AgiA SoPhiA AcAdeMy 14485 SW Walker Road Beaverton, OR 97006 503.641.4600 www.asapdx.org
Kindergarten - 5th & Montessori Pre-School
AgiA SoPhiA AcAdeMy 2011 Annual Report
TaBle OF cOnTenTS MeSSage FROM OuR PRinciPal........................1
enROllMenT....................................................14
MeSSage FROM The BOaRd..............................2
FinancialS ......................................................16
SchOOl PROgRaM .............................................4
giFTS, dOnaTiOnS, evenTS .............................20
FaiTh/chaRacTeR develOPMenT ..................8
aluMni highlighT ........................................24
STudenT aSSeSSMenT ......................................10
MeeT eveRyOne invOlved .............................25
MajOR accOMPliShMenTS .............................12
dear Friends of agia Sophia academy, This annual report for the 2010-11 school year clearly shows the dedication and support of the agia Sophia academy community in the last year. your generous commitment to this one-of-a-kind school is deeply appreciated. your involvement makes it possible for us to fund outstanding programs, including Music, greek language, Physical education, art, and latin instruction, as well as support our amazing classroom teachers, the every-day heroes of a child’s world! i am pleased to share with you that in May of 2011, we reached the final step in becoming a fully accredited school. The following comments are excerpted from the accreditation team’s report. “The learning environment is positive and child-centered…There is a sense of community and cohesiveness at aSa
“Of all the holy works, the education of children is the most holy." St. Theophan the Recluse
which did not happen by itself or by accident. The school is commended for fostering those close relationships…The quality of staff and administration at aSa is impressive!” accreditation marked the successful completion of four years of review, school improvement plans and accreditation. i am delighted that in addition to achieving this milestone, these visitors were able to witness the caring relationships that are integral to all facets of life at agia Sophia. as the principal of aSa, i too witness the outpouring of love and joy that our students share for each other and for god every day. This is truly a special thing, one to be honored and treasured. We could not provide this nurturing environment for children without your generosity. We are truly grateful. Thank you for both your support and your gifts. in christ,
Ms. elisha lubliner, Principal
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dear Friends of agia Sophia academy, aSa is the product of many years of hard work and a commitment to offer our community the gift of a one-of-a-kind education that beautifully incorporates the Orthodox christian Faith with an academically rigorous curriculum. in our eight-year history, we have experienced steady growth. Orthodox christians from across the country marvel at the fact that we have built a school from the ground up, and they tell me “Oh, you are so lucky! i wish we had a school like that.” aSa’s success would not be possible without the hard work, dedication and generous support of so many.
“One should believe in God, but one should also move their own hand." Traditional Greek Saying
development efforts are a priority for maintaining today’s programs and for our future growth. Parent and board donations increased from the previous year. Overall the school raised nearly $90,000 through the annual Fund, greek Open golf Tournament, grants, donations, and the Parent-Teacher-Partnership. Our aSa community draws strength from individuals and groups who are committed to enhancing the educational experience for our children. i am grateful for the talented and hard-working teachers and administrative staff, our dedicated parents and volunteers, our local clergy for their regular visits, and to all who offer their prayers, talents and financial gifts for the advancement of our school. i want to extend my deep appreciation to elia Popovich, who retired from our board this summer after eight years of service. elia was one of our original founding board members who contributed greatly to the establishment of aSa. This year, we welcomed three new board members — james Ketrenos, Krista Panoff and andy contes. We will continue to strengthen our board and draw representation from more of the local Orthodox parishes. i feel truly blessed to be part of the work to help agia Sophia academy fulfill its mission, so that families can benefit from the small class sizes, individual instruction, diverse curriculum and a faith-filled education. Together with your support and god’s grace i am confident that aSa will achieve further growth and success. in his Service,
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Mary chios Triantafillou, Board President
OuR MiSSiOn Our Mission at Agia Sophia Academy is to educate the whole child by providing a rich academic and arts curriculum, grounded in Orthodox Christian values, while fostering love of learning, personal responsibility, and respect for each person. Our vision is to be recognized and respected as one of the premier schools in the Portland metro area, offering a Prek-8th grade Orthodox education. • To offer academic excellence. • To teach students "how to learn" rather than simply "what to learn". • To instill a life-long love of learning in our students. • To form character in our students so they will become productive and faithful members of our communities. • To draw families more fully into the life of the Church, and minister to the non-Orthodox. • To be an extension and fulfillment of the primary parental role of education of children. • To offer a safe and nurturing environment for learning.
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SchOOl PROgRaM Agia Sophia offers a rich academic education, including a Montessori pre-school, a rigorous elementary academic program, as well as a full offering of arts, languages (Greek and Latin), music, and physical education taught by specialists in their fields.
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Montessori classroom Montessori: Montessori education is based on hands-on learning, collaborative play, and self-directed activity. children make creative choices in their learning while the classroom and the teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process.
Teacher Aims: children’s growth and progression occurs within a framework where independence is followed by freedom to choose work, repetition leads to perfection and self-discipline, and self-control leads to overall development of one’s personality. in addition, the learning process seeks to build concentration and a love of learning. The classroom has several focus areas. The practical life and sensorial areas focus on the above needs and prepare for the higher areas of math and language.
Focus Area highlights Language Goals: introduction to sounds followed by many preliminary exercises, including sight words, phonograms, grammar lessons, handwriting and creative writing. Older students began to learn cursive writing.
Math Goals: Quantity and number identification, introduction to odd and even numbers, addition and subtraction. Five-year-olds completed multiplication with the Montessori “Bank game”.
Geography: a large group of students memorized all the countries in South america and made punch out maps to go along with this work. in addition, the classroom added a beautiful land form kit, which allows students to pour water into trays with clay models which then display various land and water forms.
Science: color mixing with primary colors, objects that sink or float, living and non-living, heat conductance, the human body. The lifecycle of the butterfly is an annual science theme, once again much enjoyed by students. Students worked with several botany units, including the parts of an apple and parts of a pumpkin.
Art: units on embroidery work and samplers were very popular with all the students and helped to improve handwriting.
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Multi-age elementary Students in our multi-age elementary classrooms benefit from a full range of classes with a strong emphasis on the arts and movement. coursework includes: math, reading, grammar, phonics-based spelling, science, history, geography, faith, art, music, P.e., greek, and latin. Students receive instruction in music, P.e. and languages three times a week, providing them with a broad exposure to the arts. Our students graduate elementary school with a strong academic foundation, a sense of responsibility and independence, as well as a love for learning.
Lower elementary Teacher Aims: goals for the 2010-2011 school year included reading fluency, writing fluency, number sense, currency-based math skills, and telling time.
classroom highlights Students learned about renewal and new life through fun activities with bunnies, eggs, and chicks. The children were so excited to have some real bunnies join them in the classroom for a few days. The new garden areas supported classroom curriculum. Students enjoyed planting seeds and watching them sprout into seedlings while completing a unit on how seeds do their job and the different parts of a plant. Students enjoyed a special "hundred's day celebration": counting school days up to 100 culminated with a fabulous class party. advanced craft projects enhanced the hand-eye coordination skills necessary for handwriting. children made their own knitting needles and learned to knit! Faith activities in the classroom included acting out Old Testament stories with silk fabrics, blocks, and figures.
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Upper elementary Teacher Aims: goals for the 2010-2011 school year revolved around writing enrichment, increased mathematical understanding, reading fluency, and deepened student understanding of the formation of the united States as a nation.
classroom highlights Our bi-annual author’s tea highlighted the progress students made in writing plots and short expositions. The writing curriculum was guided by the approach in lucy calkins’ book The Art of Teaching Writing. Students gained skills in productive, collaborative work through focused group work, in which they were expected to generate a worthwhile academic product. a multi-disciplinary focus on the early united States provided students with a deeper understanding of the historical period, explicated reasons the colonies left england, and imparted greater familiarity with different geographical regions of america.
“I consider that he who knows how to form the youthful mind is truly greater than all painters, sculptors, and all others of that sort." – St. John Chrysostom
a hands-on study of mixtures and solutions introduced elementary chemistry to the children. Their eyes were opened to a new world of molecular activity, hopefully giving them a thirst for further investigation. Students explored weather patterns and climate. They discovered reasons for the formation of storms and learned how air movement affects our daily weather.
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FaiTh and chaRacTeR develOPMenT
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Faith curriculum highlights Faith is an integral part of the students’ experience. Short morning and afternoon church services provide a focus for the beginning and ending of the school day. daily Faith classes provide an overview of the Old and new Testaments. Weekly memorization of short Bible verses helps children stretch their memory and provides brief, accessible examples of life wisdom to be found in scripture. The divine liturgy is celebrated monthly, with student choir and participation. each month also brings visits from local clergy. This past year, we were blessed with the presence of many wonderful priests: Fr. Theodore dorrance, Fr. Timothy Pavlatos, Fr. cosmin antonescu, Fr. vasili hillhouse, Fr. nicholas letten, and Fr. jordan Brown. Fr. dimitri Perez also visited and shared with the children some outstanding ancient icons. Other highlights this year included a special St. nicholas day celebration in december and the christmas nativity Program performed by the students.
Love and Logic The love and logic program by jim Fay and Foster cline has become the backbone of our discipline approach at aSa. This approach complements our core beliefs: children are approached with loving empathy, just as christ does with us. Rather than focus on an action-consequence response to negative behavior, children are helped to see what they are not doing correctly, take responsibility for their behavior or lack of it, and plan out how they intend to improve themselves. each child learns he or she is loved through patient guidance as they move toward becoming a responsible person who thrives when he or she solves the problem created.
Special enrichment Programs aSa students learned a greek dance as part of their participation in the first annual Orthodox youth cultural exchange. children and young adults from four Orthodox churches in the Portland metro area shared dances and songs highlighting their cultural heritage.
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STudenT aSSeSSMenT
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Achievement Once again, students at aSa achieved academic success as shown in standardized test results: on average, students performed above actual grade level. While the test results provide general information about the education at aSa, we note that the data must be interpreted cautiously. Struggles or successes of just one or two students can move the average up or down noticeably when class sizes are quite small. nonetheless, these results provide a snapshot of the wonderful effort put forth by the students and staff at aSa. Our small class sizes ensure that every child receives the individual attention and support they need as young learners and the test results confirm the high standards to which the children work.
Test Results
Months/Years Above National Average
Stanford Achievement Test Results 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 .5 0
n 2008 n 2009 n 2010 n 2011 Total Reading Total Math
Language
Core (All Subjects)
Subjects
explanation Months/years above national average is based on standardized grade level equivalencies which are normed by Stanford. For example 1.5 above
Score by Grade Level Equivalency
indicates the students are performing, on average,
2010-2011 Results by Grade Level 12.5 10.0
one and one half years above the standard nationalized expectations for that grade.
n Total Math n Total Reading n Language n Core (All Subjects)
7.5 5.0 2.5 0.0
2nd Graders 3rd Graders
4th Graders 5th Graders
Student Grade Level (Stanford Achievement Test)
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MajOR accOMPliShMenTS ASA experienced dynamic growth this last year, with an increase in student enrollment, teachers, and progress towards long-term goals.
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growth We successfully opened the new mixed kindergarten/first grade classroom with 8 children for the 2010-2011 school year. Five of these children were kindergarten children, many of whom would not have been able to enter our Montessori classroom.
outreach The school continues to reach out to all the Orthodox churches in the Portland Metro area. This past year, aSa’s student body danced at the Orthodox youth cultural exchange, along with children and young adults from many of the area’s Orthodox churches.
grants Funds from the Robert d. and Marcia h. Randall charitable Trust ($7,500) and holy Trinity endowment Fund ($4,000) supported the new classroom, which allowed us to increase enrollment to 47 kids. This represents an 18% increase over the previous year. The PTP and a Welch’s garden grant supported improvements to the outside play space, including new play equipment and the construction of garden beds.
Accreditation The northwest accreditation commission (nWac) recommended agia Sophia for full accreditation. Our Music Program received “honorable Mention” in the Portland Monthly magazine in recognition of the quality curriculum and frequency of our music offering.
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enROllMenT
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Our enrollment has grown substantially each year for the past three years. Our Montessori classroom is in high-demand as evidenced by the lengthy wait list. Our school is nearing capacity in the elementary classrooms as well. enrollment projections show substantial growth over the next few years, assuming aSa can increase classroom capacity to support the growth.
Number of Students Per Grade Level
Pre-K
K
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
Total
2009-2010 Total
24
2
9
2
2
1
0
40
Waiting List
3
2010-2011 Total
19
13*
3
9
1
1
1
47
Waiting List
2
2011-2012 Total
21
13*
5
4
8
1
2
54
Waiting List
6
*Kindergarten-aged children may be in either the Kindergarten/1st grade classroom or the Montessori room.
Representation by Orthodox Parishes St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox
27
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox
3
St. George - Antiochian
3
St. Nicholas OCA
3
St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox
2
St. Steven Serbian Orthodox
2
Other Orthodox Churches
5
Non-Orthodox Students
9
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FinancialS
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Financial Results aSa has gotten off to a solid start in its seven years of existence. last fall, in our fourth year at the current location, we expanded the school by adding one additional classroom.
Revenues and expenses We raised tuition for our Montessori program as part of our plan to bring regular non-Orthodox tuition into within 5% of market rates within the next 3 years. demand for the Montessori program continues to be high.
Fund development The Board of Trustees continues to work to establish a formalized annual giving Program in order to grow our base of financial support and create more stable and reliable funding.
current year successes (from July 2011) • $21,280 – donations • $3,813 – Parent-led fundraisers • $10,500 – greek Open earnings
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Statement of operations For the years ended june 30, 2010 and 2011. For the Year
2009-2010
2010-2011
64,917
78,603
144,832
196,617
15,288
11,246
201
231
225,237
286,697
168,115
183,926
4,341
5,763
Administration Expenses
33,959
59,658
Facilities Expenses
14,174
12,530
693
21,354
0
278
221,281
283,509
3,956
3,188
ORDINARY INCOME/EXPENSE Income Donations Net Tuitions Fundraising Events (Net) Other Income Total Income Expense Teachers - Salaries, Taxes & Benefits
“Our art class teacher is Mrs. Perussi and she is very nice. I like art class because if you finish something there’s always another fun project waiting for you! My favorite project is the pottery. It is always so fun! " (Ella—grade 2)
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Other Classroom Expenses
Development & Communications Other Expense Total Expense Net Surplus (Deficit)
Board development This year the Board of Trustees focused on board growth and development to strengthen board leadership. The virginia h. Farah Foundation provided $10,000 in support of a Board development Seminar by Fr. anthony Scott, of Stewardship advocates. Fr. Scott validated the importance of dedicating time to board development and assessment and also recommended that the board recruit and train new members. The Board subsequently added two additional members, and one more for the 2011-2012 school year. The Board will also work on another important recommendation, the institution of a formal annual giving program, which would provide the school with a reliable and stable funding base. Furthermore, Board giving rose to $12,000, a record amount! Fr. anthony also recommended that the school recruit and fund the hiring of a professional development officer. The school and board are working on bringing this about; in the meantime, parent volunteers continue to expand the development effort.
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giFTS, dOnaTiOnS and evenTS We thank everyone who generously gave in support of our school. From time and energy, to concern and voicing an opinion, it all helps to move us forward in providing the best education possible for our children.
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giFTS and dOnaTiOnS We thank everyone who generously gave in support of our school between july 1, 2010 through june 30, 2011. $5,000 and Up anonymous james & Kathleen Ketrenos* St. john the Baptist - Benevolence Fund virginia h. Farah Foundation $2,500 - $4,999 Basilia chios Karageorgis holy Trinity endowment Fund intel Foundation (Matching gifts for education) Parent Teacher Partnership $1,000 - $2,499 ahePa Bridgetown dental (The Kaady Family*) Fr. elias Stephanopoulos Memorial Fund john & jennifer davis* Ted & janet deming eugene & diana gorbatov* chris & Krista Panoff* elia & Kat Popovich nicholas & Mary Triantafillou* $500 - $999 Frank & Margaret Bitar Foundation adrienne gillespie norm & eleni goldman Myrrh-Bearers (women’s group from St. john the Baptist) Scott Taylor & Sophia Kondoleon dr. nikola & Mariana Tcherven* $100 - $499 anonymous alexis & voula Bakouros anita Bartley Petros & Susan Bournelis
eileen M. chios lisa & john corazza daughters of Penelope james & Svetlana domico* yianna & Patrick doherty Michelle Fortier james & georgia george elizabeth hudanish Kathleen johnson Raymond & juliet law* Bob & connie limperis Stellee Papadeas Ramona Paul* Fr. ivan Petrouchtchak ivana & lucian Plesa* john & Patricia Poulos Mark & Brigid Powell* ajay & Sumedha Rahatekar* e. john & cleo Rumpakis john & Katie Spathas Mary Speros Zach & dr. vasiliki Stoumbos Zinaida Svichkar dr. dimitris & Kathleen Triantafillou dr. joe & linda Weick Richard & Paraskevi Whitton neal & yvonne Zoumboukos Up to $99 anonymous anonymous anonymous janice anten helen antonis helen Berger christina & Paul Blankenstein* Maria Boyer gary & victoria Burbank Michelle neiss & david Butler*
Robert & diane cook Seth copeland greg & Wendy courogen Kelsey daniels Seraphim & Rachel daniels* cathy eagle aaron & anna Friar cheryl hail Thomaida hudanish Katherine Karafotias nick & linda Karafotias louise Kopp Sophia Kremidas Sophia Kriara Sharon & Thomas lilles Fr. david & esther lubliner elisha lubliner laurie & Robert lubliner Fr. john & clara Mancantelli Sarah & Brian Mason* euphrosyne & Theophan McKenzie* herman Meyer Mary & james nonus dee Pennock Riverview abbey Mina Roussos john Sarigiannides effy Stephanopoulos Steve & Katie Tussing* cindy Trumpower Ronnie d. Wade
We’ve made every effort to ensure an accurate listing of gifts and donations. Please inform the school of any error or omission.
in-Kind donors Billy Benson Michelle Fortier george & chrysoula Papas
*indicates aSa Parents
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FundRaiSing evenTS PTP Board School Fundraisers throughout the year raised approximately $7,200. Monies earned went towards purchasing classroom items, playground equipment, musical instruments, staff appreciation, and financial aid. activities included chinook Book, Poinsettia Sale, Spring Flower Sale, and Scrip Sales.
greek open annual golf Tournament and dinner to support agia Sophia academy organized by the School Board and parent volunteers. We raised approximately $10,600 for the 2010-2011 school year.
We thank all those whose support made possible the 2010 Greek Open Auction. greek open Auction donors Tom Barnes*, Winterhawks christina Blankenstein* & Family christopher & Ruth Burkett jennifer davis* & Family amanda dwak, lola a Place for Peace eleni's Philoxenia & estatorio Michelle Fortier vicky Frey-horton Friends of chamber Music eleni goldman john hoar
jennifer humcke, Westover inns Melissa Ketrenos, Kia Ora Mazen Khoury, habibi Mark lindgren, associated Master inspectors jimmy Makarounis, jimmy Maks Oregon Ballet Theater emilia Perussi Magdalena Perussi* Portland Baroque Orchestra Portland center Stage
Mark Powell,* cappella Romana Mike Roach & Kim Osgood, Paloma clothing Brian & Melanie Santa Maria* Tears Of joy Theatre carrie Thienes Mary Triantafillou* lydia Weick* Kristine Wiseman*, american Family insurance
goldman & associates - norm goldman international Freight Systems - Bob hansen jimmy Mak’s - jimmy Makarounis lampros Steel - Milton lampros Maletis Beverage Oblation Papers & Press
Roberts Kaplan Smart Wireless unicO aMeSOS construction - jim Mehas Petersen art direction & design Bruce Petersen
greek open Sponsors agia Sophia academy - Board of Trustees agia Sophia academy - Parent Teacher Partnership ed & cyndy Maletis creative counsel - john c. davis doherty Ford
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*indicates aSa Parents, + denotes aSa Trustee
SchOOl evenT highlighTS Almsgiving Activities Friday Food Barrel, lunches for homeless people.
Performances The “Behold that Star” nativity Program and “Thanks and giving” Spring Program.
events Passport to aSa, Biannual Town hall, St. nicholas day celebration, Open house, Special guest day, Staff appreciation Week, Butterfly Release day, Orthodox youth cultural exchange. With the help of a grant from cappella Romana, chanters from the church of St. Panteleimon in Tblisi, georgia visited the school and joined the children in singing folk songs and ancient chants of the georgian Orthodox church.
Visits Tualatin valley Fire and Rescue, Washington county Sheriff, hai Pham dentist, Portland Theater Brigade, Washington county historical Museum, monthly clergy visits.
Field Trips My Masterpiece art Studio, Field day.
“Dear ASA Donors, Thank you for donating money to our school. We appreciate how much your love for the school has changed our education in writing, math, grammar, history, and maps and globes. Thank you for games and garden tools, toys for recess and kitchen stools! Sincerely, Sarah" (Sarah—grade 3)
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足
aluMni highlighT haley Fortier, ASA Alumni 2006-2007 (7th grade), is currently a senior attending glencoe high School in hillsboro Oregon. Presently she is taking seven courses, and is in the process of competing for one of ten full ride scholarships to george Fox university. in her free time haley likes to take photographs, play girls club lacrosse at ghS, and read. (Note: In 2006, ASA retained a small cohort of middle school students who had attended elementary here. Currently, ASA enrolls only students in Prek-5th grade.) What is your favorite memory from life at Agia Sophia Academy? My favorite memory of aSa would definitely have to be the experience and relationship i had with my teacher Fr. edward hillhouse. anybody who has ever met Father ed could agree that his inner child is still very much alive, and yet he simultaneously maintains the presence of a respected and loved teacher. in a nut-shell, he had this "i'm-the-King-of-the-classroom-andthere's-nothing-you-can-do-about-it-bucko-by-the-way-you-guys-are-awesome-but-i'll-never-admit-it" loveable personality. How did your experience at ASA help you outside of the academic environment? at aSa i was provided with many things that kids in public middle schools were not: a morally safe environment, love, and a sense of security that let me know i was expected to be nobody other than myself. it is because of these attributes that, outside of the academic environment, i was able to grow in a healthy way. Spiritually, socially and emotionally i was deeply strengthened because i was taught what morals and values are, how i could identify what mine were personally, and how to keep them solid and implanted in my life. lessons that pertained to this were not performed in the classroom; they were a part of my life and dealings with those around me- both peers and adults. in any area of my life that i found conflict, i also found a solution by consulting my personal beliefs. if i was ever unsure about something i could always consult a teacher, any of them, because i knew they cared. i feel that the recognition of my morals through my interactions with others at aSa helped me to identify and clarify what kind of people i wanted to be around. in turn, it helped me to find a group of stable friends, in a place where being stable and firm in your beliefs is a rare thing to find, who have challenged me to be better than my best in all aspects of my life, which is no less than what i was presented to accomplish at aSa.
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MeeT eveRyOne invOlved Agia Sophia Academy Personnel, 2010-2011 Principal: elisha lubliner Lower Elementary: Trina Ziels, Teacher, Brigid gerard, co-Teacher
Upper Elementary: ed hillhouse, Teacher, christina Blankenstein, assistant Teacher
Montessori Teachers: Padma aisola, Rusudan Miminoshvili Music & Physical Education: Brigid Powell Greek: helen Tzakis Latin: christiana dorrance Art: Magdalena Perussi Administrative Assistant: euphrosyne McKenzie Director of Development: Mary Triantafillou
Agia Sophia Academy Board, 2010-2011 Mary Triantafillou, President, Parent, Director of Development Fr. Theodore dorrance vice President, Priest, St. John The Baptist Greek Orthodox Church john davis, Parent, Realtor, Business Owner, Creative Counsel adrienne gillespie, Educator, Librarian, Beaverton School District norm goldman, Business Owner, Goldman & Associates james Ketrenos, Parent, Software Developer, Intel Corporation Krista Panoff, Parent and Business Development Director, Identity Solutions Group of TransUnion elia Popovich, Attorney, Oregon Law Group Scott elias Taylor, CFO, R.F. Stearns, Inc. andrew contes, Senior Process Engineer, Intel Corporation
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