The OWL - September 2018 - Featuring Stefan Lopatkiewicz, Class of '66

Οverlooking the major plain in Eastern Crete near Zeus’Cave. Pictured left to right are Stefan, Rafael Prieto, Ted Girdner, Pat Girdner and Michael Reilly

attended ACS Athens from 1964 to 1966, the last two years of my high school education. My father, Teodor Lopatkiewicz, a U.S. Foreign Service Consul, was sent to Athens to serve at the embassy when I was half-way through my high school in McLean, Virginia. Academically, I participated in the school's honor program and was the class salutatorian.

My extra-curricular interests at ACS Athens focused on the school newspaper, which in those days was called the “Sophist.” I helped found the paper and served as its first editor-in-chief. I was also active in the drama club, and performed in and helped stage several productions. I do not remember being particularly popular and certainly was not voted any of our class “superlatives”!

The Sophist, May/June 1966 issue

Following graduation from ACS, I returned to the United States and enrolled in the University of Virginia. My family returned to Athens for my father’s second tour of duty at the Embassy. As a result, my younger brother, Ted, who also attended ACS, ended up spending a total of four years there, longer than I did. My younger sister, Viki, was actually born in Athens, but was too young to attend school there.

After graduating from the University of Virginia, I completed my higher education by attending Harvard Law School, which established the basis for my career as an attorney.

Career

I believe my experience at ACS Athens strongly informed my subsequent development as both a student and a professional. When my family first moved to Athens, I was quite traumatized, as I had spent four years in junior high and high school in northern Virginia, and was settled in with a circle of friends there. High school is traumatic enough for most teens, and being relocated to another country half-way through did not help my sense of self esteem!

Happily, I quickly realized that living abroad as a young adult was an exciting opportunity, providing access to travel to exotic locations and the chance to study with peers from a rich variety of diverse backgrounds. Athens in the mid-1960s was an important military and diplomatic post for Americans, and also the locus of significant private sector energy interests. A significant percentage of the student population at the school at that time was comprised of Greeks and students from the middle east. And although the cold war was still at its height, my classmates included the children of Russian, Yugoslav and Polish diplomats.

During the time we lived in Athens, we enjoyed a sense of security which we lack in today's world. As students, we frequently traveled on our own by bus (this was prior to the metro) into Athens and Pireaus for social or business reasons. Groups of students would also frequently visit the islands together, and it was not uncommon for us to go on outings to archeological and historical sites with our professors from school. Looking back on that period, I realize that these experiences added to a robust education. When I returned to the United States for my higher education, I found my surroundings prosaic and even confining by comparison. I knew I wanted to integrate my international background into my studies, which helped influence my majoring in government and foreign affairs at the University of Virginia.

I remain today in active legal practice. My first assignment as an attorney was with the Air Force, where I held the rank of captain as a result of my enlistment in ROTC at university.

The Air Force deferred my entry into active service during my law school education. I was then fortunate enough to be assigned to the Air Force General Counsel's Office at the Pentagon during the closing years of the Vietnam war. Following my active military duty, I entered private practice and worked at a succession of three law firms. Initially, I specialized in government contract law, since I was trained in that field at the Pentagon. However, because of my interest in practicing in an international arena, when the chance arose I changed my specialization in the law to telecommunications, a burgeoning field in the 1980s with significant international opportunities. For the past seven years, I have served as general counsel of Eutelsat America Corp., the U.S. subsidiary of a french-based, global satellite company.

Civic Life and Awards As background for the few awards I have received, I should first explain my involvement in charitable and civic activities. Throughout my legal career, I have played an active role in supporting artistic and cultural non-profit activities. I have been particularly active in the Polish-American cultural community, as a result of my ethnic background (three polish grandparents, and one from Ossotenia). For many years, I served as pro bono legal counsel to the American Council for Polish Culture (ACPC), a national NGO, and also served as an

elected director and first vice-president of that organization. I also served one term as President of the Polish-American Arts Association of Washington, DC. I also served as pro bono legal counsel to the Gala Hispanic Theater in Washington, DC, for many years, and more recently helped found and provide legal support to the Washington Opera Society, a local non-profit arts group.

I'm pictured with George Meany, President of the AFL-CIO from 1978 when I was president of the Polish-American Arts Association and we co-sponsored with the AFL-CIO, an exhibit on the underground ‘flying’ universities that secretly provided liberal education in Poland during the period of Communist rule.

During the course of this work, I received distinguished service awards from both the ACPC

and Gala Theater. In 2012, I received the Cross of Merit for service on behalf of the Polish diaspora in the United States from the Government of the Republic of Poland.

Family My parents were both native Pennsylvanians of Polish ancestry. My father served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. In his subsequent career as a consular officer in the U.S. Foreign Service, he served in a number of European and Latin American posts.. He served in a number of European and Latin American posts. My older brother and Iwere born in the United States, while my younger brother and sister were born in Vienna, Austria and Athens respectively during my father's service overseas. My sister, Viki, followed in my father's footsteps by pursuing a career at the State Department.

With my mother, Verna Lopatkiewicz, and my sister Viki and brother Ted in approximately 1997 Since 1980, I have lived with my partner-in-life, Michael Reilly, in Washington, DC. While we have no children of our own, Michael has a son and four grandchildren, all of whom constitute part of our extended family. My father passed away in 1993. My mother, Verna, now 95, resides near Washington in northern Virginia. I am fortunate to have all of my siblings and their spouses living in the D.C. metropolitan area where we all have the good fortune of helping look after our mother.

ACS Athens provides an unusual opportunity to learn in a sophisticated and diverse environment. I hope today's students recognize the privilege they have in studying there and are making the most of their time at the school. For the American students there, in particular, it is a unique experience that will hopefully prepare them to be better citizens.

I wish I had had the opportunity to stay in closer contact with a larger number of my fellow students from ACS. I enjoy the few opportunities we have had in catching up with one another at intermittent reunions. I have been fortunate in keeping in close contact with one of my classmates and ongoing friends – Ted Girdner. “This past May, my partner and I and our close friend, Rafael Prieto, enjoyed an unforgettable visit back to Greece with Ted and his wife, Pat. I have also maintained contact with my former classmate and friend, Diana Gondek, now living in Boston, and very recently reestablished contact with another friend, Sheri Simpson (now Reidl) who lives and works in northern Virginia. This latter connection is thanks to Facebook, whichperhaps the school and our alumni could make better use of in maintaining contact with each other.

Pictured left to right are Rafael Prieto, Michael Reilly, Stefan and Melina Vassiliades

We are now accepting nominations for the

ACS Athens' ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS EVENT on APRIL 6, 2019 IN WASHINGTON, D.C. Submit your nominations by October 31, 2018

Nomination Form click here for criteria

Thanks for your support, Everyone!

Yanna Darilis of New Greek TV of New York, interviews Dr. Peggy Pelonis, ACS Athens' Dean of Academics and Student Affairs, about the successful educational model of the American Community Schools (ACS) and the great initiatives which engage students as future global citizens.

The HOME Project A Dream Enabled by The Shapiro Foundation www.theshapirofoundation.org Orientation Day at American Community

Schools couldn’t happen soon enough. Now, all of them are ready in all practical and mental aspects of every day student life, and looking forward for the first day of classes, the first day of a new beginning.

#nochildalone #educationforall #ACS #theshapirofoundation

John Affolter has taken on the task of heading the House Committee: Trojans-Athenians-SpartansCorinthians!

and introducing the Macedonians "We currently have 212 alumni signed up into their respective houses and will be moving forward with that soon. (It is not too late if you feel the urge to have some fun).

There are two issues before the “House Committee” that need feedback from all alumni who are interested in a fun revival of our beloved house competition when we were at ACS. Issue #1: We have just begun to think about what kind of activities we could have over the course of a school year. We need your thoughts. We realize that 60’s alum, have different abilities/needs/interests. format: 1. Graduation year 2. House affiliation 3. Explain activity.

We will be collecting them and using the ideas to create a plan. Thanks much in advance!

Issue #2: We will need help with organizing the houses by finding alum who are willing to represent their house through the year. The goal is to get at least one male and one female representative come forward to serve as a communication/activity coordinator for each respective house.

The responsibilities include getting out the activity information and collecting results for the House Committee. It would be great if there were representatives for (60’s) (70’s) (80’s) (90’s) (2000’s). If you are interested in getting in on the fun and becoming an Alumni “ House Captain”, jump in and submit your: Name, Grad year, house."

Please respond with suggestions! Submit to info@acsathensglobal.org

GLOBAL BizNET supporting ACS Athens Community

Alum and Attorney Nicholas Karambelas on the Greek Bailout!

Nick discusses Greece's Economy and its Future Struggles CGTN's Elaine Reyes speaks with Nick Karambelas, a founder of a law firm specializing in international business, and a part of the legal counsel for the American Hellenic Institute, for more on Greece's economy and the end their bailout program

Parthenon Huxley August 30 at 7:26 PM

Purchase the new album HERE and have it signed to you personally: https://www.parthenonhuxley.com/p-huxstore _________________

Introducing this new album by Christos Tambouratzis featuring ACS alumnus Bill Kalantzakos. Bill has written lyrics for most of the lyrics for songs and does vocals for two of them. The album was released on July 2nd in the U.S. by German record label We Love Music and is on sale on all digital music sites such as itunes, amazon, spotify etc.

YOUTUBE.COM LOVES GOT ME Christos Tambouratzis Feat Bill Kalantzakos

For those John Demos (aka Quad Father) fans who haven't had a chance to purchase his Shadows of Silence book, Ebay has the English/Greek version!

EBAY.COM John Demos, Shadows of Silence 9789608744226 | eBay

One of Greece’s leading photographers, John Demos captures the spirit of the people. He pictures the traditional life of Greece. Consciously or unconsciously, ancient myths are reenacted.John Demos is an active promoter of photography in Greece. | eBay!

Last chance to sign up!

CAPE CHARLES GOES GREEK! ACS GREAT ROUNDUP 2018 October 12, 13, 14, 2018 Cape Charles, Virginia Details here https://www.acsgreatroundup.com/

Want to mix and network with fellow Greeks, October 12 -14, in New York City?

Think National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA) of America's Fall 2018 Convention.

Tickets out soon!

Posted by ACS Athens Alum Anastasi Sharp post... LINK IN INSTA BIO! https://www.instagram.com/_thesharpener/ See you then! #NHSAtakesNYC

Want to mix and network with fellow Greeks, October 12 -14, in New York City?

Think National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA) of America's Fall 2018 Convention.

Tickets out soon!

Posted by ACS Athens Alum Anastasi Sharp post... LINK IN INSTA BIO! https://www.instagram.com/_thesharpener/ See you then! #NHSAtakesNYC

Job opportunity at ACS Athens, effective immediately!

Position Title: Educational & Diagnostic Testing Center Specialist (Clinical Psychologist) Reports to: Dean of Academics & Student Affairs Educational & Diagnostic Center Coordinator Summary Description: The Educational & Diagnostic Testing Center Specialist, is responsible for carrying out psycho-educational evaluations, ensuring an efficient and effective approach in identifying students unique learning profiles and helping them excel and reach their full potential within the school environment and beyond. Clinical experience in working with children and adolescents as well as extensive knowledge and experience with psycho-educational evaluations is vital for the testing center.

Job Functions & Responsibilities: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Establish and promote an environment that is welcoming, confidential, safe and respectful to all students, parents and teachers Maintain a positive and friendly attitude Work efficiently and effectively regarding procedures Keep office organized to ensure efficient and effective service delivery Provide all necessary information regarding the testing process to parents upon inquiry Become familiar with all necessary documentation required initially; ex. (consent form, intake form, other questionnaires used per case) Meet with parents and take notes for intake meeting so as to gain better understanding of a student’s developmental background Be able to review and understand previous assessments of students Conduct in class observations Coordinate testing schedule with teachers and student Be able to build a good rapport with the students Review referrals and perform pre-assessment activities

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Conduct and administer psychological and educational assessments such as: (WISC, WJ, Conners, Bender Gestalt, Key Math, GORT, TOWL etc.)

Conduct clinical interviews Score assessments Provide accurate diagnosis and interpretation of results (i.e. learning difficulties, social-emotional well-being) Know the context of the DSM 5 Write up reports and maintain accurate records regarding each students’ case Meet with parents and student in order to discuss the findings and proposed interventions Collaborate with faculty, OLP specialists, counselors, CST, and all others to gain pertinent information needed regarding the students that will be evaluated Collaborate with Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Vision Therapists, psychologist, and other internal/external professionals Be able to identify the assessments that need to be used based on the specific needs of a student Display ethical and professional behaviors at all times Display understanding and empathy towards students and parents Have effective communication skills with parents and students Use excellent presentation skills, written and oral English skills when communicating with students, parents, teachers, and the ACS Athens community Keep the Center coordinator informed in all matters Protect confidentiality of records and information gained as part of exercising professional duties and use discretion in sharing information when needed Attend required meetings and extra school sponsored functions and events Perform any duties that are within the scope of employment and certification as assigned by the supervisor (s) Continue professional development and update knowledge on psycho-educational testing

Requirements: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Licensed Clinical Psychologist; A minimum of two years previous experience in testing; Certification/License; Extensive experience and training in psycho-educational assessments; Excellent command of oral and written language in English; Excellent command of oral and written language in Greek; Able to effectively and accurately interpret and provide diagnosis upon; completion of a psycho-educational evaluation; Effective communication skills; Work collaboratively and efficiently within a team; Be able to work within an international and diverse academic setting; Be Technology savvy (ie. Word, excel, skyward, moodle, etc.); International work experience and knowledge of the American Educational philosophy;

•

Expertise and experience in assessing students with LD, including literacy, math and emotional difficulties www.acsathens.gr

© 2018 ACS Athens Global Association

ACS Athens' Next ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS EVENT is Scheduled for: APRIL 6, 2019 IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Dear ACS Athens Community Members:

It is with great pleasure that I announce the 2nd ACS Athens Alumni Achievement Awards event that will take place on April 6, 2019.

Over the past decades ACS Athens alumni have exhibited great leadership with ethos, including serving humanity in all areas of society. We will continue to celebrate and recognize ACS Athens alumni leaders at the 2nd Global Achievement Awards event that will take place in Washington, D.C. on April 6, 2019.

The two awards that will be given to ACS Athens alumni will be: Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing an alumnus (over 40) whose accomplishments in the public, private or non-profit sector have made an outstanding contribution to the community and serve as an example both professionally and ethically.

Upcoming Young Leadership Award recognizing an alumnus (aged 40 or under) who shows promise in his/her field by providing inspiration and leadership to students and other young alumni. The recipient has to have shown significant leadership either in their professional career and/or community, public or humanitarian service The Nominations Form and all relevant information about these two awards can be found at the ACS Athens Global site (www.acsathensglobal.org). Nominations are accepted only through this site. If you have not yet signed up as a member, please do so.

I encourage you to read the guidelines for this new initiative and to participate by nominating someone you believe has the qualities outlined above and should be considered for these two awards.

I believe that this awards initiative will become tradition for ACS Athens

and a truly wonderful way for us to recognize our alumni as they leave our institution to go on to become successful citizens of the world with ethos.

Sincerely,

Guest Column

Reflections of an ACS Graduate '11

by Member and Guest Contributor Anastasi Sharp “It’s the end of an era,” my brother Ilia mused one morning, addressing me, my brother Alexander, and my friend Jason. We are all alumni of ACS (the American Community School of Athens), a K-12 school in Greece. In a few months he would be the last of my family’s current generation to join those ranks.

It was December 21st, 2017: a cold Greek day in a country of mesmerizing warmth. We were making our annual pilgrimage to our school, gravitating back to the mothership where both my parents, aunts, brothers, many friends and I had once lived, worked, thought, played and voyaged.

There were others who did the same that day, 40 to be exact . Thee were enough names to fill a sprawling board in the famed cafeteria with our names and where we had attended school since we graduated. That warm, familiar place still appeared to be a crossroads of the school.

Any combination of people is possible there. You could find an administrator waiting on the sandwich line while a coach rushes by to ask for ice to aid an injured knee, only to run into an Optimal Match specialist he hasn’t seen in a while, but will soon sit on a panel with to discuss the i2Flex method on a livestreamed webcast.

There were few free hands in the house. It seemed each person hand held a cup of fragrant hot chocolate in one hand, and the other held either a kourambie (buttered biscuits sprinkled with powdered sugar) or a melomakarono (honey cookies). The annual spectacle of students, math instructors, librarians, secretaries, and athletes belting out Jingle Bells began to unfold before my eyes.

Among the faces I recognized were children of fellow alumni, with whom I share something important: the experience of growing up here. They may remember the rite of passage of crossing the street that once physically separated the elementary school from the rest of ACS. Perhaps they remember the homework packets, school plays to apply their knowledge of Greek mythology and seeing where it was first set in stone on the Acropolis. Perhaps they remember decorating the inside of their first locker, or treading lightly through a middle school dance.

Perhaps they had an early Eureka moment, mine was learning the power of great design as I watched an egg parachute I had designed in my Design Technology class floating elegantly from the balcony our class had dropped its projects from. Perhaps they remember the intimidation of a great challenge, and the joy of rising to meet it. The moment my eighth grade ears heard that my film review for the Blue and Gold Magazine made me the youngest ever contributor comes to mind. Perhaps they remember the rigor of obtaining an IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma , which taught me a critical thought process that I still use every day.

Maybe they remember the sense of teamwork they fostered with friends across the classroom desk, between free shots in the back field (or, in my case, between strokes in a swimming team race), behind the debating podium, between bites at a lunchtime yearbook meeting, or between takes in the student newsroom.

I could not shake the question in my mind as I read the names of those who returned: What is the force that brings them back? What is it about ACS that we flip back to as we plan the sentences in our stories of our lives that have yet to be written?

I know I cannot possibly account for the experience of so many who saw ACS in so many ways across so many generations. I hope I can make a small contribution to a discussion about a group of people who have roamed our world—and solar system—and still report back to mission control. Here goes.

1. Mentorship As I looked back through my history at ACS, I tried to remember the first of many times when I felt a hand of guidance on my shoulder; the hand that never held out an answer, but offered glimpses of new, unexplored ideas and possibilities. It allowed me to see have Eureka moments for myself, and delight in the joy of discovery and the satisfaction of stones no longer unturned.

The earliest one I can recall was early in my first year at ACS. We had just been sent off for recess. We may have just completed the unit on the American settlers or nutrition. I recall writing a story about a magical box that gave you whatever you needed at that time. After I thought I had scribbled the story on a set of notebook papers with margins for illustrations on top I dropped it on the assignment pile. I could not contain my excitement for completing the story , or so I thought.

I exclaimed. “I can’t believe such a small box could be so powerful.”

“Did you use the word small?” asked my teacher. “No,” I said.

“Well, you should,” she added, explaining the power of adjectives to show rather than tell. I penciled that word in and continued.

“Anyway, so about that small, plain box.”

“Did you write plain?”

I saw where this was going, and, hoping for some recess, dreamt up this in vivid detail, and as quietly as I could.

My teacher’s line of questioning still runs in the back of my mind, like the inner voice that tells us the picture on the wall is crooked, and more importantly, gives us the conscience to

set it straight. Advice, often unsolicited, and not speaking from the agenda of a set curriculum but with the voice of conscience that transcends disciplines in our world that defies disciplines, what Dr. Gialamas calls the Global Morfosis Paradigm.

That hand of guidance returned time and time again both to sharpen my tastes (which eventually led me to a Masters Degree in Advertising) and embolden my creative spirit. In high school, I was frustrated with the lack of consolidation in my IB Visual Arts process books (journals that track creative projects from inspiration to execution.) I was encouraged to take a new approach. I knew, from the first time I dared set pen to paper (now stylus pen to tablet) I was cartooning and storyboarding, even before I knew what those things were. Why not tell my process as a story? After all, as I discovered, my natural impulse is to storyboard.

Rather than parrot off passages of cave art from a textbook, why not cast a cave painter as the narrator of prehistory? So I did, with the encouragement of my teacher, who gave me source material along the way, including Scott McCloud’s indispensable Understanding Comics . Had my approach been rejected, my process could have remained disorderly.

Because I was given the fuel, my best practices had liftoff. This process has carried through to my recent work as a creative strategist in my advertising portfolio , which I am currently showing around New York as I continue on the Great American Job Search.

I know these are only my stories. There may be as many other tales of mentorship as there are hairs under the graduation caps every year. I have read stories of teachers who inspired their children to return to this school as teachers. I have seen teachers who mentor not only as teachers, but also as athletic coaches, debate moderators, student magazine editors, book club coordinators, student council advisors, math club proctors, and conference panelists at the strike of the 3:45 PM bell.

Those restless guiding hands remind me that the day comes to a close but teaching and

learning never do.

2. Reflection and Remix

I believe ACS encourages those creative leaps that bring the world of the imagination out in the stratosphere within reach. By understanding the world as we know it (what it is and how it works), we can then question and rebuild it.

As I wrote in an earlier post , the unexpected association of unrelated ideas is the mental clay whose form is as flexible as the limits of human imagination. The process of remix has given us some of the greatest ideas and inventions we depend on today, like the way Larry Page and Sergei Brin envisioned Google by imagining web links as a series of bibliographical citations that endlessly link back to other sources. Those mental leaps simply changed our world.

I think the long-standing Truman Trial in the famed 10th grade “Combo” (American Studies / Literature) class encouraged remix. The need of former US president Harry Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb rested in the hands of my team of lawyers and our witnesses as the entire school tuned in online and in person. With the gravity of this case upon us, I felt we had a personal stake in the course of history where our role could have been passive. The engagement with such a charged case reminds me of the difference between coasting along as a passenger and steering the starship. Sitting at the captain’s helm gave me and my team pause before every argument we added to our case, and every cross examination I did. The stakes were high, so the lessons of the trial remain unforgettable.

The intricacies and curveballs the case threw at us, like the resurrection of Machiavelli as a defense witness, have conditioned my brain to a state of remix. This openness to new ideas and associations have helped kick my ideas into hyperdrive. The time where my advertising class studio team envisioned LEGO blocks as the portal to a digital in-store experience comes to mind. Had my school not taught me to be open to new connections, I may have never made them.

I know this kind of thinking still abounds at ACS. I am so impressed to read about student revelations on the famed Humanities trips, and other excursions that ask the big questions and ask what makes a place like Greece unique. Each of the many excursions reminded me that Athens is a place of limitless remix where the past, present, and future are in constant conversation. The sprouting of student work on student portfolios and blogs seems to

encourage the free flow of knowledge and reflection across the disciplines, both for the students, and their global viewership. Dr. Gialamas’ knots come to mind as the symbols of the infinite feedback loop of reflection and rethinking in learning.

I believe Ilia would never have devised the 1.50 Club had ACS not taught him to search for new ways to see his world. It was a simple insight that € 1.50, a typical price for an iced Greek coffee, can buy a boxed lunch for a student in need. That alone ignited a powerful partnership with DIATROFI , an initiative within the impactful PROLEPSIS organization that has helped feed food-insecure children all over Greece.

3. Community

The “C” in ACS for me is as inseparable from the experience as the letter is from its title.

Community at ACS has an international perspective. It means your language teacher may have another degree in concert music from a country that neither you nor she is from.

Community means that your athletic, forensic, and university-related travel itinerary reads like the content of your European geography quiz. Community means that the nationalities of your friend group read like a U.N. delegation.

I am proud to be woven into this school’s rich community-wide culture that I think informs my perspective today. I found an outlet through that community in the TEDx Youth Talks when I was so thrilled to have rediscovered comics as the engine behind my creative process, I decided to give a talk that took the audience through my process. I remember following the expressions of the faces I recognized in the front rows of that darkened theater; students, parents, and teachers I had grown up around, experiencing each epiphany like their own. When it was my turn in the audience, I found myself in as much awe of the stories I heard as my own. Everyone watching the stage from their seat or living room heard stories of space elevators, the power of smiling, at-risk outreach in Greek villages from friends, teachers, and faculty. As often happens at our school, the line between teacher and student faded. Learning soared.

I felt that same community focus in ACS’s Summer Leadership Institute . When other participants and I began defining our ideas and perceptions of leadership, I originally defined leadership as the work of visionary individuals. But as we walked the halls of the University of Richmond and Washington DC area churches, museums, political offices and murals

where leadership was a function of responsibility to a community, I began to see the common ground between leader and follower.

I remember a moment where that distinction melted entirely. We were in the ACS library, a few days before we flew to DC for the second part of our training. We did a dance routine in shiny top hats trying hard to put our best left foot forward. I wondered at the time about the relevance of this activity to leadership, but stepping back into our unfortunate chorus line, I remembered that we were in a row formation, where the back rows mirrored the front. There were leaders, there were followers. We all served the dance, which bonded that little cross section of our community, and our (mercifully) small audience.

In my experience, I believe the small moments define the meaning of community at our school as much as the turning points: The collective gasp of relief in an IB or SAT exam when we realized the material we studied is what appeared on the test; the cheer and laughter of student athletes, coaches, and parents as they view the annual Sports Banquet slideshow ; the insights that crackled across the auditorium while we watched a Yannis Simeonides’ brilliant rendition of Plato’s Apology after we had all read it over the summer ; The buzz in the Incubator or the state-of-the-art Sabbagh Media Studio where ACS comes together to flex its creative muscles; The snap of the camera shutter that captured the cover of the ETHOS Magazine where my brothers and I were photographed with several dozen children of alumni who also attended ACS; the notification that invites young ACS alumni to their very first NHSA (National Hellenic Student Association) convention where Hellenic ACS alumni have thrived in their respective communities around America and passed the torch onward.

Before we went home on that cold, yet warm Greek day, I looked back at the constellation of alumni signatures across that cafeteria wall, and the inspiring young people about to join their ranks. I looked back at the mentors among them, and the very process of reflection they had taught me, the examined life they encouraged me to live. My years at that school helped to make sense of the moments that came after, including this one.

In a way, Ilia was right. In a way, it was the end of an era. A generation of my family at ACS would end with him. But I knew, after years of returning, that we may drift, but our everything we learned and learned to love about our school keeps us in orbit.

See this article on Anastasi's

Our thanks to Anastasi for his article. Please feel welcome to submit your article, professional advice, opinion or analysis, career commentary and/or announcements. - The Editor.

Thanks for your support, Everyone!

ACS Athens Summer Camp: June 18-July 6, 2018.

Learning the English language through exciting and fun activities!

Registration is now open; visit: www.acs.gr

IIC Summer Scholars' Academy at ACS Athens Challenging, engaging, and fun learning opportunities for Academy and Middle School students offered by the Institute for Innovation and Creativity (IIC) at ACS Athens, June 25-July 6, 2018. ACS Athens Academy students can earn high school credit while pursuing an intellectual passion, exploring a new subject or learning new skills. Middle School Students can let their imaginations lead them as they develop creative and critical thinking skills and expand their craft as writers or as mathematical problem solvers.

Click here for more information. Feel free to contact Mr. Steve Medeiros, Dean of Academic Affairs, if you would like more information about any of the courses.

Contact Ms. Marietta Garbis, IIC Assistant, at garbism@acs.gr or 210-6393-200, ext. 200 for enrolment.

THE PROGRAM IS ALSO OPEN TO CHILDREN OF ACS ATHENS ALUMNI AND QUALIFIED ATHENS AREA STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT ACS ATHENS STUDENTS. ENGLISH FLUENCY AND A GOOD ACADEMIC RECORD ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION.

GLOBAL BizNET supporting ACS Athens Community

Alums! You must stop byAlex Mamalis' amazing burger place in Marousi! www.biggiesburgers.gr

ACS Athens AlumMonica Madias-Theodorou Opens New Store in Glyfada!

Par. Leoforo Vouliagmenis 65Β Glyfáda, Greece 16675 Telephone: +30 21 0969 0202

Enjoy ACS Athens Alum Mim Adkins' Beautiful Work at www.mimadkins.com

The poetry of ACS Athens Alum John Tripoulas featured in The Iowa Review Available for purchase here

ACS Alum Alexander Voutsas’ Exhibit of the Old Airport, Opened May 11.

ACS Athens Alum Kazuaki Shitamori's spectacular catering services on Tinos! Kazoo.gr

Two great alumni events are slated for 2018.

Both are reprisals of reunions earlier this year, successful on account of their volunteer organizers. Keep updated on details of these exciting events:

CAPE CHARLES GOES GREEK! ACS GREAT ROUNDUP 2018

October 12, 13, 14, 2018 Cape Charles, Virginia Details here https://www.acsgreatroundup.com/

ACS VEGAS 2018!

July 12 - 14. 2018 at the Luxor in Las Vegas, Nevada Details here