2016 fall newsletter

Agia Sophia Academy 14485 SW Walker Road Beaverton, OR 97006 503.641.4600 www.asapdx.org

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~ This newsletter is also available in full color on our website at www.ASAPDX.org ~

Dear ASA Community, I greet you this fall season of 2016 with great joy and fresh excitement for a new school year! When I first encountered Agia Sophia Academy, I was quickly drawn to its nurturing environment in which I could be an instrumental part of children’s holistic development. As a teacher, and now administrator at ASA, I am confident that my work is purposeful and affects change in the lives of not only the students, but their families, church communities, and others. As principal, I am committed to continuing the academic rigor and standard of excellence we cherish as a school. In addition to this standard, we engage with the local Orthodox community, as we see ASA as both a resource for faith and education, and as a second spiritual home to the children we serve. Every year, we work together to meet school wide improvement goals. This fall, thanks to the community’s support in our Spring Campaign and the assistance of our Parent Teacher Partnership, we were able to purchase a computer cart with fifteen student laptops! Through this new resource, we are able to update our standardized testing to better assess student growth and fine tune our instruction. This technology resource will be used to support the wonderful work that teachers are already doing and provide new opportunities for research, typing development, and individualized practice of learned skills. We look forward to being able to use this resource in order to prepare students to succeed in the 21st-century world. Another goal we have this year is to strengthen our connection with families from our local church communities. Once again, we have invited our Northwest parish priests to visit ASA and spend time teaching and praying with the children and families. We have also made appearances at some of the surrounding church festivals, which we help to advertise and encourage our families to attend. We are working closely with the community at our host parish, St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, to plan joint events and make decisions that benefit both organizations. For example, we are looking forward to partnering with the senior group at St. John’s more closely this year, as we have begun to establish a beautiful relationship between the seniors and the lively, young children at our school, and we hope that continues. I am honored to work beside such a diverse and dedicated team of teachers, with whom I have been blessed to learn and develop relationships over the past two years of teaching at ASA. We are committed to being examples of the lifelong learners we wish our children to become, and to that end, will continue as a staff to work toward professional development goals and wider school goals as well. For those of you whom I have not had the pleasure to meet in person, I want to say thank you for your involvement in ASA. Each member of our school community is of great value to the life and longevity of this beloved institution, and we thank you for your support and prayers throughout the year. Sincerely, Ranae Rice, School Principal

Agia Sophia Academy Newsletter, Fall 2016

1

Welcome Mrs. Rollison - our new 1st/2nd Grade Teacher! Mrs. Emily Rollison was born in Norfolk, Nebraska but has considered Colorado her home from a young age. After taking a bit of a long road to education, Emily now holds a Master of Elementary Education and Curriculum Design from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis, which she earned while completing her first two years of teaching with Teach For America in Kansas City, Missouri. While in Kansas City, Emily taught first grade and developed a passion for early literacy and high levels of student engagement. Building on the knowledge and experience of her first two years of teaching, Emily worked diligently to become an exceptional literacy teacher by implementing research-based strategies and knowledge around early literacy development. She has guided and inspired her students to cultivate their own love for learning & has seen how they apply knowledge of various subjects to their everyday lives. In 2014, Emily relocated once again to the great state of Colorado in order to be nearer to her now husband, Miles. Shortly after her return to Colorado, Emily was embraced by the wonderful community of Saint Spyridon’s Orthodox Church in Loveland, Colorado, and was baptized into the Orthodox faith in August 2015. Since her baptism, Emily has felt a strong desire to teach in a community that aligns with her own personal values and beliefs. She is excited to join the Agia Sophia Academy staff and surrounding community and shared with us the following: “For me, the most beloved part of teaching at Agia Sophia is the kids. They are such an awesome group of first and second graders; I can’t wait to see where the year takes us. It’s been wonderful to watch them develop new academic skills, grow their faith, and learn to be the best they can be. I can only imagine the wonderful things in store for us throughout the year! I’m looking forward to so many things this school year that it’s hard to pick one. I’ve been told the ASA Gala is a beautiful event and I’m looking forward to that. I’m also excited about the upcoming Christmas performance that Mrs. Powell is working diligently on with the students. They have been talking about it nonstop.” Thank you, Emily, for being a part of our dedicated teaching team. Your students are blessed to have you as their teacher, and have already demonstrated how much they are learning!

A big THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our Spring Campaign, including a generous Anonymous donor, our amazing PTP (Parent Teacher Partnership), and FM Global - with your help we were able to raise almost $14,000 to fulfill our Technology Plan. With these funds, the school now has 15 Lenovo laptops, a locking Mobile Laptop Cart and charging station, MAP Standardized Testing and Setup, and 15 child-friendly headsets, among other things. We are grateful to all of you for making this dream a reality for our children!

Introducing MAP (Measures of Academic Progress)… We look forward to a new form of standardized testing this year, called Measures of Academic Progress. MAP tests are unique in that they adapt to each child’s level of learning. As a result, we can utilize the information from these tests not only to see how our students compare to the norm, but also in order to set individualized growth goals for students. MAP offers a variety of reports, providing us with detailed information that is valuable for administrators, teachers, parents, and the larger community.

A Big Fat Greek

Thank You

to Langdon Farms Golf Club, our sponsors, our Greek Open Committee (Niko Poulos, Chris Perlmutter, Steven Estes, Scott Taylor, Sarah Kondoleon Taylor, Euphrosyne McKenzie, and Christina Blankenstein), our volunteers, and to everyone who came out to our 21st Annual Greek Open Golf Tournament and Dinner! It was a huge success, nearly doubling last year’s profit!

With MAP tests, we can administer shorter tests and use less class time while still receiving detailed, accurate information about each child’s growth. Students complete the testing three times throughout the year, with specific tests given to each grade level. Students in grades Kindergarten through 2nd take the tests in Reading and Mathematics, and grades 3rd through 5th take the tests in Reading, Mathematics, Language Usage and Science. We are excited to use MAP testing as a tool to inform our instruction and to determine our students’ strengths and growth areas. Stay tuned for our test results coming up at the end of this year!

Mrs. Christina (Bournelis) Blankenstein is a native Oregonian who grew up within the community of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Mrs. Blankenstein attended Catholic elementary and high school in the Portland Metro area. After high school, she earned a Bachelor of Politics and minor degree in history from Whitman College. After spending a short time teaching English in China, Mrs. Blankenstein decided to return to school to earn her Master of Teaching at University of Portland. After graduation, she spent 2 1/2 years working for Project Mexico of the Orthodox Church in San Diego and Rosarito, Mexico, where she met her husband. In 2001, they moved from San Diego (Project Mexico’s headquarters) to Portland where they are active members of the St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church community. She loves working with children and for the Church in this very important ministry of educating our children. Mrs. Blankenstein has taught at ASA since 2010 (taking a break this past year). She is delighted to have the opportunity to serve as the Development Associate at ASA and utilize her Project Mexico skills. To continue her love for teaching, she will also instruct one class of 1st grade math for this academic year. Mrs. Blankenstein and her husband, Paul, have two children; one graduated from Agia Sophia Academy in 2014 and their youngest is a 5th grader. They all love the outdoors and are very active in Boy Scouts as a family.

Victoria K: “Something that makes ASA extra special is the fact that it’s an Orthodox school. It was very different coming to an Orthodox school, but in a good way. I enjoyed being able to make the Prosphora for ASA’s feast day and chanting in the choir for Liturgy. In all, ASA is a fantastic school, and I’m sad to say I will not be here next year, once I move on to middle school. I will truly miss Agia Sophia Academy.”

We thank everyone who generously gave in support of our school between June 1, 2016 and September 30, 2016.

$8,000 and Above Elia & Kathryn Popovich >

Makarios D: ”I always felt understood by Fr. Ed and he “got” my sense of humor. Learning was fun, especially the trivia games. Now that I have been in this school for so long, I’d like to advise the fourth graders that younger children will look up to you. Be patient with them.”

Maria M: “I am a little sad to be leaving ASA because all of my friends are here, and I know and love all the teachers here at ASA. But I think it will be good for me. Of course I will be coming back to visit every now and then, but I will still miss this place. I pretty much live here, and now I’m leaving. I’ve always wanted to go to a different school to see what it would be like, because I’ve never been to a different school before, but now that I have to leave, I’m not sure I want to. This has been a great experience for me.”

Levi K: “I may not have been here as long as some of my friends, but 6 years is still a long time. I would like to start my speech off my thanking God, because without him we wouldn’t be standing here today! ... This school is awesome, and I wish I could stay here but at the same time I would like to meet the world and experience something different.”

Up to $99 Aleksandra Shalygina Ann Vanikiotis Elisha Lubliner Pres. Maria Hillhouse

$1,000-$7,999 Demetrios & Evangelia Gatziolis * Michael & Kathryn Becker Dr. Costa Moschonas $500-$999 AHEPA Mt. Hood Chapter #154 Michael & Kalliope Kounavis* Andreas & Norma J. Pavlatos Stephen Sanders Daniel & Mary Wright $200-$499 Kent & Sylvia Taylor Joshua Husbands Brandon & Erica Wilson Petros & Susan Bournelis Arthur & Janet Deming John & Jennifer Davis $100-$199 Daughters of Penelope Jerry & Christine Otto > Fr. Theodore & Pres. Stacey Dorrance > George & Lisa Psihogios

In Kind Gifts Daniel & Mary Wright Peter & Katharine Drakatos Seamus Golf Athanasios & Efpraxia Wehlitz Willamette Valley Vineyards George & Lisa Psihogios Mike & Penelope Teeny Kachka Restaurant 24 Hour Fitness Paul Mitchell the School-Portland Portland Timbers/Thorns Pelican Brewing Company Uptown Market Fremont Brewing Oregon City Brewing Company MaryAnn Mahurin Kathleen Ketrenos Zacharias Ketrenos Pavlos Blankenstein

Greek Open Sponsors Langdon Farms Golf Club: Chris & Tom Maletis Meriwether Partners LLC: Robert Briscoe Aspros Dental: John Aspros Vista Real Estate: John Davis American Family Insurance: Kristine Wiseman Tours with Michael: Michael Alyas Oregon Law Group: Elia Popovich * ASA Parents > ASA Board Member

We’ve made every effort to ensure an accurate listing of gifts and donations. However, if your name has been omitted, misspelled or incorrectly listed, please accept our sincerest apology and contact the Development Assistant, Mrs. Christina Blankenstein at christina@asapdx.org or 503-641-4600.

Agia Sophia Academy is a 501(c)(3). Your gift is tax-deductible to the full extent provided by the law. Our federal tax id is 27-0089608.

Sponsor a Child at Agia Sophia Academy Supporting Pan-Orthodox Christian Education in Portland Agia Sophia Academy, 14485 SW Walker Road, Beaverton OR 97006

Over $17,000 was awarded last year to families. As we open the school this year, will you consider contribiting towards our tuition assistance program?

For many, the cost of sending a child to a private school can be difficult. Agia Sophia Academy has strived to help as much as we are able by providing a Tuition Assistance Program. Over the years we have given anywhere from $17,000 to over $30,000 per year in tuition assistance to families that need that extra support. Help us to make a difference in a child’s life. Donate now to support our Tuition Assistance Program at Agia Sophia Academy. Your gift will be matched by a generous donor! Questions? Contact Christina Blankenstein at christina@asapdx.org or donate through our website at www.asapdx.org.

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I have enclosed a check. Please charge my credit card $_______. I will pay by credit/debit card at www.asapdx.org. I would like this gift to remain anonymous. My employer matches charitable gifts.

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E-mail: Card #: ________________________________________ Exp. Date: _______ CSC#: _____ Billing Zip: __________ Signature: _______________________________ Thank you for your generous donation!