Dear Friends of Agia Sophia Academy,
Each year students return to the classroom excited to learn. They look forward to seeing old friends, meeting new ones, sharing about their summer, collaborating on creative classroom projects, taking field trips, playing at recess, and diving into a favorite subject taught by a beloved teacher. ASA students enjoy hands-on, investigation-based science, Greek, Latin, and music class. They learn how to draw maps and express themselves through writing. They learn about Biology and Practical Life when they see that the classroom gardens carefully tended last spring are now ready with flowers and fruits for harvest time. Life at ASA is multi-faceted with special areas of interest to encourage the learning of each child. In addition to their studies in art, language, science, and music, our students also excel in core academic areas. The most recent standardized test scores from April 2012 reflect their high level of achievement. ASA students in kindergarten through 5th grade took the Stanford Achievement Test and scored far above the average percentile as compared to children nation-wide. While most schools only assess the “benchmark” grades (3rd and 5th in elementary), we chose to use this normed summative assessment as one mark of achievement for all our elementary age students. The results are impressive! 2012 Agia Sophia Academy Standardized Test Results (National Percentile)
School Calendar October 26: Passport to ASA Student Event November 22 & 23: Thanksgiving Break - No School November 28: ASA Town Hall - All are invited December 12: Join us for our annual Christmas Program starting at 6:30pm
2/5 K/1
National Average
Reading Math Language Science Listening 0
20
40
60
80
100
On behalf of all the teachers and staff at Agia Sophia Academy, we look forward to another year of growth, excellence, and learning! Thank you for your continued support of Oregon’s only Orthodox school! With love in Christ,
Elisha Lubliner, Principal
Agia Sophia Academy Newsletter, Fall 2012
1
Welcome Kyria Tore!
Our 2012 5th grade graduation took place on June 14th, 2012. The two students gave wonderful speeches and enjoyed the special event. There was hardly a dry eye in the audience as the ceremony concluded with 5th grade certificates, cute home-made graduation hats, and yellow roses for the parents and students. We wish Costa and Anne Marie all the best in the next phase of their education!
Everyone at ASA is excited to welcome our new Greek teacher, Kyria Tore! Terpsichore Maras-Lindeman grew up in a Greek parish and learned Greek at school, just like our students. She and her husband have two children, Hera, 12 and Phoebe, 6. She holds two Bachelor degrees, a Master’s degree, and a PhD. Kyrie Tore served in the US Military for 10 years as a linguist and is an avid world traveler. We look forward to an exciting and productive year in Greek class!
By Costa Good Morning. My name is Costa. I would like to thank Agia Sophia Academy for being my fifth grade school. I wish I could have spent all my school years at this school. When I moved here, ASA helped me get familiar with Portland. They helped me fit in. I have never been to a better school. First of all, I would like to thank my parents and the school staff for putting me in the school. If it were not for them, I would not be here talking. Next, I would like to thank Fr. Ed for being my “main” teacher, the teacher that I’ve spent most of my time with. He has helped me study grammar, handwriting, bible study, and much more. He has helped me in many other subjects. He has taught me to be patient and obedient. He is always friendly and knows what’s best for the class. I would like also to thank Mrs. Blankenstein for teaching and explaining math to me. She has helped me study fractions, of which I knew so little. She is very patient with me when I can’t get the problem right. Without her, I wouldn’t have the slightest idea of what one fifth plus one half is. And I would like to thank Miss Dorrance and Mrs. Plesa for teaching me the languages Latin and Greek. Now, when I go to Greece, or I am asked a Latin phrase, I will know what to say. I would like to give my thanks also to Mrs. Powell for teaching how to sing while doing a handstand! I couldn’t run or sing half as good as I can here. I would also like to thank Mrs. Perussi for teaching me art. If you were in my class in 4th grade, you would have known I was horrid at drawing and painting. I couldn’t even color between the lines. But now, I have improved a lot.
Read our Annual Report online! http://www.asapdx.org/newsletters
My favorite part of school was probably writing. I also enjoyed playing four square at recess. I will miss all my friends, teachers and students, from MECE to 5th grade. I will always remember ASA as one of the best things that happened to me. Thank you.
By Anne Marie Hello. My name is Anne Marie. I am 10 years old. I started going to Agia Sophia Academy (ASA) in Kindergarten, when I was 5 and 6 years old. This is funny: I started out shortest in the class from Kindergarten – First Grade. Then, I was called Little Madeline. (I was always fond of Madeline when I was little.) I have been the tallest in the class for 2 years only: last year and this year. I am in 5th grade. Maybe that’s why so many kids ask me to conference with them, to help them solve a problem, and to even play puppy at recess. I have many wonderful memories from ASA. In kindergarten, there was coloring activities to do, like coloring icons. Kindergarten was really fun. First grade had a special end-of-the-year play called: A Mid-summer Night’s Dream! I got a big-girl’s part. I had to memorize lots of lines. I just loved that play. In fact, it was such a good play, that people video-taped it! I just happen to have that video somewhere. Second grade was my favorite year. First, we had a class movie day! We had soda, donuts, and, most importantly, each other. Then, my very good friends, Mikhaila and Anthony, wrote 2 plays. Afterwards, we did a dance called, “I Need a Hero.” It was a silly, but fun dance. Also, to get in the classroom each day, we would have to say the “password”. Fr. Ed would say the password each morning (at the beginning of the day) then we would say it to get in the classroom. It was FUN! In 3rd grade, we had to work hard. I would try my best to do my work, and I succeeded. The end of year play was called, “1776, 2nd Continental Congress.” It was fun, and interesting too! I learned a lot about the 2nd Continental Congress. 4th grade, or last year, was my last year with Mikhaila. At the end of the year, the exact last day of school, Mikhaila and I played with Frisbees. They were blue, our favorite color. We played and played and played. Finally, after a long time of playing, we took Mikhaila home. She graduated, and went to middle school. I missed her so, and I still do. It was one of the best days of my life. What 5th grade means to me is that next year, I’ll be in middle school. It was my last year in elementary school. I will miss all of my good friends and classmates: Sarah (my sister), Ella, Marina, Zacharias, Stathi, Noah, Anastasia, Anuj, Lola, Alex, Daniel, Nicky, Costa, and Pavlos. I will also miss my teacher, Fr. Ed. I am glad we all could be in this class together all these years. Maybe on the days that my school next year won’t have school, I can go to ASA for the day. I am going to miss ASA, but ASA will always be a part of my life.
The school is growing! Agia Sophia Academy is in its ninth year of operation, and we are outgrowing our current facilities. This means that we need to begin preparing now for future physical and academic expansions. Historically, student counts show an average increase of eight students per year. If we use this to estimate future enrollment numbers, we will have approximately 20 additional enrolled students by 2015. This prediction requires not only more physical space but also additional staff. Initially we will need a third elementary classroom along with a full-time classroom teacher. We can accommodate this third class temporarily in our current location, but we will soon need to move into a larger facility. ASA recently presented this information to the Parish Council at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church. There is an understanding between our two organizations that we need to work toward moving to a new site together. The partnership between the school and the church, the search for a site, and other pertinent information are topics that will be discussed in both the parish General Assembly meetings and ASA Town Hall meetings in the near future. There are several factors contributing to the decision to move together. The main motivation for both the school and the church, however, is the pressing need for more physical space. Last year, ASA Board members discussed the long-term vision for ASA. One of the key decisions unanimously approved by the Board was that ASA should expand its academic scope from Prek-5th grade to PreK-8th grade. The addition of three upper grade levels will be aligned with the physical move to the new site. This move will likely take place between 2015 and 2018. How will ASA achieve these aggressive goals? First, we need to remember that it is only by God’s grace and His will that these plans will move forward. Secondly, everyone in the ASA community -- ASA Board, PTP, volunteers, ASA families, generous donors, and teaching staff -- must share a commitment to the vision of a strong and vibrant Orthodox Christian school in Portland. With this in mind, ASA is proud to announce the kickoff of a new dinner and auction event, the ASA Gala, dedicated to our building fund. The first Gala will be held on March 1, 2013 and will continue every Spring thereafter. In addition to beginning the Gala event, we would also like to announce that we have hired Christiana Hillier (Dorrance), as our dedicated Development Director for the school. The addition of the Development Director is a crucial step towards achieving the growth goals that we have set over the next three to five years. While we are excited about our new endeavors, we also want to maintain our current efforts. The PTP will continue to play an important role in fundraising for curriculum and special programs. Our annual Greek Open and the funds raised there will continue to support ASA’s current operating funds. We are thankful to the volunteers who help make PTP fundraisers and the Greek Open a success. There is much to look forward to here at ASA. We are thankful for your support and enthusiasm as you take part in ASA’s growth over the next several years. If you have questions or input regarding the plans mentioned here, please feel free to contact me or our Principal, Miss Lubliner. We are working on a new site wish list and are happy to hear your feedback and suggestions. As always, we welcome anyone who would like to be involved in this effort by volunteering your time, presenting ideas, or donating to our school. I will provide periodic updates as we finalize decisions and details. May it be blessed!
Andy Contes ASA Board President (and proud parent of an ASA student!)
We thank all those who generously gave in support of our school. This list includes gifts received between February 1, 2012 through August 31, 2012. $2000 - $7000 Anonymous Intel Matching Gifts to Education Program St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church
$100 - $249 Anonymous (2) Argyro Apostolou Dr. and Mrs. Gust Bambakidis Mr. and Mrs. Brian Battalia Peter and Catalina Corvallis Creative Counsel $1000 - $1999 Daughters of Penelope Andrew and Christina Contes *^ Mr. and Mrs. William Goritsan John and Jennifer Davis*^ Mr. and Mrs. Horace Harrison Eugene Gorbatov and Diana Didyk* Nickolas and Linda Karafotias Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Georgia Liapes Ziad and Evygnia Kaady* Joan Liapes Edward and Cynthia Maletis Robert Patzke and Kristine Wiseman* Chris and Krista Panoff*^ Dr. and Mrs. Nikola Tcherven* Elia and Kathryn Popovich Nicholas and Mary Triantafillou*^ up to $99 Anonymous $250 - $999 Dn. and Mrs. Steven Bambakidis* Raymond Law and Juliet Cai* Dn. and Mrs. Innocent Eileen Chios Duchow-Pressley Jim and Debbie Davis Demetrios and Evangelia Gatziolis Theodore and Janet Deming Dr. and Mrs. Joshua Knight* Norman and Eleni Goldman ^ Thomas and Catherine Lekas Mr. and Mrs. James Ketrenos*^ Ms. Elisha Lubliner Mr. and Mrs. Mark Moseley Mr. and Mrs. Theophan McKenzie* Mr. and Mrs. David Shaffer Melalecua St. John the Baptist Myrrhbearers Herman Meyer Riverview Abbey * Indicates ASA Parents Ann Vanikiotis ^ Indicates ASA Board Member Dr. and Mrs. Joe Weick You are important to us! 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 our Development Director, Christiana Hillier (Dorrance) at 503.641.4600.
Save the Date! ASA’s first annual Spring Gala will be held Friday, March 1st, 2013 at the Multnomah Athletic Club. Be sure to mark your calendars and plan on attending the dinner and auction event! More information to come.
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Agia Sophia Academy 14485 SW Walker Road Beaverton, OR 97006 503.641.4600 www.asapdx.org
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On May 19, 2012, ASA hosted the 2nd Orthodox Youth Cultural Exchange at Holy Trinity Cathedral. Five dance groups --- Greek, Romanian, Ukrainian, Russian and Serbian--- joined ASA students in presenting their rich cultural heritage through dance and music. The audience also had a chance to see a video presentation that highlighted ASA’s mission, philosophy and goals. Delicious Greek and Eastern European treats added to the cultural experience at the event. The $585 raised at the OYCE bake sale will be used towards curriculum purchases for this Fall.
Find us on YouTube! Watch our inspirational video complete with beautiful pictures by Tori Ava Photography: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4SF0YGD8qk