arguments of his side in a convincing manner; the third speaker, the summarizer, summarizes the points of contention and picks-out any contradictions and fallacies in the opposing team’s case.

As second speaker, I find a particular exquisiteness in such rhetoric. I love to fascinate and charm my audience and exemplify my case in such a way that I make a wider impression both on the judges and on my viewers. Indeed, debate is a game of logic but also of impression. Winning applause from the crowd brings tantamount joy and contentment to a debater as winning the actual debate. This sensation is riveting and, in fact, intriguing to the extent that it makes you want to debate more and more.

You become passionate; you become glib; and you become an orator. Finally, I would like to make a brief mention of my team’s victory this year in the Panhellenic Tournament. As a 10th grader, I had the unique and fortuitous opportunity to cooperate with two of the best debaters that I have ever met: Peter and Jackie Cremos.

To be honest, if it were not for them, I do not know if we would have gotten this far. I do not even know if I would have become the debater that I am. From Peter I learnt to think without restraints and develop a case that will be based on principle rather than sentiment (of course, I then realized that one comes with the other while you are speaking, but that is a different story). From Jackie I learnt to think on my feet and pick-out contradictions. Indubitably, if Jackie were not always there to save the day, I am not certain that we would have won several debates this year!!

Yet, clearly, presenting in the annual tournament is not just about winning: It is also about the triumph of team cohesion. In October, under the ingenuous coaching of Mr. Pupovac and Mr. Confer, a new cohort will learn the skill of balancing droll performance with the exactitude and soundness of argumention. These keen novices will experience a warm welcome not dissimilar from what I experienced with my team; except, they will know in advance that debate is ultimately about the thrill.

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STUDENTleaders

Donations for Tanzanian Children Being excited about my Tanzania experience, which had taught me a lot about the Maasai culture and life in another country, I was eager to share it with my students. I created a Power Point presentation for the fourth grade students and Room Mothers showing what I did in Tanzania and what I learned. The students were enthusiastic listeners and had wonderful ideas of ways we could help both the young children and the older students in this rural Maasai village, such as: sending bricks so they could build better buildings; sending bottled water; or maybe even sending computers. The students’ suggestions were good ones as they recognized the needs, but once we explained to them how difficult it would be to send such heavy equipment and that the village did not have electricity, their ideas soon became more practical.

We focused our thoughts on how we could raise money for sponsoring girls in high school and supplies for the nursery school children.

Again, the brainstorming ideas of 42 nine-year-olds had variety and creativity! However, someone hit the nail on the head and said, "We could use our bake sale money!" Most agreed that this was a super idea.

Not soon after this presentation, we had our 4th grade bake sale. The students made many posters advertising that the money raised would be used to sponsor students in Tanzania and buy them supplies.

Having a specific goal for where our money would go from the bake sale definitely helped persuade people to make items to sell and for others to buy. All elementary school bake sales are popular, yet our results showed the importance of advertising for a specific cause. It was a cold and rainy bake sale day in December; however, the fourth grade sold sweets costing between 50 cents to one Euro each and made a whooping 554 Euros!

To send one student to the boarding school of Noonkodin Secondary School in Eluwai costs approximately 400 Euros a year. This money provides the student with room and board, money for supplies and possibly their uniform. After connecting with my contact in Tanzania I was provided with a list of six girls who were desperate to receive sponsorship. We put their profiles up on a wall and each fourth grader voted 44

Jill Rivers Fourth Grade Teacher for whom they thought should be sponsored. We later discussed and wrote about why they chose their particular girl. This fourth grade class (Class of 2018) chose to sponsor a girl named Winnie Mussa. Winnie is an orphan, her father died in 2005 and her mother died in 2009.

I also shared my presentation with the present fifth grade students who were my students last year.

Considering the bake sale money that they had raised last year which had not been spent, they all agreed that they wanted to use 400 Euros of that money to sponsor a student also. Again, voting took place and the fifth grade class (Class of 2017) sponsored a girl named Josephine Frank. Josephine, age 18, has four brothers and four sisters and her father has passed away. However, once Josephine was chosen, the students said they felt very sad about only voting for one student because they felt that all the girls should be sponsored and it did not seem fair to the other girls who were not chosen. We had a dilemma. Between the fourth and fifth grade students, we discussed and brainstormed ideas to determine what we could do to solve this problem.

It was December. People had Christmas presents to buy. People were going on trips for the holidays, but Christmas is also a time of giving. We decided "ambassadors" would go from classroom to classroom in the elementary school asking for money to help sponsor more girls. We reached out to parents and teachers too, and the donations were incredible. Some parents went above and beyond with their donations, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity. We collected 1178 additional Euros!

Unbelievably we were able to sponsor 3 more girls: Nanginyi Laitetei, age 18; Nemolel Saruni, age 17; and Renatha Kimao, age 17.

I had mentioned in the last Ethos article that I was going to sponsor the boy who had helped me while I was in Tanzania working at the school. However, the non-profit organization (http://www.serianuk.org.uk/) advised me it would be better to sponsor a girl rather than a boy and that is why I sponsored the sixth girl who desperately needed sponsorship, Nossim. You

Student PSA Projects Raseel Sharaf Ms. Spiliot’s Public Announcement Project Technology Computers 9

can find out all about the girls as their profiles are in the display case on the second floor of the elementary school just outside the fourth grade classrooms.

If you remember from my last Ethos article, the nursery school in the Eluwei area was a mud/dung hut, had one teacher and up to 45 students, ages 4-8. Our fourth grade class made flashcards for those children with help from my contact, Gemma (the founder of the nursery school), who provided words in Swahili that pertained to the students. Our ACS Athens students drew or colored pictures on cards with the English and Swahili names on them. We then laminated the cards and used our bake sale money to send them to Tanzania. We made over a hundred cards and they were all received with excitement and enthusiasm.

Our fourth grade "ambassadors" also went around to each elementary school classroom asking for a pencil from each child to send to the school. We didn’t want the children to go out and buy new pencils - we wanted them to donate the actual pencil they were using or one from their pencil case. This is a great way for students to have an actual experience of giving up something they have for someone who is in need. We collected over 100 pencils and sent them to the nursery school along with pencil sharpeners bought from our bake sale money.

The thank you letter that we received from the organization is also in the display case commending us for our generous donation, the largest single donation they have received from a school. More importantly, in this display case are the letters from the girls we have sponsored. Their heart-felt expression of their gratefulness gives me a sense of gratitude for the life I have and my continuing passion to help make a difference some way, however large or small.

The topic I chose for my commercial was peace because I believe that everyone should work together to make the world a peaceful place. It is, no doubt, everyone’s wish to make the world at peace, and I believe that we can make it happen if we create more commercials to raise awareness and get people to participate in peaceful events. There are so many wars going on in the world and violence is taking place every day. We can make that stop if we show people how much damage these wars are causing the human race. Thousands of innocent people are getting killed every day because of wars and violence, and many people are not aware of that. In my commercial, I aimed to make people realize the importance of peace; to show people the dangers of ignorance and carelessness; and to show how the world can be a better place if we all work together to create world peace.

Danielle Ross Ms. Spiliot’s Public Announcement Project Technology Computers 9 Positive thinking is an important thing to have in our world today. Our world is full of horrible things and horrible people. It is necessary to think positively or you will only think about the bad. Our world is also full of wonderful people who do helpful things.

One Saturday night, I was waiting at a bus stop to go home. I sat down just as another bus was coming. A little old lady was trying to get onto that bus. She was just about to step up to the step, and the bus drove away--just slammed its doors in her face and drove off. She turned around and sat back down next to me. She only spoke Greek and I only speak a tiny bit of Greek, but I really tried to make a conversation with her. She complimented my bag, and we talked about where I was from and where she was from. And when the next bus came, she couldn’t make it onto the step, so I held her arm and helped her. Everyone else had just walked right past her. So, you have to see the glass half full. Say to yourself that yes, half of our world is bad, but then again, half of it is good. If everyone in the world did something nice for another person, even those they don’t know, then this world could become a better place for us to live.

STUDENTleaders

Boy Scouts of America Troop 343: Citizens of the World

Amanda Arman, Middle School Technology Robin Bradley and Stephanie Kutson

The flag ceremony begins promptly at 10:00 am in the ACS Cafeteria – BSA Troop 343’s monthly meeting is underway! The troop’s thirteen Scouts, ranging in age from 11 to 15 (including an Eagle Scout), are organized into two patrols led by a senior Scout. The patrol works together on various projects, mixing merit badge and rank advancements with fun outings in Athens and around Greece.

Ascending Mount Olympus and staying overnight in the mid-mountain refuge; experiencing firsthand the cockpit of an F16 fighter jet at the maintenance facility at Tanagra Air Force base; learning fire safety skills from a captain in the Greek Fire Brigade; identifying habitats in Halandri Creek and the urban environment around ACS; discovering rocks and minerals of Greece at the Goulandris Natural History Museum: these are just some of Troop 343’s activities this year.

As "Citizens of the World," each and every scout contributes to his community – which in this case is all of Greece. Serving refreshments with a smile at the ACS Christmas Fair; timing and guiding students at the Forensics Tournament; set up, working, and taking down booths at the U.S. Embassy Spring Fair; cleaning ACS’ back field and planting colorful geraniums during Campus Beautification Day; picking up Schineas Beach during the fall and preparing a beach-side campground on Evia for the summer season during a camping trip this spring: the spirit of volunteering is alive and well in Troop 343.

Watch for Troop 343 coming to help in your ACS neighborhood!

46

ACS Student Profile: Caring - They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others.

They have a personal commitment to service, and to making a positive difference in the lives of others and to protecting the environment.

HAILand farewell

The Journey: A Tribute to the Seniors What do I remember from my school years? I can definitely recall endless nights studying for my finals and listening to my favorite songs on the cassette player (no, we could not download songs to our i-Pods or MP3s; devices like these and the internet were beyond our imagination). I also remember my mother asking me to take a nap seeing as I would need a clear and relaxed mind in the next morning. How typical this sounds….

What I mainly remember from my high school years were the sports trips: the long term planning, the endless efforts to make the team, the happy moments as well as the disappointments, the wins and the losses (they will all haunt me throughout my life), the final team selection, the take off, the games, the unforgettable times I had with my friends being away from home and the inevitable return. To be honest, what carried me away was the journey to the destination. That journey is best stated in the famous poem "Ithaca"

by Konstantinos Kavafis (see right column).

Being a student-athlete at ACS Athens, you definitely have a chance to become a young Fileas Fog. You are given numerous opportunities to explore the world, to meet new cultures, to visit historical sites, to taste new flavors and to meet people from all over the globe. Athletes even get to live as a Belgian, a German, a Nigerian or a Korean thanks to hospitable host families who "adopt" you for a few days.

Remember: it’s not the destination that should be your priority; it’s the "journey."

Live every moment. Stay humble and be thankful for the opportunities you are given.

You belong to a very privileged group.

As a student-athlete, you may think you differ from your peers. However, what really makes you different and unique is your color, your height, your size, your personality and the way you develop throughout the years. Your opponents are students who share common goals, anxieties, worries, preferences and beliefs. What a wonderful feeling we all felt when, at the end of the ISST Girls Basketball Tournament we hosted this year, all of the participating teams joined hands to dance to "Zorba’s" song in the middle of the court, around the 1st place trophy. What a great way to unite so many different individuals, who share common goals!

Even though this "journey" came to an end, we have surely all gained some unforgettable memories, which we will share with our families and friends in the future.

Oh yes, and the three-peat!

Well-done team and farewell seniors!

We’ll miss you.

Angelos Dimitropoulos, HS PE Teacher Physical Education Department Coordinator

Ithaca As you set out for Ithaca hope your road is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery.

Laistrygonians, Cyclops, angry Poseidon - don't be afraid of them: you' ll never find things like that on your way as long as you keep your thoughts raised high, as long as a rare excitement stirs your spirit and your body.

Laistrygonians, Cyclops, wild Poseidon - you won't encounter them unless you bring them along inside your soul, unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one.

May there be many summer mornings when, with what pleasure, what joy, you enter harbours you're seeing for the first time; may you stop at Phoenician trading stations to buy fine things, mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony, sensual perfume of every kind as many sensual perfumes as you can; and may you visit many Egyptian cities to learn and go on learning from their scholars.

Keep Ithaca always in your mind.

Arriving there is what you're destined for.

But don't hurry the journey at all.

Better if it lasts for years, so you're old by the time you reach the island, wealthy with all you've gained on the way, not expecting Ithaca to make you rich.

Ithaca gave you the marvelous journey.

Without her you wouldn't have set out.

She has nothing left to give you now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca won't have fooled you.

Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, you'll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

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HAILand farewell

Farewells As a former military dependent, I thought I would bring something to Ethos that enjoyed in life – the community Hail and Farewell. I think it is a nice way to recognize the contributions of those who have served their community and send them off with appreciation. This time we had a late start, so we are missing many who are moving on, but our best wishes go out to all of the ACS staff who will follow a new path in life. In the December issue of Ethos, we shall welcome those who will join us.

This farewell interview features Ms. Toni Fleeher and Ms. Amanda Arman:

part of the Forensics Tournament and attending classes in the recent Teaching Exceptional Learners at the 5th Annual ACS Athens Learning Conference. The knowledge and insight I gained at this conference will certainly help me in my next position in Fairfax County Public Schools.

3) What is your philosophy of life when the chips are down--in essence, how would you encourage your teammates to keep up the good fight--teaching?

Ms. Fleeher: Remaining positive is a key to success. In addition, always remember what a positive influence we have on the lives of our students and that we have 1) What great idea, Ms. Toni Fleeher (far left) and Ms. Amanda Arman (center) their best interests at heart. event, custom or activity (or Mrs. Arman: I have met some excellent and dedicated teachers at ACS. They curriculum) did you contribute to ACS that you would like to see continued know how to motivate and get the best out of children. I believe that all children beyond your stay? can learn and ACS embraces this concept. It has been my pleasure to teach and Ms. Fleeher: The Earth Club was a partnership between the 2nd grade learn in such an exciting environment. community and the 8th grade community to help bring more environmental awareness to our school. This was a collaboration effort between Jane Mantarakis and myself to develop the club. I would love to see this club expanded and ACS Athens continued for next year as it was such a positive experience. would like to wish Mrs. Arman: I have enjoyed being part of the ACS Middle School teaching staff.

Ms. Terry McCarthy It has been great fun developing the IT Exploratory class of Foundations of and Ms. Mary Sexson Technology, Health, Research, and Guidance. farewell as they are both joining another 2) What do you think you gained from being a member of the ACS international community? What will you take with you to your next post that you gained community school in from ACS? the southern part of Ms. Fleeher: It was wonderful being in an international community and China. They have benefiting from all the cultural experiences available. Also, my colleagues at ACS are promised to drop such a positive, dynamic, hard-working, and supportive group of individuals. I would Ethos a line once they love to carry on their positive energy and creativity to my next assignment. are settled. Thank you for all your hard work with the new library books and Mrs. Arman: Being part of the ACS community is like being part of a family. I the wonderful 5th grade play!! have made many friendships that I hope will last a life-time. I have fully enjoyed being 48

PEDAGOGYin action

Journalism and Democracy Project A Seldom Seen Students’ View on News of our World ACS Athens, in collaboration with Newscoop, proudly presented a minidocumentary on the Israeli/Palestinian Struggle on April 19, 2010, at 2:00pm at the ACS Athens Arts Center. This event was designed to showcase the ACS Athens students’ work on a project that offered them a great opportunity to explore and learn about a highly contested issue by researching, writing and producing a video documentary piece aimed at portraying a fair and unbiased view of the Israeli-Palestinian Struggle.

The purpose of the event was not to judge the objectivity or fairness of the piece, but to stress the value of the dedicated and professional volunteer work the students did on a subject where most media have failed to portray the view of the youth. The documentary, which debuted for the first time at the NESA Leadership Conference in Athens in 2009, received positive acclaim from the public which included political figures and ambassadors, among them the Ambassadors of the U.S. and Lebanon.

Students today are faced with a barrage of information on the internet. While most students are comfortable using the web as a primary resource, there is great concern for the reliability and validity of information found on its pages.

Furthermore, the perspective of young people is often lost or missing in media broadcasts. At ACS Athens, students are tackling today’s contemporary problems and current events through the creation of short documentaries and news pieces.

Over the last year, Newscoop, a media organization based in the U.S., partnered with ACS Athens to establish and refine a strong model of news research and production. ACS Athens organized a Newscoop Club: The students chose the very challenging issue of the Israeli-Palestinian Struggle for their first news report. The intention of this partnership was to revolutionize the way students access and share news-related information. The documentary is created from the ground up, with the students researching, writing scripts, filming and

John Papadakis, Anna Valivesaki and Camilla Warrender

editing video. Students received support and advice from Newscoop via their extensive list of professionals that support this endeavor.

Ms. Camilla Warrender, Founder and Executive Editor of Newscoop, who was present at the event, commented: "When presenting the video at an International School Leadership Conference in Athens in October 2009, members of the audience commented that it was the most informative and balanced piece on the conflict they had ever seen. This was powerful confirmation that these students are capable of penetrating the big issues largely ignored by mainstream media." Later on, she added: "The students of ACS Athens, who collaborated with Newscoop on this project, were thoughtful, serious, and creative beyond measure, with knowledge of the issues and deep concern for just outcomes. This extraordinary group of young people helped us all to see quickly that the Newscoop model of news production was indeed perfect."

SKAI News Anchor Sia Kosioni, who presented and moderated the event, commented: "These kids really managed to present a controversial issue, such as this one, with no prejudice, something that we [the media] have failed to do over the years. It is important to know that the new generation makes a difference in our world. This documentary will be viewed by many students around the world.

Hopefully, it will affect many individuals in a positive way, and this is the beauty of it all." Dr. Stefanos Gialamas, President of ACS Athens, in one of his interviews, commented: "When young people attempt to explore such controversial issues and we support them on that, the results are always positive. I believe we should allow young minds to be creative and give them more opportunities to build a safer world." Mr. Papadakis, Director of Enrollment, Communications and Technology, commented: "What we wanted to do was to urge students to explore this topic via extensive research and I believe we succeeded. It took the students four months to build the scenario and cut it down to 27 minutes, something that was difficult to do since the first outline of the documentary was an hour long."

Follow up: Newscoop and ACS Athens students travelled to Palestine and Israel to visit schools, talk to students about their hopes and expectations for the future and collect material for the creation of a follow-up documentary.

49

PEDAGOGYin action

ACS Athens: Leading the Way for Collaborative Relationships between Students, Parents, Staff, Optimal Match and Shadow Teachers Angelik Grigoratos, Emily Mouratoglou and Christiana Perakis Here, at ACS Athens, a network of teaching professionals promote inclusive education. Inclusion represents the commitment to provide an educational setting where support services for students with learning differences are offered. At ACS, the Optimal Match Department in collaboration with ACS Staff and shadow teachers strive to provide the safest and most effective learning environment for each of these students. The students themselves are encouraged to be part of the learning strategies by providing feedback as to what helps them learn. Parents are constantly interacting with the teaching staff so as to bridge the link between home and school. The growth of these students is highlighted because of the extensive, meaningful collaborative practices that ACS follows.

In the school environment, collaboration is the open communication channels between all teaching professionals and parents who engage in ongoing decision-

making, working towards a target or goal. Emphasis is placed on the need for effective communication and an understanding of one another's frame of reference. Fostering a collegial relationship among classroom teachers, Optimal Match specialists, shadow teachers and parents produces significant benefits for students with learning differences as well as for the school itself.

Leadership and organizational skills instill a sense of coherence, a consistency of individualized needs and the ability for teachers to detect and celebrate a pattern of accomplishments within and across classrooms. This process may then lead to improved behaviour and achievement!

On this journey towards success, obstacles are dealt with in a systematic way where all individual needs are taken into consideration. Each student with a learning difference is provided with a support framework enabling them to reach their full potential. Different learning strategies are provided to

50

Wise owl fact: April 2010 - Dr. Valerie W. Hu and other researchers are working on DNA tagging and drugs that have revealed positive results and potentially reversible outcomes for individuals with autism. Read more in the FASEB (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology) Journal.

accommodate each student in the areas which need strengthening. In the classroom, shadow teachers, along with the classroom teachers, work together to provide a comfortable and safe setting where the student with a learning difference will be encouraged to function independently in the long run. To begin in this journey towards independence, the student needs to begin with a structured system. Clear systems established for schoolwork, homework and appropriate behaviors are encouraged. These students are provided with clear rules, task lists and visual memory aids, all of which are applied consistently.

Rules are clearly displayed and large assignments are broken down into steps.

Songs, poems, and pictures are also used to teach new concepts. At the same time during the learning process the students are encouraged to reflect on their strengths and efforts so as to provide them with the confidence to persevere not only academically but also to work through their physical, mental, social and emotional challenges.

The strategies mentioned above are applied by the shadow and classroom teachers daily. The Optimal Match specialists collaborate with both the shadow and classroom teachers so as to reinforce these strategies during OM times as well. The idea is to use the abilities of all three area specialists in tandem so as

A World of Possibilities "Recycle" and "reuse" are two words that we hear across the ACS Athens campus. Whether it is members of the civic responsibility committee discussing their goals for the year, or students bringing me their containers from snack, saying that they thought it could be used for something, recycling and reusing are starting to become habits instead of just afterthoughts. As the Elementary School Art teacher, I have many opportunities to recycle and reuse; but even more importantly, I have many opportunities to teach my students about the significance of recycling and reusing: the earth that we live on and the air that we breathe are affected by each and every one of our actions, so whatever measures, however small, towards recycling and reusing we can take, can make a difference in our futures and the future of the world in which we live.

This year, the theme of the elementary yearbook project is "A World of Possibilities" as our students have their whole lives ahead of them and their futures are full of possibilities. I wanted the elementary school to create a visual representation of this theme to go on the front cover of the yearbook, but even more than just making the art, I wanted the students to think about everything that is possible for their futures if they have a healthy world in which to live.

To demonstrate the importance of taking care of our earth, we decided to make the project out of recycled materials. I have been impressed by all of the different colors of plastic bags found in Greece, so I asked the students to save all of the plastic bags that they would have just thrown away. From there, we cut the bags into 1by-5 inch strips and sorted them by colors. Then, we painted an outline of the world on a plastic grid and we began tying. A plastic knot of a corresponding color was

to help in the development of the student. Along this journey, we as shadow teachers need to be intuitive about the student’s individualized needs and tackle challenges with them. The shadow teachers constantly exchange ideas and teaching strategies with the classroom teachers, Optimal Match specialists, the parents and most importantly the students themselves. Applying strategies that are conducive to the student and when necessary providing guidance for completion of tasks is encouraged. At ACS Athens we share in the everyday triumphs that the students achieve and promote a sense of self confidence in their work. Simultaneously, provision for expressing themselves freely and openly and, of course, joining in the laughter and fun of every moment!

So, teacher teamwork and applying the different learning strategies to meet individualized needs is a goal for which we, here at ACS Athens, strive for. This makes the everyday challenges and complex tasks more manageable, stimulates new ideas, and promotes positive change in the classroom. The key practices applied through collaboration foster a safe environment and promote growth and learning for the students with learning differences. Each student’s accomplishments is recognized, celebrated and eventually leads to independence and a positive sense of self!

Miah Confer Elementary Art Teacher

tied on each intersection of the grid. Over 6,000 double knots later, we had our world filled with swirling plastic blue seas, yellow and green dotted continents, and red plastic strips marking Athens. Every student in the school had an opportunity to tie on at least one knot as they each did their part to contribute.

To demonstrate the possibilities that our futures hold, each student designed a paper person that would encircle the world. The classes voted on their favorite design and the winning student then recreated their design out of the leftover papers from other projects. The final artwork is hanging in the entryway to the Elementary School as a constant reminder of the importance of taking care of our world. As ACS Athens is focused on molding global citizens and future leaders, what better reminder of the small steps that each of us can take towards caring for our world and preparing for our futures than a world created from the recycling and reusing efforts of children.

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PEDAGOGYin action

Democracy in Action Kate Blaufuss Primary elections were held, campaign speeches given, posters designed, and votes tallied. This is just your normal Third Grade class election. We’ve found that discussing the democratic process isn’t enough and that actually walking through it ourselves proves to be a life long learning experience.

When Third Grade takes an in-depth look into what makes up a community and who makes sure it runs smoothly, our classroom turns into a well-oiled city.

Our helpers in class do not have titles like Line Leader, but instead, City Manager, Inspector, and Postal Worker. Our desks put together to make groups of three or four are transformed into neighborhoods within the city walls. These neighborhoods with names such as "Lava Street" or "Las Vegas Road" are created by the students.

At the beginning of the year, we discuss what makes an effective leader. From an elementary students’ point of view, one will typically hear that a leader has to be smart, a very good listener, have many ideas, and be someone who isn’t too shy. If our social studies curriculum leads into a unit on democracy, this is where we decide to take action and elect a leader who is a "good fit" for the role of a classroom mayor. We follow most of the same steps as the President does (give or take a few million dollars and months of campaigning) and we go through a primary election. We discuss an election ballot with all the different types of political parties and that during the primaries, there are more people who have a ‘shot’ at becoming the leader.

After we’ve narrowed the vote down to around three people, a general election takes place. Neighborhoods start working together to campaign for their chosen candidate. Giving them examples of real life campaign slogans and jingles usually gets the conversation started: "What could we sing so she’s elected? What rhymes with leader to put in our motto?" These are just a few of the quotes you will hear as you meander around the room helping each neighborhood brainstorm ideas.

When it’s finalized to two or three candidates for mayor, there will be a few broken hearts. You must put the pieces back together by getting them involved in other areas. For instance, one year I noticed that a student of mine was not taking an interest in school all that much. When I mentioned politics and what this meant, he was right there hanging on my every word. When he lost the primary 52

election, he was crushed. Capitalizing on his interest, our class made him ‘business cards’ and announced his new role as the Campaign Manager. From there on out, he was all smiles and had no problem telling the candidates exactly what to do.

This is a just one example of a young boy, who might have otherwise become a wall flower, but instead, rose to ‘third-grade stardom.’

Finally, it’s the day of general election. The homemade voting booth is in the corner with its colored streamers attached. Ballots have been printed for the students to mark their top choice. Everyone is anxious, including the teacher.

However, the election itself isn’t the big idea. It’s the process that makes the end result priceless. Normally otherwise timid children become open and willing to voice their opinions. In the past, I’ve had students discuss such issues as the troubles that exist between their two countries at that moment in time. One child even remarked, "Just because the places we come from are fighting doesn’t mean we can’t be friends."

Everyone puts aside their differences to work as one cohesive whole.

Incorporating town hall meetings into the mix also made for a rich learning experience. This is where the class gets together and the mayor leads the meeting.

It’s amazing to watch the students run the show without any assistance from the adult leader_the teacher. During these town hall meetings, they are allowed to bring forth any concerns or compliments they have with regards to their fellow classmates: "Mayor, I’m concerned about Greek class. No one is listening to the teacher and we aren’t getting along. What should we do about it?" This is just your typical town hall meeting conversation, held each week for approximately 15 minutes.

We could all open a textbook and have our students read from the ‘top of page 11’; however, in my opinion, learning this way is, and forever will be, the least effective way to reach each type of learner. After the elections were held, the classroom went back to being just a normal everyday community full of concerned citizens. Lurking underneath was something completely different.

These citizens were not afraid to stand up for their class and make their voices heard. Followers? Not here. Did the teacher just design her worst nightmare, a classroom of leaders? Yes, and it was well worth it.

Learning Leadership, Culture and Intuitiveness through Drama Sophia Thanopoulou, IB Drama Instructor We have been exploring unknown grounds here on the ACS Athens theatre stage. During the last few weeks, we have been observing people, ourselves and the way we relate to one another.

There is often struggle for power, yet, most of the time we are trying to keep the balance: Sometimes we lean on one another–we often fall as a result, or we see status differences and then try to overcome them_are we masters over our own bodies; or are we letting someone else so close that they master us? Is that a bad thing? We give up power, and then take over again. Sometimes we are being "dragged by the nose," or keeping someone on a "short leash." What is our comfort zone with others? Where do we draw the line? One culture suggests keeping others at arm’s length, whilst another feels comfortable with touching and making contact.

When walking into a Drama class, one might see all these notions translated into images that students create with their own bodies: leaning against each other, playing puppet and puppeteer, molding each other into shapes, mirroring, shadowing, balancing, and literally, putting their weight on one another, while learning to trust. As stated in a student’s reflection journal, "When you‘re leaning on your partner you have to really trust the other person with your body weight. If you do the joint movements for real, you risk falling down and hurting yourself pretty badly; if you don’t do them and fake it, then, it doesn’t look good." Isn’t this the case with life too?

Thus, in IB Drama, we are challenging habits, preconceptions, cultural notions and comfort zones.

Most of all, we are also spinning the idea of leadership on its head: as much as we learn to accept a position of leadership, we also have to learn how to give it up.

Interdisciplinary and Team Teaching at the IB Level Dr. Lykourgos Hristako, IB Physics Instructor In late March 2010, ACS Athens IB seniors from the physics, chemistry and biology disciplines took a day trip in Mati, Attiki as part of their collaborative activity for the Group 4 IB Project. The topic was light. The students had the opportunity to combine and share their knowledge stemming from different disciplines, so "as to encourage an understanding of the relationships between scientific disciplines and the overarching nature of the scientific method (Aim 10 Group 4 IBO)."

Collaborative groups of students from each of the three disciplines were formed. Then each group attempted to uncover through thorough theoretical, and where possible, experimental approaches, the properties of light as applied and relevant from the perspective of each of the three basic sciences.

The process involved: (i) Planning, i.e. brainstorming possible experiments in all three sciences (ii) Action, i.e. investigation of the topic experimentally (fieldwork) and finally (iii) Evaluation, i.e. the sharing of the findings including successes and failures and knowledge gained The experience was extremely positive and all accompanying faculty, Ms. Gourgourini, Ms. Dellas and Dr. Histakos, as well as the IB Coordinator, Ms. Tokatlidou, were impressed by the interest and dedication that the students portrayed throughout the process.

The accompanying faculty had the opportunity to assist where necessary in all three stages (planning, action and evaluation) and this made the experience rewarding for everybody.

It was a rare and precious opportunity to observe students, as well as faculty, coming from different disciplines in the sciences and working together on a single topic. This reinforced the idea of scientific inquiry as a common endeavor.

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PEDAGOGYin action

From the Classroom to the World To become a global citizen is a life long venture for all people. We, at ACS Athens, have a belief that our learners can and do become global citizens: citizens who are fair, tolerant and self-motivated to make a positive contribution to our world. In our school, students gain these skills from day one of their education.

They are guided by teachers and their environment.

At ACS, our classrooms are diverse microcosms of our world. Through our lessons and curriculum, we teach global citizenry. Our students concerns and thoughts, actions and reactions all have an impact on our daily lives and eventually the world at large. Teachers play a huge role in developing attitudes and skills that students acquire as they become global citizens of the world and possibly future leaders.

Our young students are learning to look outside of themselves and become aware of a varied group of peers who often represent a different culture and belief system. In order to develop the skills they need to become a global citizen, students have to be taught to be respectful, to communicate and how to make proper choices to resolve conflicts.

In the fourth grade, we strive to develop skills and attitudes in our students in order to reach the goal of global citizenship.

Communication Skills In all facets of our curriculum, we communicate whether through written, spoken or body language. Students present work and reports on a number of different themes and genres. During presentations, students learn to speak with clarity and proper intonation. They learn to stand with poise and proper posture.

They learn to look at their audience and most importantly know their material.

Students are also asked to call upon their creativity to present information that will captivate their audience’s attention and hold their interest. Fourth graders take pride in their own efforts and work when they see that their peers are attracted by their work and are interested in the information that they want to share.

Through these very important communication skills, students grow into selfconfident young adults who speak with conviction. They will be prepared to face anyone on a global scale and speak with ease.

Interpersonal Skills The diverse population at ACS Athens teaches tolerance to students. From the students who are only just learning English to native speakers of English, students are learning to trust their peers and classroom community. Students are taught to work through conflicts and difficulties to reach resolutions for peace within the classroom.

In the 4th grade, students show respect as they listen to their peers and give feedback and constructive criticism. Students understand the power of spoken language. Their comments immediately cause reactions in their peers that they 54

Irene Soteres Fourth Grade Teacher

then modify or adjust in order to show respect towards their peers.

Discussions are held to teach appropriate phrases and comments that will be accepted by their peers. We focus on questions that require students to put themselves in the position of the listener or person receiving a comment. An example of this is: How do you think someone would feel if you said, "Your poster presentation was ugly?" By placing themselves in the position to answer questions like this, students learn to speak responsibly and respectfully.

Classroom Responsibility In order to instill responsibility, 4th graders are assigned weekly responsibilities. These simple classroom tasks provide students with an awareness of community. Students who neglect their responsibilities often answer to their peers instead of their teacher. As a result, few students are let off of the hook by their classmates; therefore, the reactions of their peers encourage responsibility and participation. The message then becomes, "Am I the weak link in the classroom chain?" and if so, "Do I need to become more responsible?"

These examples are just a glimpse at the foundation of our teaching. We believe that all students have the potential to be great! Through our wonderful and diverse potpourri of cultures and ethnicities at ACS, our students have the opportunity to acquire lifelong skills and make a positive contribution to our global society.

Our IT instructor’s, Ms. Spiliot’s, favorite quote on modeling leadership: "We are the decisive element in the classroom. As teachers, we possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous.

We can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. We can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is our response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a person humanized or de-humanized."

-Haim Ginott

COMMUNITYconnections

ICCT/Student Services: Making the World Just a Little Bit Bigger 2nd Annual ACS COLLEGE VISITS to the Boston Area Spring Break 2010-Special Events Stelios Kalogridakis 11th and 12th grade Academy Counselor Following up on our highly successful college visit trip of 2009, this past spring break we were able to take ten more of our Academy juniors on their first college visit trip to Boston and the greater Boston area. With an extra day in hand, in comparison to last year, our students along with three non-ACS students were able to experience US university campus settings, college life, classroom visits, meetings with ACS alums, privatized tours and admissions information sessions. All of the students participated in an effort to receive a better understanding of the selection process and to make a choice for the college that is the best fit.

As ACS Athens staff, our main objectives of our college visit tours are to introduce students to the different types of institutions available in the United States; to provide for an easier transition from high school to higher education and into college life; and to enhance their understanding of the college admission process.

While attending these visits does not at any point guarantee entry to these schools, it does open up possible communication with admissions officers. It is always a key for admissions officers to be able to put a face to the name of the applicant that will be applying the following year.

This year, we had the time to go to New Haven and visit Yale University along with the opportunity for our students to participate in a multitude of introduction classes available to us by the University. After their initial taste of visiting a college campus and taking part in classes, the students had an opportunity to experience the life and culture of Boston in a weekend filled with activities such as museum visits, sightseeing around Boston, a theatrical performance and even an NBA basketball game.

During the week, the following higher level institutions were visited: Harvard University, Northeastern University, Boston College, Tufts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University, Emerson College and Boston University. The students also experienced an impromptu private group information session with Professor David Scott Palmer of the International Relations Department.

Along with our ICCT Director, Steve Medeiros, our goal is to not only provide campus tours and information sessions for our students, but for them to

get an actual feel of the college experience and even participate in college courses when possible. For the past two years, these college visit tours have been essential in bridging the distance from secondary education to the universities for our students and enhancing the global feel they have already experienced as students in an international school.

Some memorable quotes from the students on their trip and visits: ✓ "Collaboration in the school is important and equals a feeling of community." ✓ "All the students get to know each other; there are many things to do, like clubs and sports. I would fit in well." ✓ "There are so many things you can study in addition to your chosen major, so this makes students happy!" ✓ "I liked the fact that the campus offered a very good level of education and that there are over 26,000 students, which gives one an opportunity to meet more people. It also increases my chances to find people who I match with." ✓ "I value multiculturalism in a university; it is refreshing for me to hear foreign languages and to absorb others’ views of the world." ✓ "Most of Brown students I spoke to were cheerful and lively." ✓ "I liked the way they approach education. I could fit in there because I think in a similar way." ✓ "There is a good possibility that I could fit in with the students at BU, since they looked like hard workers, but like they still know how to have fun." ✓"I liked the academics, the professors were very professional and helpful and, at the same time, they were constantly involving you in the class."

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COMMUNITYconnections

Discovery Through Travel – Part II

Rannelle McCoy Social Studies Coordinator & MS Teacher

Editor’s note: This article is Part 2 of an article that appeared in the Fall 2009 issue of Ethos. As the previous Editor, Marca stated: Ms. McCoy contemplates the natural beauties of our world, the fragility of our ecosystem and a simpler life that is not dependent on technology.

There were other discoveries made about the natural world on this trip, which serve as reminders of how vast and beautiful Earth’s ecosystems are. My favorite country on the trip was Namibia, where, I never had imagined being in a desert and witnessing rain and fog. As the truck inched closer to the Atlantic Coast, the temperature dropped, ice formed on the windows, and the fog got thicker. Fog, rain, ice and desert are not usually associated together, but if one puts together their knowledge of earth science, one will remember that the cool moisture mixing with hot desert air will indeed lead to the formation of fog.

In Sossusvlei, Namibia, I also experienced orange sand dunes over 200 meters high and found that walking up sand dunes is very strenuous, especially if one is the person making the path! The sand dunes are an orange color because they contain iron. I also learned from a Nama tribesman guide the ways that his people survive in the Namib desert, including how different plants contain water. I took a piece of ostrich salad plant, cut it to reveal droplets of water, and even tasted its refreshing liquid to satisfy my thirst in the desert heat.

Being in the desert also makes a person aware of how much artificial light there is in first-world nations and how this light has the major disadvantage of blocking people’s access to the vast array of stars in the night sky. Going to sleep every night with a view of bright constellations is quite the treat.

Discoveries about the natural world also include learning different ways that humans interact with their environment. For instance, I had known that rubber trees existed, but did not know what they looked like or how they produced rubber. In Malawi, the group drove through a rubber tree plantation and on request, the guides stopped the truck. A few of the travelers and I promptly ran out of the truck to touch the trees and witness the small incisions made in the bark to reach the sap vessels, 56

which do not harm the tree. What I discovered through sensory experience is that the sap of this tree is where rubber comes from. The sap (also called latex) is white, feels quite a bit like an eraser, and smells like latex gloves – all of this fresh from a tree! I always thought that the tree was processed in some way to make rubber, but this was not the case. Another important event was the spice plantation tour in Zanzibar, which engages all five senses to discover where spices come from and how they are processed. For instance, I learned about cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, lemon grass, citronella, vanilla, saffron, cumin, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg by seeing the plants they originated from, and sometimes touching, tasting, or smelling them. This plantation also grew unusual tropical fruits, such as coco fruit, jack fruit, custard apples, pummeloes, lychees, and star fruit – I tasted them and was able to shake some of them to listen to their contents. At the end of the tour, I sampled several teas made with the spices of the plantation, such as lemon grass tea with vanilla and marsala tea, as well as young coconut juice. For lunch, I ate in a traditional home, sitting on the floor and feasting upon pilau rice made with over 10 different spices in it, as well as veggie curry and steamed greens. Food offers insights into the cultures of the various tribes of people that the group came into contact with on this trip.

During the Luwawa forest walk in Malawi, the group visited the village of Donija Nkhoma. Here, I rediscovered how fun it is to eat with only my fingers.

It is not as easy as I remembered, as in this culture and many cultures around

the world, it is improper to eat with one’s left hand. My traveling companions and I were served a meal of chicken, beans, and maize meal, as well as maize cake. At this village, I also learned the fine art of making mud bricks and building mud-brick homes. I also witnessed first-hand the importance of water pumps, donated by international charities, at improving the lives of the villagers. Having a water pump in the village meant that girls, traditionally in charge of getting water for the family, were able to be present for all classes in school as they did not have to walk far to get the water for their families and thus miss this valuable class time. Another important observation and understanding was that of deforestation in Malawi, particularly since the Luwawa Forest was only 15 years old. Driving through Malawi revealed tree-less hills as the norm, due to clear-cutting for charcoal-making and agricultural activity, and the Luwawa Forest was replanted in an attempt to reverse this trend.

While visiting the village of Donija Nkhoma in Malawi, I was reminded that people of first world countries are quite soft and pampered when it comes to physical activity because of the many machines and tools used to do the heavy work for them. For example, I was given the opportunity to carry a basket on my head, full of potatoes and other produce, and walk up and down hills with it to gain a better understanding of the challenges of rural life. In the various countries I visited, people used their bodies or bicycles mostly to carry heavy items from one place to another. In using their bodies, people carried anything from large branches to jugs of water on their heads,

while bicycles carried bunches of bananas and various water containers on them along roads. Women often balanced items on their heads while carrying babies tied to their backs with cloths, reminding the rest of the world just how strong women really are. All people in the rural areas truly do walk long distances to go to school or to a health clinic – as much as 10 to 20 kilometers, something we rely on cars and busses for.

As I boarded the plane for home, I reflected upon three different lessons.

The most important one is that less truly is more. While readers have heard this "wisdom" over and over, many truly do not believe it or get it. While traveling, I understood that having less allows people to be more creative; they make tools out of items they already have, such as digging with a stick instead of a shovel or using a rock instead of hammer to put a tent peg into the ground. Even the children showed their ingenuity with toys made from wood, such as toy cars and bicycles, and dolls made from cloth. The children there smiled a lot more than the students at ACS, who are more privileged than they are. These children seemed full of life and joy, and were content to be in the company of me and my fellow travelers through games of jump rope and soccer with a ball made from bundled fabrics. In general, the many conversations with locals reminded me of how important it is to lead a simple life with less "things". The second lesson is travel leaves one hungering for more answers. A few of my fellow travelers bought books after game drives to do further research on the animals they saw.

Thus, once a traveler returns home, he or I needs to follow up on and validate some of the experiences through further research. This can help eliminate any false generalizations made during the trip, but also help process what was observed at a deeper level. The final lesson is that travel is quite addicting; the more I do it, the more future travel plans I hunger for and arrange. Everyone should travel outside of their homeland, as they will not see their homeland quite in the same way they did prior to the trip. Nor, will they return from the trip without new knowledge about themselves and the world around them.

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COMMUNITYconnections

On-Line and On-Site: Education for Global Citizenship Janet Karvouniaris and Kathleen Jasonides Humanities Instructors Imagine exploring ancient Athens and modern Paris with other international students…and getting high school credit. This opportunity was made available to students from two different continents for the first time this year through the ACS Athens Institute for Creative and Critical Thinking (ICCT).

Eleven students from the Chapin School in Manhattan joined 13 students from ACS, Athens, in a shared learning experience that included course work and field study. The on-line course, "Classicism and Romanticism in French Art & Thought," developed by Humanities Instructors Kathleen Jasonides and Janet Karvouniaris, is based on the internationally recognized Humanities program that has been a part of the ACS curriculum for over 30 years. This on-line course focuses on the influence of Classical Greek civilization on French art and thought in the 18th and 19th centuries, and offers a variety of readings and assignments to prepare students for on-site study in Athens and Paris.

Students from the Chapin School, accompanied by three adults, arrived in Athens on March 17th to begin their field study of classical Greek sculpture and architecture. Upon arrival they were welcomed by the ACS Humanities class and three ACS students enrolled in the on-line course. During the next two days they were guided in their field study at archaeological sites by the Humanities instructors.

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ACS Student Profile: Inquirers - They develop their natural curiosity and encounter the world and embrace the future with sense of imagination and wonder. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning.

They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

The combined group of ACS and Chapin students departed on March 20th for Paris, where they spent a very busy week visiting important art museums, historical monuments and sites such as the Invalides, Fontainebleau, Versailles, and Chartres. During the week students kept a field notebook in which they documented their study through observation notes, sketches, photographs and reflective writing. In the evening, students participated in seminars in which they shared their observations and questions with the rest of the group.

As a result of this innovative educational experience, the students became well-acquainted with new ideas, new places, and new friends. Working together toward a common purpose, students and educators from different

continents discovered an exciting partnership in learning. To build on this foundation, the ICCT will offer another on-line course next year, "The Renaissance: A Rebirth of Classical Ideas in Italian Art and Thought," based on the second semester of the ACS Humanities program, Year 2.

The field study component will include sites in Athens, Florence, Rome, Siena, and Arezzo.

Over the many years of its existence, the ACS Humanities program has continued to adapt to the changing needs of its students without losing sight of its core values. Educating students for life and work in a global society presents challenges to educators.

In his book The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman states: "... in the future, how we educate our children may prove to be more important than how much we educate them."

An interdisciplinary education allows students to experiment with the goal of becoming well-rounded. As technology has made the world smaller and more interconnected, the possibilities for interdisciplinary education increase.

By combining on-line education with on-site field study, students take greater responsibility for their own learning and develop the skills and attitudes needed for global citizenship.

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COMMUNITYconnections

Nightingale Initiative for Global Health & the International Ellen Froustis Vriniotis M.Ed, M.A. Heartsongs Project Academic Advisory/Counseling

To commemorate the centennial of Florence Nightingale’s passing and to honor her life-long contribution to serving others, ACS Athens participated in the "Nightingale Initiative for Global Health" hosted at the Megaron Mousikis on March 8, 2010.

The event was dedicated to the thousands of nurses, health care workers and educators devoted to building a healthy world.

ACS Athens Elementary School students opened the evening with a musical presentation. One of several guest speakers, President of ACS Athens, Dr. Stefanos Gialamas, stressed the importance of cultivating ethical leadership through a holistic, meaningful and harmonious education that aims to develop the whole child, with ethos as a means of building a healthier and more humane world. Later, members of the local and international community were recognized and awarded for their leadership, initiative and commitment to serve those from less privileged circumstances.

The event was organized under the auspices of the City of Athens and in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, Centre for European Studies and Humanities, "Ioannis Capodistrias," 60

ACS Athens and the University of Indianapolis’ Leadership and Creativity Institute.

Following the event, ACS students, Phillip Tripodakis, Zacharo Gialamas and Evi Sotiropoulos participated in a day-long workshop at the MDA Hellas Rehabilitation Center, Filoktitis, as a follow up of the 2nd International Heartsongs Summit that was funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. CoDirector of the summit, Dr. Cynda Hylton Rushton from the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, brought together teams of medical and mental health professionals, including educators and students to collaborate on understanding and integrating the physical, psychological, social, emotional and spiritual dimensions of palliative care to better support families challenged with neuromuscular disorders.

Accompanying the Nightingale Global Initiative Project, spiritual healer and dancer Zuleikha, performed at the Megaron Mousikis, lead the teambuilding activities at the Heartsongs Project seminar and, later, graciously, conducted a workshop for ACS Athens IB Theater Arts students. Zuhleikha demonstrated how her love of dance and wellness inspired her to initiate the Storydancer Project, a humanitarian organization that brings awareness of physical and mental health through stories, music, rhythm and movement to women and children challenged by life's circumstances in every corner and culture of the world.

If it is one thread that connected these events, it is people with vision from diverse ages, professions and backgrounds coming together to celebrate the uniqueness of each individual with an innate potential to nurture the human spirit and to do good in the world_a tremendous way to model, educate and empower youth by involving them in the process and the solution towards developing a more humane world.

Collaboration at its Best: The PTO Patty Dimitriadis, PTO President It is always good to be a part of something bigger than yourself and even better when that something gives back to the community. At ACS Athens, that something is the PTO. Its main goal is to provide a venue for parents to give support to the school community, which, in turn, gives back to us. It is a grand circle.

The PTO is a dedicated volunteer-supported organization. We are doctors, business people, government workers, artists, lawyers, homemakers, technicians and the like. We are parents, who, while having the best interests for our children at heart, also realize that many pieces make up the whole and that our children’s experiences at school are bigger than one person. The PTO is structured in such a way that parents, guardians and teachers are automatically members.

The PTO becomes a collective, yet supportive, voice ensuring that our children are in the best learning environment. We all know that many of our own best

memories of school are not just of those lessons learned about the 3R’s; they are also the most fun times of our lives that we look back on with fondness.

We remember, fondly, the carnivals, fairs, barbeques, gatherings, graduation brunches and our friends. With our collaborative effort, the PTO makes these events possible. We are dedicated to providing our students with the most promising academic experiences, but doing so in a safe, fun and happy environment.

Being involved with the PTO is not only a benefit for the school, but in giving, it can be a benefit for all involved. The PTO helps one to build ties and become a part of the ACS Athens family. Like a family committed to creating strong bonds, the PTO is no different. Our varied life experiences, cultures, dedication and love for our school, help to bring us closer together and create a bond that makes all things possible.

Working for common goals has been very satisfying, especially when the outcomes of those goals benefit all of our children.

PROFESSIONALdevelopment

Talents Uncovered

When I was a student at Faulkner Street Elementary School in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, I discovered two things: I was an artist and I wanted to teach art. That these revelations were inspired by my art teacher, Faith Lee, I record here along with my regret that I never really told her how much she meant to my life. I taught myself how to draw and paint; Mrs. Lee taught me how one shares a love of art through teaching.

At the Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, I found that I had a talent for caricature and cartooning and I also learned how to write. Then during four years at Wesleyan University in the 1960’s, I discovered that sculpture and welding were fun. I worked in metal during the years I taught and exhibited in Florida before moving to New England.

Jeff Bear Academy/MS Art Teacher

For the decade that I taught in the greater Boston area, I became more interested in photography and painting as I discovered that sculpture was neither portable nor profitable. The portability requirement became even more relevant when I took my first teaching post outside of the U.S.A. in 1981.

Actually, Athens, Greece, already had enough sculpture, although TASIS, at that time, needed an art teacher. My first years in Greece were well spent, since I met my lovely Scottish wife, Chris.

During work and residence in Indonesia, England, Spain and Jordan, my personal artwork was mostly photography and drawing. Upon a return to Greece, I entered what I think of as my "doodle period." Those drawings featured high contrast patterns and whimsical, intricate subjects that satisfied some neurotic inner need for minute detail.

My newest work is related to my early sculpture in that I used scrap metal and junk to assemble those ancient pieces. I no longer weld, but the process remains the same: now I use glue and new junk and I still have a great amount of fun doing this "stuff" that I do.

Jeff Bear Bearj@otenet.gr 210 601 7536 62

Other Conferences/ Workshops/Presentations/Courses Mary Ann Augustastos conducted Department Chair training workshops to the ACS Athens Department chairs and coordinators in December of 2009. She will be completing her International Administrative Certification, July 2010.

Ellen Froustis-Vriniotis attended 100 hours of seminars toward professional training and certification in psychotherapy from the U.S. based Adlerian Training Institute. The focus of the seminars were on Resilience Based Counseling and Therapy, Grief Therapy and Gestalt Therapy. Ellen is also enrolled in a summer course with the University of Pennsylvania on Positive Psychology.

Steve Kakaris participated in the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) Spring 2010 Administrators conference. It took place in Malta, from 8th to 11th of April. The focus was an in-depth look at trends of current educational issues from the administrators view point. Also, he had the opportunity to interact with about 50 other Business Managers of European international schools and create contacts for communicating issues and ideas that are important to us. "It was my first attendance of an ECIS conference and it was a great professional development experience."

Stelios Kalogridakis is currently completing a Masters of Arts in Mental Health Counseling.

Mary Manos attended the International school collaborative NVS (Blackboard) Systems Administration Conference in Bangkok, Thailand on March 24th and 25th, 2010. The conference focused on the transition from Blackboard into Moodle. Ms. Manos will train the entire ACS Athens Faculty and Staff on the use of Moodle.

In January 2010, Ms. Chris Perakis accepted an appointment to serve ECIS Special Education Needs Committee; she has been involved with following conferences and committees: CIS Conference: Munich, Germany November 2009; ECIS Conference: Hamburg, Germany November 2009; MSA Accreditation Team Visit: Nice France March 2010; 5th Annual Conference on Learning Differences: May

2010 Co-chair; Special Olympics 2011: ACS Athens committee member; Stavros Niarchos Foundation: Advisory committee for Special Education Needs. Ms. Perakis was invited to speak as Guest Lecturer, May 26th – May 28th at the University of Crete. She is also gaining credits towards an MBA in Organizational Management.

Lambrini Rontogiannis completed an online course called Collaborative Technologies. This was her 6th course on her way to a Masters ofTechnology in Education through the University of Calgary, Canada.

Georgina Spyres has co-written and published an article: T. Meador, A. Gogou, G. Spyres et al., (2010) Biogeochemical relationships between ultra-filtered dissolved organic matter and pico-plankton activity in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Deep Sea Research Part II - Topical Studies in Oceanography, in press.; doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2010.02.015 Stephanos Gilamas co-authored and published, "Retention in College and Universities: Meeting the Challenge by Preparing High School Students for a Meaningful and Successful College Life," together with P. Pelonis, Dr. Don King, Vice President Academic Affairs, Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, Dr. Abour Cherif, Dean of Program Development, Headquarters DeVry Univeristy, Dr. David Overbye, Dean of Outreach Programs, Head Quarter DeVry University in The Journal of Higher Education Management, fall issue November 2009 – You may read it in this issue of Ethos in our Pedagogy in Action section.

Together with ACS Athens faculty member, Ellen Froustis –Vriniotis, Dr. Gialamas has published: Learning through Service in the International Schools Magazine Fall 2009, Volume 12, Issue 1.

Dr. Gialamas was an invited speaker at the following: Speech Title - Morfosis Leadership, 2009 IBO World Conference of Head of School, Seville Spain in October 14, 2009; the AAUA 38 Annual Conference (with P.Pelonis).

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FOOTNOTES

American Mathematics Contest 8 The Middle School advanced math classes have been participating successfully in the Math Olympiads program for many years. This program begins in the Elementary School and continues through grade 8.

The goals of this program are to: stimulate enthusiasm and a love for mathematics, introduce important mathematical concepts, teach major strategies for problem solving, develop Mathematical flexibility in solving problems, strengthen Mathematical intuition, foster Mathematical creativity and ingenuity, and provide for the satisfaction, joy, and thrill of meeting challenges.

There are more than 5,000 teams worldwide, including all 50 states and 25 countries. There are 5 contests during the school year, each containing 5 nonroutine problems. Each problem has a time limit, and requires careful mathematical thinking. Each problem is worth 1 point, so a student can earn up to 25 points. No calculators are allowed.

The outstanding student on each team is awarded a special trophy and runners-up are recognized with honorable mention trophies.

This year’s trophy winners are: Sixth grade team: Winner trophy: Peter Gyorgy Seventh grade team: Winner trophy: Aliyah White Runner-up trophy: Georgia Siorokos Eighth grade team: Winner trophy: Demetri Kakaris Runner-up trophy: Gili Levit

ACS Student Wins Panhellenic Tournament in Chess Ellen Vriniotis The Third Panhellenic School Tournament in Chess took place at the Porto Karras Hotel in the area of Halkidiki, on April 23 – 25th. More than 700 students from all over Greece used their skill, determination and concentration to face off in Chess. ACS 11th grade student, Nastazia Champesi, participated in the category of the Open Tournament that brought together various students of different backgrounds. After two days of intense concentration, Nastazia received the First Place Medal in the female category and ranked in the top 5 overall in the tournament! Congratulations for a job well done!

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Sue Protopsaltis/Dora Andrikopoulos Mathematics Teachers Middle School

Each year the Middle School advanced mathematics classes participate in the annual American Mathematics Competitions, the American Mathematics Contest 8. We are proud of the fact that that we have been taking part in this contest for 25 years.

This contest is for students from grade six through eight. It is a 40 minute contest containing 25 multiple-choice questions. The purpose is to promote the development and enhancement of problem solving skills. Concepts that are taught in Middle School are applied to problems ranging from easy to difficult.

One purpose is to demonstrate the broad range of topics that are available in the curriculum. Other purposes are to promote excitement, enthusiasm, and positive attitudes toward mathematics and to stimulate interest in continuing the study of mathematics.

The top 20 scorers at ACS this year were: Alia Burgan, Robert Drummond, Cole Sitar, Alexander Georgiopoulos, Courtney Newman, Irinna Vavaletskou, Michael Economopoulos, Demetri Kakaris, Zeena Shawa, Georgia Siorokos, Ryan Sitar, Nicole Spaulding, Zoe Verouti, Achilleas Vriniotis, Aliyah White, Daniel Zoumaya, Konstantinos Anthis, Conner Arman, and Andriana Boudouraki, and George Christopoulos.

AMC 8 Intramural Awards: ✓ A Certificate of Distinction is given to all students who receive a perfect score. ✓ An AMC 8 Winner Pin is given to the student(s) in each school with the highest score. ✓ The top three students for each school section receive, respectively, a gold, silver, or bronze Certificate for Outstanding Achievement. ✓ An AMC 8 Honor Roll Certificate is given to all high scoring students. ✓ An AMC 8 Merit Certificate is given to high scoring students who are in 6th grade or below. ✓ A Certificate of Merit Award is given to any school with a Team Score of 50 or more.

Class awards for first, second, and third places: Section A Gold: Zeena Shawa Silver (tie): Konstantinos Anthis/ George Christopoulos/ Peter Gyorgy/ Vassilis Sotiropoulos Bronze: Yazan Arafeh

Section B Gold: Alia Burgan Silver (tie): Georgia Siorokos/ Achilleas Vriniotis/ Aliyah White Bronze (tie): Christina Kapatou/ Christina Maxouris

Section C Gold: Robert Drummond Silver: Cole Sitar Bronze (tie): Alexander Georgiopoulos/ Courtney Newman

Congratulations for a job well done! Congratulations to all participants!

ACS Athens Hosts the 2010 Pan-Hellenic Association Forensics Tournament

Marca A. Daley Forensics Coordinator & Tournament Director

The ACS Athens Forensics Club offers high school and middle school students the opportunity to compete every year with students from private schools all over Greece in the Pan-Hellenic Forensics Tournament. After months of coaching and practice, the team is chosen and team members participate in a variety of public-speaking events: impromptu speaking, oratory, debate, group discussion, oral interpretation of literature, and duet acting.

This year, from March 4-7, ACS Athens hosted the tournament which involved seventeen schools, more than 400 participants and 150 judges from participating schools and the greater ACS and Athens community. It was a mammoth undertaking, but one that capitalized on the talents of our students, the willingness of our volunteers, the support of our administration, the innovations of our technology department and the unrivaled excellence of our school facilities.

ACS Students and Coaches outdid themselves and brought honor as well as awards to our school. Kudos to the following team members:

✓ Winner of the Pat Kastritsis Award (to the student who most embodies the spirit of Forensics) - Jackie Cremos ✓ 1st Place in Debate - Nasos Abuel-Basal, Peter Zachares and Jackie Cremos ✓ 1st Place in Duet Acting Dramatic - Chris Kalleris and George Seremetis ✓ Finalist in Group Discussion - Konstantinos Kanellopoulos ✓ One of the top 10 speakers in Debate - Peter Zachares ✓ Honorable Mention in Oral Interpretation of Literature: Comic - Jackie Cremos ✓ Honorable Mention in Impromptu Speaking - Jackie Cremos and Stephanie Gournaris Congratulations to all students who participated in the Forensics Tournament.

It was an amazing weekend. Thank you to the ACS Community: students, teachers, alumni, and parent volunteers who really came together and worked so hard at and for the tournament. Special congratulations and thanks to the more than 70 students who volunteered as Timekeepers and Guides throughout the four days of the tournament. They gave up their time with no expectation of reward, simply a willingness to help their friends and school. We truly couldn't have done it without them!

What’s New in IT?

By Desiree Michael and Mary Manos School-wide: The IT Department now encompasses the Audio/Visual Department as well. Over the last few months, the new team worked diligently to move ACS Athens closer to becoming the premier 21st Century Technology JK-12 school in Greece. According to the team, the school is creating, "the building blocks all the way up to the real world."

Live-streaming: The use of multimedia communication alternatives increased after IT Project Manager, Joe Potak, introduced live streaming abilities to ACS. In February, the Forensics Competition and the ISST Girls’ Basketball Championship showed the interests of local and international viewers for this type of media option. The Forensics competition had more than 2100 viewers. The international collaboration of Newscoop also took advantage of this technology for the April 19th screening of the Israeli-Palestinian Struggle, and it was later used to air Mr. Dave Nelson’s annual living lesson of the Truman Trials. Finally, the Keynote Speaker, Dr. Sandra Peart, of ACS Athens’ 5th Annual Learning Difference Conference took center-stage and made use of this technology as well.

The past streamed content is accessible via the ACS website at http://www.acs.gr/video-gallery/.

Bandwidth: Forthnet provided ACS Athens with a "huge cost savings" by offering

an increase in bandwidth by eight-fold at a discounted rate. Additionally, they equipped the school with Full-Primary Rate Interface (PRI) allowing 30 calls to be made at once.

Workstations: As part of a fix-infrastructure, all campus computers are wired to the 10G Ethernet module and have 1G of connectivity. In layman’s terms, this means that the ACS on-site community will have a faster internet experience.

Wireless Cloud: The entire campus of ACS will soon be under a wireless cloud for mobile-device connectivity. ACS Athens credentials, firewalls and other restrictions will still apply.

Classrooms: The PTO donated over 100 DVDs for use in the classrooms, primarily in the area of science and technology.

Staff Related: Computer Services - Mary Manos, attended the NESA Virtual School Conference in Bangkok, Thailand with a collaboration of 18 participating schools. As a result, the meeting focused almost entirely on the migration process from Blackboard to Moodle. Staff training will take place on course migration and how to maneuver within Moodle. For more information on the NESA Virtual School Project visit: www.nesacenter.org/page.cfm?p=379.

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FOOTNOTES

Cross Country: Something more than Devotion Alexander and Daphne Apostolidis The Setting: "Please take your positions; in about two minutes we will begin the race. Now remember, I want a clean race with no pushing and no drama. As you all saw yesterday, the course is very demanding since the weather conditions the past few days have included a snow storm here in the Alps. The course is even more challenging than usual. Keep a safe distance between yourselves and the runner in front of you. This is a big race, and there are over one hundred participants. Thirty seconds. Twenty seconds. Ten seconds. Runners set!", and with the blink of an eye the 2009 ISST Cross Country race begun. When the gun goes off and the race begins, the whole world disappears, and the only thing we focus on is the race and doing the best we can!

The Race: The 2009 International Schools Students Tournament (ISST) was sponsored by the American International School of Vienna, and welcomed over 350 runners from all over Europe. The tournament was the largest ever sponsored by the ISST organization.

Reflecting on the race day of Friday, November, 13th, certain people and ideals stand out in our minds. Without these elements, our team would have never finished the race. The completion of each kilometer was a way of saying thank you to each of these people and team ideals; they are the symbols of the hard work and the devotion of our ACS Cross Country Team.

Kilometer One: To honor Mr. Nelson before anyone else: This kilometer is what determines the race. Similarly, it was he who pushed us to our limits during the race and throughout each practice. Mr. David Nelson, with his 20 years of experience in Oregon and in Greece, was able to teach us the secrets of the sport.

He motivated us in every possible way, even with his humor. Thank You Mr. Nelson!

Kilometer Two: Ms. McCoy never left our side. To understand the love she has for the team, she ran from the beginning of the race to the end with a camera in her hand, while screaming "Go ACS Athens!", along the way. Her team spirit made us believe in ourselves and helped us to do so well. Thank You Ms. McCoy! Kilometer Three: During a five kilometer race, the third kilometer is considered to be the most difficult to complete because it is the most demanding part of the race. As a result, team spirit was a crucial factor in helping us to run the extremely steep and muddy hills and to attack the fourth kilometer. Each and every member of the squad contributed to the excellent spirit of the team and made us believe that, "Impossible is nothing!"

Kilometer Four: The race in Vienna required that we push ourselves to our limits since we were forced to raise our running pace. In order to keep up with

another 100 runners that were speeding to the finish line, every athlete of ACS Athens worked their hardest to achieve a new best.

None of this would have been possible without the two months of hard work and practice that preceded the race.

Kilometer Five: This is the most important kilometer. We’re almost done, we need to finish. Our legs and our bodies are aching but in the end, all of the pain and practice comes down to one person: the runner. Ultimately, Cross Country is an individual sport that rarely depends on anyone else but the runner. It requires the values of self reliance and individualism – ironically, these values are what the team tries to teach us.

The Finish: Alexander Apostolides and later Daphne Apostolides cross the line 2nd and 5th, a first for ACS Athens. This race was one of the hardest things we have ever done in our lives; but, in the end, it was all worth it. There is no better feeling than knowing that you have just finished a five kilometer race and competed with some of the most talented athletes in Europe. Even though this year’s team was small and relatively inexperienced, with many of the members never having competed in a race before, each and every one of the athletes was devoted to the team and showed great passion throughout the entire season. These athletes set an excellent example for future runners and proved to everyone else that Cross Country is a sport that is extremely challenging and demands both physical and mental skills. Congratulations to Theo Sarafeas, Ryan Sitar, Billy Tsioumas, Kyriakos Petrakos, Robert Drummond, Conner Arman, Andriana Skalkos, and Carli Venter, who competed in Vienna this year.

The season would not have been possible without the hard work of our JV Athletes who look forward to earning the chance to travel in 2010: Eleni Papanikolaou, Nasos Abuel Basal, Alec Newman, Ares Adam, Cole Sitar, Filippos Minaretzis, and George Tzelalis.

Placing 2nd and 5th respectively, the Apostolides siblings returned home from Vienna with the first two medals ever to be won in an ISST Cross Country Tournament in the history of ACS Athens. These two team captains were awarded for their long hours of devotion to the sport and to the team. Both of these athletes, as well as the rest of the team members, were constantly looking up to a legend in the sport of Cross Country, Steve Prefontaine. One of his quotes depicts the idea behind the Cross Country season of 2009: "Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative."

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‘‘Impossible is nothing’’ Adidas

ALUMNIaffairs

ACS Athens Graduate Wins Associated Press Writing Award

Grapevine

Dear Alumni, Welcome to the Alumni Section of the seventh issue of ACS Athens Ethos. To submit your information in the next issue, please email alumni@acs.gr. Visit our website at www.acs.gr, under Alumni, so that you too, can be updated on news and events.

Vermont, USA. - The New England Associated Press News Executives Association recently announced its 2009-2010 news writing awards. Among those honored was Telly Halkias, a writer and editor from Bennington, Vermont. Halkias also teaches college English and humanities courses, and is a 1978 graduate of the American Community Schools of Athens, Greece.

Contestants were nominated by their editors. Halkias, whose work has appeared regionally in New England Newspapers, Hersam-Acorn Newspapers, Elk Publishing, and nationally in Gannett Newspapers, took home an award for his weekly op-ed column "From The Stacks," which appears in the Bennington (Vermont, USA) Banner, and the Berkshires (Massachusetts, USA) Advocate Weekly.

This was Halkias’ first nomination to the AP competition. "From The Stacks" had previously been nominated twice for New England Press Association writing honors.

Awards were presented at the association’s annual conference in Warwick, Rhode Island. Halkias is a member of the League of Vermont Writers and the National Association of Newspaper Columnists.

Marianna Savvas (‘98) Alumni Affairs

Since the first school publication of the "ACS Athens Ethos" magazine, many of our ACS Athens alumni and former teachers have shown a great interest in sharing their success stories with the ACS Athens community on their professional accomplishments.

The following news comes from ACS Athens alumnus, Mr. Telly Halkias (’78) and former faculty member Dr. Marina McCarthy (1976-1978).

Once again, ACS Athens has much to be proud of!!!

March 15, 2010 Press contact: Sylvia Thompson, e-mail: sthompson@fairpoint.net

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ALUMNIaffairs

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts Marianna Savvas Alumni Affairs On April 6, 2010, US President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint certain individuals to key administration posts. Amongst the twelve (12) individuals is former ACS Athens faculty member (1976-1978), Dr. Marina McCarthy who has been appointed as Chair, Commission on Presidential Scholars.

public and independent schools in the U.S. and Europe, and has served on a number of educational boards and committees including the MATCH Charter school in Boston. She holds an Ed.D. in Administration, Planning and Social Policy from Harvard.

Dr. McCarthy has over three decades of research, teaching, administrative, and consulting experience in education. She has also taught in education at Harvard and Brown Universities and at Boston College. In addition, Dr. McCarthy has supervised student teachers in the Brown University teacher training program and has been a case writer for a University-wide faculty development program run by the Harvard Business School. She has served as an Allston Burr Senior Tutor (resident academic dean) at Harvard College and as a Study Group Leader on educational policy and politics at Harvard’s Institute of Politics and also taught in

All twelve individuals will join the National Teacher of the Year, Anthony Mullen, as members on the Commission.

President Obama said, "The Commission on Presidential Scholars is charged with recognizing the future leaders of our country and honoring them for their outstanding achievements. I am grateful that these impressive men and woman have agreed to serve on this commission and help a new generation realize their potential and pursue their dreams."

Alumni Stateside News ACS ATHENS ALL CLASSES / ALL SCHOOL STATESIDE REUNION SEPTEMBER 16-19, 2010 AT THE LOEWS HOTEL IN PHILADELPHIA REDISCOVER YOUR PAST_AND MAKE SOME NEW FRIENDS TOO More than 300 alumni have shown an enthusiastic interest and nearly 100 have already registered for this event. By the time you read this they’ll be lots more. The Hotel has only 30 more rooms left in the Block.

Philadelphia has so much to offer. Famous as the birthplace of "life, liberty, and its pursuit of happiness," Philadelphia offers more than cobblestoned streets and historic landmarks. You can stroll America’s most historic square mile and see Independence National Historic Park with more than 20 landmarks open to the public including our Liberty Bell. Soak up the Arts on the Avenue of the Arts A/K/A Broad Street… and ladies….shopping with no tax on clothing or shoes.

Philly is located from the northeast, just 1 hour and 20 minutes from New York City, 1 hour and 45 minutes from Washington D.C. via Amtrack’s Acela express line. Twenty Nine (29) airlines serve Philly (PHL) with more than 1400 daily flights including 120 international flights. By car it’s simple too; I-95, I-76 and the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Turnpikes provide access from all points on the compass.

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Ann Lappas-Stiles (‘66) ACS Athens Stateside Representative Reunion Coordinator Our reunion Hotel, The Loews, is in the heart of the city and is waiting for ACS to arrive. With your $250 per person reunion fee/ $450 per couple reunion fee, you’ll enjoy 3 great dinners, treats in the hospitality suite, lots of camaraderie and so much more. Can’t tell you everything, you have to come and find out. In addition to the reunion fee, each room is $119 per night (plus tax of course). Share the room and save some money.

C’mon, register today-----tell your friends and family. You’ll have a great time and a wonderful vacation too!

Please contact the ACS Athens Stateside reunion coordinator (see info below) for complete details or visit the ACS Athens website www.acs.gr under Alumni, Alumni Stateside News.

Don’t miss this one!!!

Ann Lappas-Stiles 4430 NW 19th Way Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 stiles@bellsouth.net (ph.) 954-491-2352

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Holistic means understanding and successfully combining academic, emotional, physical, intellectual and ethical components to ensure a healthy, balanced individual

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