ETHOS Winter 2015 - Vol.10, Issue 1 by ACS Athens

ACS Athens

Ethos Winter 2015, Vol.10, Issue 1

...shaping the minds of young people with Ethos to make the world a better place

ETHOS WINTER 2015

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. Reception Desk: Ext. 206, 233 Office of the President: Ext. 201 Office of Enrollment Management, Communications & Technology: Ext. 263 Admissions Office: Ext. 263, 251 Finance: Ext.202, 207 Office of Alumni Affairs/ Procurement: Ext. 207 Human Resources Office: Ext. 204 Cashier: Ext. 208 Bookstore: Ext. 214 Transportation Office: Ext. 239 Health Office: Ext. 217 Cafeteria: Ext. 236 Academy Office: Ext. 222 Academy Discipline: Ext. 404 Middle School Office: Ext. 261 Middle School Discipline: Ext. 267 Elementary School Office: Ext. 229 Office of Student Services: Ext. 226 IB/AP Programs: Ext. 247, 248 Academy/MS Library: Ext. 219, 220 ES Library: Ext. 293 Athletic Office: Ext. 327, 401 Institute for Innovation and Creativity: Ext. 402 Stavros Niarchos Learning Ctr: Ext. 237, 265 Theater Office: Ext. 331, 302 Security: Ext. 240 Night Entrance Security: 210 6393555

Ethos is a bi-annual publication of ACS Athens showcasing the life and activity of the Institution. Publisher: ACS Athens Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director: Leda Tsoukia Co-Editors: Peggy Pelonis John Papadakis Production team: Frances Tottas Marianna Savvas Copy editing: Leo Alexandropoulos Contributors: ACS Athens Faculty Staff, Students, Parents and Alumni Layout design: Leda Tsoukia CopyrightÂŠ2015. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine (text or images) may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher

ACS Athens (American Community Schools) 129 Ag.Paraskevis Street, GR 15234 Halandri Athens, Greece E: acs@acs.gr

W: acsathens.gr

T: +30 210 6393200-3, +30 210 6016152

F: +30 210 6390051

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From the editor: From Success to Significance by Leda Tsoukia

Q&A with the President, Dr. Stefanos Gialamas by Leda Tsoukia

Your children are our children too

by Evelyn Pittas 13

School Leadership through personal connections by Julie Crain

Visiting ACS Athens by Niki Michalopoulou

Stepping Stones to Significance. Design Time in the ACS Athens Elementary School by Ginger Carlson 18 What are we doing today? by Sana Kassem 21 From Research to Reenactment... or 55 Kids in Sheets! by Penny Kynigou 23 A Teacher’s influence” by Stavroula Salouros 25 Collecting Stories and Experiences: Middle School United Nations by Christina Bakoyannis & Hrisi Sandravelis 28 My trip to Lesvos, November 26-29, 2015 by Lyndi Henderson 35 Waiting for Greece. Can the past save the future? by Amalia Melis 36 The i2Flex Methodology and Significant Learning in Mathematics byDora Andrikopoulos 39 Creating New Knowledge from the i2Flex Classroom by Dr. M. Avgerinou and Dr. S. Gialamas

World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) 2015 by Dr. M. Avgerinou and Dr. S. Gialamas

eduTECH 53 When passion makes for an extraordinary experience by Melina Vassiliadis 57 Interpretations of SUCCESS in sports by Annie Constantinides 61

A small gesture can be of SIGNIFICANT value to some… by Annie Constantinides 66 Kevin Ruth, Executive Director of ECIS, discusses the role of the organization in international education by Peggy Pelonis 68

Council of International schools conference (CIS) by Mandy Dragatakis & Anna Makris 70 Collaborative Learning Communities (CLCs) by Dave Nelson and Penny Kynigou 72 Interview with Dr. John Vassiliou, St. Thomas University by Leda Tsoukia 74

IB Retreat

78 Celebrating the Graduating Class of 2015! by Evelyn PIttas and Frances Tottas 84 Vision in reading and learning by Gianna Valacha 86 ACS alumni find success & significance in youth leadership development of local youth by Ellen Froustis 88 Professional Alumna of the Month November 2015: Coral Davenport 91 Summer 2015 special Projects by Stavros Tzanetakos 93 by Julia Tokatlidou and IB students

CONT ENTS

Letter from the editor From Success to Significance by Leda Tsoukia, Editor in Chief, ACS Athens Creative Director

t seems strange but sometimes we use words without remembering their true meaning. Having heard the vision presentation for our school in September, I could not help but go back to the dictionary to find the original meaning of the two words that were prominently featured on the three Back to School evenings:

and knowing that there is a deeper meaning in your choices and actions.

Success and Significance Where do these two words find a common ground and where do they diverge?

A significant educator shapes the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; personalities, influences their choices, dreams with them, touches their hearts! The educatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy is so much more than providing knowledge as an ultimate goal. It is using knowledge as a tool to prepare citizens to become leaders who will, in turn, work for the common good and who may ultimately help more to become leaders.

Definitions: Success is accomplishing a desired aim or result. It is also having achieved fame, wealth, or social status. Significance, is having or likely to have a major effect; important: it is having meaning, influence or importance. Beyond obvious similarities, I think, the distinction lies in one small detail when reading the two definitions: in the effort of the betterment of self (success) as opposed to the betterment of society or even humanity (significance). Significance is broader. It encompasses the universe. It implies empathy, compassion and a bigger heart! Significance is not only becoming a better person but influencing, engaging and touching the hearts of others. It is to become a true leader, to make this world a better place, and in doing so, to be able to live fully,

A successful educator keeps students interested. The successful educator works hard to teach the students, transmits knowledge and creates critical thinkers. That is truly a success!

What is our legacy as educators? How would we like to be remembered by our students and the community? I hope, that you will find all the activities, happenings and manifestations of our Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s philosophy very interesting. Enjoy the journey!

Q&A with the President

17 What are we doing today? The new Elementary Science Lab

24 Middle School United Nations Day

44 World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) 2015

57 Athletics

74 IB Retreat

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Success & Significance Q&A with the President, Dr. S. Gialamas by Leda Tsoukia, Editor in Chief, ACS Athens Creative Director

: What is «Success» compared to «Significance»? How does this apply to an Educational Institution?

The dictionary defines Success as accomplishing an aim or purpose. Significance, on the other hand, is defined as something being important or worthy of attention; something noteworthy. A Successful Academic Institution is accomplishing its mission, vision, beliefs and goals with great success. Therefore it is closely related to the commitments that the institution itself has set as goals. Different academic institutions manifest their success in varied ways. For example, if the mission of an academic institution is to “offer a career oriented education” to its students, then one measure of success could be the percentage of job placements for its graduates within 6 months of their graduation. However, a Significant Academic Institution fulfills two conditions: ◉◉ Sustaining Excellence, in the process of fulfilling its mission, vision, commitments and goals for all stakeholders; students, faculty, staff, administration, board members, parents, and alumni ◉◉ Continuously serves humanity (the community the institution belongs to as well as the region, the nation, and the world). In other words, the institution is engaged in transforming the com-

munity, for the benefit of all people, especially for the less fortunate or less privileged. These institutions are driven by the belief that “the world is changed by our example and not only by our opinion”. Q: Does the responsibility of Education evolve over time? According to Jenkins (in Hayden and Thompson, 1998, p93): “... teaching students about the realities of the future seems to be a responsibility we have no right to shirk if our education is to mean anything. Teaching about these realities without exploring solutions and the action students, as future citizens, can take would seem a barren response to a very real future shock. Therefore academic institutions now more than ever play a leading role in preparing young people to cope with and to be productive members of an increasingly global society. The opportunities and the learning outcomes for students attending schools are directly related to the educational experience they receive (Gialamas S. & Pelonis P. 2008). So what should education address today that is different from the past? Education should be about molding human beings capable of responding to the fast and multiple changes in today’s society rather than being usurped by these changes and becoming devoid of emotions, incapable of forming community bonds, their only purpose that of becoming organizational drones trained for specific jobs (Gialamas. S, Pelonis, P. 2008). Furthermore, as Gellar (in Hayden, Thompson and Walker 2006, p31) rightly indicates, we live in a small and fragile world, the citizens of which are increasingly dependent on one another. Thus knowledge of subjects is not enough. Q: Why is knowledge of subjects not enough today? What more should the schools provide to the students? Schools have a responsibility to adhere and promote universal values. This is precisely what distinguishes internationally-minded schools from others; as well as providing a curriculum that teaches world history, literature and looks at the interdependence of cultures and nations, international mindedness also aims at upholding certain ‘universal’ values and transferring them to the children it houses. Thus the responsibility of educating becomes an ethical one as well. According to Hayden and Thompson (in Hayden,

Shaping the minds of young people with Ethos In a Holistic, Meaningful & Harmonious way, to make the world a peaceful and better place to live in Thompson and Walker 2006, p40) many have aimed at defining international institutions without consensus. Hayden and Thompson suggest that we think along the lines of ‘international mindedness’ which, according to the UNESCO declaration (Hill in Hayden, Thompson & Walker 2006, p21), considers certain universal values, among them ‘freedom, intercultural understanding and non-violent conflict resolution’. In this sense one could argue that internationally -minded schools provide optimal and well-rounded educational experiences by using a curriculum free of local and national bias, faculty from all over the world, innovative teaching and learning enhanced by technology, and guided by universal principles and values. One might then conclude that what Haywood (in Hayden , Thompson and Walker 2006, p171) refers to as the visionary ideal of international schools ‘offers students an experience that will help promote a world view based on cross-cultural understanding, leading toward a holistic view of world affairs and ultimately towards more peaceful collaboration between people and nations’. It is then to the benefit of the world to provide such exceptional opportunities and experiences to students from the local or national community hosting the international school. In particular, making such opportunities available to exceptional local students (who one day may become local or national leaders in a position to influence) is a goal to strive for, both for society as well as the global community.

Internationally educated kids are privileged materially, socially and educationally due to the opportunities available to them and ‘the first-hand experiences of history, geography, religions, languages and cultures that other children might learn about only through books or the internet’ (Hayden, 2006, p52). The great educational institutions of the future will not be the same as defined today. There will be the ones, which will be effective in the midst of all drastic changes in society. There will be a new type of “knowledge”, wisdom: The ability to utilize knowledge with the goal to discover creative solutions to societal challenges. I strongly believe that all Academic Institutions of the future will have to establish and support an institutional culture fostering innovation, respect for all individual differences and commitment to universal principal and values. Faculty Leader in Educational institutions of the future A Faculty Leader acts always on behalf of its students, builds trust, provides them with the most fulfilling, and challenging Holistic Meaningful and Harmonious educational experience. All of his/her decisions are guided by the underlined principle of Innovation together with continuous learning that enhances the educational experience of

every student. Q: How can an institution become significant by influencing all members of its community: faculty, staff and students? An Institution can become significant for all its members through its commitment to: ◉◉ Serving Humanity ◉◉ Developing Social Interest: According to Adler, social Interest is an aptitude, which deems one responsive to social situations (Adler, 1981). Social Interest may include interest beyond people (animals, environment, the entire universe). Social Interest is an extension of one’s self into the community. ◉◉ Social Engagement: The ability to put interest into practice. Becoming aware of a social condition is the first step; developing an interest towards improving the social condition is the second; finding ways to engage in bettering the condition is a step further towards taking responsibility for part of the solution. ◉◉ Social Commitment: The betterment of a situation or the improvement of a person’s life becomes a way of life for students as they develop a positive mindset towards improving as many aspects of society as possible Q: Has ACS Athens provided educational programs to its students, in the past, to raise awareness for problems of less fortunate members of our community? What were the ultimate goals? ACS Athens has provided a number of different programs over the years, to name a few: ◉◉ The Wellness program, which takes place

yearly in the school. Wellness Month at ACS Athens, adhering to the philosophy of providing a holistic education for students, aims at helping our school community make wellness a way of life every day. We welcome speakers who offer workshops, information and coping tools on such topics as stress management, substance abuse, oral hygiene, human trafficking, sex education, internet safety, anti-bullying and more. The month culminates in a “Celebrating Wellness” event involving everyone on campus. ◉◉ The Village Project, began in 2007. 53 ACS Athens students arrived in Zacharo,a village in Peloponnese that had just experienced the 4th largest fire in the world to offer their help. Some ACS students taught the Lepreo kids how to test the safety of their drinking water; others visited a woman whose house burned down and donated more than 200 olive trees to be replanted. The biggest contribution however was the commitment to see the school improve its facilities so that they could establish a technology center where the local children and residents could learn computer skills. Since that very first journey, ACS students visit nearly twice a year and have engaged in a number of projects with the local youth to raise awareness for the prevention of fires and preservation of the forests. ◉◉ The yearly visit to the Retirement home in Pyrgos: some students spend time with the senior citizens while the rest help them by buying groceries to add to the stock of food collected from our school wide food drive. ◉◉ The IB Retreat to the Therapeutirion Lehainwn; where the physically and mentally “challenged” challenge our ability to accept the different and tap into our willingness to help those in need. The IB Diploma Course students visit this institution every year; they help

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Current page from left to right: Wellness month celebration, 2014 The Song and Dance Show, 2015

the patients, in a number of different ways, by painting the walls of the institution, bringing them gifts, and spending time with them. ◉◉ The Song and Dance Show, which takes place every spring, All members of our school work together for this Show; students, Faculty, Staff. Instead of money entrance is bought with a bag of groceries. All bags are collected and distributed to the Discounted Social Grocery stores of Aghia Paraskevi. Q: Becoming a significant international educational institution: Does an international institution have a larger moral responsibility to help its members as well as the members of the local/global community? Why? We are certain that internationally-minded schools offer such educational experiences, and thus we challenge ourselves by questioning whether local exceptional students, who cannot afford to pay tuition, should be able to receive scholarships or/and financial aid? Should international schools offer opportunities to students who are financially disadvantaged? Mary Hayden (2006, pp39-40) further contends that international school students vary culturally, linguistically, in educational backgrounds and in reasons for attending international schools. Commonly however, students attend international schools because parents find it a valuable investment for the future. Yet Hayden quotes Lowe (2006, p40) who indicates that schools offering international qualifications are increasing as ‘a response by local elites to a stiffening of the local positional competition on the one hand and a globalization of that competition on the other ... those who can afford to seek a new competitive edge by taking qualifications that they hope will give them a local advantage. At the same time ... will give access to a labor market that is becoming increasingly globalized.’

Back to our original compounded question(s): is the accumulation of knowledge so expensive that it is available only to the privileged few of society? Does this selection of the few consider and optimally use society’s available brain power? If internationally minded education provides such advantages, should the ethical responsibility of a school and (perhaps) a country be to make it available to those who cannot afford it as well? We believe such provision should become another ethical responsibility in internationally-minded schools. This then leads to the question of how such initiatives can be financed. Fundraising, collaboration with businesses and other organizations, developing programs to generate revenue and profit, keeping tuition affordable, soliciting resources from government agencies and investing in business endeavors are some ways to achieve this initiative successfully. The skill and responsibility of school leadership should be geared to identifying ways to educate initially at least a handful of under-privileged local children. This type of leader, according to Hayden (2006, pp94-99), is unique in being adaptable, flexible in thought and open to different ways of working. These qualities allow leaders to respond effectively to the numerous demands they face. Depending on the responsibilities, a leader is both a manager and an administrator; one who is willing and able to work well with the local community and authorities as well as with the global community, promoting the international-minded values in any and all situations. Q: How can the educational experience have a bigger impact on our students, when they try to «grasp» the realities of today’s world, even if these realities do not directly affect them? First of all, the curriculum has to be different. All teaching methodologies should be redefined. A culture of freedom of expression should be established while respecting the community. Therefore, there has

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to be a balance between personal freedom and the respect of commonly accepted community principles and values. ◉◉ The Combo Class in ACS Athens High school is a good example of such a different methodology applied in our curriculum. 10th Grade Combo Class is an integrated American Studies course, which combines American Literature and American History and Government. Students engage in a variety of thematically based units that connect them to their learning. In history class, the students explore the concepts of absolute freedom, constitutional law, historical precedents, and the inner workings of the three branches of the U.S. government. In American Literature, students utilize methods of persuasion, use of figurative language, and application of structure Other examples include activities that took place in the past, opportunities to engage students, faculty, and staff in an authentic and meaningful way: ◉◉ The Tyros Water Project In 2006, 9th grade students were engaged on a semester long Project including a fieldtrip to clean a beach in Tyros, Kynourias on “World Environmental Day”. The Project was aimed to enhance content specific and related learning,helping students develop a higher level of self –esteem, self worth and efficacy while: ◉◉ building integrity and ethos ◉◉ teaching modesty and humility ◉◉ nurturing empathy and acceptance for others ◉◉ fostering a deep sense of civic responsibility for the well being of their community ◉◉ The Israeli-Palestinian Project In 2010, ACS Athens Students traveled to Israel and Palestine in order to create a mini documentary on the Israeli-Palestinian struggle, in cooperation with Newscoop, a media organization based in the US Q: How can we raise awareness and empower our students to understand today’s global problems (poverty, famine, population displacement etc.) but also to equip them with the tools to find solutions to these problems? Could you give us examples? Are there any programs in the School capable of influencing the global community? There is a new program in ACS Athens, a sustainable program for refugee children in Greece, which will take place this year. It is called: “Make a Child Smile, Keep the Hope Alive” It is a joint program of ACS Athens, AHEPA, and the

Regional Authority of Attiki. 72 Children, 60 children (ages or 9-12) and 12 older children (ages 14-17) will be engaged in creative activities learning by playing, athletics (Soccer, tennis, climbing, etc.) art (drawing, painting, 3 dimension creations). They will learn Fundamental English or Greek and they will meet similar age students from ACS Athens. It has to do with a global issue helping children and young refugees from several countries other than Greece. It involves all members of the institution (students, faculty, staff, administration, parents, alumni, and friends of ACS Athens). The program is addressing a holistic challenge for these young people with the goal to re-integrate them in society from the isolation of the refugee camps. Resources will include: ◉◉ Volunteers to run the program (students, faculty, staff, a nurse, the first day doctors) ACS Athens ◉◉ Volunteers to identify the children for the program and make appropriate arrangements with authorities to transport them and accompany them to ACS from a refuge camp (AHEPA and Regional Authorities) ◉◉ Shirts, Bottles and bags (ACS Athens) ◉◉ Funding and Arrangement for Busses (Regional

Current page, top: The Tyros water project, 2006 Opposite page: The Combo Class, 10th graders in action!

Current page, bottom: The Israeli - Palestinian Project, 2010

◉◉ Food – Lunches (all partners) ◉◉ Educational Materials (ACS Athens) Q: What is the ultimate goal? Who do you think will benefit more, by participating in programs like «Make a child smile, keep the hope alive»? All parties will benefit. At the end, World Peace will be benefited. Uneducated children or children without «morfosis» are easily manipulated by any type of bias (religion, race, nationality, and gender). They, therefore, become peons and tools of dangerous movements with violence and conflict as a result. Offering students and, in particular, less fortunate students, a high quality international minded educational experience, as well as, the opportunity to develop the foundations and become tomorrow ‘s leaders with ethos and responsibility will create greater foundations for the future. It will produce leaders who can give back to society by becoming the catalysts for making innovative educational experiences available to more and more students, free of national biases, religion fanaticism and race discrimination. Q: What happens next? What is the aftermath for both our students and all other children who will participate in the program: «Make a child smile, keep the hope alive»?

MAKE A

What is the next step? Do you think that this program could become life changing? How? I hope we can motivate other educational institutions, or organizations, or governments to consider the program for adoption, taking into consideration their special conditions. Programs like this can prevent isolation and become the vehicle for re-integrating children and youth into society. The accomplishment of the goal of the program would like to see inspiring decision makers to view morfosis not as an employment tool but the foundation for world peace and prosperity. ■■

For a full text of the article quoted above please check the following reference: Gialamas , S. and Pelonis, P. “Providing Exceptional Educational Experiences to Students with Financial Need: A modern challenge for International K-12 Schools”. International Schools Journal. Volume XXXlll, No. 1, November 2013 https://practicalthinkingclassrooms.wikispaces.com/file/ view/International+Schools+Journal.pdf

CHILD

ALIVE

Authorities and/ or AHEPA)

SMILE KEEP THE HOPE

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regular answer seems to be “anyone except me!” The current huge increase in litigation has been one of the outcomes of this attitude. Perhaps one of the best services we can perform for our children is to not allow them to become “victims”. We need to teach them that they can bounce back from adversity, and persist in the face of setbacks. We must take the time to talk about frustration and failure, to help them learn from their mistakes, and to encourage them to try, try and try again.

Your Children Are Our Children Too! by Evelyn Pittas, Academy IB Faculty- English Language and Literature Division

he hope of every parent is to have and raise children who are responsible, concerned members of society. At ACS Athens we want them to do well, enjoy learning, experience success and be happy. However, as much as we would like to believe that we are the most important element in a child’s learning, the fact of the matter is that parents account for over 50% of a child’s learning. What do children need, to ensure that they become productive adults and what can parents do to assist? I believe that children need at least these things: ◉◉ ◉◉ ◉◉ ◉◉

appreciation of the value of learning; resilience; discipline; and love and security

Children need to know that learning is important and valued, not just so they can get a job, but for its own sake. Parents actively demonstrating that they value learning by reading, going to the library, discussing current issues, sharing opinions and facilitating involvement in creative projects, set an extremely powerful example for young people. Children need to learn resilience. This means that they must learn to take responsibility for their own actions and to understand that they can recover and learn from setbacks and mistakes. If there is one area where we may be failing young people, it is that we do not teach them how to fail. A regular catch cry of the 21st century is “who is to blame” and the just as

Children need discipline. I am not talking about the authoritarian discipline of earlier centuries which, thankfully, is a thing of the past, but about the need for young people to learn that they cannot always have what they want. Children need to know exactly what is expected of them and limits need to be set. They also need to know that if they over-reach that limit there will be inevitable consequences. The importance here is not in the severity of the consequence but in its inevitability. All parents have had the “water dripping on stone” experience – where constant nagging, whining and persistence results in giving in to a child’s demand. Research shows that every time a parent or teacher gives in, the resisting of the next demand becomes more difficult. We owe it to our children to sometimes say, “no” and mean it! Finally, perhaps the most important thing children need is love and security. Children need to know that they are liked and that their good qualities are admired; they need to be listened to and respected. One of the most powerful rewards for children is the love, interest and attention they receive from their parents. This gives them security, self-esteem and seems to enclose them in a cloak of invulnerability against the difficulties of life. Children who receive unconditional love for the people they are, although they can certainly still be chastised for their actions, stand out in a class or a crowd. One of the best things we can say to our children is, “I am really unhappy or cross or disappointed in what you have done, but even when you do the wrong thing I will never stop loving you, the person.” Our children are the most precious gifts in our lives. They are the joy of the present and our hope for the future. Teach them to learn, give them resilience, help them grow with discipline – and love them with all your heart! ■■

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I have always been what you would call a “hands-on leader”. By that, I mean one who is heavily involved with teachers and students in their school environs – the hallways, the classrooms, the cafeteria, the professional development session, the athletic event and the club activity. That’s where leadership happens; the rest is management that happens in the office. Working with my colleagues and students 10 hours a day is second-nature to me and an inherent, principal’s job expectation. New interactions and opportunities for modeling, learning and relationship-building make up the backbone of this position. Thus, additional classroom teaching and club sponsorship only enhances that relationship-building with students at a more in-depth and personal level. For example, in classes and activities I am now personally helping Panos with time management and writing skills; modeling and advising Billy as a student leader; advising Zeena about the meeting’s min-

School Leadership through Personal Connections by Julie Crain, Academy Principal

very year that I have been a principal I have sought out specific one-time opportunities to “take the chalk” in various classrooms. Being a former English teacher, I guest-taught during the Odyssey unit. After all, I had visited Ithaca so that seemed like a fun connection. As an experienced cook of Greek and Italian food, demonstrating baklava construction was a delicious lesson in foods class. In addition, my travel experiences in Greece, China and Argentina prompted me to share with students in geography and world history classes, when the curriculum allowed for such. As crises sometimes force changes, my assignment this year, as well as other administrators’, has included regular classroom teaching. What first appeared to me as a dissenting role, has turned out to be one of the best parts of my day where I teach and learn, simultaneously collecting an additional barometer on my role of being a principal. Nevertheless, how does that classroom teaching add significant value for my students, my teachers, for me? That value comes through unique, personal connections and student growth. Students seem to learn best from teachers who make a connection with them, and in my experience, the same is true of a school leader. There is a transformative power to an effective principal – one who approaches student and teacher progress with passion and genuine care. Effective school leadership is often less about giving orders than about leading through social persuasion, personal connections, and shared leadership (Goodwin, 2013)

utes and shoe choice; and acquiescing to Paris in his request to listen to the YouTube song he learned the in the previous lesson of his Spanish class. I am doing this while smiling all the way because I am really gauging student learning through these interactions. Also, we can’t forget how rapidly learning and teaching change. I can’t guide teachers in a significant way unless I stay abreast of curricular enhancements, pedagogical break through, and technology use to enhance learning, unless I have recent, relevant experience ‘in the trenches’ with practice. Experiences with my teacher mentors - Amber, Amalia and Julia - have smoothed the way for the new learning I obtained for the mechanics of my classes, in addition to the pedagogical aspects. In the end, it’s the students who matter and even though they may remember a lot of the content we teach them in high school, I believe they truly remember the lessons we teach them through the connections we make in our various roles. One of my former students did not remember my name and I was referred to as ‘that lady in the hallway who is always smiling.’ That’s only one part, but I’ll take it! References Goodwin, B. (2013). A principal’s success requires people skills. Educational Leadership, 70 (7), 79-80.

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Previous page: Outsis-Dimitriades Paris with Principal Crain

Current page: Yasmina Burgan with Principal Crain Dr. Crain’s class

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Current page: Niki Michalopoulou

as if they were the same person. It sounds fair when you hear it but when you get to see it in practice it is all wrong.

Visiting ACS Athens by Niki Michalopoulou*, 13 years old, visiting student from Thessaloniki

had the chance to visit ACS Athens for two exciting days and I was left quite pleased (to put it mildly I was much more than just pleased)!

I almost had a multicultural shock after walking in one of the classes and seeing students from all around the world, all coming from completely different backgrounds (different language, different customs, different perceptions) but yet all of them in the exact same page, having adjusted the more loose positive learning environment without the famous HELP-GETME-OUT-OF-HERE look on their faces. The school facilities were much more attentive than they are in my school and although I was later informed that the school buildings were kind of old, they were so clean and well preserved that they looked (to me at least) as if they had just been built. Of course the buildings were the last thing I noticed during the two days that I was visiting ACS Athens. The positive energy of most of the teachers I met was what caught my attention in the first place. In my school - and probably in all the other schools in Greece that follow the Greek educational system – all the teachers (including the principal) see all students as if they were one. Their logic is that all the students should be treated equally (and I agree with that in some points) but they also believe that there is no other way to accomplish that than to treat all of their students in the same way

When 20,30,50 students are treated as one, the problems are more than just one : whenever one of the students does something against the school rules then the whole class has to be punished. When you have a student who always gets straight A and a “slower” student that possesses some kind of learning disability, in order to complete the learning material of the school year, the teachers are forced to leave the “slower” students behind, in their rush to complete the loaded, pressing learning material. And so the “slower” students are left unfulfilled. In the end of the course only the “fast” ones are able to succeed while the “slow”ones give the image of bad, lazy students. I was asked to compare the American and the Greek educational systems. After I experienced the American learning approach, although I have always been attending Greek schools all my life as a student I have to say : ”The American educational system encourages all students without exception. And that is a real equal treatment”. For instance when a student wants to expand to a different area of a subject in order to fully understand its content, he/she is able to see it from his/her own perspective, without the teachers discriminating. “One of the many reasons I liked ACS Athens was the friendly environment and of course all the welcoming students I met during my visit who were tolerant enough to endure my endless questions, my childish enthusiasm and overlook / ignore my shy nature. The teachers were all very kind to me and managed to make me feel part of their classes even though I was just a visitor.” ■■ *Niki is a 13 year old student who lives in Thessaloniki. She adores reading and writing. Her dream is to study in the USA and become a screenwriter and a film director. She has a twin sister Stavroula, a younger sister Maro.

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Elementary adventures Stepping Stones to Significance • Design Time in the ACS Athens Elementary School by Ginger Carlson, Elementary School Assistant Principal

ave you heard the buzz from across the campus? Ideas are brimming, the seeds of inspiration are being planted, and passions are bubbling up from deep within. It’s the sound of the beginning of “Design Time” in the Elementary School. Design Time, as we have coined it, is our ACS Athens Elementary School name for the dedicated time within the schedule when students can explore their passions, work together, make proposals for topics they want to learn about, ask questions about topics that may lie outside the regular curriculum, build their own meaning guided by thoughtful educators, engage in research, communicate in new ways, and when we can all truly become “architects of our own learning”. The idea for Design Time came from what the research is telling us about what in childhood and education leads to adults who are the great innovators of our time, making significant impact on our shared world. That “what” leads to people who blossom into adults

Current page: Creating prototypes is an important step in Design Thinking

Opposite page: Research is a large part of any Design Time Project Fourth graders Making Floor Plans

who engage in their work deeply and meaningfully, with a passion for living and living with purpose; they are the people who had educational opportunities as children to be playful and creative, and were encouraged to ask questions and think in new ways. This nurturing of creativity is a means to extend problem solving, critical thinking, positive change, and significance, well past childhood. Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, one of the foremost creativity researchers, says, it “…affects the way one experiences life, with originality, openness, and freshness.” He speaks of one type of creativity with a lowercase “c” and another type with a capital “C.” He states creativity (with a lowercase c) “makes life enjoyable,” while Creativity (with a capital C) “changes culture.” So here we are with it… If life and learning are enjoyable and engaged with our own passions and interests, then it can have a significant impact on culture. Perhaps “creativity” has the great potential to grow up into “Creativity.” This process of growth is what we, at the elementary school level, can help our children tap into, and continue to grasp throughout life. It is the key to what will make the children’s lives truly significant. This initiative is still in its infancy, but already has a lot of enthusiasm growing among both children and adults. As our faculty has set out to “design” our Design Time, we have entered the process very deliberately, carefully imagining and articulating our desired outcomes, what we will see the children doing, what

the role of the teacher will be, how we might engage our whole community in the process, and the steps that will lead us to achieve our ultimate goal. At times, we recognize that students will struggle with what to pursue, and that is part of the process. What shall I pursue in life? What else is out there? How do I discover what I am passionate about? What are the real problems to be solved? And how might I be a part of the solution? These are all important and valuable age-old questions, and ones we are encouraging our students to ask. It’s in the digging deep, the asking of themselves “the more beautiful question” that our students will discover “the more beautiful answer”. The goal is that they will leave their early schooling experience with the skills and desire to make meaningful impact on our shared world. And that’s what we call Significance. ■■

Current page: First Graders Exploring Early Entrepreneurship... setting up an Art Shop and Taking Orders

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his year I was assigned the very challenging task of preparing our Elementary School children to have the knowledge and skills needed to become future scientists. I have good experience in preparing students to take on the IB/SAT/AP exams at the end of the year but to prepare Kindergarten students to be future scientists was an overwhelming and a heavy burden. I was very anxious all over the summer in anticipation of this new teaching assignment. Our elementary students made my job much easier than I thought. Children are natural scientists; they are curious, inquirers, observers, enthusiastic, and above all, thrilled about science and science activities. It took lots of research in science education to finally come to the conclusion that “learning science is doing science”. However, children know this fact as a natural matter of fact. They all come to the science room with one question “Miss Sana, what are we doing today?”

What are we Doing Today? by Sana Kassem, Academy and Elementary School Science Faculty

We measure relationships between height and length of footprints. We examine, under the microscope, our own hair, fibers, and fingerprints. We test the acidity of the rain, the food and other household items. We compare ink compositions by paper chromatography and apply it on DNA profiling. We construct wind mills, sail boats and design safety alarms. We check properties of matter, its density, its magnetism and its electrical conductivity. We apply the scientific method from the moment we step into the science lab. In

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addition, we are taught how to conduct experiments safely and the importance of putting on safety goggles, lab coats (and Miss Sana has to roll and roll the sleeves so that they fit our small arms), follow safety procedures, carry out the experiment, record our results, draw a conclusion and leave the science lab with a beautiful sticker on our hands, fronts or shirt. My teaching schedule this year is loaded. It requires lots of preparation, planning and organizing but when my day ends with a hug and comments from the little ones such as: “this was the best day of my life” or “science is my best subject” I know that it is well worth the effort. The effort in not only preparing the best future scientists but also the best citizens that will hopefully save our Earth from this insanity and madness.

From Research to Reenactment... or 55 Kids in Sheets! by Penny Kynigou, Elementary School Faculty

icture walking into an open space filled with decorated stalls and children clad in ancient costume. Visitors wander from exhibit to exhibit as multiple performances happen in parallel. Presenters perform dramatic scenes as if they were characters from ancient times, sharing moments from their daily lives. As soon as a few visitors gather at a stall the scene begins to unfold. Re-enacting history brings history alive for students and visitors, and is an unforgettable experience! Creating a living museum is an exciting challenge for both students and teachers alike. While it has all the excitement of a play production, it offers students age-appropriate ownership of scriptwriting and direction. It puts students at the heart of the creative process and shifts the teacher’s role from that of director to facilitator. Student research is the starting point. With the key

Opposite and Previous pages: Elementary School students conducting experiments in the Science Lab, under the instructions of Ms. Kassem

Current page: 5th grade students in “Ancient Agora”

facts in outline form at their fingertips, students collaborate with other classmates to write an original dramatic scene incorporating as much essential factual material as they can. What makes this presentation different from an oral report, and what brings the information to life, is that it is all told in the present tense and in the first person! Add costumes, props, and audience in an open space with display stalls, and suddenly magic happens! Students travel back in time and become, as ours did today, Ancient Greeks in the Ancient Agora. The living museum is a culminating activity, an exhibition of learning from the fifth grade year. The task of writing a scene for a reenactment is complex, incorporating interaction between characters to convey the key facts in a dramatized narrative. Students work together to brainstorm ideas, assign themselves roles, improvise dialogues and devise the details of their presentation. Some choose to include elements of audience participation! Presenters prepare to answer questions or engage in discussion with the audience while still remaining in their character role at the end of their scene. Each year students devise their own original scene to share their research. Some of the most successful have been: Spartans and Athenians disputing which is the better city state followed by an audience vote; farmers sharing agricultural know-how and food samples; traders bringing wares from far off lands to barter; soldiers recalling their heroic feats in famous battles; Greek gods arguing who is the best; ancient doctors healing patients by sleep therapy; Olympic athletes training the audience in the discus, javelin and long jump events; and a chance to debate with the philosophers. Assessment on the project is threefold. Students are assessed on their research through their individual outline. They are assessed on their group performance in the event itself, and also on the brochure they each create in technology class. This brochure serves as an invitation to their parents, a visitors guide, a reflec-

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tion on how the project was created and a teaser to raise anticipation about what the audience will do, see and learn. The living museum is a high-value learning activity, not only must knowledge be acquired but then it must be interpreted, owned and harnessed to create something original. The task is not just intellectual but leads also to plenty of social learning as ideas must be communicated, listened to, and evaluated. Much of adult life revolves around collaborative work, and it is essential that we integrate teaching the skills of how to ‘make friends and influence people’ into the unwritten curriculum. Students need coaching in how to give one another constructive feedback and how to deal with conflict to achieve consensus and this collaborative project provides a perfect context. When students present a living museum every scene is performed simultaneously and repeatedly, and every student is a star! This project was developed by the 5th grade team, Penny Kynigou, Ria Maratou and Marla Coklas, whose inspiration, energy and enthusiasm was invaluable in shaping the final presentation. This article was first published on Penny Kynigou’s professional blog: bloggingthelearningcurve.wordpress.com

Current, Opposite and Previous pages: The “Living Museum”: an exhibition of learning from the fifth graders. Students in costumes as Ancient Greeks in the Agora

A Teacher’s Influence by Stavroula Salouros, Faculty, Health and Physical Education

“I will let them be little Fill their hearts with LAUGHTER Help them grow wings Nurture their sense Of WONDER Inspire them to believe And love them like there Is no TOMORROW.” (Dedicated to all of my students; Elementary, Middle, and Academy) I have been an educator at ACS Athens for 17 years now. I have had the honor to educate in all three levels; Elementary, Middle, and Academy. Each and every one of those 17 years has been a pure joy. My philosophy has always been that ALL students can learn. We are all learners, teachers, doers. My philosophy has also entailed the firm belief that we, as educators, need to set up the students to succeed while teaching them effectively. There are many techniques, skills, and practices that I have applied to my teaching so that I may become an effective educator. In my opinion, being an effective educator means allowing an environment that enables students to learn to their best abilities. When effective teaching is practiced, students develop a love for learning and gain new knowledge about what they are studying. Effective teaching is Significant teaching; it can stem from many different

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practices and ideas such as attitude toward subject matter, implementing different learning styles into lessons, and being passionate about the subject being taught. It also allows students to better understand new material and challenging content. An efficient educator is one who knows what s/he is doing and does the right thing consistently. A significant educator is one who runs the classroom and touches the lives of students; one must have three very important characteristics for student success: positive expectations, extremely good classroom management skills and know how to design lessons for student mastery. Positive expectations are essential to student success. When the educator has high expectations, not high standards, the students will perform to his/her expectations. If the educator believes that all students are above average and that they all are capable learners, these expectations will transmit to the student and the student will succeed. If these expectations are apparent toward all students, it will benefit both the educator, and the students. Good classroom management is important for student success. For this to happen, the educator has to be very organized and consistent in everything. The educator must maintain control so that instruction and learning can occur. By organizing and planning each day, the educator surely presents the lesson in an effective manner. When the educator is organized in the classroom, students will observe, imitate and apply it in their daily lives. Designing lessons for student mastery is also very important for student success. To teach for mastery, a significant educator must do two things: know how to design lessons in which the students can learn, and know how to evaluate the learning to see if the students have mastered the concept. After a lesson is taught, the educator needs to reflect and make note if any changes are necessary for next time. If the lesson was successful, a teacher will know how to keep using that strategy in the future. I truly believe that teaching is one of the world’s most challenging occupations. Educators hold a unique position in society. As Haim G. Ginnot once said: “I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.” The educator makes good use of instructional time and inspires students to do well and to know more. Each and every student in the class has to feel comfortable and have the sense of belonging. The classroom has to be conducive to learning and have the “proper lighting and comfort zone” so that learning

easily takes place. Being a significant educator means being able to handle every situation that comes your way. Surely you will encounter different problems regarding students’ attitudes and other aspects of their personality. Educators should be flexible to take control of any situation; they are values-oriented mentors. Educators have similar characteristics to their students: the teachers can be enthusiastic, creative and positive, and may express these characteristics in different ways; typically this means that, for most time of the day, educators truly want to be in the classroom and see their students learn and excel. An educator should be honest to him/herself, to the school, and truthful in whatever he/she does or say. Being an educator for twenty years now, has been a big privilege and an honour. I teach with passion, and I make sure that all my students feel successful every time they step into my classroom. To me, life is all about experiences: the ones you make for yourself and the ones you make for others. I have tried to give special moments to the students around me; I teach from the heart, and I relay all content to real world situations. I give my students emotional and deep moments that make them feel totally alive with enthusiasm and passion. I guide them as they grow, show them in every way possible that they will always be

cared for, and make special moments for them that will add magic to their lives; motivate them to make a difference in the lives of others, and most importantly, teach them to love life. To me, this is what the students remember most and take away with them. “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” (Carl Buechner) ■■

Current and Opposite pages: Academy students with Ms. Salouros at the Academy Health Breakfast Day.

hit home, home is where our story began. Students were initially asked to brainstorm what home meant to them. Stemming from this topic and subsequent discussions, students were guided into exploring the migrant/refugee crisis on United Nations Day.

Social awareness Collecting Stories and Experiences • Middle School United Nations: Focusing on the 2015 Migrant and Refugee Crisis by Christina Bakoyannis and Hrisi Sandravelis, Middle Schhol Faculty

nspiration A word so simple can take on so many forms. In the case of the Middle School Migrant and Refugee Crisis Project, the inspiration stemmed from a seed planted by, Mr. Steve Medeiros and Ms. Peggy Pelonis. With their patience, guidance, and vision, our Middle School students have been afforded the opportunity to become active participants in a school-wide initiative that is actively taking learning beyond the fourwalled classroom, and into a place where real-world application is truly the only kind of application. This initiative has guided our practice of developing citizenship amongst the student body, and thus shaped our commemoration of United Nations Day. Citizenship Development With the goal of fostering responsible citizenship as a driving force, much was accomplished by the events leading up to and on UN Day. How better to connect this to the hearts of students than by having them relate it to their lives? So, when the news story

Utilizing the guiding question, “How do other people’s experiences and stories impact who I am and what I do?”, we are confident the memories made and lessons learned will serve as a catalyst in committing, both students, teachers and the greater community to serving humanity. As per the ACS Athens Mission Statement; “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.” This project has challenged all active participants to make personal connections that served as a foundation for the learning experience that will, hopefully, inspire “responsible

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global citizenship.â&#x20AC;? United Nations Day As per ACS Athens Middle Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traditional observation of the work done by the United Nations, excellence in performance was not only evident, but enlightening. On October 23rd, 2015, the day commemorating the declaration of the official charter of the United Nations, we took the opportunity to bring

Opposite page: Passports given to students in order to put them in the mindset of travelers

Current page from top to bottom: Dr. Tony Rombos presenting to a group of engaged students Students role playing a family

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attention to the Migrant and Refugee Crisis that has found its way to our doorstep, right here in our home or in our host country, Greece. This issue is so real and so close to “HOME” that it is impossible to have a conversation without it yielding a new perspective or a new story. The day began with an advisory session in which the context was set and students received their “passports.” The passports were intended to put students in the mindset of travelers - travelers collecting stories and experiences. After attaching photos, and determining their itineraries for their day of exploration, students, with their passports in tote, set off on their unique, individual journeys. But first, all groups, assembled in the theater, and then they attended a carefully designed and implemented series of workshops. After successful completion of each workshop, students’ “passports” were stamped and they continued on their journeys.

The Workshop The twelve workshops were categorized as follows: Rescue and Aid, Action, Experiential Learning, Refugee Stories and Cultural Context The Rescue and Aid and Action workshops were facilitated by leaders of our greater community. Individuals from various organizations such as: Doctors Without Borders, The Red Cross and Humanitarian Initiative Bridges graced us with their knowledge and expertise. Students were able to see, first hand, what so many individuals and organizations are doing to assist those in need. Students, made insightful comments and observations, and then reflected on the knowledge gained in their passports. The Experiential Learning workshops consisted of four workshops specifically designed to enhance student understanding and empathy. One of the workshops students participated in was a “mock” boat ride in which they were asked to role play a family of four

and make decisions about who boards the boat and who stays behind. Ultimately, students were boarded to our makeshift boat shouldering their fully-stocked backpacks. The idea was to help students understand the concept of a lack of privacy and personal space. Another workshop focused on the idea of a Home in a Box. Students were asked to think about what items they would bring with them on a long journey. Students had to think about items that are essential to a long journey along with thinking about the usefulness of the items. The Walk for Water workshop made students experience the journey needed to get to water. Finally, students enacted the UN Refugee Act through a drama exercise. The Refugee Stories Workshops were hosted by three individuals who have had first-hand, personal experience with the crisis either as refugees themselves or as representatives of the family members so closely impacted. They candidly and wholeheartedly communicated stories of fear, loss and uncertainty.

Current page from left to right: During the Experiential Learning workshops, students board a boat to safety

The refugee Stories Workshops were hosted by three individuals who have had first-hand, personal experience with the crisis either as refugees themselves or as representatives of the family members so closely impacted

Most importantly, however, their messages shared one, most significant common denominator, the message of life and of hope. Through these workshops, three academy students, Yazan Arafeh, Layan Choufani and Nadeem Koudsi, all fluent Arabic speakers, had the opportunity to kindly serve as translators for our guests who didn’t speak English. These students not only translated words, but they translated the emotions attached so intimately to the very personal stories shared. The Cultural Context Workshop was delivered by Mr. Imad Samad. Mr. Samad, our ACS Athens Arabic Teacher stepped above and beyond by designing a workshop intended to help students understand Middle Eastern culture and some of the issues refugees may face when traveling to or settling in new lands. Some of the topics covered are as follows: Basic Language (Greetings), Cultural Differences, Gender Roles and Traditions. A Purposeful Lunch was to be composed of foods that would withstand a long journey and that needed no cooking and no refrigeration. The cafeteria was off limits to students throughout the duration of the school day. Students spent their lunch time, eating from cans, or snacking on dried fruits and nuts and reflecting on how much food and water one would need to prepare for a long journey; considering how much space in their backpacks they could actually allocate for food and deciding on whether or not they made logical choices on the lunches they brought. Would their food choices have been practical for a long, uncertain journey? Bringing Closure To end a long day of listening, learning, role playing, and experimenting and reflecting all students made their way back to combined advisories. Students compared passports, discussed which workshops they had attended and then discussed the experience. As they debriefed, they also prepared for a theater presentation in which they had to respond to two simple prompts: ◉◉ What part of the day made the strongest impression, and why. ◉◉ What now, what action can we, as a school or as individuals, do to make a difference. A Dramatic Reading by the Middle School students organized by Ms. Sophia Thanopoulou ended the day with an irreplaceable ambiance that facilitated thinking, questioning, caring and action. We would like to thank our Middle School students who participated with enthusiasm, inquisition, and compassion. Also, the facilitation work done by the teacher-advisors set the tone for a meaningful experience. Last but certainly not least, the support from administration and the greater school community made the day, one that will be remembered and for this we offer our sincerest appreciation and gratitude. ACS Athens Middle School, yet again, has set the bar high.

Student Reflections What UN Day means to me now ... I never really understood UN Day before October 23rd, but I wish I did. You know how you’re at school and someone comes to talk to you about safety? You listen for the time being, but then you just forget. It’s the same thing when you don’t get something you want for Christmas and you complain while your parents tell you that some kids don’t get any presents. What’s the point if we’re not going to listen or just going to forget? I think the only way to remember what we do, is if we actually do it. On UN Day this year our main topic was refugees. My group went to Ms. Thanopoulou to work on a performance to explain more about the refugees. We also heard Mr. Yousef tell his story which I thought was really inspiring. I think it was a good day to learn something, but because we did activities instead of hearing someone just talk to us we actually got to participate and I think that is why this day will be a big impact on all of the middle school students. Everyone should learn more about

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Current page from top to bottom: Mr. Imad Samad in a workshop intending to help students understand Middle Eastern culture A Dramatic Reading ended the day organized by Ms. Thanopoulou

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UN day because it’s a fun day. By doing the activities I understood a lot more about the United Nations and by talking about the refugees I understood a lot more about all the challenges the UN has and how much we need the UN. -Claire Laine, 6th Grade Student

my classmates and friends. I was familiar with all of them, however if I was stuck in a float full of strangers the situation would have been much different. This exercise made me consider how lucky I am not to be forced to relocate my entire life; for being able to go to school with my family all together in one place.

This Year’s UN Day has changed me forever . . . It was so inspiring and I felt all sorts of different emotions. I felt sad, because of all those who have lost their homes, I had no idea that so many had. I felt happy, because I saw how lucky I am. I felt terrible when I was told that people had to walk many hours to get water. All we do is wait for a change, but I say “Let’s be the Change.” -Lea Ostheimer, 7th Grade Student

The final workshop was a huge revelation for me. This workshop did not include any other activity besides listening to an actual story of a refugee. His journey was long and difficult, but it all turned out well. Mr. Muhammad’s story was touching and changed the way I feel about all the privileges I have. He lost it all, and is working for his sons to come to Greece.

UN Day was an experience ... 2015’s UN Day was about refugees who coming from Syria. One refugee told us what happened to him, why he came to Greece, how he came to Greece and where is his family. When we were listening to his story we all felt emotional. As he was telling his story we all begin to think about how we would feel if we were in his place. UN Day was all about making you feel how it would be if you are in this condition. It was a really great day. -Himanshu Sah, 7th Grade Student What UN Day revealed to me... UN Day was packed with many interesting activities. There were many workshops to explain the topic of refugees through multiple perspectives. Subjects ranged from survival of the refugees, personal accounts and volunteer organizations that help. I was able to attend three workshops.

UN Day this year was a success. It was to the point and opened everyone’s eyes to the difficulties these people face. Their stories needed to be heard. They each have something to offer and should not be overlooked. I am thankful that I am not in their position, I do not think I could leave my home easily. - Marian Bitsikas, 8th Grade Student ■■

Current page: Dr. Raphael and his students during one of the workshops

The first workshop explored how refugees in Greece are being treated. The Humanitarian Bridges workshop expressed how refugees are humans too, and the best way for them to surpass the trauma they underwent is to share their stories with others. Their emotions, feelings and stories needed to be heard. Each and every one is different and unique with its own challenges. The Humanitarian Bridges is an organization that helps refugees reach their final destination. I am inspired by the work that these volunteers do to not only improve the lives of refugees, but also place the future of others before their own. I respect the work that these people have been doing, and hopefully one day I will be able to make a change. The second workshop demonstrated how refugees are handled on the boats to the Mediterranean coastal countries. We participated in a simulation where we were separated into families of two parents and two children and had to make the ultimate decision of which family member leaves and which stays behind. Whichever family member was leaving, he or she would board a pretend boat with the rest of the family members that were leaving. In the end, only one person from the family was left and everybody was crammed into the boat. Families are separated and people are left behind. The demonstration showed how it would be for me to be on a crowded float with

Opposite page from top to bottom: A little girl we helped get into warm, dry clothes after arriving on the beach Warm clothes donated by the Middle School students Helping an arriving boat

Sorting wet, dirty clothes so they can be laundered and redistributed Clean, sorted clothes, ready to be distributed to refugees

My Trip to Lesvos; November 26-29, 2015

and the Student Affairs Office, a warm clothing drive was organized in correlation with the annual ACS Athens “5 Days of Giving” campaign. Students donated blankets, clothing, jackets, shoes, and toiletries that ultimately filled the staff workroom. The handful of friends I was traveling with to Lesvos packed their cars to the brim. And just like that, we were off.

by Lyndi Henderson, Faculty, Social Studies

Four days felt like a drop in the bucket. However, whether it was distributing donations, helping people off the boats, sorting and washing dirty clothes, or picking up garbage from the beach, every action was meaningful. We met a number of other volunteers from around the globe. Some had only arrived the day before, others had been there for months. The time and energy devoted to helping people in need was inspiring, and it had me thinking about when I would be able to return and continue to help. Sometimes putting ideas into action can be very complicated and difficult. Sometimes it can be as easy as getting on a ferry and showing up.

e all know it is happening. It’s impossible to watch the news, open a newspaper, or check your Facebook feed without noticing it. It is a word that has become a daily part of our vocabulary – refugee. The crisis Europe is facing as close to a million migrants and refugees enter its borders cannot be taken lightly and cannot be solved overnight. During the past few months, many of us have thought to ourselves, what do we do about it? With the annual event of United Nations Day in October as the catalyst, the Middle School initiated a collective commitment to understanding and assisting with the migrant/refugee crisis. What is the difference between a migrant and a refugee? Why are these people leaving their homes and risking their lives to come here? What is Greece’s role in the process? What can I do to make a difference? Many of these questions were asked to our students, and many of the responses were thoughtful and meaningful. As a Middle School teacher, I asked myself the same questions. As we discovered many of the answers, I found myself continually asking the same question – what can I do to make a difference? How do I put my ideas into action? And then my opportunity arose. A friend of mine who had volunteered on the island of Lesvos back in September informed me she was planning on returning over Thanksgiving break. Perfect. My opportunity to put my ideas into action. Ferry tickets were purchased. Hotel rooms were booked. Plans were made. With the help of the Middle School Student Council

fees for my mother’s upcoming art exhibit. She keeps sane in this financial chaos by painting the Andros landscapes, the mountains and village where she was born. I ran into Mayor Theodosis Sousoudis, who is a childhood friend. He invited me into his office and expressed his worries. He said he didn’t know how the situation would go. His hands were tied. He told me that municipal employees are working with no salary, no money available to replace worn town water pipes, no money for gas to fill the garbage trucks. He mentioned that some cultural events were cancelled and the Goulandris Museum and other art centers on the island have fewer visitors this year.

Musings Waiting for Greece Can the Past Save the Future? by Amalia Melis*, writer

got a call today from an American cousin visiting us in Andros, the island our family is from. She invites me for a swim; real world stuff. I could get in the car with her and get whisked away to another village, spend the day by the sea. I could put my hands on my ears and not hear any of the headlines, not listen to pleas for rational decisions to be made in Greek Parliament whose members never agree on anything other than Greece’s destruction.I could cover my eyes and not see the winding ATM lines at the closed Greek banks in Hora, the capital of the island, with weary village faces, old and young, waiting, and waiting. I have never been told I am allotted only fifty euros from the bank per day. Because of this I panic, I think I need more. In general I never need more but the denial feeds my fear.

In Andros, everyone knows everyone else. Most people I recognize on the ATM line are my parent’s age and don’t know about debit cards, some wait for hours to figure out what is happening, some push to get inside the bank to talk to a teller only to be turned away. The ATMs run out of money, panic sets in, tears. I have never lived through anything like this before. I have never been told I am allotted only fifty euros from the bank per day. Because of this I panic, I think I need more. In general I never need more but the denial feeds my fear. Need to keep the car filled with gas, need to get bread, need to get milk, remember to eat. Two days ago I went to the municipal office to pay

Reporters swarm the streets of Athens, only miles away, seeking the true interview, the “honest point of view.” There are those who pass by here briefly, for a summer’s respite, and claim they know Greek experience. They may have waited one day on line at an ATM but they want to own the drama, the ruins and the repercussions of living here, working here, trying to raise a family here. It is not their experience. It is not their moment. It is the Greek public’s moment. The painful austerity measures we have been living with since 2010 are ours. We don’t get paid on time or at all. I am a freelance writer and many of us who worked for one magazine remain in limbo; the publisher left the country and has changed professions. What’s left of the magazine office staff had nothing to say to out requests for payment. How are we to make a life decision about something simple like a doctor’s appointment with invisible money? We put it off. We don’t prioritize even the priorities. Last week, the Greek public was urged to vote in the Greek Referendum and the results showed 61% in favor of no more austerity measures even if it meant leaving the Eurozone. I was not one of those who voted no, I want Greece to remain in Europe. Yet with those results the Prime Minister went back to Brussels with a new finance minister and is negotiating right now for a more painful austerity program and

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is bowing to political pressure from the European Union. He is playing with our lives. Just like all these Greek politicians who have come and gone for the last forty years after the military dictatorship collapsed of its own mistakes in 1974. Yet I want to hide this country’s vulnerability, this pleading for cash. It is embarrassing. We are exposing the family’s dirty laundry. The begging of my country combined with this particular Greek government’s arrogance while it begs is like a neighborhood bully huffing and puffing at the feet of Europe. We scare no one but ourselves. A photo of an old man crying makes its way around the world in the media. After going to three banks he was unable to get the allotted pension money for his wife and he broke down crying, falling to the ground. I don’t want to see this kind of desperation. Not in this country, not again. I was weaned on these stories: neglect, austerity, poverty. The healing from WWII and the Civil War that followed has taken a long time to happen, it has not happened completely and continues to divide us. She said villagers don’t like to go in to that room because the dead are in there, and she uttered a line I heard only once when I was a child and held her hand as she and I walked through St. Michael’s cemetery in Astoria, New York after visiting my grandmother: “The dead won’t hurt you. The living will.” Am I communicating with ghosts of my father’s generation? He and many villagers like him grew up with little to nothing. Barefoot, hungry and desperate. Children who turned into men who turned into sailors who sailed away from Andros and worked on ships forever to feed families left behind. Some died on the boats, some returned, all are prisoners of poverty. My family fled Andros; each member in his or her own way. Both of my parents worked hard in New York to raise a family, make ends meet, and, of course, to fulfill a lifelong yearning to save enough to return to the homeland. They did. But there is a twist in their loyalty to Greece. Since Citibank closed operations earlier this year in Greece, their American pension is no longer available from Citibank but it is now deposited in Alpha Bank, a Greek bank, so they too are trapped in the Greek senior citizen loop of getting only 120 euros out every two weeks since Greek banks remain closed. I worry about them. I worry about my husband. I worry about my child. I worry about everyone I know. My parents are over 80. What if they need more money for something I can’t predict or plan for? What if we do? I decline my cousin’s kind invitation and send her off to swim alone. I can’t be in the here and now and I am in no mood for suntans and lunch. I want to curl up and be silent but I get in my car instead. I know where I am going. I don’t know why it is calling me so strongly today but I must go. I am going to be with the dead. My daughter is scheduled to go study in the U.K. this fall. She turned around to her father recently and said, “Dad, thanks for raising me Greek.”

I want to be with family today – the family that has already left this place. Perhaps the howling wind has some secrets I can hear. Perhaps I can make out an answer to my questions, to what I feel, this overwhelming sense that no matter what decisions are made in Greek Parliament and then with the Eurogroup, we have failed. We are The Boy Who Cried Wolf, the ultimate Aesop’s Fable and the strongmen of Europe are wagging rigid fingers in our faces telling us, We don’t believe you. You are liars. What will this mean for our future? My daughter is scheduled to go study in the U.K. this fall. She turned around to her father recently and said, “Dad thanks for raising me Greek.” I gaze out at the view from the cemetery; the sea and Stenies village stretches out far ahead, the deep green cypress trees, the white houses with terra cotta rooftops. Small paths cut into the villages. The wind is so strong it howls into my ears. No one is here but me. The cemetery is situated at the edge of town. If I could draw it I would imagine the setting for Our Town only harsher because right beside the cemetery is a small building that houses our ancestors’ bones in small boxes with the person’s name on it. We have an old ritual here – every three years, the villagers take the remains of their loved ones, wash the bones with wine, wrap them in savano (the white cloth of the dead) and place the remains in these small boxes. I open the small church door, all is quiet. My legs start to shake a bit when I open the door to walk into the room with the boxes. I scare myself. I find the wooden box with my grandfather’s remains, there is a small black and white photo of him with his sad eyes. Those eyes have been inherited. They are my father’s eyes, my aunt’s eyes, my eyes. I find my uncles, aunts, my great grandfather, my great grandmother; her name has been carried on: Franseska, my mother, Franseska my niece. The family names Raissis and Valmas are scattered all over the cemetery, common names in this village. I think about this island and how it has changed, how it has stayed the same. Sariza the mineral spring is a blessed constant in our village and runs continuously from the mountain. The marble lion head at Sariza is worn at the spout from where the water pours out forcefully. I remember the water as a child on my first visit to Andros from New York. Sariza was like holy water to us, to be held, to be taken in, to be had as often as possible. As if drinking it would keep us satisfied every time, we, the family of immigrants, left on our journey back to the working class world we came from in Astoria. I want to believe that today’s visit to my ancestors at the cemetery, to the wise villagers of long ago might have something to say. We have gone too far away from where we came from: the soil on this earth and the sea. I visited all of them today. I remembered each and every one of them in the room with the dead, how they lived, how close they were to the earth they tilled, the sea they sailed. We are no longer connected to either in the cities we live in. We acquire and acquire

but feel empty just the same. Is that what Greek politicians suffer from? The European Union funds poured into Greece in the 1980s and 1990s, farmers stopped farming and most sit in kafenions drinking coffee, drive their BMWs and employ Pakistanis as slave labor to till the earth that was theirs, their grandparents. In many sectors it is the same, while 1.5 million Greeks are unemployed there are immigrants all over the country doing drudge work no Greek wants to do anymore. Something is wrong with that picture. As a daughter of immigrants I watched my father work two jobs his whole adult life, no work was beneath him, if it was honest. That lesson one cannot buy, family teaches us that. My ancestors taught my father, he taught me. These last forty years or so brought us to the current breaking point. Is the disconnect to blame for where Greece stands today? I can only write about all this as I live it. We chose the story, we chose the plot, the ending is upon us. We are the Greek drama; the Greek tragedy and comedy all rolled into one. The world is our audience and the critics soon will judge. *Amalia Melis is a Greek-American writer. She is the founder of the Aegean Arts Circle writing workshops held in Andros, Greece. Her short stories, essays, and poetry have been published in Glimmer Train, KYSO Flash Magazine, Ducts Magazine, Sojourner, and Poet & Critic. Follow her on twitter: @amaliaandros

*Originally published in Guernica Magazine, July 2015 ■■

Current page: Students creating a math board game

Innovation in Education The i2Flex Methodology and Significant Learning in Mathematics by Dora Andrikopoulos, Mathematics Coordinator JK-12

ignificant learning involves finding ways to: engage and inspire students, nurture intuition, encourage independence, cultivate divergent thinking, trigger inquiry, and stimulate further diverse experiences in students’ lives. At ACS Athens we implement the i2Flex methodology, a type of blended learning. The flexibility of this constructivist teaching model enhances significant student learning. We are the educators, guides and facilitators of today’s student; the one who has hopes and dreams, the one who is curious and imaginative, the one who needs to think critically and to engage in problem solving, the one who needs to communicate effectively and use technology efficiently, the one who needs the role models to demonstrate stability, agility, resilience and empathy in the world that we are living in. We encourage independent learning through technology. Through open-ended questions we stimulate further curiosity, imagination and intuition in our students. Students develop a greater zeal to go beyond the limits of the classroom, to investigate and to explore. The i2Flex methodology provides face to face guided learning. However, it also allows students the freedom and flexibility to discover, to experiment and to carry out investigations in and out of the classroom.

Research says that knowledge is retained longer when students are engaged mentally, physically and emotionally on significant activities. Through carefully planned out units of work, students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their conceptual understanding and procedural fluency in mathematics. Students design posters, they research, carry out investigations, design puzzles, riddles, create board games, electronic games and i-movies. Students demonstrate their understanding through interactive journals, they design and create their own they constructions and models. Often students use manipulatives to observe patterns, see relationships and make connections. They become better problem solvers. They achieve mathematical proficiency. It is in our human nature to want to feel free and experience life. The i2Flex methodology allows students the freedom to experiment outside of the classroom. Students collect data from sports activities they are involved in, they make choreography in dancing, create their own art work, create their own musical pieces and see their connection to mathematics. They are also given opportunities to interpret graphical representations and to write stories. Students become the architects of their own learning thereby sharing a wealth of knowledge with their classmates and their teachers. Significant learning takes place. It’s a continual cycle, we guide them, they learn from us and we learn from them and that is really beautiful! To get authentic results, I as an educator, have learnt to let go and trust the process having given students constructive guidance. Often just a few words of encouragement can set a spark go off. A student recently said, “Miss you said: think of something you like doing and suddenly I felt I was struck by lightning. A fantastic idea came to me.” The i2Flex methodology facilitates the ideal educational environment. It promotes a holistic approach to teaching and learning, it triggers and inspires further diverse experiences and leads to a deeper conceptual understanding. For us at ACS Athens the i2Flex model is not just a methodology. It is a philosophy. It is a real significant experience. Once you’ve seen the light, that spark in the student’s eye, you can never really go back, you have to keep going, to keep expanding. It makes you think you should have started yesterday! ■■

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Current and Opposite page: Students creating a model to demonstrate their understanding in mathematics Students designing a math game

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munity — teaching has encompassed many wonderful yet increasingly complex and intellectually challenging activities including the creation of new knowledge. But what does this mean in the every day life of teachers as professionals? How is it done? And, most importantly why, for whom, toward what end?

Creating New Knowledge from the i2Flex Classroom: ACS Athens Educators at the 2015 International Conference in Open and Distance Learning by Maria D. Avgerinou, Ph.D., Director - Educational Technology and eLearning and Stefanos Gialamas, Ph.D., President

he Scholarship of Teaching On a daily basis, regardless of grade and subject, teachers are called to perform in diverse environments, meeting the needs of students of different ability, and of different backgrounds. Teachers constantly strive to modify and adapt their teaching according to the ever-evolving trends as set by information and communication technologies, in a systematic, unceasing pursuit of the optimal learning conditions for each individual student. More than just planting the seeds of knowledge and the magnificent efforts this entails — from staying active with one’s own professional development and growth to designing for deep learning while engaging not only students, but also parents, and the wider school com-

In education terms, this is what Boyer (1990) defined as the scholarship of teaching. Grounded theoretically on Aristotle’s view that “teaching is the highest form of understanding”, Boyer argued that excellent teaching is much more than artfully transmitting information to students – it’s about transforming and extending knowledge, and is marked by the same habits of mind that characterize other scholarly work (Hutchings & Shulman, 1999). The scholarship of teaching requires that the teacher systematically reflects on the design, implementation and outcomes of her teaching in a form that can be publicly reviewed, critiqued, evaluated, and built upon by our peers (McCarthy & Higgs, 2005). As Galileo Educational Network (2015) explain: (…) it is too simplistic to refer to the scholarship of teaching as merely excellent work by educators. It requires an ongoing conversation or process in which questions of student learning are systematically investigated – the conditions under which learning occurs, what it looks like, and how to deepen it. Teachers do this with the goal of not only improving their own classroom, but to advance their practice beyond it.

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The scholarship of teaching is the mechanism through which the profession of teaching itself advances, through which teaching can be something other than a seat-of-the pants operation, with teachers making it up as they go. So, the scholarship of teaching has the potential to serve all teachers and all students. ACS Athens Educators at the ICODL 2015 As a true reflection of Boyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scholarship of teaching in the K12, fourteen educators, the Director of Educational Technology and eLearning, and the President of ACS Athens presented with great success at the 8th International Conference in Open and Distance Learning (ICODL). The conference took place in Athens, Greece, November 7 & 8, 2015, and it focused on Innovation and Research in Open and Distance Learning and on Information Communications Technology. This prime academic event in Europe was supported by the Hellenic Open University, the Hellenic Network of Open and Distance Learning, Educational Content Methodology and Technology Laboratory, the Journal for Open and Distance Education and Educational Technology, the GLOKALde e-Journal of UDEEEWANA-United Distance Education for Eastern Europe Western Asia Northern Africa, the Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education (TOJDE), the International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications (IJONTE), and the International Women Online Journal of Distance Education (int. WODJE). Panel as well as individual presentations that were led by the ACS Athens team occurred under the general themes of Best Practices, and Research. Nevertheless, all of them discussed and highlighted one of the components of the new Global Morfosis Paradigm (see gMp in Graphic 1), that is, the blended learning methodology of i2Flex and its classroom manifestations in such disciplines as Physical Education (Dimitropoulos), Mathematics (Katisyianni, Andricopoulos), Science (Rontogiannis), Second Language Learning (Arnold, Grigoropoulos), Social Studies (Nelson), and Humanities (Jasonides, Karvouniaris, Zavacopoulou), and through such topics as Gamification (Raphael), Social-Emotional Development (Sax-Lane), and the Community of Inquiry Framework (Firigou). It is really exciting to note that in addition to their daily responsibilities which are devoted to their student learning, all of the aforementioned educators are still taking time to engage with their own Action Research projects, review the extant literature, attempt new interventions with the goal to improve student learning, systematically collect data and evaluate the learning outcomes in their classes. Furthermore, these educators take seriously their responsibility to share their findings with other education practitioners and researchers in such venues as the ICODL conference so that others can ground and build their own teaching on this new knowledge. These efforts were especially commended by Prof. Diana Laurillard of the Institute of Education (University of

Opposite page: The cycle of inquiry Current page from top to bottom: The ICODL Conference Faculty presentations

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London, UK) who attended the ACS Athens sessions. ICODL’s keynote speaker, Prof. Laurillard is a prolific writer and researcher in the areas of educational technology, eLearning, and teacher education. Prof. Laurillard congratulated the presenters on their successful teacher-researcher dual role and associated responsibilities in the i2Flex classroom, and encouraged them to continue their innovative teaching and reflective practice! Following Prof. Laurillard’s comments which loop back to the aforementioned concept of the scholarship of teaching and her idea of the reflective practicum (Laurillard, 2002), what is more impressive particularly this year, is that these ACS Athens educators have invested time and energy to document their research work by producing book chapters which will be included in a forthcoming book publication. Scheduled to be released in early 2016 by IGI, the book reflects collective and diverse work that has been conducted in order for the Global Morfosis Paradigm to become reality. The editors are the president and the director of educational technology of ACS Athens. The book presents the theoretical framework of the i2Flex classroom model as a new pathway for K12 blended learning, and what it takes to successfully implement it from the perspectives of leadership, instructional design and implementation, and evaluation. The final section of the book is dedicated to the above practitioners’ voices who share their i2Flex experiences and trail-blaze a new education trajectory right from the trenches! ■■ References Boyer, E. L. (1990) Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the professoriate. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Galileo Educational Network (2015). Focus on Inquiry: Teaching as scholarship. Werklund School of Education. University of Calgary, Canada. Available at: http://inquiry.galileo.org/ ch5/teaching-as-a-scholarship/ Hutchings, P., & Shulman, L. S. (1999). The scholarship of teaching: New elaborations, new developments. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 31(5), 10–15. http://doi. org/10.1080/00091389909604218 Laurillard, D. (2002). Rethinking teaching for the knowledge society. EDUCAUSE review, January/February. Available at http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0201.pdf McCarthy, M., & Higgs, B. (2005). The scholarship of teaching and its implications for practice. In G. O’Neill, S. Moore, & B. McMulllin (Eds.) Emerging issues in the practice of university teaching. AISHE Readings No 1, Dublin, Ireland. Timperley, H. (2011). Realizing the power of professional learning. New York, NY: Open University Press.

Current page: The ICODL Conference, December 7-8, 2015 Opposite page from top to bottom: Faculty presentations the gMp graphic

ed to attend as a first time delegate. Yet none of the above incentives could have prepared me for a full immersion in education and pedagogy, and a convention that was much more than a typical convening of people, and their projects. But let us begin with the WISE initiative itself. According to their website (wise-qatar.org), “Qatar Foundation, under the leadership of its Chairperson, HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser established the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in 2009. WISE is an international, multi-sectoral platform for creative thinking, debate and purposeful action. WISE has established itself as a global reference in new approach-

World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) 2015: The Perspectives of a First Time Delegate, and a Returning Contributor by Maria D. Avgerinou, Ph.D., Director - Educational Technology and eLearning and Stefanos Gialamas, Ph.D., President

A. Dr. Avgerinou as A First Time Delegate at WISE t the end of October 2015, I was honored to receive a personal invitation to attend the World Innovation Summit for Education (November 2015, in Doha, Qatar). The invitation was sent by Mr. Stavros Yannouka (ACS Athens Commencement Speaker 2014) in his dual capacity as WISE’s CEO, and as an author for the upcoming i2Flex book publication edited by Dr. Gialamas and myself. Mr. Yannouka felt there were many significant connections between the main topics of the book (i.e. innovation in the K12 classroom) and the main thrust of the summit (innovation inside and outside the classroom). Indeed, that was my initial impression too, after examining the very compelling conference program. Furthermore, upon the encouraging feedback of Dr. Gialamas, who had attended many WISE events as a member of the selection committee for the Education Prize, I decid-

es to education. Through both the annual summit and a range of ongoing programs, WISE is promoting innovation and building the future of education through collaboration” (WISE website). The WISE team has focused on innovation in education both in policy making and in the classroom, as they argue that unlike what is the case in technology and healthcare, this is a long overdue need. The team’s perspective is that “education is key to addressing the toughest challenges facing communities around the world today – poverty, conflict, inequality, unemployment, environmental sustainability and future challenges. But there is a widening gap between the education systems currently in place and those required to meet the needs of future generations” (WISE website). As a result, WISE has been designed with the aim to revitalizing education and also to providing a global platform for the development of new ideas and solutions. To date, WISE’s collaborative efforts and their networks have generated and sustained constructive dialogue and partnerships at a global level. In the team’s own words, “the WISE community is a network of education stakeholders - from students to decision-makers - from about 200 countries who share ideas and collaborate to seek creative solutions to solve challenges facing education” (WISE website). This year’s summit focused on Investing for Impact: Quality Education for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, and was designed around the following pillars: ◉◉ The UN Sustainable Development Goals ◉◉ Education and the economy

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◉◉ Fostering innovation in education systems ◉◉ Each pillar further examined such key topics as: ◉◉ The linkages between education, employment, and entrepreneurship ◉◉ Education reform and innovation in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region and Qatar ◉◉ Emerging models of education financing ◉◉ Attracting, rewarding and retaining quality teachers ◉◉ The importance of investing in early childhood development As a first time WISE attendee yet a seasoned international conference presenter and organizer myself, I must confess that this was an extremely well organized convention that provided participants with ample opportunity for ◉◉ knowledge sharing, ◉◉ learning and discussing current educational challenges and concerns, but also for ◉◉ meaningful networking with potential to inspire and set the groundwork for creative action It was extremely refreshing and, as one would expect, very informative to hear directly from panelists who are in charge of various innovative educational initiatives globally, about what inspires them, what exactly it takes to sustain their efforts, what drives their dedication, and what the impact of their projects are on those communities in need. The overall climate and spirit of this conference sent powerful messages, and was conducive to the continuous discourse on “innovation in/for education” as a condition, as a process, and as an outcome of teaching and learning, in a multitude of ways: through the carefully selected list of high profile guest speakers (among them Michelle Obama on what she has experienced first hand as far as education and the empowerment of teenage girls); through the rich variety of critical for our times issues, addressed from the perspectives of education policy-makers, influential experts and practitioners as ambassadors of developed, developing, and under-developed countries; and via its formal and informal gatherings where the context was set but the discussions it generated, were authentic and with the goal to explore groundbreaking innovative ideas and also “how to take concrete steps to make significant improvements to worldwide education” (WISE website). In retrospect, it is extremely hard for me to single out a panel, keynote, or event as the most memorable one, but I can certainly share the most inspiring one: the speech of Dr. Shakeena Yacoobi, this year’s recipient of the WISE Prize for Education. Notably, the WISE Prize for Education is awarded to an individual or a team in recognition of an outstanding contribution to education. Dr. Yacoobi’s mission to educate children and train teachers in her native country (Afghanistan) has spanned over three decades and oc-

Current page from top to bottom: Michelle Obama in the Learning Labs, with international school students Opposite page: The World Innovation Summit for Education, November 2015, Doha, Qatar

Her Highness Sheikha Moza with the 2015 WISE Prize for Education winner, Dr. Sakena Yacoobi and Michelle Obama

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curred under adverse and life threatening conditions. In refugee camps, in schools she opened with her personal leadership and passion, in all activities of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) that she launched 30 years ago, and more recently in the private schools she established herself, her goal has been to improve and innovate teacher training. According to the WISE website, she also set up a radio station, to deliver her institute’s educational content to people living in remote areas. Her future plans include the creation of a television network and a university for women. “My vision for Afghanistan is a free country, a society where everybody is educated. Every single girl must be educated in Afghanistan - that is my dream. I don’t have a small dream. My vision is big, has been big and is going to be big, constantly. And I think that there is going to be a day that this country will rise up, and I am looking for that day,” said Dr. Yacoobi.

because he never, EVER gives up. You know, mummy, many people would stop trying, but HE never does – no matter how big or small his goal. Actually, this is what we are learning in Kindergarten this year”. And so who would have thought that right outside the movie theater, in one startling moment the thread that connected my take-away from the WISE summit, and Dr. Yacoobi’s inspirational speech, to the small seeds carefully sown at ACS Athens Kindergarten would emerge so genuinely and so clearly! Never give up, fight with ethos, dream big, make a difference in the life of others: all my children really need to know in life (as the motto goes), they are already learning in the ACS Athens Kindergarten. But, thankfully, role models for such significant values and skills do not exist only in movies!

As I was attending the speech – her story, as she explained – that she delivered on the last day of the conference, trying to absorb the weight of her every single word and imagine what it had taken this miniscule, but with mighty presence woman to transform through education the underprivileged into learned, courageous, and confident human beings, I felt I had to instantly “Tweet” my ACS Athens community a sentence she uttered in a trembling voice and with moist eyes, looking straight into the captivated audience and striking a cord with all of us: “Education gives resilience, dignity, and freedom”. B. Dr. Gialamas as a Returning Contributor at WISE For the past several years, my commitment has involved from being a 2011 WISE participant to acting as a member of the selection committee for the WISE prize in Education, to mentoring members of the WISE Learners’ Voice.

And without it being a revelation, that sentence did inspire me immensely because it came straight from the heart, and it was obvious that she had really meant every word of it; because she had lived through each and every moment that brought each and every word closer to reality; because she had fought, and fought again without giving up, so that each and every person she had touched could reach a state of resilience, dignity, and freedom. For, she did not have a small dream; and she has never given up.

The WISE Learners’ Voice Program brings the perspectives of young people to the challenge of rethinking education, and equips them to take on leading roles in their fields and in the world of education (WISE website). The Program is based on the idea that when learners are co-creators of their learning environments, they become active participants invested as stakeholders in the progress of their communities. The Program focuses on building knowledge of education, social entrepreneurship, leadership, and communication skills. The Learners’ Voice Program was established in 2010 to engage the views and creative energies of young people in addressing pressing global education issues and challenges. The current Learners’ Voice community comprises over 100 Learners from many countries, including Qatar. They represent different backgrounds and disciplines but all share a passion for education. Together they represent a unique perspective within the WISE community.

When I returned to Athens, I took my children to the new Peanuts movie. By the end of it, it was obvious they had liked it a lot. But when I asked what exactly they liked most about it, they replied: “Charlie Brown:

In particular, my three mentees this year have focused on exploring opportunities for educating displaced children as a result of war or conflict. The main concern is that humanitarian aid does not in general in-

Current page from top to bottom: Dr. Gialamas and Dr. Avgerinou at the Auditorium, during the 2015 WISE Summit Opposite page: Dr. Avgerinouâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s message on Twitter, November, 5th, 2015

A Learning Lab by LEGO Dr. Gialamas with Dr. Yacoobi, winner of the 2015 WISE Prize for Education

clude resources for educating these children. The following questions are fundamental for addressing this important issue with global implications: ◉◉ How can a young person who is disconnected from her education for several years, be integrated effectively in society? ◉◉ How can a young person in a refugee camp develop necessary and sufficient skills to become a productive member of the society? ◉◉ Today good paying jobs require skills and knowledge resulting from basic education. Therefore, how is it possible for a young person without this background to create a good life for themselves and their families?

tional, facilities, etc.). In conclusion, influence is a two-way street. My perspective as a returning WISE contributor is also being impacted by my Learners’ Voice mentees. Therefore, I am convinced now more than ever that in a time of crisis, academic institutions and their leaders should be at the forefront of guiding their communities in identifying ways to help those in need; especially, when people in need are children and young people who are the future of our world. For only education is the foundation for peace and prosperity. ■■

In all of my involvement with WISE, I have been honored to engage in shaping the development of emerging young leaders from the Learners’ Voice group. At the same time, their fresh ideas and new perspectives on global challenges in education have inspired me to establish community-led initiatives that focus on providing educational experiences to displaced children, while being consistent with the ACS Athens educational philosophy. More specifically, I initiated the “Make a Child Smile; Keep the Hope Alive” program which could apply to children in refugee camps hosted currently in the Attica region of Greece. The concept is to provide educational experiences to a group of children utilizing the educational resources of ACS Athens (human, educa-

Current page: Networking in the WISE Research area

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eduTech

Trends and Ideas Shaping Education Through Technology in the 21 st Century

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BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Taking charge of own learning at ACS Athens By John Papadakis, Director of Enrollment Management, Technology & Communications

he 2015-16 academic year has so far been a year of numerous initiatives regarding the use of technology in the classroom and in individual projects of students. One such initiative has been the implementation of the new BYOD policy, which requires all new and existing students entering grades 9-12 to bring their own laptop to school, always according to the class guidelines and rules of each teaching instructor and the technology policy of the school, as outlined in the Academy Program of Studies. The BYOD approach, which has been adopted by the best international schools abroad, does not replace the existing computer lab structure (stationary or mobile) that continues to be used for computer courses, math and science projects and learning processes. Existing laptops and their carts continue to be utilized primarily on an individual student or project-based check-out basis and for use on specialized applications required by faculty in Math/Science/Computer Science classes, etc.

Description of the BYOD program

Our primary goal regarding the use of Technology in Education at ACS Athens is to envision, design, materialize, support and operate physical and virtual learning spaces, as students live in a world where they can learn

anywhere, any time and from anyone. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s students are all digital natives and live and operate in a multimedia world. All media they use in their everyday school life is in color and they prioritize based on visual learning. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just need, but they demand to have creativity in their learning process. They learn best through trial and error and they constantly connect and collaborate. Most importantly, they expect and know how to access information that is live and interlinked. A student survey conducted during the previous academic year showed that 65-70% of 8th-11th graders own a laptop less than 3 years old. That prompted us to pursue the BYOD model of technology integration and consider the implementation of this program this academic year. BYOD in schools requires a device for every student that aides and enhances educational needs, offering access to technology at anytime, not only during the class, or only in the lab. The specialized technical staff in ACS Athens ensures uniform operation of devices and platforms while our stateof-art firewall device and security protocols safeguards network access and safety. Our robust network wi-fi infrastructure with large bandwidth ensures optimal connectivity throughout the campus. Of course, Technology Department continues to support students with devices on a special case by case basis.

How can BYOD be used

Students have easier and faster access to educational/instructional libraries so that research online becomes easier and more personalized. Coursework and assignments are easily accessible and managed. Students and teachers have a more direct access to data organization tools and web-based applications for classroom polling and quick tests or quizzes.

Groups and individual students have easier access to production tools for Audio/Radio podcasts and video projects that may promote digital storytelling. Language learning becomes easier and more fun while course companion sites are one click away.

Benefits

Learning can happen anytime, anywhere without schedule or access restrictions. BYOD allows school to devote much-needed funding to other programs or technologies. Students have access to more personalized devices, that are commonly more up- to-date with newer features. The program allows for immediate application of digital classroom tools in the physical classroom. Families of students can take advantage of competitive pricing of tablets, smart-phones, and laptop computers. Owning a device offers students the opportunity to replicate a technology-rich environment already common in higher education and in the business environment. Finally, BYOD is the ideal platform for flexibility, that can support different learners with different needs.

The Educational Impact

Students become more engaged and motivated, but they are also held accountable for their learning, putting them in charge of their own learning experience. They are encouraged to continue learning outside of the classrooms while they tap into their individual learning preferences. BYOD helps students identify skills that will make them lifelong learners and gives them a preview of how their future college and work places will operate. â&#x2013; â&#x2013; Resources: https://youtu.be/ZL4ssuCDRXs

Opposite page: Greek Children Team Gold Medal

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Celebrating Achievement When Passion Makes for an Extraordinary Experience by Melina Vassiliadis, Communications Officer

etermined to make a difference, these four ACS Athens students, each successful in the sport they love, push themselves daily to become someone who will make a significant contribution to their sport and, consequently, to their community. This fall, their individual dreams of competing in national and international tournaments and possibly becoming champions, became a reality as they worked with persistence and drive to achieve their goals. It takes sheer motivation and an unshakable positive mental attitude to continually focus and commit to performing at your highest level in order to become the best athlete that you can be. This is the kind of ethic that can make you the best person that you can be. For Anna Danalis, ACS Athens 9th grader, the passion for horses began in fourth grade when she got on a horse and never wanted to get off! With the enthusiasm of a nine year old and a drive and determination rare for a child that age, she began taking lessons six times a week, and earned her competition license that same year. Since then, for the last five years, Anna has worked hard and participated in numerous international competitions, always with great results, gaining recognition and medals in the process. Riding horses al-

most every day, she says “Horse riding helps me balance my school life as I have learned to manage my time very well”. This fall, Anna took things one step further and entered in her biggest competition yet, the National Balkan Equestrian Championship that took place in Porto Carras, Chalkidiki. This championship has a distinguished history and tradition and was one of the most important athletic events organized by Greece for the Balkan region this year. Athletes from eight countries battled it out for team and individual titles in Senior, Young Rider, Junior and Children’s competitions over a four day period. It was an equestrian celebration where tension, spirit and passion ruled over competitors and audience alike. Anna Danalis won the gold medal in the children’s individual competition, becoming the Balkan Equestrian Champion in that category and the gold medal in the team competitions, as part of the three-member Greek National Equestrian team. Feeling elated, Anna said, “I feel proud to have represented Greece”, and continued, “This year’s Balkan Championships in Porto Carras were amazing for me. The Greek children’s team won the gold and I also won the individual gold. The Balkan Championships are a very nice opportunity for the countries in the Balkan region to get together and compete. The Championships really help those who want to practice for European competitions. It’s an amazing experience that will never be forgotten!” For ACS Athens siblings, Emmanouil, Kayla, and Alexandros Heliou-LeHeux, currently in the 8th, 9th and 12th grades respectively, the heart of their summers beats in the pulse of waves… waves they master on top of their wakeboards. Wakeboarding to them is more than just a sport. It is where they connect with friends and test their limits. It is where they fall and help each other stand up

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again. It is where they can fly above the sea, using their strength and mind as wings. This summer, all three decided to take their passion to a different level and compete in the 2015 Panhellenic Wakeboarding Competition amidst 60 other athletes from all over Greece. Wakeboarding requires a combination of water skiing, surfing and snowboarding techniques. During competitions athletes are judged on different tricks and routines while they’re being pulled behind a boat, which creates the wake. The day of the competition, Greece’s best wakeboard riders provided intense action, keeping the audience on edge with the excitement taking place on the water. That day, all three siblings came away winners in their Individual Age Group Categories. Manouil proved to be the best in his division as he earned himself 1st place, becoming Greece’s Wakeboard Champion in his category, stunning all with his natural talent. “When I am wakeboarding I feel free, untouchable and connected to the water that I love. Wakeboard for me is something different, it’s the time where I can do something I enjoy and where I feel free to express myself through challenge. Wakeboard for me is not just a sport, it teaches me life skills like how to pursue my goals with perseverance, hard work and fair play.

Getting 1st place, made me believe more in my abilities, and myself. I felt awesome… and that’s a great feeling to have! I thank my coach in Paros and the Vouliagmeni Team, who helped me succeed”, he said. Alexandros placed 2nd in his category impressing the crowd with his technique and skill and Kayla won 3rd place in her category amazing everyone with her discipline, drive and determination to compete, despite her broken wrist. Alexandros put his experience in perspective, “It is a unique feeling to know that hours of hard work finally pay off. The taste of success for me is like a peanut butter chocolate cookie on an October Tuesday bake sale. Significance derives from the feeling that you have left your mark doing something you love, and that feeling is unmatchable. That’s what we, all the participants, did that day, bringing the best of our courage, and determination to master the waves and our skills. This experience has left me with a wonderful feeling. I was very surprised to get 2nd place. I want to thank all the participants for the wonderful vibe they brought to the event. We are all champs (on the podium or

Opposite page: Anna Danalis with her horse Con Top

Current page: Manouil going “for the kill”

not) as we dare to stumble and fall, and continue to improve ourselves, towards every goal we set.” It was a shared victory which Kayla could not believe, “When I stepped on the podium to receive my medal, I was pleasantly surprised, and not because I had competed with a broken hand, in rainy, windy weather, but because my brothers and I had so much fun practicing this sport, we never realized how skilled we had become! We had worked so hard and learned so much. This was an unforgettable and very rewarding experience that brought people from all over Greece together. “Good Vibes in the Bay”, became the motto of the event, and we all brought our positive energy and enthusiasm to the competition. It is always fun to be near the sea and ride the waves. That is why I want to thank Aki Trova, Pano Trova, their mother Maria Trova, the Hellenic Wakeboard Federation, and John Gartzo for organizing such an event, and of course my Coach Yannis Panagakos and and his team, for lifting my spirits up. I am very excited for the next wakeboard competitions to see my improvement and show my skills (hahahahaha).” From another point of view, their mother described her emotions, “Each time my children dare to step out of their comfort zone, willing to try or learn something new, they evolve by taking a risk and committing with patience to master a skill, I feel so very proud of them! Sometimes, while watching them act on a new challenging move, for a fleeting moment, my heart stops.

But then, I reassure myself realizing that it is all about trusting them to believe in themselves, in every great challenge they welcome in their lives. That, for me, is the core for making meaningful, significant choices. I become happy and proud when I watch them do that with passion, commitment, grace and joy. That day, when all three of my children got on the podium, was a great moment! But what counts the most are the days of the competition, where only good memories remain from the connecting, supporting and celebrating we did all together for the same goal.” All four of these athletes competed because of a love for a sport. In this process of learning, they explored their potential and, by concentrating on their own inherent strengths, each discovered a way to make a difference in their community. They are among our students who drive change within the framework of our school’s belief in holistic, harmonious, and meaningful education. ■■

Current page from left to right: Kayla receiving 3rd place medal Alexandros being awarded 2nd place

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Boys Soccer: First Place Boys Volleyball: First Place Girls Volleyball: Third Place All Stars & Individual Performances

Athletics Interpretations of SUCCESS in Sports by Annie Constantinides, Director of Athletics, Summer Camp and Recreational Programs

ports, historically, have a competitive nature; in most cases, competition determines a winner while in other cases, a draw (tie score) can be the outcome. Whether the sport is a team or an individual sport, competition is there – in the heart of the actual effort. Whatever the situation, participants compete against others, or against themselves, by trying to perform better in whatever they do. Whether sport is experienced in the novice or amateur level or at the professional and highest level, human nature is the same among all participants – young or old… The Latin expression Citius, Altius, Fortius (“Faster, Higher, Stronger”) encapsulates the message of the Olympic movement, inviting all participants to strive for excellence; this became the official Olympic Games motto in the late 19th century. It is therefore no surprise, that success in sport has been associated with excellence, as measured by the actual performance at stake. Is success defined by the color of a medal – gold, silver or bronze? Is success something extrinsic or intrinsic? Is success visible to all? Through the years, depending on circumstances, many significant and famous people defined success in many ways and it is what WE as educators value the most. At ACS Athens, Athletics play an important role in the holistic development of our students. Virtues such as discipline, sportsmanship, effort, respect, motivation and pride are emphasized and make up the core of our philosophy. These are the words that are seen in our

Boys Soccer All Stars: Konstantinos Mylonas Filipos Triantoulis Spiro Karidis Girls Soccer All Stars Cassandra Salonitis Dorothea Petraki Boys Volleyball All Stars Chris Souyoulzoglou Andronikos Apostolopoulos Girls Volleyball All Stars Anna Maria Rifiotis Alexandra Malama Cross Country Outstanding Performance Philippe Veldkamp: 2nd in Varsity boys cross country race

gymnasium; no mention of the words “win” or “success”, as success can have multiple meanings… “Success is dependent on effort” - Sophocles The Varsity Boys Soccer team competed in the Division ISST Tournament that was hosted by our school; eight international schools competed over a period of two and a half days (five games for each school) and game after game, our team performed better and better; they reached the final game undefeated and captured first place with a decisive score of 4-1 against the International School of Brussels. Looking at their season, however, one thing that stood out was their perseverance in reaching their goal. This team was the only team that had early morning practices (not a common thing to do) and to the surprise of many, the majority if not all of the soccer players, were present every time. A number of games also took place at unconventional times making it challenging for the players to balance school and sport – and yet, they came through not only in the classrooms but also on the field. In sports, we often say, that everything begins with the passion for the sport and ends with the effort. A good skill set is needed, but unless passion and effort are there, skills are often not enough! Those athletes definitely had

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Boys soccer team

Varsity Boys All stars

Varsity boys volleyball team

both, passion and effort and the “by-product” was their gold medal, as well as individual acknowledgements of individuals that were selected in the all-star tournament team. This soccer team, consisting of 10 seniors, most of them returning players from the year before, repeated their first place achievement; by finishing in first place in the Division 3 tournament last year, they had set their goal of dong the exact same thing, in another division! This kind of achievement is significant, as it is not an easy task – and for this, a great deal of effort and belief is needed by all.

Varsity girls volleyball team

“To be prepared, is half the victory” Miguel de Cervantes The Varsity Boys Volleyball team travelled to Dusseldorf to participate in the Division 2 ISST tournament and they also returned with a gold medal in hand (without giving up a single set against all of their opponents) and their promotion to Division 1 for the upcoming year… did they expect to go that far? Watching them through their season, I am not sure they did – but I do know that they prepared well! From the beginning of the season, the coaches had one thing in mind: to prepare them as best as possible for their challenges ahead; early in the season, we hosted a local tournament in which top youth volleyball teams

participated; it was certainly an “eye opener” and challenging – something that the coaches wanted their players to experience in order to better prepare them for their final event. Along the same lines, our Varsity Girls Volleyball team, in Frankfurt, put up a good fight, and came back with the bronze medal; they too, prepared during the season and game after game they performed to their best ability. When returning home, they felt they had the skills to reach higher; but, they understood that every detail in a game is important for a more positive outcome. Obviously, more preparation can never hurt and understanding their game mistakes will provide an added motivational factor in returning next year, with the best preparation possible. “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome” Arthur Ashe Our Varsity Girls Soccer team traveled to Brussels for their ISST event and finished the tournament with one win against ACS Egham; it was a good way to finish a season in which the girls and the coaches were enthusiastic about their sport. Although their game scores in the ISSTs were not what they hoped for, they certainly enjoyed the “ride” – they were a “team”; caring for one another, constantly trying on the field and never giving up. Led by senior athletes, all of the girls had some good moments; individuals were recognized in the all-star tournament team and that in itself, was a team success as well. Cross Country running is not an “easy” sport! It takes a special “breed” to run but most importantly to train to run. Running in hot, cold, dry, windy and rainy weather is something that is not done by many… Our Cross country team traveled to Bonn to compete among many runners who were more experienced and had more opportunities in their season to compete in preparation for their final ISST event. Our runners were there and showed up! Each and every member of the cross country team had trained at ACS Athens in conditions that are challenging; running on asphalt (instead of the terrain of woods) does not provide the best possible preparation. Mostly every runner, however, achieved personal season best and succeeded in reaching an attainable goal: to do the best possible time for themselves. One can ask nothing more than that! ■■

Current page from top to bottom: Varsity girls soccer team Cross Country team Cross Country second place runner, Simon Veldkamp

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members to bring in used sports clothes in good condition, thus allowing the needier, to exercise and put fitness and sports in their lives.

Sports shoes recycling

A Small Gesture can be of SIGNIFICANT Value to Some… by Annie Constantinides, Director of Athletics, Summer Camp and Recreational Programs

he ACS Athens Athletic Council is a leadership group comprised of student/athletes representing our school sports and all the athletes; it consists of a group of athletes that are nominated by our varsity coaches. Their leadership role is not limited on the courts or fields; it also expands off the sports forum and into the classroom and into the community. As their main community service project in the previous academic year, and in collaboration with the NGO “Institute Team For the World” they initiated the “Sports Shoes Recycling” project at ACS Athens. This project is an ongoing project that takes place in a number of large international events, such as the Athens Classic Marathon; the group reached out to the athletes, their families and the ACS community to collect “old” sneakers that are still in good condition, in order to make them available to the needy. The ACS Athens Athletic Council even extended an invitation to other international schools that came to Athens in order to participate in international events hosted by us, such as TASIS, England! The Athletic council collected approximately 60 pairs of sneakers in excellent condition that were sent to the NGO office in Athens – these sneakers were then given to the National team of the Homeless that participated in the World Championships in the Netherlands this fall and to other groups of individuals that were in need. The Athletic Council plans on continuing this project and taking it a step further by asking community

A community service project initiated by the ACS Athens Athletic Council Most of us have a pair of sneakers that is hanging on a shelf without being used for some time or that we have outgrown. Instead of throwing it away during a house clearance, you are invited to bring your used-in good condition sport shoes- to ACS Athens and “give them a second life”; by doing that, a number of less fortunate individuals will have the chance to play, run, exercise and be active! The ACS Athens Athletic Council in collaboration with the NGO “Institute Team For the World” will also reach out to other International Schools that will visit our school throughout the year during our sports competitions, thus making it a truly International collaborative effort!

Professional

Development Kevin Ruth, Executive Director of ECIS, Discusses the Role of the Organization in International Education by Peggy Pelonis, Dean of Student Affairs

he annual European Council for International Schools conference 2015 in Barcelona, Spain welcomed delegates from around the world and offered the venue to engage in discussions, share ideas & practice within the context of the conference theme “Designing on Purpose”. The city’s magnificent Gaudian architectural monuments are a testament of creativity and splendor, yet lurking in people’s minds were the multiple recent terrorist attacks; both the former and latter attesting to the beauty and to the darkness that humans are capable of. How does darkness become light? through Education. Kevin Ruth believes education is the hope the world has of finding its way through the darkness. He begins his welcome with a poem by Poet Laureate Warsan Shire about the plight of refugees; a timely reflection given the current world moral crisis. Kevin Ruth in turn reflects and comments on the antidote to such a complex social dilemma: How did you come to assume the leadership of ECIS? I was a language teacher for years before I became deputy head of a private school in the East coast. I

Cathy Makropoulos, Chris Perakis, Kevin Ruth, Peggy Pelonis

got nourishment from teaching yet I was seriously interested in other cultures, innovation and creativity. The position felt comfortable and it was a direction in which I wanted to go in my life but I had not worked in international education and wondered how significant this would be. Turns out ‘non- traditional’ was in my favor. What is your vision for ECIS? I am not ready yet to share a vision but I am intrigued by the complexity of ECIS. Currently it’s an organization that mainly caters to Europe and it needs further definition of an identity. I mainly seek understanding. I am talking to a lot of people and I want a vision that is inclusive; an organization that believes that the notion of international education, whether that is through professional development or in other ways, can be impactful to the community and beyond. It also means uniting around that vision of impacting the world through equity, social means and life improvement. Our membership is growing without us going out there to recruit, so it seems to be coming together. However, a clearly defined vision is up-coming and will be unveiled soon. What does ‘Designing on Purpose’ mean to you? Purpose is the key. It’s how we put things together by first identifying what we want to achieve. It’s the state of being that you wish to attain in children who will then impact the world. It’s a journey. Kids will go out and do other important things! It’s purposely looking at that focus of creating an impact in the world. What do international education/global citizenship mean to you? They mean positive social impact. Being profoundly aware and respectful of a place, time and culture no matter where we live in the world. It’s transnational, though borders exist, it’s beyond borders to a higher plane; a higher level of thought. This is at the heart of education. We focus too much on curriculum and assessment but what about measuring what we value as the hallmark of our institution? Students need to learn skills, understand feelings, to help get through conflict, so it’s going beyond... purposefully. Social design is our purpose so it means becoming really intentional about education. Of course we will all see it differently, differing perspectives, but the energy is the same.

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Tell me about your ‘BRCK’ idea BRCKs were made and developed in Africa for Africa because of the power outages. These tablets are charged and don’t have to be plugged in. Close to 70 million children do not have access to education but with these you have equal access to information no matter where you are located in order to have knowledge. The BRCK idea is an initiative to provide these to as many schools as possible. We have a link to networking and making this happen. Technology will certainly not solve everything but it is a tool! However a two way relationship is needed because it must be implemented on the other side so that it’s sustainable. The important thing is to nourish relationships; to create deep, meaningful relationships. We all learn from each other. By the end of your term what is one thing that you want to have accomplished? I want people to think about ECIS purposefully as a partner in action in regards to education across the world. We have a lot to offer. I’d like to influence policy in international schools also. We should all be educating global citizens, and, why not do it collaboratively? I see us as complimentary not as competitive with other organizations. We need to build on our strengths.

Kevin Ruth

Kevin Ruth, a young, energetic, promising leader begins and ends the ECIS conference with poems by Warsan Shire, the young Kenyan-Somali-British poet, in honor of the refugees and the relevant crisis. It is indeed a clear statement about his commitment to international education as a means towards equity and balance in the world. “What they did yesterday afternoon” by Warsan Shire they set my aunts house on fire i cried the way women on tv do folding at the middle like a five pound note. i called the boy who use to love me tried to ‘okay’ my voice i said hello he said warsan, what’s wrong, what’s happened? i’ve been praying, and these are what my prayers look like; dear god i come from two countries one is thirsty the other is on fire both need water. later that night i held an atlas in my lap ran my fingers across the whole world and whispered where does it hurt?

Chris Perakis, Kevin Ruth

it answered everywhere everywhere everywhere.

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dents were able to share their university experiences thus far and we quenched their thirst for the ‘back home’ nostalgia by updating them on everything that is going on right here. The students were excited to be part of the reunion and all shared similar comments regarding the preparation ACS Athens provided them while in High School. Even though they may be a few thousand miles away from home they all feel wellequipped and have graciously and courageously taken their first steps of adulthood and independence.

Council of International Schools Conference (CIS), Edinburgh, Scotland by Mandy Dragatakis, Academy Guidance Specialist and Anna Makris, Assistant Psychologist

he 2015 Council of International Schools (CIS) Forum in Edinburgh Scotland was a remarkable opportunity for counselors and University / College representatives to meet, greet, network and exchange ideas, while expanding professionally by attending several informative sessions. This year’s CIS Forum theme was Inclusion; all students should have equal opportunities for higher education regardless of their socioeconomic background and learning profile. While the conference offered a rich array of knowledge and professional experiences, there was an additional feature to the trip that, we dare say, was the highlight of the event. In addition to having the opportunity to visit several university campuses firsthand (University of Glasgow, University of Dundee), we (the ACS Athens Academy Counselors attending the CIS Forum) met with ACS Athens Alumni from all over Scotland! The first reunion took place in Glasgow with several graduates from 2014 and 2015. The second reunion took place in Edinburgh and was attended by Alumni from 2013 all the way to 2015. The stu-

Current and Opposite page: Graduates and alumni reunion from 2013 - 2015

their assumptions. The list goes on, as the potential for collaboration is limited only by the ideas and questions posed by ACS Athens faculty to their CLC groups and by the time they have to collaborate. We, as members of the CLC, are only beginning to discover the possibilities. With the gradual development of Collaborative Learning Communities at our school, we now have over sixty faculty members who participate in on-going groups that meet every four weeks. The net result has been a vibrant cross fertilization of ideas, with faculty just beginning to tap into the vast wealth of teaching experience held in common by our talented faculty. This unique networking across all levels of the schools and the creation of a web of trust and support among colleagues are leading to more and more teachers bringing questions that can help to improve their work and to improve student learning.

Collaborative Learning Communities (CLCs): A Unique Approach to Successful Professional Development

by David Nelson and Penny Kynigou Coordinators of the ACS Athens CLC Core Team National Facilitators, National School Reform Faculty (Bloomington, IN)

he unique ACS Athens experience with Collaborative Learning Communities (CLC) has enriched our school by bringing teachers out of the isolation of their classrooms, grade levels and traditional department meetings. Faculty members collaborate in heterogeneous groups across the schools, leading to unexpected but effective pooling of ideas, such as: ◉◉ Faculty from all three schools coming together to discover and share innovative ways to use technology in their instruction; ◉◉ Elementary School teachers brainstorming ideas with High School Science teachers; ◉◉ Middle and Elementary School teachers contributing strategies to assist Academy subject area specialists to more effectively reach their students; ◉◉ Middle School teachers informing the scope and sequence of Elementary Math, and vice versa; ◉◉ IB Academy challenging the faculty to question

In this teacher driven initiative, we have had twenty six faculty members trained as Coaches of the Critical Friends Group® model over the past five years. Thirteen of those trained faculty are still with our school and serve as CLC Coaches who facilitate the carefully selected processes that seek equity, trust, reflection and mutual growth. Such a structure is made possible by the strong administrative support of ACS Athens leaders who understand the vast benefits of providing time and flexibility for their faculty to collaborate. Ultimately, we as teachers are empowered to pool our expertise for the benefit of students at ACS Athens. As many of our parents also know, collaborative skills can be a make or break in personal and/or professional success. The reality is that in order to teach collaboration, we need to become collaborators ourselves. We, as members of the CLC Core, believe that collaboration is central to learning and we seek to model successful structures that help “individuals to transform the world as architects of their own learning”, which is, after all, the defining vision of ACS Athens. Whether in education or business, collaboration in today’s reality is much different than traditional models of cooperation, which have often been used as the stand-by for schools and organizations. With classic cooperative organization, committees in schools were the go-to for planning, policy making and work. Committee members were often selected, in a topdown model, to work towards a highly specific task or selected goal. Cooperating to complete those shortterm goals by dividing the tasks and by fulfilling their roles, educators knew that once the task was completed, their service also ended. Whereas committees are still needed to help us with the business of getting our work done, collaborative groups help us to delve deeper, to challenge our assumptions and discuss the “undiscussable”. Collaboration is rooted in the desire to leverage the specialties of each group member. In our CLCs, the needs of the

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group members are the driving force of each group’s organization. Collaboration means that all members are called upon to give and receive feedback in an atmosphere of open and honest communication. Through this creation of trust and interdependence, we as group members expand our understanding, and seek even better ways to educate our students. The processes and protocols applied by each coach and facilitator seek to address the needs of the group members, who are encouraged to bring items to the CLC that relate to their professional goals, lesson designs, and student work. In their ideal, CLCs provide an on-going feedback loop, through which teachers can provide long-term support for each other, based on their increased awareness of the learning that is taking place throughout our campus. Business leaders and educators alike can draw from the transformative potential of collaboration, and it may be that at ACS Athens, we’re ahead of the curve. In 2014 Google Inc. released its findings from research into the company’s most successful managers and simultaneously created Project Oxygen, a program that has since been widely emulated in MBA programs at Universities around the world. Google concluded that its most “effective managers are good coaches who empower rather than micromanage” (Mendoza and Liedtke, 2015). This November, Google just published its findings of a follow-up study, this time into the inner workings of Google’s most successful teams. Their freshly released research not only supports what we are beginning to see with our CLCs, but also provides invaluable insights for leaders of all creative institutions. After Project Oxygen, Google conducted a two year study of over 200 employees across more than 180 teams to discover the unique characteristics of the most successful teams in their company. In all, according to Business Insider, Google discovered that “a team’s dynamics are more important than the talents of the individuals who make it up” (Feloni, Nov 2015). More interesting still are the similarities between what Google just released in its follow-up study and what is being revealed through our own Collaborative Learning Communities. Google announced on the company’s “re:Work” blog, “The Five Keys to a Successful Team”: ◉◉ Establish “psychological safety” “Team members feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other.” ◉◉ Require Dependability “Team members get things done on time and meet Google’s high bar for excellence.” ◉◉ Provide Structure and Clarity “Team members have clear roles, plans and goals.” ◉◉ Give each of their members meaning “Work is personally important to team members.” ◉◉ They have purpose “Team members think their work matters and creates change.” (Rozovsky, Google Inc, 2015)

Studies were also recently conducted at the University of Notre Dame by Jamine Hu and at the University of Illinois at Chicago by Robert Liden, which seem to corroborate Google’s findings. According to Senior Writer Chad Brooks of the Business News Daily, Professor Hu interpreted the study’s findings that “the highest level of team effectiveness was achieved when team motivation to benefit others and the interdependence of tasks among team members were both high.” In short, Brooks summarized that the study “found employees excel when they feel their work will help the colleagues, customers and commu nity” (Brooks, Business News Daily, 2015). Inherent to many of the processes of the Collaborative Learning Communities, these “Keys to a Successful” Google team are also helping our faculty to leverage the collective potential of the group. What is more, teachers are acquiring a greater familiarity with collaborative learning structures through their participation in CLC meetings and bringing those tools back into the classroom. The overall process is enabling teachers to significantly and sustainably change the culture of the classroom and to further facilitate rather than just direct their students’ learning. Our best measure of success will be when we see not only teachers, but also students, engaging in the kind of authentic dialogue and mutual trust that will help them collaborate yet more productively. Brooks, Chad. “Teams Work Better When Employees Care About Each Other.” Business News Daily. N.p., 19 Nov. 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <http://www.businessnewsdaily. com/8585-teams-care-about-others.html>. Feloni, Richard. “Google Has Found That Its Most Successful Teams Have 5 Traits in Common.” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 18 Nov. 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <http://www. businessinsider.com/google-explains-top-traits-of-its-bestteams-2015-11>. Mattoon, Michele. “National School Reform Faculty.” National School Reform Faculty: Critical Friends Group Work|. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2015. <http://www.nsrfharmony.org/>. Mendoza, Martha, and Michael Liedtke. “Google Searches Itself to Build More Productive Teams.” Glens Falls Post-Star. Via the Associated Press, 17 Nov. 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. Rozovsky, Julia Analyst, Google People Operations. “Re:Work - The Five Keys to a Successful Google Team.” Re:Work - The Five Keys to a Successful Google Team. Google Inc., 17 Nov. 2015. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. <https://rework.withgoogle.com/ blog/five-keys-to-a-successful-google-team/>. ■■

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University

Collaborations Interview with Dr. John Vassiliou, St. Thomas University by Leda Tsoukia, Ethos Chief Editor

n October 2015, a new collaboration has been signed between ACS Athens and St. Thomas University. It includes a collaborative design and teaching of at least one new course: Innovative Teaching in an International Environment. (ACS Athens faculty – Athens, Miami and on-line component.) STU students will spend the academic school year completing a teaching internship/assistantship under the supervision of a faculty (holding masters and/ or doctoral degrees) – pre-approved by ACS Athens. There will also be an opportunity for ACS Athens faculty to spend a period of no more than one semester on the STU campus as visiting scholars, and for STU faculty to have the same experience at ACS Athens, sharing their expertise with ACS Athens faculty and students for a period of no more than one semester in Athens Dr. John Vassiliou has rejoined St. Thomas University fam-

ily as the Associate Provost for Student Success. Dr. Vassiliou brings to STU nineteen (19) years of higher education leadership experience in Student Success, Retention, & Completion initiatives, Academic Advising & Support Services, and Learning Resources & Tutoring Services. In addition, he has vast experience in educational research and publications, Developmental Education innovative modalities, accreditation with both the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), and ten (10) years of Student Success courses teaching experience. He earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Florida Atlantic University, and prior to that, his M.S. in Sports Administration at his Alma Matter, St. Thomas University (class of 2001)! Q: Could you tell us a few words about St. Thomas University? St. Thomas University is a private, catholic university first founded in Havana, Cuba in 1946 by American Augustinian Friars. In 1961 they were exiled from Cuba, and arrived in Miami, Florida, where they opened a Men’s Catholic College. By 1984, the college (initially called Biscayne College) achieved university status and changed its name back to St. Thomas to honor its roots. We have a beautiful 144-acre campus that provides an incredible setting for our residential students who attend one of our five schools and college. Our enrollment, including our online students and high school students dually-enrolled with the university, is more than 5,000 students. Renowned for leadership development in justice, science, business and ministry, St. Thomas University recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary of academic excellence and progressive offerings. Its academic expansion now includes unique degrees in Global Entrepreneurship and International Business, the nationally renowned Sports Administration program, Communication Arts, Intercultural Human Rights and undergraduate science research conducted in state-of-the-art laboratories. We are a small-class size, private university with a competitive advantage that allows students to reach their highest potential. We are a Global University with more than 275 International students representing more than 70 countries from around the world! Q: What makes a St. Thomas University education so different? We develop “Leaders for Life”. There are many reasons why our graduates receive an incredible educational experience at St. Thomas. We place an emphasis an “experiential” experiences – which enhance the classroom learning – whether in internships, study aboard, service learning opportunities in the community, or with unique undergraduate research opportunities that means 18-year olds are doing hands-on research on spinal cord injury, cancer research, etc. But, I believe that in addition to our excellent academic programs, it is the emphasis on ethics, leadership development, and service that make a St. Thomas University education so special. Employers don’t just want to hire people with book knowledge, they want to hire ethical employees who understand the

concept of service and will be leaders in their fields.” We challenge our students to “Envision Their Future”. Tomorrow is what you make of it, so, we encourage students to make it count. St. Thomas University is the shortest distance between an individual and their goals. We are all about affordable opportunity, with unique cutting edge majors to put anyone right into the path of a successful career. The professors and facilities are second to none, and from day one, we make it clear to each student: “You Matter”. We are the open door to your career. Q: What is St. Thomas University’s approach to academics? Our desire is to provide our local, national, and international community with work-ready graduates in the careers that are most in demand. For example, we have just launched 18 new degree programs, the bulk of which are designed to address high-need jobs. Bachelors, Masters and MBAs are being offered in Cyber Security Management, Trade & Logistics/Supply Chain Management, Big Data Analytics, Global Entrepreneurship, Global Marketing, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Nursing. Q: What is your role at St. Thomas University? My role can be summed up in two words: Student Success. From the moment a student enters our campus, our goal is to ensure they are supported, so, they can succeed, become prepared to enter the workforce, develop leadership skills, and graduate –in just FOUR years or less! The University has made significant enhancements to its Student Success programs. My job is to make sure that every single student is afforded every opportunity to succeed and to move to the next step in their lives. That means academic advising, early intervention and assistance when needed through tutoring, career readiness, part-time, internships, and ultimately full-time job opportunities for every single student! Q: How can an International Student from Greece feel “at home” at St. Thomas University? Miami and South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Boca Raton) in general, have a fairly large Greek American population! There are several Greek Orthodox Churches through out South Florida, including the Church of Annunciation in North Miami, very near to St. Thomas University’s Campus, St. Sophia in Coral Gables, and St. Andrew in the Kendall area. All three of them together have more than 1,000 parishioners, and each stages an annual Greek festival. In addition, there are several other churches in the Ft. Lauderdale and Boca Raton areas, most notable ones are St. Demetrios in Ft. Lauderdale and St. Mark in Boca Raton, both of them house Greek festivals each year as well. In addition, a Greek American Charter School, Archimedean Academy in the South West Miami area, offers a rigorous curriculum in science areas as well as in Greek language and Mathematics (taught in Greek!) for several students, most of them from a Greek background! Last but not least, I am Greek,

born and raised in Agios Konstantinos, Fthiotida, near Lamia, and I am a graduate of St. Thomas University myself (Master’s in Sports Administration), as well as a father of two beautiful girls, Alexandra and Sophia, brought up in the Greek culture, and as a parent I understand the concerns that come with such role, especially when the children are in foreign land, like I was when I moved to the US in 1989! It was comforting for my parents to know, that I was amongst Greeks that understood me and supported me while I was adjusting in my new life “away” from home. They made me feel like home. This is my promise to the parents of all Greek students, as well as non-Greeks that will from ACS of Athens to St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida. “Your sons and daughters, besides getting a quality education, they will be “cared for” during their stay here. Like they were my sons and daughters!” Q: Do you think that the resemblance in the philosophy of the two schools, has influenced the collaboration between them? I believe in ethical practices and doing well for others, and of course this is also what the University stands for. That is something we have engaged our students into. We do a lot of work with intercultural rights and human rights, etc. We teach our students to be leaders. It’s a challenging task, but this is something that our society needs. I saw a lot of commonality between the two institutions and that is why I think this is not just a business partnership, our philosophies are very much aligned. And this is also something important for the students who might come here, they will not experience something different than what they are accustomed to. Q: How challenging do you think is a collaborative design and teaching of a new course such as “Innovative teaching in an international environment” between a K-12 Institution and a University? What are the difficulties? We are bringing different perspectives together. It is exciting because we are allowing two different perspectives to come together and build something that is going to be dynamic and that is non existing. It’s like bringing two cultures together. Sometimes we are isolated in our own culture; it is the only thing we see, we behave in a certain way, influenced by it, but then the other one comes in and it allows us to open up and see things differently. And every side brings in very beneficial input and information. It makes the final product more global, more diverse and of course more powerful! One of the biggest challenges in higher education is that when it comes to facing a problem, we are pointing the finger and blaming each other for what ever is happening at the next level of education. And then, when we are in that level, we point the finger back and say that the problem was originally there. Most importantly is that we all work together into bridging that gap, and make the transition from one level to the other easier for the students. We are currently working with High School Faculty and building curriculla that will provide similar transitions to the College level for the students. If we work together we

can make sure that the student has the foundation to reach the next level. So all parties benefit from a collaboration like this. Q: Is there something you see in the students that makes you think instantly that this person will be more successful academically, happier with his/her choices? more mature? Yes, there is! I look for desire! If they have desire, it doesn’t matter at which level they are when they come to the University. When students ask me if they will make it, I tell them it’s a two-way street: “You commit to your success, do your part, and I will commit in doing my part for your success.” So we build that trusting relationship, which creates a friendship; they know that I am there for them. In closing, I would like to say something that I repeat to my students all the time: I am here because I believe in what I am doing. I am a parent as well, I was a student, so I understand how to deal with young people and I understand their problems. I also know the importance of education. I am who I am today because I pursued my dream which was to play soccer. I didn’t know where I was going to end up but pursuing that one thing lead to another. And this is why I am here today. ■■

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Retreat Becoming More Significant through Action and Service! by Ms. Tokatlidou, Academy Vice Principal and Director of AP and IB programs, based on individual IB student reflections.

Special thanks to Lydia Lampiri, Panagiotis Floros and Fay Nikolakopoulou for their extended contribution in writing this collective reflection

ne of the privileges of growing to become an 11th Grader, is the Grade 11/IB Bonding Retreat which, this year, took place from October 14 to October 17. Both IB Diploma and IB Diploma Course students visited three cities in the area of Northern Peloponnese where through a variety of volunteer and experiential learning activities we all developed a profound understanding of almost all attributes of the ACS Athens/IB Learner Profile. We were challenged and asked to examine everything through various perspectives, to actively engage in supporting the environment, to apply experimental sciences to real life situations and to acquire skills and knowledge by observing and measuring real life problems. All acquired experiences filtered through the seminars on TOK and CAS assisted in comprehending the philosophy of the IBDP Programme. One of our stops was a home for the elderly in Pyrgos, where some of us spent time with the senior citizens while the rest of the students went to buy groceries to add them to the stock of the food collected from our school wide food drive. As soon as we were welcome into the home, the young and the elderly formed random groups and engaged in lively conversations. Even

though we were complete strangers, many of the patients opened up to us, told us about their families, their lives, their concerns while others just listened to the happy buzz that filled the air of the room. Stories from the war or the politics of the past or the excitement of a recent soccer game drew our attention, as learning from the experience of others was fascinating. Smiles, laughter, not always our own, lightened the room more than the sun of the beautiful October day. They thanked us for the food we gave them, the time we spent together, the fact that we remember them every year and they showered us with warm wishes for our families and ourselves. We hugged them, as we would hug our own grandparents. We caressed them with care, knowing that our touch would brighten their lives, even if that would be only for a few moments. We all walked out of the home for the elderly with a big smile on our faces, sharing with each other the stories we had been narrated. With this positive and mellow state of emotions, we got onto the bus to visit the Therapeutirion Lehainwn, the place where the “challenged” challenge our ability to accept the different, our willingness to help those in need, our stamina in pursuing a positive change in our societies. Fifty-three students unloaded the bus and carried the substantial quantities of food collected to support the basic needs of the patients for a few weeks. Stacking up the supplies in the storage room helped us familiarize ourselves with the environment but mostly, it helped us manage our anxiety in meeting with the patients of the institution. We received their heartfelt appreciation for ACS Athens, for being part of the life-long friends and supporters. The institution walls are covered with the artwork of past ACS Athens students and we are all standing there, in the reception area, listening and trying to get a glimpse of the patients at the end of the corridor. Finally, after the exchange of gifts and speeches of gratitude, we entered the rooms in groups accompanied by a person from the nursing staff. We met the residents of the centre, mostly children, although there were some that were in their twenties, thirties and forties. Nonetheless, age does not have a number there, and nobody looks rather “old” anyway. We exchanged glances with unfamiliar faces, extended our hands to those who took a step back when they saw us, we smiled to those who ignored our presence. Some students stepped into the playroom attempting to connect with patients. Some looked sadly at those tied in the cage-looking cribs or in their wheel chairs. “They can harm themselves,” we were told. The empty look in their eyes, the indistinguishable mix of sounds does not leave much room for communication. I wonder what they think of all of us trying to caress them, trying to start a conversation with them or even looking at them with sadness. Are they upset because we are invading their privacy? Will we ever know? Prodromos, a 30- something year- old patient, was definitely happy to see us all. Along with a few other patients, he remembers the teachers who visit the center regularly. He held our hands and would not

Taking care of the Botanical Garden

let go. His eyes lit up when we started talking about Olympiako, his favorite soccer team. The cry of joy of the young autistic girl is a sign that love and care is an effective way to communicate with these unique individuals. She felt our love and care. Over the years, ACS students have become part of her wide circle of friends of family. They have left their mark on the walls of the institution, on the red-heart painted above Kanella’s bed, in the minds of those patients who can remember the songs, the dances and the joy of our parties. The picture of the 10-year old patient running around in the hallways of the institution playing with Artemi is what we believe make us a student body significant to these people. We respect them, we accept them, we learn from their differences and we do want to take actions towards sustaining a happy and healthy environment for them. Have we succeeded in becoming important in the lives of these individuals? The warmth we receive from current and retired staff, administrators and the excitement on the faces of the patients is a welcome confirmation that we are important and we have become a significant part of their lives even if only for a few days of the year. They welcome us with enthusiasm and joy; they showed their emotions with no reservation as we all do with our friends and family; they let tears come down their faces when we thanked them for allowing us to become better people. “We feel so proud of you”, they said, “When we see you, the ACS Athens students setting the good example of citizenship, of empathy, of genuine kindness.” The appreciation we received is not a simple reward. It is a lesson for motivation to try to make things better for the world around us. It is a measure of our impact on the lives of these people. It is what makes us better human beings and definitely much more significant socially than the number of likes received on our postings in the modern social media. On our way back to Ancient Olympia, we all reflected on our experience from the two visits. It was clear in our minds that we are the privileged ones. We are blessed with loving parents who are the living example of kindness, giving and respect. We are fortunate to enjoy many material things and to live in stable and caring families and communities. Many of us called our parents, not to ask for anything but to say thank you for all they offer to us. The bus drove through high ways and local roads filled with uncollected garbage, another local community issue. How difficult is to learn to recycle waste or to organize regular garbage collection, we wondered. How can we become significant in ensuring that all children live in a clean, healthy environment? In the evening of the same day, the day’s experiences transformed into clear knowledge and understandings through our TOK workshop. In the conference room, we allowed ourselves the humility of the emotions and tears, the anger as to why some people are not born with the same privileges as others and the

frustration as to why the authorities do not always address these problems effectively. We acted as passionate, caring, responsible individuals who want to make the world a better place for all. At the time, we all believed that we would always remember our promises to ourselves to make things better for the unfortunate ones. The next day, our visit to the museum and our care for the Botanical garden changed our mood. The part of the garden maintained by the Grade 11 students looked beautiful. We, as ACS Athens students, have had a measurable positive impact. We started working on a new part of the garden. We all engaged in digging and weeding with enthusiasm under the guidance of the two representatives of the Environmental Association of Olympia, Ms Elke and Ms Josefina, while at the same time took the opportunity to observe the plants and insects with a great interest. We would call on Ms Kasem enthusiastically every time we were able to connect our findings to our Biology learning. It was there, under the shade of the Kronios Hill that we completed some of the practical work requirement for Biology. All IB science students were involved in observing and collecting water and plant samples from Lake Kaifa, the Botanical Garden and the surrounding area. This was a fun learning experience. In the conference room the same night, under Dr Romanos and Ms Kasem’s guidance we conducted the experiments using our samples, analyzed our data and shared our findings with others. What a valuable experience, extended learning and deep understanding. We are all thankful for having such caring, content experts and creative teachers. They would not miss any opportunity to promote all attributes of our Learner Profile. The group bonding games that Ms Moore had organized were the highlight of our last night in Ancient Olympia. No pictures or words can describe precisely the fun, the bonding and the teacher-student connection we experienced that evening. We drove back through the ugly pile of garbage on the side of the road. Some of us sat on the bus silent reflecting on the diverse experiences gathered throughout our 3-day trip. Some felt a bit wiser. We have seen more, we know more now. Some, subconsciously, tried to forget those sad images that are difficult to handle emotionally. Some felt powerful and strong and came up with a number of ideas to raise social awareness, to improve the garbage collection problem, to improve the living conditions in the Therapeutirion Lehainwn. We all felt empowered and significant. We felt significant for taking a positive step to improve the lives of the patients of the two institutions we visited. We felt significant for contributing in maintaining the Botanical Garden in the archaeological area of Ancient Olympia. We felt significant for giving to ourselves a chance to learn through experiments, through caring and most of all for taking the chance to look deeper into our emotions, our values and our actions as responsible citizens. We know that it takes a lot of effort to make the difference in people’s lives. What most of us know, after our Grade 11/ IB Bonding retreat, is that we are willing to put the effort to make our communities, our societies a better

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Walking the path of Ancient Greeks

ETHOS WINTER 2015

Current page: Visit at the Home for the Elderly, Pyrgos Ilias 53 students in support of the Therapeutirion Lehainon Class work outside of the Classroom

place for all. My take away from the October 2015 - IB Retreat to Ancient Olympia and Lehaina: Wanting to be a more significant individual. by Fay Nikolopoulou, Grade 11- IB Diploma Year 1 I believe going to Therapeutirio Lehainwn, previously known as KEPEP, in Lehaina was a life changing event for many of us. What we saw there made us rethink our whole lives and how we perceive them. I distinctly remember the bus ride back to the hotel; we were all numb and kept on repeating that we will never complain or whine about anything again and that we would be much more grateful for our lives. And yet even though we all said that it only took a few days after we returned from the trip to put it out of our minds. Because it was so easy to forget everything we told ourselves there when faced with the reality that we experience here. I wrote this poem as a loose reflection of our experience, mostly because I wanted to stress the fact that even though we are not going to remember that experience all the time we can still change our lives because of it. Personally this experience has made me want to help people even more and I know that, I always will cast a silent prayer to Olympia. Our Reality Wrapped up in our own reality We perceive what we wish to see And not what has come to be In a world filled with anger, war and hate Visit a place of eternal embrace And open your eyes wide To see a world different than your own A world that will only last so long A man remains a boy A woman remains a girl In a castle of a timeless tale In a center for the different ones The ones that don’t belong Yet claw to life so strong The boy cannot breathe on his own The girl cannot move her own bone Yet when they see us they smile wide And motion at the sky While we just sit there and cry Why do we cry? Because these are human souls Cursed with a lifetime of pain And we can’t help but ask why What is the purpose and the gain? Why should they suffer for a non-existent crime? While we boast in a life we never earned and simply whine The girl hits her head against the cage And we cry as she laughs with glee And wonder why we cannot be More selfless and grateful for our lives

Because they live in a world of lies As big as their rooms, and yet They are happier than we will ever be For this is the only world they will ever see We want to help but don’t know how So we return home with a heavy heart Wondering about the musings of the world Wondering how, to the best, it can be so cold We vow to never forget their faces To dedicate to them so many places And yet as time goes by we just forget Because our own small worries make us fret Yet even if we won’t remember them that much We can still try to hold on to that feeling That feeling of unconditional love That they give to whoever they touch And maybe one day We will be able to break out of our reality And live our lives twice as hard To try to make up for what they have lost When life unjustly made them scarred Yet so much kinder than anything we are ■■

would you pursue that attractive boy or girl you have secretly had a crush on since tenth grade - the one you thought would never notice you? And what about the arts and sports? Would you sing in a rock band, take up Latin American dancing or abseil down El Capitain at dawn on a cold winter’s day? What would you do with your life?

Graduation Class 2015 Celebrating a milestone! by Evelyn Pittas, Academy IB Faculty- English Language and Literature Division & Frances Tottas, Assistant Director of Enrollment

t gives us great pleasure to speak to you, as you are entering the next phase of your lives; a step into a world which we hope you will find exciting and fulfilling! When your parents graduated they entered a world quite different from the one you are facing. In many ways it was a simpler time when there was almost full employment and right and wrong was more clearly defined. You have entered an exciting world but also a somewhat frightening one where security cannot be taken for granted and the old belief that you could have a “job for life” no longer exists. This will call upon all of your independence, determination and perseverance. It means you will no doubt face setbacks and have times when life seems unfair.

There is nothing wrong with aiming high, and failing; but there is waste in failing because you did not try in the first place. So dare to dream, so that, when you are older, you will have no regrets. We trust that you will be able to look back on your life and see that it has been a life of achievement, and a life well-lived. We wish that you will have had the joy of fulfilling work and a loving relationship. We hope that you will have enjoyed more laugher than tears. We trust that you will be able to examine the way you have lived and be proud that you have identified the strengths in people, their gentleness, and how they smile; that you will have found the goodness in others; that you will have been kind. As you go into the world, look back sometimes and remember the friends you made at ACS Athens, and the things you learned. We are not those people who believe that “school days are the best days of your life.” Rather, we are pleased to tell you that life can be rich and fulfilling after school if you are prepared to work hard, to never stop learning and to respect yourself and others! We hope that the world brings you all the things you wish for and that you find all that you seek. Above all we hope, to quote Hamlet from one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, this above all: to thine Own self be true And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be False to any man Remember us at ACS Athens. Our love and best wishes go with you wherever you may be! ■■

We hope, however, that you will never allow others to persuade you against striving for those things that you really want from life. We hope that you will not be so insistent upon demanding rights that you will not discharge your obligations. We hope you will remember that you are responsible for what you say and do. We hope you will aim high. We challenge you all, for a moment, to imagine what you would do if you knew you could not fail. Would you continue to follow the career you have earmarked, or would you set off on a totally different journey? Would you maintain the same relationships you have now or

Opposite page from left to right: Ms Evelyn Pittas, Academy

IB Faculty Graduating Class, 2015

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