ACS Athens Ethos, Spring 2017

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

Our Mission: ACS Athens is a student-centered international school, embracing American educational philosophy, principles and values. Through excellence in teaching and diverse educational experiences, ACS Athens challenges all students to realize their unique potential: academically, intellectually, socially and ethically - to thrive as responsible global citizens.

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

Ext. 240 210 6393555

Ethos is a bi-annual publication of ACS Athens showcasing the life and activity of the Institution.

Publisher: ACS Athens Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director: Leda Tsoukia Co-Editors: Peggy Pelonis John Papadakis Production team: Frances Tottas Melina Vassiliadis Copy editing: Leo Alexandropoulos Contributors: ACS Athens Faculty, Staff, Students, Parents and Alumni Concept and Publication design: Leda Tsoukia Copyright ©2017 All rights reserved. No part of this magazine (text or images) may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher

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

W: acsathens.gr

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

F: +30 210 6390051

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

Letter from the Editor

3 6

by Leda Tsoukia

Q&A with the President

International Refugee Crisis: An Endless Sky of Empathy Could Never Be Enough

by Dr. Alessandra Sax

Collaborations between Schools Nurture Progress

Building Bridges for a More Inclusive Society

and Generate Opportunities

by Danai Papaioannou

8

by Constantine Sirigos

ACS Athens Partners with Widener University and Pinewood American Int’l School of Thessaloniki

by Daniel Yakovee

by Melina Vassiliadis

UN Day 2016

Globalization: Creating Future World Leaders

by Anna Velivasaki

12

by Rebecca L. Meyer

Field Trip at Tritsis Park

Forging Partnerships in the Humanities Program

by Rebecca L. Meyer

by Kathleen Jasonides and Amalia Zavacopoulou

International Association College Admission

14

Expanding Student Learning Opportunities

Counseling Conference @Rutgers U. July 11-15, 2016

via the ACS Athens Writing Studio: The Example

by Stelios Kalogridakis

of the Online Pamoja Education IB Courses

Self-Assessment in Mathematics

by Julia Tokatlidou and Dr. Evangelos Syropoulos

17

45

The Importance of Food Education: The Falafel Project

11

43

by Dora Andrikopoulos

49 51 52 54 55

Developing & Implementing a Blended (i Flex)

Mind over Media: Critical Thinking through Media Literacy

Orientation Program for New K-12 Faculty & Staff

Programs; Introducing the New Media Studio

by Julia Tokatlidou and Dr. Maria Avgerinou

of ACS Athens

2

Removing Borders in a Globalized World!

by David Nelson & Evelyn Pittas

19

22

The Leader of the Free World at the Birthplace of Democracy (President Obama’s visit)

by Filippos Geragidis, Ioanna Vallianou-Leventi, Petros Vorgias

by John Papadakis

“A Lasting Bond”

by Rebecca L. Meyer

24

A Modest Observation

by Angela K. Spiliot

57 59 60

Two ACS Athens Students Participated in the

The Importance of Learning Reflective Skills and

“ACSTAC 2016

its Metacognitive Effects for Elementary School

by Melina Vassiliadis

28

Students

61

An Award-Winning Robot that Sorts Garbage

by Sophia Moros

for Recycling: “R-tube” is Invented by

Broadening Educational Opportunities for All Students:

Three ACS Athens Middle School Students

Learning in the Digital Age . What is Gamification?

by Melina Vassiliadis

29

by Christina Marinou

6th Grade Presentation on Endangered Species of

Partnership Building, between Parents and

Greece to Dr. Jane Goodall

Children regarding Physical Activity

by Christina Bakoyannis

32

in Every Day Life

IB Environmental Science Students’ Perspectives

by Efi Karatopouzi

by Dr. Elina Prodromidi

Campus Projects and Renovations

The Desperate Need for Unified Collaboration

33 35

by Stavros Tzanetakos

CONT ENTS

by Sevasti Koniossis

Service Leaders Club: Developing

Servants’ Hearts in Tomorrow’s Leaders

by Sevasti Koniossis

39

64

66 69

3

Letter from the editor Forging Partnerships

by Leda Tsoukia, Editor in Chief, ACS Athens Creative/Art Coordinator

T

o achieve the MSA accreditation through the Sustaining Excellence protocol, is proof that we have reached one of the most ambitious milestones as an institution, placing ACS Athens in the highest pedestal of recognition in international K-12 education.

It is also proof that our work is more than just a job, that educating young people and striving to build a better learning environment is an individual and collective goal and that striving to have happy students builds the foundation for beautiful things to happen.

We can’t stop now. Our goals can aim even higher; to reach more young people, to learn more about our global environment, to expand our horizons toward eventually changing the world around us. Thus sharing knowledge and being open to working with educators from other organizations is a natural next step.

Having been recognized as one of the top international K-12 educational institutions of the world, opens doors and opportunities of collaborations and partnerships with other institutions and organizations.

We believe that sharing and exchanging information, knowledge and experience with different educational entities is the path toward attaining even higher goals.

One of the most exciting characteristics of our school is our open minded individuals and the innovative ways we approach education. Our school is open to

change, challenge and exploration of new paths. This puts us in a unique position of being ready to absorb stimulating ideas that come from other environments and thus enriching our own curriculum and creating new objectives as pioneers in our field.

In recognition of these unique traits this issue of Ethos magazine is dedicated to all these amazing partnerships and collaborations that have taken place during the last few years and have led to or will lead to meaningful projects and activities for our students. â–

4

6

14

Q&A with the President, Dr. Stefanos Gialamas

Forging Partnerships in the Humanities Program

22

Removing “Borders in a Globalized World�!

32

6th Grade Presentation on Endangered Species of Greece to Dr. Jane Goodall

43

57

International Refugee Crisis: An Endless Sky of Empathy Could Never Be Enough

Mind over Media: introducing the new production studio of ACS Athens

61

The Importance of Learning Reflective Skills and its Metacognitive Affects for Elementary School Students

64

Broadening educational opportunities for all students: Learning in the Digital Age What is Gamification?

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

in teaching and learning in a different school, different city, different country or continent is unparalleled to any type of professional development and growth.

Currently ACS Athens has partnered with numerous K-12 institutions in the United States (Chapin School NYC, Morgan Park Academy, Chicago; in Greece (Thessaloniki – The American Farm School and Pinewood International School); and Think Global High School.

ACS Athens also has university partnerships with the Perrotis College and the Hellenic American University in Greece. In the United States we have collaborations with the:

Collaborations

◉ University of Delaware ◉ Widener University ◉ St. Thomas University ◉ Wheelock College

Q&A with the President, Dr. Gialamas

◉ Chapman University ◉ St. Louis University ◉ University of Richmond ◉ Mary Washington University ◉ University of Winnipeg

Q

: What is a “K-16” partnership

A: K-12 partnerships are designed to enhance the educational experience of students. Partnerships must be developed with K-16 academic institutions that include but are not limited to programs for students. They should also include programs for faculty, professionals and administrators. Such programs could look like exchange programs for students, faculty and administrators; for example students spending 15 days or one semester or one year in a partner institution. These type of experiences help students understand different cultures, different approaches to learning, even different traditions and ways of life.

Q: Why is this significant in the learning process?

A: Aside from academic benefits, the informal and holistic learning can be invaluable because understanding people comes by eliminating the fear of the unknown, defeating misconceptions and misunderstandings so that when students become tomorrow’s leaders they will have a plethora of world cultural experiences to help them escape from local or regional or religious or national bias and create a world that is a better place to live in for everyone.

For faculty the opportunity to exchange experiences

◉ University of Dundee Q: Who will benefit from these partnerships?

A: These collaborations firstly benefit our students by providing them with excellent educational experiences that they will take with them on their journey to becoming successful, ethical citizens of the world.

Our joint summer leadership programs over the years with universities such as The University of Richmond, St. Louis University, and Widener University definitely benefit students. Students spend time on a university campus taking specifically designed courses on leadership and then spending one week in WDC where they experience leadership in action. The first leadership program was instituted at ACS Athens during the summer of 2006 and received an award in 2009 for its quality by the Association of American University Administration.

During the summer of 2017 ACS Athens with Widener University co-designed two programs: 1) Leadership; 2) Engineering. In addition in a partnership with the American Hellenic University we co-designed a course in Aviation.

College credits are awarded to students for courses taken during their ACS Athens studies. ACS Athens has an agreement with more than 12 US universities of which students can receive up to one year of college credit for courses (IB, AP or unique ACS Athens courses). Ad-

7

ditionally, ACS Faculty & Administration have opportunities to be visiting scholars in the universities and spend time on their campus involved in collaborations with university faculty doing research or other projects. Also ACS Athens qualified faculty will be able to teach university undergraduate courses and continue their post graduate studies obtaining higher degrees.

Some of the university benefits include: ◉ Universities sending their graduate or undergraduate students to complete their “practicum” or “teaching requirements” at ACS Athens under the supervision of ACS Athens qualified faculty. This provides ACS Athens with the opportunity to select the most qualified and successful teachers as future ACS Athens faculty. ◉ Universities sending doctoral students to fulfill their research component (dissertation) while working on themes important to ACS Athens. ◉ Universities sending their administrators and leaders (Chairs, Deans) to review and adopt part of the authentic and unique ACS Athens educational paradigm (gMp) Global Morfosis Paradigm, to include elements in their College of Education Programs a component for preparing future K-12 teachers.

Manifestations on these partnerships All ACS Athens graduates are attending colleges and universities in the US, Europe and around the world.

They are well prepared to continue their studies in college without major issues of adjusting and succeeding.

Last year’s graduates received more than one million dollars in scholarships. Over the past ten years ACS Athens faculty have published more than 150 referenced articles and six books and book chapters.

ACS Athens was also able to support faculty toward receiving higher degrees. Today, more than 17% of ACS Athens educators hold a doctoral degree – unreal for a K-12 academic institution and more than 75% hold a Master’s degree

Q: How are these partnerships sustaining or enhancing the role of ACS Athens of being a significant institution?

A: ACS Athens currently has the highest enrollment ever of 914 students and a waiting list.

Students and faculty are leading programs such as “Youth to Youth” educating ALL children, with a unique holistic and meaningful program which educates refugee children. The educational experience is based on the ACS Athens educational paradigm which includes face-to-face learning (Saturdays), learning and recreational activities at the ACS Athens campus and twice a week on-line learning.

In closing, today more than ever we need to provide a global, holistic, meaningful, authentic educational experience to our students. In order to accomplish this the necessary conditions of K-12 institutions and higher education institutions MUST partner in order to develop and build a solid and meaningful bridge for the benefit of all students. Today, learning should not be linear, constrained and confined to yesterday’s societal needs. It must be without stereotypical constraints and only partnerships can provide that; partnership with diverse academic institutions, multi-cultural, multi-location with complementary missions. The future belongs to the young people who can think differently and always for the benefit of humanity.

■

8

mitment with ACS Athens and Pinewood School to personal attention and hands-on, real world learning.”

Dr. Stefanos Gialamas, President of ACS Athens, proudly added that “ethos and kindness is at the center of our educational philosophy,” praising the educators of all three institutions for inspiring their students in such powerful ways.

The latest of ACS Athens’ many collaborations strengthen the powerful institutional foundations necessary for preparing students to become global citizens with ethos who will make a difference.

Collaborations Between Schools Nurture Progress and Generate Opportunities

by Constantine S. Sirigos, Director of Outreach and Development

C

ollaboration with other leading institutions helps ensure that top schools remain on the cutting edge of curriculum development and teaching methodology and facilitates swift progress.

ACS Athens has proven to be a pioneer in working with other Pre-K-12 schools and universities for the benefit of students and faculty.

On December 14, 2016 ACS Athens, the Pinewood School in Thessaloniki, and Widener University in Chester, PA, signed a historic collaboration agreement at ACS Athens, “paving the way towards innovative collaborations which will benefit the students, faculty and administrations of all three institutions,” and commencing “a partnership for creating fundamental learning opportunities to enrich the education experience of young people,” the press release announced.

Dr. Julie Crain, ACS Athens Academy Principal, introduced the three institutions on December 14 and spoke about their mutual goals to positively change the world through best-quality education of young people.

Dr. Roxanne Impala, the Director of the Pinewood School, which she called a little gem in Thessaloniki, explained “the beautifully complimentary missions” of the three institutions and Dr. Julie E. Wollman, President of Widener University added, “We share a com-

ACS Athens now partners with the Chapin School in New York and Morgan Park Academy in Chicago at the primary and secondary school levels. The colleges and universities with agreements with ACS Athens include: the University of Delaware, St. Thomas University (Miami) Wheelock College (Boston), Chapman University (Orange County CA), St. Louis University (Missouri), University of Richmond (Virginia), Mary Washington University (Virginia), University of Winnipeg (Canada), Hellenic American University (Athens), and the University of Dundee (Scotland).

Dr. Wollman and Mercedes Sheppard, Head of School of Morgan Park Academy, were pleased to share their thoughts with Ethos about the benefits of such partnerships and the value of working with institutions like ACS Athens.

“Widener University endeavors to develop international partners like ACS Athens,” Dr. Wollman said. “These partnerships benefit Widener’s students, faculty, and staff and the partner institution. We are proud to have strong international partnerships in many countries, including Greece, Costa Rica, and China…Not only do we send our students and scholars abroad, but we welcome students and scholars from all over the world to our campus.”

Dr. Wollman said “Widener University is thrilled to partner with the American Community Schools of Athens,” and she looks forward to growing and expanding the partnership. “ACS Athens has an extremely strong international reputation for excellence, as does Widener University, so this is a perfect partnership. We are delighted to partner with the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and administrators at ACS Athens…and we look forward to welcoming ACS Athens students with open arms.”

Dr. Gialamas visited the Widener campus in the Fall 2016 and Dr. Wollman said he “immediately saw the strength and return on investment in a Widener education. He is a well-known leader in education respected for his forward thinking, innovative learning practices, and dedication to the highest quality education and student experience. We were delighted to be invited to visit ACS Athens in December to finalize our partnership…I thank Dr. Gialamas, Dean Steve Medeiros, Dean Peggy Pelonis, and all of the dedicated faculty and staff at ACS Athens for welcoming the Widener University delegation with…the best hospitality possible. We

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

welcome the opportunity to return your hospitality when your students, faculty, and staff visit our campus.”

Even before those visits, the partnership is already yielding dividends for both Widener and ACS Athens. There has been a significant number of applications to Widener by ACS Athens students impressed by the innovative practices of Widener, of which Wollman gave an example.

“National surveys reveal that Widener students are far more likely than those at other universities to have opportunities to do research with faculty members. And this isn’t ‘practice’ research, this is cutting edge research that leads to new discoveries and solutions. Students present their research at university, regional, national, and international conferences.”

It is a natural fit, as the schools share so many values. “At Widener University, we believe academic excellence, leadership, career preparation, and civic engagement are the foundations for success. Those values are incorporated into more than 60-degree options university-wide, including top-ranked programs in nursing, engineering, social work, and the arts & sciences. Our close-knit community of top-notch teachers, nationally renowned researchers, and students from 48 states and 37 countries are passionate about learning, leadership, and making a difference,” Wollman said.

Dr. Julie Crain, Academy Principal welcomes the guests on December 14, 2016.

She emphasized that the importance of leadership development is a vital part of the vision of both Widener and ACS. “Every Widener undergraduate can earn a leadership certificate or a leadership minor. This is a great value added because employers want to know the people they hire are able to lead, have a strong ethical background, and know how to work effectively in teams.

These skills are developed in our many leadership programs. The Oskin Leadership Institute is a unique benefit of a Widener experience and education. Last year, more than one third of our undergraduate students participated in one or more leadership courses through the Oskin Leadership Institute.”

Widener also focuses on hands-on learning, which is a hallmark of ACS Athens’ methodology. “Students are engaged in applying their learning to real world problem-solving from their first day here,” and “because of our excellent location, students have opportunities to secure internships and co-ops in Philadelphia and the metro-Philadelphia area. Many employers specifically

Members of the delegation from Widener University and the Pinewood School join the faculty and staff of ACS Athens for a commemorative photo on December 14, 2016

seek out Widener students because of their hands-on and research experience,” Dr. Wollman said.

The door to ACS Athens students is wide open. According to Wollman, the two schools “have developed two pathways that will allow ACS Athens students who meet key qualifications to earn both a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in either business or engineering in just four years. Of course, ACS Athens students could pursue any one of our more than 60 degree programs. We look forward to expanding these pathways and welcoming many ACS Athens students

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

to Widener for their undergraduate and/or graduate education.”

Faculty also benefit from the agreement. “ACS Athens provides an outstanding primary and secondary education.

ACS Athens faculty members are leaders in their field and are also well respected for incorporating cutting-edge and best-practices into their curriculum. Having opportunities for our faculty to work with ACS Athens faculty will provide a winwin benefit,” said Dr. Wollman, adding “Specifically, the Global Morfosis Model is of great interest to Widener. There is tremendous opportunity for faculty and staff at Widener to learn more about this leading educational philosophy from the faculty and staff at ACS Athens.”

Widener is preparing to welcome students, faculty, and staff from ACS Athens to Widener University this summer for tailored learning experiences in leadership and engineering. Students will have the opportunity to learn from outstanding Widener professors and to explore the wonderful city of Philadelphia.

Just as the budding Widener relationship reflects similar fruitful collaborations at the university level, ACS Athens’ work with the Morgan Park Academy led by Head of School Mercedes Sheppard illustrates the value of primary and secondary school links.

Sheppard visited ACS in April 2016 for the Sustaining Excellence Colloquium that marked ACS Athens’ formal re-accreditation from the prestigious Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools until 2022 with the “Sustaining Excellence” protocol.

The Colloquium’s presentations highlighted the way faculty and students and parents interact and the research about the way students actually learn and about best practices, Sheppard said, and she was impressed.

“I am always amazed at what is happening there and the amount of time teachers spend in professional development and research,” she said, adding that she is excited about the potential for teacher exchanges and professional development participation for Academy teachers at ACS. She and Dr. Gialamas met two years ago and immediately saw the commonalties that promised a productive partnership. Moving quickly, a program was launched last year.

At this time they offer a joint humanities course as

an online option for their students that begins in the fall. The course capstone is a trip to Greece and France where they do fieldwork associated with coursework Like ACS, “One of the pillars of our curriculum is nurturing global leaders, global thinkers so for us this collaboration is an extension of our curriculum,” Sheppard said, and she noted that up to 20 percent of the school population are international students.

Born and raised in Chicago and in her 21st year at the Academy, where she began as a teacher, Sheppard, who was appointed Head of School three years ago, is firmly focused on the challenges and benefits of helping students connect with the wider world. The link with ACS gives them the opportunity to experience the realm beyond their classrooms.

“Our students begin learning and understanding the world that they live in during Middle School and they begin to travel early, inside and outside the country.

There are language immersion trips and as early as a sixth grade trip to Quebec for French students and to Costa Rica for Spanish language classes. We offer Chinese, but there is no immersion trip yet,” Sheppard said.

“Besides the global strand, service is very important to us as an institution,” citing another characteristic in common with ACS. Sheppard noted “There are service requirements for graduation in both the Middle and Upper School we try to integrate service into every aspect of our student experience.” It’s part of how they become the kind of citizens the Academy hopes to send out into the world.

The two schools also have some historical similarities.

Morgan Park was founded in 1873 as an all boys military academy. “We-invented themselves several times,” Sheppard said, and acknowledged that the past decade has been a time of transformation for ACS, which was established in 1945 to educate the children of British military personnel stationed in Greece.

■

11

President of Widener University, who expressed her happiness and honor to be in Greece for the signing of this collaboration.

Representatives from all three institutions were present for the official signing ceremony which took place at the Theater at ACS Athens, led by Dr. Stefanos Gialamas, President of ACS Athens. Dr. Gialamas proudly stated that “ethos and kindness is at the center of our educational philosophy”, praising the educators of all three institutions for inspiring their students in such powerful ways.

Dr. Roxanne Giampapa, Director of the Pinewood American International School, agreed that Pinewood is heading in a direction of growth and im improvement, describing “the beautifully comple complementary missions” of the three institutions.

ACS Athens Partners with Widener University and Pinewood American Int’l School of Thessaloniki

By Melina Vassiliades, Communications Officer

A

CS Athens and Pinewood American International School of Thessaloniki formalized a partnership with Widener University that will provide educational opportunities for their students in pursuing their higher level studies at this prestigious American university. These include specific collaborations with Widener’s schools of Business Administration and Engineering, for Bachelors and Masters degrees, as well as opportunities for juniors and seniors to attend week-long summer programs in leadership and engineering at the University.

This historic partnership came about through the mutual goals of these institutions to positively change the world through best-quality education for young people, their intention being to pave the way towards innovative collaborations which will benefit the students, faculty and administrations of all three institutions.

“We share a commitment with ACS Athens and Pinewood School to personal attention and hands-on, real-world learning” explained Dr. Julie E. Wollman,

In addition to the signing ceremony, Widener President Wollman met with administrators, teachers, students and parents of ACS Athens, expressing her enthusiasm at the possibility of welcoming ACS Athens students to Widener University for summer programs and more long-term opportunities as undergraduate and graduate students.

This collaboration is one of the many ways in which ACS Athens lays the foundations for creating learning opportunities that make knowledge usable and transferable, preparing students to become global citizens with ethos who will make a difference.

■

12

the knowledge exchanged from education systems of other nations.

This is why fostering global awareness and international collaboration in our classrooms is so beneficial to our students. By working with other people, we learn about their cultures and become able to explore new ideas and prospects. This is why it is so important for students to have a deeper global awareness and understanding of other cultures and civilizations.

And these collaborations are so many and so beneficial! Not only for students who wish to participate in exchange programs but also for young educators who wish to begin their journey by exploring other nations and cultures, by exchanging ideas and educational strategies, by transferring their own knowledge beyond closed doors, recognizable languages and country borders.

ACS Athens has developed excellent materials

Globalization: Creating Future World Leaders

By Anna Velivasaki, Human Resources Officer

M

arcel Proust, the French novelist, critic, and essayist once said: “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

We do not need new landscapes in this world; we need people who are able to create visions and instill these visions into the children’s minds; we need to generate global citizens who will eventually transform this world and add another milestone in the theory of cosmopolitanism, which is being discussed since the Hellenistic period. In education, we need to create a future workforce consisting of a nation of leaders who do not recognize borders, languages and ethnicities.

It is true that most of the times the greatest discoveries are made by exploring our inner selves, our belief systems and our values, which have everything to do with how we perceive ourselves and the world. We, as educators and professionals, have an obligation to become the new set of eyes to our learners so that they can understand that knowledge is not produced only within a classroom, but also within a broader educational system, which is based upon the ethical feeling of responsibility and social justice.

What is self-evident in today’s world is that globalization exists. Even in the field of education, globalization has already become vital and is viewed more in terms of enhancing an already existing educational system, by seeking to improve and improvise with

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

through a number of collaborations with universities and colleges around the globe to create and support curriculum development, teacher preparation and international leadership on global education. These collaborations provide college graduates with opportunities to develop their global skills through global service and to transfer a broader knowledge to our students. And this is where our part as professionals becomes significantly important. Through these collaborations and recruiting strategies we have managed to strengthen the bases of educational globalization not only by adopting new learning strategies from around the globe, but by also teaching and transferring our own educational protocol to other institutions worldwide.

In education, everything is explorable. In education, we have become the new set of eyes to our students that can help them explore places that even the greatest minds cannot reach. We managed to create a younger generation of Marcel Prousts!

We need to always remember that knowledge is a journey and the destination is unknown. In every station you reach, there are no more gaps to “mind” because even the greatest gaps can become the greatest lessons.

In order to transform this world, we need to always remember that the highest form of liberation and humanity lies within the pages of a book. This is why education is so important; so that peace can be achieved on a global scale.

■

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

The six artifacts from the Acropolis Museum that the groups selected for their collaborative digital narratives

Forging Partnerships in the Humanities Program

A group of students sharing research findings on Gemisthus Plethon in the courtyard of the Palace of the Despots in Mistra, where the Greek scholar would lecture on Neo-Platonic philosophy

by Kathleen Jasonides and Amalia Zavacopoulou, Academy Faculty

T

he idea of creating meaningful partnerships and collaborations has always been at the core the ACS Humanities course due to its interdisciplinary, team-taught nature. Over the past 40 years, this core has served as a platform for expanding the scope of collaboration to best serve the needs of our students in an ever-changing world. These collaborations between teachers, students and professionals from other fields can take many forms and they provide a basis for creating authentic and innovative learning experiences.

In the Humanities team-taught classroom, students are immersed in an atmosphere of collaboration. They observe their teachers discussing and presenting the interdisciplinary lessons they have planned together in a way that emphasizes the importance of making connections and forging partnerships between academic fields. As a result, students become familiar with this model. In pairs and small groups, they exchange knowledge and information, and share ideas and questions as they prepare for group projects and presentations. This year alone students have collaborated on presenting the themes of stories from Boccaccio’s The Decameron and a panel discussion on chapters from Sir Steven Runciman’s The Lost Capital of Byzantium: The History of Mistra and the Peloponnese. This enables them to connect with the subject matter on a deeper level that

Students exchanging ideas from their field study notebooks in the cloister of Kaisariani Monastery

goes beyond individual interpretations.

This spirit of collaboration expands beyond the Humanities classroom in ways that enrich the student experience and provide ideas for innovative projects. Last year, our students were fortunate to work with two museum specialists, Ms. Stavi Dimas and Ms. Maria Roussou, in developing an authentic digital narrative in groups, inspired by an artifact from their field study trip to the Acropolis Museum. This new partnership enriched our existing field study experience to the museum by adding a creative writing component in which groups of students devised a script on their chosen artifact and created a presentation that brought this ancient sculpture to life. This year, our field study at the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art was enhanced by our collaboration with Ms. Navine G Khan-Dossos, professional artist and Islamic Art specialist, who had just completed a floor-to-ceiling mural in the café on the top floor. The mural, called Imagine A Palm Tree, incorporated the traditional designs and style of Islamic Art with contemporary symbols our students are familiar with, such as CCTV cameras and Wi Fi signals. We followed up on this experience by inviting Ms. Khan-Dos-

15

Students observing artworks and making notes on Corot’s painting, Souvenirs de Mortefontaine, at The Louvre in Paris

Students sharing their field study observations in the Musee d’Orsay in Paris

16

View of the Imagine A Palm Tree mural, which opened a new perspective for students as they prepared their group projects on Islamic Fine Arts

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

sos to come to our classroom and share her insights into Islamic art and her experiences as a professional artist. This reinforced their understanding of the characteristics and meaning of Islamic Art, which they shared in collaborative group presentations on specific types of Islamic Fine Arts, but also provided an innovative approach to appreciating Islamic Art as a network that surrounds us.

Another way that the Humanities Program allows for collaboration outside the classroom is through its online component. Academy students who are unable to accommodate the regular Humanities course in their academic schedule have the opportunity to take two online courses which prepare them for our field study trips abroad, either to France or to Italy. In addition to ACS students, the online course is also offered to students from collaborating schools in the United States.

We have already forged a strong partnership with the Chapin School in Manhattan over the past eight years, and this year we have begun an additional partnership with The Morgan Park Academy in Chicago. These students all share ideas and questions on Discussion Forums, and will get to know each other before collaborating face to face on our upcoming field study trip to Italy in March. This online partnership contributes to shaping students as global citizens and prepares them to appreciate and understand different cultures and perspectives. The field study component brings this partnership together in a real world situation.

Creating meaningful collaborations and partnerships forms the essence of the Humanities Program. Because of its focus on human potential and achievements throughout history, the Humanities course provides a platform for learning how to appreciate other humans and their ideas. It is a natural next step to encourage collaboration in the classroom as a means for sharing ideas and respecting others. This is complemented by incorporating field study as a way of broadening horizons. Not only do our students benefit from this collaborative approach. By building partnerships, we as educators are also inspired to constantly look for new ideas and innovative approaches, which enrich not only our practice but also our own lives. â–

Learning Expanding Student Learning Opportunities via the ACS Athens Writing Studio: The Example of the Online Pamoja Education IB Courses

by Ms. Julia Tokatlidou, M.A., M.B.A., Academy Vice Principal, Director of AP & IB Programs and Dr. Evangelos Syropoulos, Writing Studio Coordinator

A

cademic program choices and course offering across a wide variety of curricula are constrained by student demand and existing school resources. Educational institutions, like any other organization, have finite resources, which must be allocated efficiently in order to create the highest academic value for the whole student body. This, in most cases, translates to a requirement of a minimum number of students for a course to run; at ACS Athens, our program of studies requires a minimum of 10 students for a course to be offered. While prudent use of resources meets the educational value demand for the whole student body, the fact remains that specific student course requests cannot be met rendering thus the educational value at the individual student level lower than expected. Meeting the individual student potential by designing a best-fit academic program is both

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

the philosophical underpinning of our academic programs and a consistent guidance practice at ACS Athens. Thus, if the student’s best-fit academic program includes courses that cannot be offered during the regular program, an effort is made in consultation with the parent and the student to find alternative accredited educational providers in order to satisfy the student academic demands. The affordances of educational technology and the growth of many educational institutions offering online courses have expanded the pool of available courses for all high school students around the world. Students, either in their own free time or in coordination with their regular academic program, can enroll in any courses they consider useful for their college preparation.

Online courses through alternative educational providers offer solutions to the limitations of in-school course availability or in some cases schedule conflict issues. Content and delivery is the responsibility of the online course provider, and students are expected to work independently, while parents assume the financial responsibility of the additional tuition. Their academic success, however, and performance in those courses is contingent upon certain skills and learning attributes that might not be highly developed at this young age. Ability to learn independently, to self-discipline and organize oneself, to manage time efficiently in order to meet course deadlines are only a few of the skills required in order for online courses to present a successful academic option for high school students.

Face-to-face contact with a teacher, a mentor or any adult can support the students in developing their Approaches to Learning skills and contributes to the monitoring of student progress and the timely completion of required work. However, many online courses do not include a face-to-face component. This omission is likely to result in lower than desired learning and performance, thus, raising the cost of the online course to student and parent.

ACS Athens has been a pioneer in working with online course providers both for AP and IB courses since 2012.

This year, 7 IB Diploma students are enrolled in online IB courses through Pamoja Education, the official IB course provider. Pamoja Education has designed online IB courses that require the use of the Site Based Coordinator (SBC) to fill the gap of the face-to-face contact in order to enhance student learning and examination outcomes. According to the Handbook of Procedures for the Diploma Programme 2017, the main “role of the SBC is the liaison and point of contact between the student, course provider and the school” (International Baccalaureate Organization 18). More specifically, the duties of the SBC include: ◉ Successful completion of training opportunities provided by the IB or online course provider ◉ Monitoring, supporting, and encouraging timely, relevant and appropriate candidate engagement in online courses ◉ Informing the online teacher / course provider of potential challenges for candidate learning (ex-

tra-curricular obligations, school calendar differentials, technical issues, personal-social-health issues, and so on) ◉ Timely delivery of relevant reports of academic progress / achievement to appropriate individuals ◉ Facilitation of communication between the online teacher, the Diploma Programme coordinator, the candidate and (when necessary) the candidate’s legal guardian ◉ Collaborating with the school-based teachers to make the online course concurrent with their Diploma Programme courses and requirements ◉ Collaborating with the online teacher to motivate, encourage and support candidates (18-19) At ACS Athens, the Writing Studio, which is part of the Learning Commons, located in the Hasib J. Sabbagh Library, functions as the meeting place for the SBC and the Pamoja students; the existence of well-trained and dedicated personnel therein has guaranteed the continuous and reflective monitoring of the students’ progress. Moreover, the Writing Studio personnel take particular care in integrating and teaching the Approaches to Learning skills, and specifically the ones related to self-management. Students are taught how to keep a weekly planner for assignments, use strategies for organizing complex information, be focused and concentrated, analyze causes for failure and self-assess their learning strategies, techniques and skills.

The Writing Studio also helps students with further developing the specialized writing skills they need in order to excel in their online written assignments. For instance, certain online courses ask them to regularly post their responses to various topics in discussion forums as well as comment on their fellow students’ answers. The specialists in the Writing Studio teach them how to use, in an academic context, skills they have acquired through their exposure to various social media platforms. With the advent of social media, our students have been accustomed to communicating through texting, expressing themselves in telegraphic, highly fragmented ways. In the process, they have learned how to be ruthlessly concise, especially when they want to present themselves in the best light possible. This is a skill that can be transferred to their academic writing as well, enabling them to turn the post into a sharply focused mini-essay and the one-line response into a thesis statement for an essay that has yet to be written.

Supervising the alternative educational provider students is one of the latest responsibilities assumed by the Writing Studio. As part of the Learning Commons, the role of the Writing Studio has always been a collaborative one. The writing specialists work closely with both Middle School and High School teachers in order to address the writing difficulties of our students. They also collaborate with the counseling specialists in order to help the students compose essays, for their uni-

19

versity and college applications, that best express their personality, creativity and imagination. Under the guidance of the Director of Academics, JK-12 Research and Learning Studios, Ms. Mary-Ann Augoustatos, the personnel always try to branch out, offer new services and find different ways to be of use. Collaborating with the IB Diploma Programme and Pamoja Education is an exciting new venture, offering multiple opportunities for the implementation of blended learning, which is one of the top priorities of ACS Athens.

The Learning Commons as an entity invites students to expand their learning opportunities not only in writing, but in mathematics, media and research. Alternative educational providers can and will be further used in the future to entice intellectual curiosity.

Works Cited International Baccalaureate Organization. Handbook of Procedures for the Diploma Programme 2017. IB Publishing Ltd, 2016.

Professional Development

â–

Developing and Implementing a Blended (i2Flex) Orientation Program for New K-12 Faculty and Staff:An Innovative Synergy of Content, Modalities, and Professionals across the Globe

by Julia Tokatlidou, M.A., M.B.A., Academy Vice Principal; Director, AP & IB Programs and Maria D. Avgerinou, Ph.D., Director of Educational Technology & eLearning

A.

Introduction and Overview

One of the most important determinants of academic and social school culture of International Schools is the high turnover of a diverse faculty group. New faculty are considered a source of new ideas and teaching practices, a vehicle connecting various international cultures, promoting and creating a respectful multicultural academic community. Nevertheless, their success might be hindered by frictional factors such as difficulty in adjusting to the school specific teaching philosophy and practices, or in acclimat-

20

ing to the local culture and living standards. Successful teachers however, as research confirms (Wong, 2004), are the most powerful predictors of student academic performance and success. Developing and sustaining a dynamic and effective faculty team is typically a very highly ranked goal for school administrators. Most schools have in place continuous Professional Development and Orientation programs for the new teachers in order to support them toward a smooth transition as they become effective members of the school’s learning community. Yet, the success of many of these orientation or induction programs has been limited.

Research for USA schools indicates that beginning teachers despite the support they receive from the orientation programs, still experience problems, ranging from feelings of isolation to lack of support from experienced teachers and their supervisors. As a result nearly 50% of promising and creative faculty leave the profession within five years (Lunenburg, 2011).

methodology, and will further assist them in applying it effectively to their own courses.

While the above research results might deviate to some extent from the reality of International Schools, the fact remains that new faculty either local or international needs extensive, intensive, and continued support in order to succeed in enhancing student learning and academic achievement. At ACS Athens, we took the lead in developing a comprehensive and effective faculty orientation program that is aligned with the institutional educational goals and practices. The New Faculty Orientation Program (NFOP), as a critical pre-requisite step for the already existing Continuous Faculty Development Program (CFDP), was created and implemented for the first time during the 2015-16 academic year. It has utilized the i2Flex (Avgerinou & Gialamas, 2016) teaching methodology (including course design) in order to first begin the induction of the new faculty as soon as they are hired, and subsequently support their in-house professional development and growth. New faculty and staff under NFOP, first approach the i2Flex teaching as learners which we expect will deepen their understanding of the i2Flex

c. Educate new faculty regarding the use of electronic tools and resources required in teaching at ACS Athens (Skyward, Moodle, Library databases, etc.);

The Moodle-supported NFOP has specific aims and learning modules which facilitate its implementation, as well as the evaluation of its outcomes. The program aims to: a. Familiarize new faculty with the ACS Athens leadership and organizational model, the vision and the mission of the school, and also provide examples as to how the vision is aligned with instruction and student learning; b. Educate/inform new international faculty about the paperwork required both prior to arriving to Athens and while in Athens, and also throughout their stay in Greece. The same applies to local hires;

d. Educate new faculty about the school’s culture, processes, and major school events; e. Educate new faculty about the student support programs offered at the school and the relevant processes that faculty needs to follow; f.

Inform new faculty about all types of support and mentoring programs available to them;

g. Include lists of important information (regarding whom to contact, for what, and when)

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

campus, new faculty meet their academic leaders, and the school administrators; they have the opportunity to discuss issues of teaching and learning in depth; they participate in hands-on technology sessions and they also complete the design of their i2Flex courses.

Phase 4 (ongoing) September onward NFOP participants evaluate the program and share anonymously their feedback on their overall learning experience. In addition, throughout the school year they participate in an ongoing professional development and growth program in-house (CFDP).

Evaluation of the Pilot Year

NFOP Design and Implementation The program has been designed and implemented as a blended (i2Flex) program. Against the i2Flex framework, its contents and sequence appear as follows: Phase 1 February-June: Independent, Web-based Learning As soon as they are hired, new faculty are expected to visit the NFOP Moodle-based course on ACS Athens’ platform, in order to independently study about topics such as Human Resources, Professional Development and Growth, Faculty Supporting Services, the Global Morfosis Paradigm (gMp), the i2Flex Teaching and Learning Methodology, etc. During this time the faculty is expected to read the uploaded documents on Moodle in order to familiarize themselves with the school’s philosophy and practices. Further, they can accumulate any questions they might have to prepare for the next phase.

Phase 2 June-July: Inquiry, Web-based Learning The ACS Athens mentorship program is activated.

Mentors make themselves available to new faculty, that is, their mentees via electronic means (email, Moodle discussion forums, etc.) so that preliminary questions and issues can be addressed.

Phase 3 August: Face-to-Face, Guided As a follow-up to the Web-based phases which focused on the skills related to the lower levels of Bloom’s (revised) taxonomy, this phase focuses on application, analysis, synthesis of the newly acquired knowledge and the creation of new content that is directly related to their teaching and learning designs. During this four-day program, that takes place on the ACS Athens

When asked at the end of Phase 3 via an online survey, new faculty and staff that participated in the pilot year of the NFOP (2015-2016) expressed their satisfaction with the overall course. To most, the information presented was helpful, clear, and relevant. In addition, most survey comments that were received, related to teaching vs. “dry” procedural or administrative issues.

This finding alone serves as strong evidence toward the effectiveness of the program in supporting especially faculty with the practicalities of their upcoming work assignments, thus allowing them to remain focused on the design of learning experiences. In terms of further improvement of the course, participants suggested that for specific topics, instruction should be differentiated between Elementary and Middle/ Academy school teachers, and also between faculty and administrators. They also highlighted the necessity for all NFOP participants to have read the material before the face-to-face meetings. In closing, here are two noteworthy comments that NFOP faculty participants shared through the survey: “now when school starts we will know the basic tools to proceed with our lessons”. And, “It [the program] is a great introduction to the ACS community and the practices followed”.

References Avgerinou, M.D., & Gialamas, S.P. (Eds.). (2016). Revolutionizing K-12 blended learning through the i2Flex classroom model.

Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Lunenburg, F.C. (2011). Orientation and induction of the beginning teacher. National Forum of Educational Administration and Supervision Journal, 28(4), 1-5.

Wong, H. K. (2004, March). Induction programs that keep new teachers teaching and improving. NASSP Bulletin, 88(638), 41-58.

■

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

Civics Removing Borders in a Globalized World!

by David Nelson & Evelyn Pittas, MUN Advisors

M

odel United Nations is an academic replication of the real United Nations. Its purpose is to educate our student delegates about peaceful leadership and world issues through effective communication, international cooperation and multifaceted diplomacy. Our Student Delegates represent Ambassadors of the United Nations countries at the CGSMUN, THIMUN, QMUN, and AMUN conferences. The organizational structure of each conference follows the real United Nations structure made up of six main bodies: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.

Continuing a long-standing tradition, students at the American Community Schools of Athens have the opportunity to participate in some of the most challenging, yet rewarding, Model United Nations simulations in the world: the Hague Model United Nations (THIMUN) and Georgetown Qatar Model United Nations (QMUN).

At THIMUN, the world’s largest student conference, our delegates will represent Bhutan under the theme of “Borders in a Globalized World”. This annual event attracts over 3000 students from all over the world to participate in this six day conference. Even THIMUN is adding a bit of an i2flex flair to this year’s conference after creating the first ever back-channel lobbying platform, InMutual, for delegates to expand their collaboration. Our student delegates will debate a wide variety of resolutions in their individual committees and our

Ambassador, Vicky Grant, will lead the way. This is a very impressive achievement and with it comes the obligation to propose and defend the resolution before an assembly of over 1500 viewers and delegates. While in The Hague the student delegates also will have the opportunity to visit the Rijksmuseum, tour the canals of Amsterdam, explore the Escher museum, and sightsee around the historical city, Delft.

For the first year ever in ACS Athens history we have an exceptional orator and student diplomat who has been selected to serve as Deputy Secretary General, one of the highest positions of THIMUN, Tommy Lynch!

We are very confident that Tommy will represent ACS Athens under the best possible spotlight! Additionally, Lydia Lampiri has also been selected to represent our school as a Deputy Committee Chair, who has also been an instrumental student leader in our prestigious and ever-growing MUN organization.

Additionally, our seven-student delegation to the Georgetown Qatar Model United Nations is working diligently with their dedicated advisors, Mr. Patrick Dougherty and Ms. Angela Chamosfakidis, to represent their assigned countries of Iraq, New Zealand, Iran, UAE and Japan under the theme of “Fostering Development: Complexities of Intervention in a Globalized World” in Doha, Qatar. All our delegates are preparing their assigned roles with great diplomacy and success. We are certain that our students understand what it means to be a Diplomat with responsibilities that influence the lives of people as it exposes them to many critical issues about what is happening in the world. Our students will join with over 350 stu-

Current and opposite page: ACS Athens Delegation to the Hague Model United Nations 2017. The largest student led conference in the world.

23

dents from more than 66 schools coming from 37 countries taking part in the Qatar 2017 conference of MUN committee sessions and cultural experiences. While in Qatar, our ACS Athens delegates will also have the opportunity to tour Doha, visit the Islamic Museum of Art, experience culture at the Downtown Souk, and visit Georgetown University for sample university lectures, a university admissions presentation, cultural games and activities.

In preparation for each conference, our student Delegates research current topics, using the Official Records and the Masthead documents of the United Nations, to prepare opening speeches, draft resolutions, realistic strategies, non-violent negotiations, all while following the United Nations Rules of Procedures. They learn about economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and how the United Nations acts on them to resolve conflict! â–

Only four Student Officers from Greek schools were selected as THIMUN Leaders for this year’s conference and ACS Athens is proud to be represented in two of those positions as Deputy Secretary General by Tommy Lynch and Deputy Chair by Lydia Lampiri.

In total, THIMUN 2017 welcomes at least 184 school delegations from around the world, ten from Greece - where ACS Athens has been represented by two

student leaders - for three consecutive years!

Congratulations ACS Athens - Creating architects of their own learning while those students lead the way for others!

24

analyze the internal and external factors, which lead Greece into its severe present economic state.

Whilst other leaders from powerful European states, which offer economic support to Greece, maintain an austere stance against Greece, Obama has contrasting views. He acknowledged the huge price the average Greek citizen has paid, as a result of the constant imposition of larger and larger amounts of austerity measures. Lastly, he also recognized that after 6 years of such measures and politico-economic pressures, the Greek people ought to see an improvement in daily life, which may only be achieved through economic growth.

The Leader of the Free World at the Birthplace of Democracy

by Filippos Geragidis, Ioanna Vallianou-Leventi, Petros Vorgias, Senior Class students, 2017

T

he President of the United States’ visit to Athens, Greece undoubtedly constitutes the most closely followed event of recent days. It is of paramount significance to note that this is the first trip made by any sitting President of the United States to our country, which does not coincide with the involvement of either party in fierce diplomatic or military disputes. During Dwight D. Eisenhower’s visit, in 1959, the predominant matter discussed between him and then-Prime Minister of Greece, Konstantinos Karamanlis, was the Cypriot dispute.

Similarly, George H. W. Bush’s stay was concurrent with arguably one of the most crucial conflicts of the time for the country - between Greece and the F.Y.R.O.M. - while the primary affair in Bill Clinton’s and Konstantinos Simitis’ agenda, in 1999, were the bombings in Yugoslavia.

During Barack Obama’s final overseas trip as President of the United States, his stop in Greece did not face any diplomatic hindrances. Nevertheless, he found himself faced with a community devastated by the social repercussions of the deep economic crisis it has withstood for 8 years now. This was the subject of very thorough analysis during his speech at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, on the 16th of November, 2016. He additionally exhibited noteworthy sympathy for the Greek people, arguing that it is not of current significance to

Democracy was the principal thematic axis around which the U.S. President’s speech revolved. As is customary in his speeches, he paid great attention to the multitude of historic factors, which constituted the basis for the establishment of the democratic Constitution, whose flame shines bright across the entire globe, and cannot be extinguished, as he argued. Specifically, he greatly emphasized the role of democracy in sustaining healthy, and viable relations and interactions between states, as well as the nonviolent resolution of disputes that arise amongst them. He supported the above through a series of references to the various political achievements of the United States of America, during his presidency, where, through the employment of diplomacy and dialogue, he was able to disarm Iran of their nuclear weaponry, as well as re-establish commercial and diplomatic relations with Cuba. He continued by disclosing his belief that democracy consistently brings about political and social stability, in contrast to the inherent volatility and instability of authoritarian regimes, which engage in violence, and scare mongering. Nonetheless, he recognized and brought up some of the intrinsic flaws of the democratic governmental system, illustrating that a democratic decision may never truly be popular amongst the entirety of a societal whole. In fact, establishing the system is an even more considerable challenge in America, as it is characterized by racial, religious and cultural diversity. In our experience, as young global citizens, the flaws of democracy are indisputably evident in Greek society, as many politicians have not made the grim, yet necessary, decisions, which Greece needs, in fear of the political cost. This effect would not be observed in a society where an authoritarian government employs violent measures; it also constitutes a crucial factor in determining Greece’s path through the years, and has shaped its current state. Through Obama’s exposition, it may be considered thoroughly logical to infer that the concept of democracy may be condensed into the following timeless statement of the late Winston Churchill: “Democracy is the worst system of government - except for all the others.”

Furthermore, President Obama made extensive references to globalization, which has faced much resistance, through political movements, equally in both Greece and in the United States. He emphasized the many benefits of the phenomenon, such as the fact that the world is now nearly fully interconnected,

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

U.S. President Barack Obama at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center photo by: Alexandros Takis, 12th Grade student

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

through advancing technology. In turn, technology limits unawareness and ignorance, as it drives up the availability of information, while also generating a wave of pessimism, as we are now exposed to every single instance of violence and racial injustice. In reality, he argued, we live in the most equitable and prosperous era, in all of mankind’s history. He further supported the idea that the principles of democracy allow for globalization to fully occur, ultimately leading to progress, despite its inherent imperfections.

Conversely, authoritarian governments decry and inhibit globalization, which may only bring about stagnancy - and not stability. The aforementioned claim is supported by contemporary examples of the remaining authoritarian regimes, such as North Korea, which are now a clear indication that a lack of globalization, in combination with national isolation, solely lead to backward and narrow-minded societal wholes. Lastly, Obama implied that these regimes may ultimately destroy themselves “from the inside out”, as, in a world which becomes more and more interconnected, at an “accelerating pace”, isolation and xenophobia do not march on stable grounds.

Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Berlin, Germany, exerted a direct influence on the structuring of his speech. There exists an evident similarity between the themes he addressed and those which the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, did, during his own visit to West Berlin, in 1963. The speech given by Kennedy at the time, whose main claim revolved around the erection of the Berlin Wall by the Soviets, had many common points of reference with the one Barack Obama gave on November 16, 2016. Kennedy employed the persuasive mode of pathos - appealing to the audience’s sentimental response - expressing his compassion for all Germans who are going through their daily “combats”, while Obama’s speech is with empathy for the Greeks who are struggling for survival, in a society which is plagued by the consequences of the crisis. Another notable similarity between the two speeches may be observed in the fashion, in which Kennedy refers to the Berlin Wall and the isolation it had caused for each side that it separated. Likewise, Obama stood firmly against the isolation of peoples - on both a societal and a national scale - shaking his finger at marginalized countries, and clearly making an indirect, albeit clear-cut, reference to the notorious Wall that president-elect Donald Trump had promised during his long-running campaigns in the pre-election period. In order to support the aforementioned argument, the President made an allusion to the solidarity that thousands of Greeks have shown the refugees who arrived on the islands of the Aegean, specifically referencing the following quote, taken from the description of a Greek woman’s personal experience in the immigration tragedy: “We all live under the same sun; we all fall in love under the same moon; we must help these people.”

Whether or not one agrees with Obama’s policies, his demeanor and charismatic rhetorical abilities are able to impress and captivate even his staunchest

opponent. Similarly, we, too, as young members of our society, were touched by his allusion to the youth and the power we possess to change “our Greece” our country. Through his words, it is apparent that the President’s predominant belief is that the youth hold the capacity to curb the direction in which its respective society is headed, and to put an end to the issues from which it suffers: poverty, inequality, extremism, and social prejudice.

Photographic Coverage: Alexandros Takis Artemis Fotinos Filippos Geragidis Jackie Kassinaki-Baty ■

27

IASO General • Top quality healthcare services for high-leveled diagnosis, prevention and treatment • Emergency Department run on a 24-hour basis • Modern Intensive Care Units • Outpatient Department covering all medical specialties • Pioneering diagnostic and therapeutic methods • Sophisticated medical equipment • A Center of Reference in healthcare services both in Greece and abroad

Cocooned in safety.

264 Mesogion Av. / P.C. 155 62 Holargos / Tel: +30 210 6502000 / Fax: +30 210 6541267 Email:

28

Celebrating Achievement Two ACS Athens Students Participate in the “ACSTAC 2016” both Return with Awards!

Contestants at the ACSTAC 2016

Anastasia Kanatsellou, 10th grade student

by Melina Vassiliadis, Communications Officer

S

cience projects took on a new dimension for Anastasia Kanatsellou, 10th grade and George Soukakos, 8th grade, who participated in the 5th Anatolia College Science & Technology Conference (ACSTAC) held in Thessaloniki on March 4-6, 2016 where they were both recognized and awarded for their hard work and enthusiasm for science.

ACSTAC is an Official CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), EPS (Εuropean Physical Society) and Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs event. This year, more than 1,300 students participated in the Conference, representing private and public schools of Greece, as well as schools from the U.S.A., Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria and the Bahamas. Selected among thousands of applicants, George and Anastasia were among those students who were chosen to participate and present the findings of their own research. This provided them with the academic experience of a mock scientific conference where they had the opportunity to understand how scientists operate, think and contribute to the advancement of knowledge with their findings, in their respective field of interest. They had to select a topic, carry out initial research on that topic and then prepare to come to the conference to present their

George Soukakos, 8th grade student

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

work like genuine scientists would.

The Conference included scientific presentations from middle and high school-level students in the areas of Biology, Chemistry, Technology, Mathematics, Physics as well as a combination of the above with Human Sciences. Other activities included the Robotics Academy Triathlon, the finals of the national Math & Logic Competition, the IDEAS (Ideas that Developed, Established and Advanced Science) competition as well as an exhibition of scientific posters. The keynote presentation by Turing Award winner, Prof. Joseph Sifakis, focused on the revolution brought on by “The Internet of Things” whilst Prof. Pericles Mitkas, from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, talked about the race of “Man vs. Machine.”

George Soukakos’ paper, “Choosing the best option for drinking water at school”, received the award for “Best Documented Paper” in Chemistry, and Anastasia Kanatselou’s paper, “The effect of temperature in sex determination of a water frog,” received the award for “Most Original Experimental paper” in Biology.

Asked about this experience, George stated, “I was astonished by the level of scientific work students can do, and that gave me a push to try harder and contribute more to my generation. I also had the opportunity to learn in a small period of time about so many advancements in the sciences and technology that otherwise I wouldn’t. Finally, I feel proud for the acknowledgement of my work, which follows my recognition

by NESA last year.”

Anastasia added about her experience, “Overall, this international science competition helped me discover my strengths and weaknesses in the field of sciences and made me realize that there is not a single thing one cannot do. Passion for what one does is the most important part of the process, because it all starts from an idea and only when passion exists, can this idea come into practice.”

Working on a science project is one of the best comprehensive, hands-on learning experiences a student can undertake. As the project is being developed, the learning process doesn’t only involve science but includes extensive research, writing, experimenting and communicating. Even though students originally do their projects for their school science fair, the opportunity to enter their work in conferences and competitions is an added incentive to strive for excellence and earn distinction. George and Anastasia did just that!

■

An Award-Winning Robot that Sorts Garbage for Recycling: “R-tube” is Invented by Three ACS Athens Middle School Students

by Melina Vassiliadis, Communications Officer

C

oncern for the environment and a love for robotics prompted three ACS Athens Middle School students to partner up as “tube ACeS” to design, create and implement a robotic recycling system for home use that earned them global recognition!

The tube ACeS team, Pantelis Sfinias, Jason Somoglou and Dimitris Ntinopoulos, all 8th graders, invented the R-tube, which earned them first place in the Hellenic National Robotics Competition and led them to representing Greece in the World Robotics Olympiad (WRO) that took place in India in November 2016.

They received First Place in the world for «creativity» in the Open Category for Middle School and 13th place overall out of 60 teams that competed worldwide.

This was the best ranking ever achieved by a Greek team in the Open Category of the World Robotics Olympiad!

Disappointed that Greece ranks last in Europe for recycling, Pantelis, Jason and Dimitri teamed up, naming themselves “tube ACeS” and decided to put their

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

love for robotics to use by entering in the Hellenic National Robotics Competition whose theme was “Rap the Scrap”.

Tube ACeS’ idea grew from their investigative research as to why only 1⁄3 of the Greek population recycles. Their survey revealed that difficulty in recycling combined with no incentives to do so were the dominating reasons that Greeks avoid recycling so they came up with a solution: an affordable recycling machine which could be installed in any building, and could, through its automated classification of garbage, make it easier to recycle at source. At the same time, this system would provide a way for tenants to make a profit based on recyclable items production per household.

For 12 months, the tube ACeS team labored hard together and met with their coach, Diana Voutyrakou, on a regular basis for at least 4 hours a week to develop their robot. They also worked on their own and held weekly skype meetings with their coach in order for their individual work to be properly incorporated in the team’s work. Pantelis led the team, keeping it on task and managing the project, Jason was responsible for the programming aspect and Dimitris was in charge of the robot’s construction.

Materials had to be ordered, constructed and assembled, software developed, functions controlled and project plans for execution formulated, including creating team and robot identities.

By July 2016, they had designed and developed a fully functioning robot that could produce the desired results. They prepared how they would present their creation and its functions and, on the day, set up their booth for the “Rap the Scrap” competition. The R-tube was voted the best invention!

Next stop… India.

The World Robotics Olympiad open category per-tains to reducing, recycling and managing waste.

The competition was four months away and preparing for this took the team to an entirely different level. First of all, they had to re-designed and upup grade the construction and software of the R-tube. This included designing and ordering new parts, building three metal detectors using Arduino (a program enabling users to create interactive electronic objects), using a 3D printer to produce certain parts of the robot, such as the wheels, creating software for real-life use and working with an engineering company in order to obtain actual functioning costs.

Three videos were produced to show the course of the robot’s production and to demonstrate both in fast and slow motion how the robot works. A team logo and outfit were designed as well as flyers explaining the project and a banner to attract visitors to the team’s booth. In addition to all this planning and work, tube ACeS had to find a sponsor to fund their efforts.

The boys were successful in pitching their project and on November 25, 2016, found themselves in New Delhi, India, assembling and testing their robot. In the ensuing two days, the R-tube was presented to hundreds of visitors from around the globe and, most importantly, to the judges.

In the open category for Middle School students, the tube ACeS team earned first place for creativity…a global recognition for an idea generated to protect the environment. They ranked 13th overall out of 60 participating global teams.

Happy and proud, Pantelis Sfinias stated, «I enjoyed working with my friends on this project. It was hard, demanding, but at the same time creative and fun.

The «trip» to India was a unique experience for us.»

Dimitri Ntinopoulos recalls with enthusiasm, “India was a beautiful country that we would have failed to visit otherwise.”

Their victory was celebrated at ACS Athens and R-tube will have its place on campus exemplifying that its students are empowered to transform the world as architects of their own learning.

■

31

The tube ACeS team, Pantelis Sfinias, Jason Somoglou and Dimitris Ntinopoulos, 8th grade students.

32

Dr. Jane Goodall at ACS Athens 6th Grade Presentation on Endangered Species of Greece to Dr. Jane Goodall

by Christina Bakoyannis, Middle School Science Teacher

“I

looked at your eyes and saw your excitement…,”, Dr. Jane Goodall said in her presentation at the ACS Athens theatre to students of all ages that waited patiently to have a moment of her attention (Figure 1). Dr. Jane Goodall stresses how each and every one of us matters to this world and her dedicated eyes on our students’ projects said all about it!

The sixth grade class presented their work on Endangered Species of Greece through a poster they created that addressed these three guiding questions (Figure 2): What are the endangered species of Greece?

What are their threats?

What kinds of actions can we take?

All students in the 6th grade class contributed their one endangered species, whether an animal or a plant, to the project. However small, unnoticed and as unimportant it may seem, each species plays a role in the web of life. As students were researching their species, they identified various causes of their threats

which led students to brainstorm possible action plans (Figure 3).

The Roots & Shoots organization sprouted when deforestation threatened her beloved Gombe, the natural park for chimpanzees. Humans and especially the youth have a crucial role to play in the conservation of nature. When asked the student-generated question “How can I find my inspiration in life?,” she replied students should get involved and be out in nature.

6th Grade Students’ Perspectives On… How did Dr. Jane Goodall’s presentation touch me?

How is she a source of inspiration for me?

What touched me from her presentation was when she talked about the day she spent hours in a henhouse in order to see a hen lay an egg. This showed me how we need to be curious in our lives and that we need patience to find out answers.

Evdoxia Mikropandremenou She talked about her daily life observing the chimpanzees all day back then. That shows how being patient can pay off.

Jeremy Lorge She would read books about animals and how she always wanted to get to Africa. She didn’t give up on trying and she achieved her goal by getting the chance to go to Africa and make her dream come true.

Ioannis Koliopoulos She has worked really hard to achieve what she has achieved. This inspires me to work hard and believe you can do it. She did something that other people told her that she cannot do.

Theofano Vitalioti I found interesting when she told us how she devel-

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

Dr. Jane Goodall listening to 6th grade students speak about their project

oped her love for animals and how she grew close to them.

Vasiliki Nestora She decided to work with chimpanzees even though they may be harmful. This shows me how you need to be daring and take risks.

Dimitri Nasiakos She saved her own money to travel to Africa and worked hard in the process. That taught me not to ask for things, but work your way to get them by yourself.

Irini Stavropoulos She was really brave to work with the animals by herself. This taught me to be brave and independent myself.

Lan Tian Zehe The Roots & Shoots program is a program that allows people to get involved with animals and the environment. Dr. Goodall helped everyone understand what is happening today and how you can be involved.

Jelena Sgouropoulou ■

IB Environmental Science Students’ Perspectives

by Dr. Elina Prodromidi, Academy Science Teacher

F

rom a life with chimpanzees…to a life full of experiences, learning, and offer to nature

Junior and senior IB students of Environmental Systems and Societies and Biology had the unique opportunity to meet and listen to this inspirational scientist and human who devoted her life caring about the natural environment and makes others care about it as well, Dr Jane Goodall.

In the context of their curriculum, students acquire the knowledge necessary to prepare for their entry into the higher education but also learn to research, question and doubt, evaluate, and reflect, skills that shape the character and the mind of the future citizens of this world. When education turns into action, when the natural world connects with everyday life, youth is there to document these changes, learn from them, and nurture for all species that make up this world.

Just like each chimpanzee has its own distinctive voice, as Jane Goodall said in her presentation, each young person leaves its personal footprint on the Earth, if he/she respects people and their physical environment, protects the endangered species, genuinely cares and sustainably uses the natural resources available.

Simply, love for animals was the start for Jane Goodall to be a pioneer in the field of primates and to revolutionize her era by collecting scientific data from

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

6th grade students and IB Environmental Systems and Societies students and teachers with Dr. Jane Goodall

personal experience and observations of animal life and habits in the forest. Simply, “If there is something you really want to do, you have to work really hard, take advantage of every opportunity and never give up” is the enlightening take-home message for ordinary people, the scientific community and our student body whose impressions and opinions about her visit are documented below: “Jane Goodall was one of those rare people that achieved and lived her dream, no matter what other people thought about her, inspiring us to do the same”.

Dieter Teirlinck, 12th Grade “It was an amazing experience to hear one of the most influential female scientists of this era speak in person. It was interesting to hear how she changed the minds of the many scientists around her with her unique approach to studying chimpanzees. She has truly inspired me to not give up on my dreams”.

Eirini Stylianopoulos, 12th Grade “I have never seen someone with so much passion for their job. Her extreme interest in chimpanzees taught me in a mere hour more than I even knew about them up until now in my life”.

Petros Vorgias, 12th Grade “It was extremely inspiring to be able to witness such a historical figure!

Definitely something I’ll be reading in my free time”.

Anais Karayanni, 12th Grade “Her patience with the zees definitely surprised Venetia Hatzidakis, 11th Grade

chimpanme”.

“Her speech was very insightful and helped develop how the students perceive the relationship between humans and animals, specifically chimpanzees”.

Fatima Al-Ali, 11th Grade “One of the most empowering speeches I have

heard, not only about women but for everyone! Do not let others define your dreams”.

Andreas Empeirikos, 11th Grade Her speech can be found on the ACS Athens website: http://bit.ly/2gRORRs ■

35

Social

Dr. Sax and Ms. Koniossis at the ECIS-RSA Summit on Refugee Education at ACS Athens

awareness The Desperate Need for Unified Collaboration

Dr. Gialamas welcoming attendees of the Summit

by Sevasti Koniossis, Middle School Teacher

N

owhere in modern day society is the lack of collaboration felt as it has been during the refugee crisis in Greece. The current refugee crisis is comprised of an unprecedented wave of displaced people. Most displaced people in Greece are refugees escaping war and continuing violence in Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Additionally, people are fleeing oppressive, abusive regimes in Eritrea, as well as poverty in Kosovo. Despite tremendous European Union funding, and the outpouring of compassionate volunteers and every day citizens, images of families with young children huddled together in tents and containers during the blizzard shamed our nation as the new year arrived. Men, women, and children who’ve endured years of war and have risked their lives on perilous journeys in search of safety should not have to continue suffering this way.

Facing the refugee crisis is an endeavor that leaves the average person with little expertise to rely on.

Our nation is dealing with a major humanitarian crisis, and few of our degrees qualify us to be experts.

Expertise in this field is gained through the sacrificing of time as a helping hand, and no distinction exists between young and old, educated and uneducated, rich or the poor. As citizens of the world, we need to act, according to our own capacity and resources, driven by empathy and ethos, as we learn from and engage with others who share the same vision.

This crisis presents nations with challenges, often perceived unfavorably by governments already bur-

dened with economic pressures. Furthermore, we see many governments worldwide cower against right wing pressures, indifference, and even incompetence at times, choosing to ignore international treaties and conventions, heaping up troubles lasting for generations to come. Citizens, above all else, need to consistently let their voices be heard in government. We need to be the voice for the voiceless by exercising the political power and authority awarded to all citizens in a democracy, starting with our vote.

But we cannot just sit back and wait for national governments to act on the behalf of millions of displaced refugees. The only way that people, yes average people, will, and can make a difference, is through a unified, coordinated response.

What inspired me to write about the lack of collaboration amongst the citizens’ volunteer movement was a recent revelation that I, too, found myself disconnected with much of what is happening right here in my city. The reflection that follows, therefore, is not intended to be a critique that aims to belittle any specific organization or individual’s effort. Unity, after all, will not be born out of finger pointing.

Unless our efforts become unified, the shame of this humanitarian crisis will haunt us. We need to listen, really listen, to other workers’ experiences, successes, as well as their failures, without judging. We need to relinquish control, the desire to have things done our way. It is not a competition of who does it best, a drive to feed our ego. There are no lone rangers or

36

cowboys in this great battle to defend humanity. After all, it is not about me or you. It is about helping other human beings who, for reasons out of their control, are in desperate search of home.

Most of the basic refugee needs in Greece are met through Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

The government has assigned much of the responsibility over to them with sources of funding supervised through the UNHCR. This often leaves NGO’s lacking a unified directive. This also leaves NGOs with the great responsibility of using financial resources wisely and effectively. Unfortunately, a lack of coordination often leads to waste and poor spending.

“Coordination,” explained Maria Karra founder of Emfasis, “means better resource management; a wider area of coverage and less overlapping. It means each NGO can focus on its expertise and there can be a significant sharing of data” (qtd. in Meaker, guardian. com).

Fragmented, uncoordinated support, as is frequently observed, can ultimately hinder the greater goal of meeting refugees’ needs in the process of relocating.

It is important to emphasize that this is a lack of coordination and lack of communication among people who choose to volunteer, dedicate their time, knowledge, and resources to help other people, whose hearts have been touched by the plight of fellow men and women. Good intentions alone, however, do not suffice in meeting even the most basic needs of displaced people in our country.

During meal distribution at a refugee camp, for example, an organization will frequently discover that

Small group discussions and reflections at the Summit

Engaging conversations with ECIS director Kevin Ruth

another organization recently distributed meals, leading to waste, while at the same time in another camp people are hungry. During the ACS Athens outreach last year at the makeshift camp in Piraeus, following the hygiene kits distribution, teachers and students were shocked to discover stacks of discarded, decaying food. Despite the obvious need, sudden over distribution without the appropriate food storage facilities led to wasted food. Such incidences sadly coincide with simultaneous insufficiencies in other camps.

The islands have been hit the hardest with the burden of sustaining refugees, as they have not been receiving proper funding and support. The islands’ population is around 90,000 but has seen 450,000 refugees pass through in 2015 alone. There are around 81 NGOs operating on the island, while only 30 are registered with the government. (Nianias, guardian.com). Spyros Galinos, the mayor of Lesbos, has shared that while he is moved by the large numbers of people who have chosen to volunteer and help, their presence is often disruptive as they often do not follow the proper procedures nor collaborate with the people on the islands and other NGOs. Some are working with the municipality while others “have no idea and are just doing their own thing” (qtd. in Nianias, guardian.com).

Afroditi Vati, a hotel owner in Lesbos, has been heavily active, along with numerous other villagers, in receiving refugees who were arriving daily on dingy boats. These islanders had been meeting refugees’ needs well before there was a strong NGO presence.

She shared in frustration that volunteers often do not engage with or learn from the community members.

She recalls volunteers trying to pull people off the boards in a way that frightened the already upset refugees. “You would have all this commotion that was not necessary, and we had people giving out wrong information, saying there were no buses when there were and telling refugees to walk [to the registration point],” she explained. “They never came to ask: ‘How can we help you?’ Because it’s not only a crisis for the refugees, it’s a crisis for every local community that the refugee crisis passes through” (qtd. in Nianias, guardian.com).

UNHCR spokesperson Boris Cheshirkov explained that there has been an outpouring of goodwill, but warns of the grave need for cohesive collaboration.

“It’s important, because there are so many [volunteers] on the ground that there must be coordination and some kind of management,” Cheshirkov says. “It must be done with the authorities. There is a need and a hunger for coordination especially to avoid

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

Lida Tsene presenting on the integration of refugee children through comic art at the Athens Impact Hub

duplication and overlap. What’s important from our side is that we encourage everyone on the island, whether they’re an individual volunteer or part of an NGO, that they should register with and inform the authorities of their presence and their activities.

This is particularly crucial for those that have special skills…Better organization leads to identification of their needs…But it’s not competition – nobody’s worth less or more, we all want to help” (qtd. in Nianias, guardian.com) The lack of information and misguided direction is a major problem observed on the Greek mainland as well. Voula Antouan from Syrian Bridges, one of the speakers during the ACS Athens Middle School’s UN Day Refugee Project in 2015, explained to me in a recent conversation that refugees are in desperate need for accurate information and guidance in the process of relocating and obtaining asylum protection. Due to the lack of strategic planning and a unified directive among volunteers and NGOs, inaccurate and misleading information is often passed down to refugees. The sources of misinformation, interestingly, are often compassionate volunteers who want to help and give hope to the refugees, but who do not themselves fully understand the asylum process and legal proceedings. The volunteers’ shared opinions, though hopeful, are harmful in the long run, as Voula herself has witnessed numerous times. She described instances when refugees were misdirected to leave the islands, or go to the border, and in various other ways altogether disrupting the already long delayed asylum process refugees have to endure. Being a part of this greater goal of supporting refugees’ needs is an endeavor that comes with

great responsibility and humility.

ECIS-RSA Summit on Refugee Education I received an invitation late last summer to participate “in an expert group on refugee education.” I gladly accepted because I have become strongly connected to the plight of refugee children in Greece. I wanted to learn from others, and also share my own experiences and knowledge. I believe that education comes as a strong second priority after meeting refugees’ basic needs in terms of safe accommodations, nutrition, and socio-emotional support. In fact, many displaced people cite education as their greatest priority. Sadly, however, less than 2% of humanitarian aid goes to education. Over half of refugee children from Syria are not receiving any formal education and have been out of school for long periods of time disrupting their learning and ability to be reintegrated into the schooling system, society, and ability to pursue their dreams.

The ECIS-RSA Summit on Refugee Education, sponsored by WISE and ECIS, was held at ACS Athens on November 10th and 11th. The Summit placed a strong emphasis on the importance of networks and connections. Various groups and individuals shared the work they had been involved in, right here in Athens, and we exchanged ideas on how to better develop networks among the various projects taking place in Athens and around the world. I was humbled and grateful just to have been invited and included in the midst of people exemplifying all that is noble in humanity.

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

I realized that I had invested so much time, and wrapped myself so tightly around my own refugee-related service projects, that I had become disconnected from and unfamiliar with such newsworthy work here in my own city. I was surrounded by talented individuals, professionals in their field, who were simply overflowing with enthusiasm to support children who are displaced in our nation, through education. We tackled issues such as strengthening citywide connections and collaborations, supporting and promoting citywide education interventions that respond to refugee needs, coping with the transience of refugee communities as educators, and sharing learning from one city to another.

Deyaa Orfali, a Syrian refugee with an educational background in engineering, was greatly moved by the masses of children at the Skaramaga camp who were idle all day, and not engaged in any meaningful activities. He and several other young other professionals living at the camp established the Hope School to provide these children with an education while they await relocation or reunification. Orfali and 21 other teachers give lessons in art, math, English, Arabic and Farsi several times a week in small, cramped containers that have been transformed into classrooms. The children are so enthusiastic to learn that the teachers will often find them waiting and solving homework when they open the doors at 9:00am. To their dismay, many children who have registered into the school since its launch did not even know how to hold a pencil to write as a result of the great disruption in schooling in war torn nations such as Syria. The school currently educates over 600 children between the ages of five and 13, filling the gap until the children are able to be properly resettled and enter state schooling. Taking into consideration that refugees are often not properly resettled for close to ten years, the importance of education is critical for refugee children’s’ successful immigration, acculturation, and future opportunities.

Mr. Orfali and a colleague were able to share their invaluable knowledge on the conditions for children at the camp, and in turn were able to connect with representatives of international schools and pool into resources to make the inspiring work at the Hope School further advance. Representatives from Edu Technoz, an organization that provides fun Arabic learning for children through educational technology and software, were so inspired by the Hope School that they committed to providing free access to all of their online resources to children at the Skaramaga refugee camp. Additionally, Edu Technoz has been extremely eager to generously donate free access of their software to our own campus, as well as refugee support organizations ACS teachers collaborate with.

In downtown Athens at The Cube, an organization called SOLE Greece, led by Greek entrepreneur couple Maria Calafatis and Stavros Messinis, provides educational activities to refugee children. The children and their parents gather twice a week and engage in lessons that blend critical thinking skills and tech-

nology. Attendees of the Summit visited SOLE at The Cube during an actual lesson, and engaged with the children and their parents in the midst of the learning. The parents expressed an intense desire, coupled with anxiety, to see their children get an education that will lead them to a successful career. We saw dads lifting up their little girls to answer questions and lovingly nudge their sons to pay attention. I did not see refugees that evening; I saw reflections of my own childhood. I saw my own dad, an immigrant with little formal education who eagerly hoped that I would have more opportunities and an easier life than he did. I recognized the desperation in the parents’ eyes to see their children get an education, because of their conviction that it is their bridge to escaping the poverty and trauma the war created in their life.

The Summit on Refugee Education also provided the perfect environment for innovative discussions and inspirations to be shared among colleagues. I was able to spend more time with Dr. Alessandra Sax, our school psychologist, who I greatly admire for her years of expertise and experience in the field of psychology, as well as her dedication to knowing children and meeting their needs on an individual basis at ACS Athens. Dr. Sax and I have worked closely together in the past to address specific student concerns in our own student population.

We had also closely interacted and exchanged insight during the 2016 Make A Child Smile Keep the Hope Alive program, during which unaccompanied refugee children were invited to participate in the ACS Athens Summer Camp without any cost. That was an intense learning experience for me as I was not prepared to address the level of trauma children from war torn countries carry, and how sensitive the issue of including them in a peer environment can be. Seeing things through the lens of psychology, with Dr. Sax’s directive and guidance, better helped me understand the complex task of supporting refugee children’s’ socio-emotional wellness. There are currently eight million refugee children, and unaccompanied refugee minors are the most vulnerable fraction as they face the threat of traffickers, sexual and physical abuse, and face post traumatic stress disorders without the support of loved ones, often stranded on overcrowded refugee camps and shelters.

Dr. Sax and I were both so inspired by the presentations at the Summit that we brainstormed various ideas about creating a program that would create a safe haven for some of these children on our campus.

Our discussions led to the vision of a program that would give ACS Athens students the opportunity better understand the refugee experience through meaningful bonds with peers, and simultaneously allow unaccompanied refugee children to engage in peer-buddy therapeutic activities through music and athletics. With Ms. Danai Papaioannou’s and Ms. Eirini Antoniadou’s support and insight, we have continued to fine tune all of the details and eagerly wait for the program to unfold. It will be an innovative opportunity for character building and global

39

citizenship training for ACS Athens students, and will provide refugee children with love and acceptance as they make friends and engage in therapeutic activities.

A wise Hebrew proverb states that, “without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”

Although passed down thousands of years ago, this proverb especially imparts wisdom in the world we live in today; a world marked by the need for interdependence in every aspect of its modern day existence.

While individual efforts sometimes appear hopeless and futile, perseverance in collaboration and unity will broaden our horizons and produce the change needed. And if that change does not come, and if others disappoint, I will go to sleep at night in perfect peace, knowing that I have done all that I could, and that is all that anyone can really do.

Works Cited Meaker, Morgan. “Greek Refugee Crisis: ‘We Need Coordinated Action’.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 04 Nov. 2015. Web. Nianias, Helen. “Refugees in Lesbos: Are There Too Many NGOs on the Island?” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 05 Jan. 2016. Web.

■

Service Leaders Club: Developing Servant’s Heart in Tomorrow’s Leaders

by Sevasti Koniossis, Middle School Teacher

A Ms. Kourtidi and Ms. Lagogianni sharing about METAction’s services towards unaccompanied refugee children

Leann Walker, Sotiris Ploumbis, Raneem Ghoneim, Natalie Al Maleh at the ACS Athens Christmas Bazaar

ristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, once said, “educating the heart without educating the mind is no education at all.” If I were asked to capture my educational philosophy in one phrase, I could think of no better way to do so. For this reason, the Middle School Refugee Project of 2015-2016, beautifully orchestrated by Ms. Hrisi Sandravelis and Ms. Christina Bakoyiannis, was the most innovative and exciting thing that I have ever been a part of in my career as an educator. It encompassed all that I believe education is and could be. It transcended the mere passing on of information, knowledge, and skills in a classroom, as crucial as all that is. The experiences that teachers and students had in this project built character, maturity, and global citizenship in students; they also forged meaningful bonds amongst students, teachers, and administrators.

Students had the opportunity to meet with and listen to the testimonies of Syrian refugees, reenact (as much as can be possible!) experiences specific to refugee migration such as the difficult boat ride, as well as listen to various humanitarian organizations and how they’re handling the refugee crisis. Students studied the refugee crisis through current events, and through the guidance of their teachers and Citizenship Development advisors. Furthermore, there were several initiatives, involving teachers and students, at the makeshift refugee camp in the port of Piraeus. During these outreach efforts, we assisted

40

by organizing donations, providing items we collected to meet the needs of infants on the camp, distributing hygiene kits, and engaged with the people at the camp through conversations and games.

The Service Leaders Club was created in September of 2016 as a direct inspiration of the experiences during the Middle School Refugee Project in 2015-2016 and the Summer Camp that followed. While the outreach experiences were tremendously meaningful for students to have, a more longer-term commitment would be of even greater value. It was important to have a group of students who were committed to serving others, with seventh and eighth graders building on their knowledge and experience from last year, but this time by forming meaningful bonds with those they were serving. I decided on the name Service Leaders because it is my strong belief that good leaders have one thing in common: the desire

to serve and meet the needs of others.

The concept of the servant leader goes back thousands of years. It is perfectly illustrated, for example, through Jesus’ recorded teachings that instructed that “whoever would be great among you, let him serve you” (English Standard Version). The phrase “servant-leader,” however, was coined in modern times by Robert Greenleaf in his essay The Servant as Leader. Greenleaf describes servant-leaders as people who “initiate action, are goal-oriented, are dreamers of great dreams, are good communicators, are able to withdraw and re-orient themselves, and are dependable, trusted, creative, intuitive, and situational” (qtd. in Kent, toservefirst.com). This is exactly the type of leader the world needs, but is rarely found. The valuable lessons that Middle School students gain through service-based learning prepare them to be the future leaders the world desperately needs.

During the initial meetings, students and I read recent articles and assessed data related to the plight of unaccompanied refugee minors in Greece. The students demonstrated great maturity and enthu-

siasm throughout the process, and began to form questions. I often had to answer challenging questions such as, “Why is it so wrong to keep unaccompanied refugee children with other adults in camps or detainment centers?” and “How can it be that trafficking is taking place in modern countries?” Furthermore, sixth graders who were in elementary school during the 2015-2016 Middle School Refugee Project were able to acquire knowledge and insight from seventh and eighth graders who were active in the previous year’s’ activities.

We researched and learned information about how various organizations in Athens were kindly addressing the needs of these unaccompanied refugee children. One such organization is METAction (Metadrasi in Greek). METAction has several housing shelters for unaccompanied children stranded in Greece, with the goal of matching them with caring foster par-

ents, until the children are relocated with their parents or family members. Our first collaboration with METAction was during the Make a Child Smile Keep the Hope Alive initiative, under which several children from their Athens’ housing centers were invited to participate, free of cost, in our summer camp. This beautiful partnership eventually led to the inclusion of four unaccompanied refugee minors into ACS Athens by fall, whom we have all come to admire and love deeply.

Service Leaders were particularly drawn to METAction’s approach to meeting unaccompanied refugee children’s needs in Athens. We invited Ms. Kiki Kourtidi and Ms. Stephanie Lagogiannis, representatives of this organization, so that students would hear firsthand accounts from people who are directly involved in ministering to the needs of refugee children. They would also be the experts best equipped to answer the Service Leaders’ questions as they sought to make meaning of the current humanitarian crisis involving children who are their peers.

Service Leaders learned about METAction’s functions,

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

Riswanna’s birthday celebration

which include but are not limited to: interpretation services, legal and humanitarian aid, escorting missions, guardianship, and foster care. METAction representatives Ms. Kiki Kourtidi and Ms. Stephanie Lagogianni taught Service Leaders about issues related to unaccompanied and separated migrant children in Greece. Students listened to personal testimonies, which included the rescuing of a four year old from a trafficker, and how the child became so attached to the METAction worker, that she ended up spending the night by the little boy’s bed, until he became accustomed to his environment.

The METAction representative expressed that the experience “shocked” her, but students and I were equally stunned and heartbroken that events like this happen in our country. Students learned about the rights to safe accommodation that all children in the world have, according to the United Nations Conventions of the Right of The Child, and the great benefits the foster care system provides as opposed to accommodation facilities that simply serve to shelter the children from harm. An eighth grade Service Leader proudly described his wonderful experiences at home with his two adopted siblings as we discussed the importance of every child having a home, privacy, and simple things like meals around the table, and the sense of belonging.

Service Leaders were so inspired by the work of METAction and the plight of refugee children who are stranded alone in Greece, that they wanted to find a way to help. We brainstormed different ways that we could help as a club, and various ideas were thrown around. One student suggested that we collect money from students and teachers in the school.

I felt, however, that it would be of far greater educational value for the students to be directly engaged in earning money for this cause. As a group, therefore, we decided to participate in the upcoming Christmas Bazaar. We reserved a table through PTO representative Angeliki Palios, whose kind guidance and enthusiastic support gave the students and I the confidence we needed to proceed.

The morning of the Bazaar I remember having an uneasy, nervous feeling, knowing that I had relinquished all authority and planning to a group of Middle School students. I wasn’t sure if the students would pull through, but I had committed to this teacher-student collaboration and I did not want to rob them of the opportunity to take leadership in this fundraising opportunity. The entire event depended on the students.

I walked into the Bazaar with a tablecloth, a cooler to keep items that needed refrigeration, a few markers, and some papers for labeling. I entered the

Riswana and her beautiful smile as she celebrated her birthday

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

gym, where our table was located, exactly five minutes later from when the advisors were to arrive. I found Leann Walker, an eager sixth grader, looking at me with scolding eyes and directing me on how to go about setting the tablecloth as she arranged the baked goods that were already piled on the table. Some students had arrived over an hour early to bring their baked goods. By the time the Bazaar officially began, we had so many individually wrapped sweets that I had to put over half of them under the table and try hard not to step on them.

Sotiris Ploumbis, also a sixth grader, donated a cooler full of over 20 kilos of traditional Greek cheese and yogurt produced by his father’s company. He pushed me aside as I tried to set his products up as he had “more experience with cheese,” and proceeded to create a mini stand to sell the items. For the next six hours, that eleven year old boy stood on the left corner of our table, proudly inviting ACS guests to try the cheese produced with “tradition and heart.” Right next to the feta cheese, porcelain art items were sold by Ms. Vassiliadis, the proud parent of a Service Leader who is also a magnificent artist. Next to the ceramics were donuts generously donated by the owners of California Donuts, who were persuaded to donating as a result of the request of an eighth grade student. To the far right, and spilling out from underneath our table, were the baked goods that Service Leaders brought from home. Three boys in the Service Leaders Club who have a really hard time sitting still, decided that they would get their wiggles out

by putting items on trays and roaming the bazaar to find sellers much like cocktail waiters.

Our successful participation in the Christmas Bazaar illustrated that collaboration can often be awkward, and it certainly isn’t always smooth. Who has seen feta cheese and porcelain art sold side by side after all? Despite our table being unique, to say the least, we all learned a valuable lesson that everyone has something to offer, something precious, and sometimes the string that unites our efforts simply lies in our genuine desire to serve. Our sales at the Christmas Bazaar were a huge success and would not have been made possible without the students, as well as the support of Dr. Sax and Ms. Antoniadou, who generously gave up their time to help.

We decided to use the money raised by the Service Leaders Club at the Christmas Bazaar to purchase holiday gifts for the unaccompanied refugee children who reside at the METAction shelter. Alexis Papadimitriou, an eighth grader whose experience with the refugee crisis is extensive as a result of his involvement last year and his mother having directed a film about unaccompanied refugee minors in Greece, expressed that these children had probably received many donations and may not need more.

Everyone agreed that there is something enchanting about a child opening a gift that has been individually wrapped just for them. It says: this was purchased just for you, because you are special, and you are worth it!

We contacted our friends at METAction regarding the Service Leaders’ Club decision to purchase holiday presents for the children at one of the housing centers in the center of Athens. The children at METAction were asked to write letters to Santa and the children’s individual wishes were secretly shared with us. Dr. Sax, Ms. Papaioannou, Ms. Antoniadou and I visited METAction’s housing on December 23rd to deliver the gifts. The children did not know the details of our visit, but when they were asked to sit in a circle around us, their eyes curiously peered at our bags overflowing with wrapped presents, and their eyes revealed their concealed excitement. I wish we were allowed to show you photographs of the children’s faces, waiting impatiently on the edge of their seats for their name to be called to receive their presents. I wish we were allowed to show you how they eagerly unwrapped their gifts and then quickly vanished, only to be found underneath tables, huddled in corners, and standing on chairs as they played with their brand new toys that ranged from remote control helicopters and cars to Barbie dolls.

Prior to our gift distribution, the school was contacted by Father Chrysanthos, a priest from a local parish. He expressed concern over children he came into contact with through the church’s community outreaches, who did not have proper shoes. He asked if it would be possible that the school help the church gather shoes for these children and adolescents.

While our goal this year had been to gear our service towards refugee children, we decided that this was

43

a meaningful and directly impactful opportunity towards our local community. The Service Leaders Club organized and oversaw a very successful shoe drive that brought in a tremendous number of donations.

The near future holds many endeavors in the works for the Service Leaders Club, in collaboration with Dr. Sax, Ms. Antoniadou, and Ms. Papaioannou. There is one specific effort in the planning stages that involves peer-to-peer engagement between ACS students and unaccompanied refugee children residing in a housing center in Athens. The children and adolescents involved will form peer relationships as they interact through music therapy, athletics, and other forms of activities that allow for communication beyond the limits, or restrictions, of language.

The program which has been so far titled as SLAM-IT (Saturday-Laughter-Athletics and Music-Intentionally Together) will provide socio-emotional support for refugee children, a real character and global citizenry development opportunity for ACS students involved.

Those involved are extremely excited, and impatient, to see it start. Several Service Leaders have already committed their time to being a part of it once it begins. I’ll never forget the day I anxiously presented it to the students, knowing that we could not even proceed to the next step without their support. After explaining the program, I asked how many students would be willing to volunteer. My vision became blurry with tears as I saw all of them spontaneously lift their hands. As in the words of Greenleaf, “The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.

Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.

That person is sharply different from one who is leader first” (7).

I welcome you to drop by and meet my Service Leaders, and experience their enthusiasm firsthand. But please don’t underestimate these boys and girls as you admire their cute, and often naïve, eagerness to change the world. Beneath the Middle School persona, lies a great leader waiting to unfold.

International Refugee Crisis: An Endless Sky of Empathy Could Never Be Enough

by Dr. Alessandra Sax, L.M.S.W., Ed.D. Counseling Psychologist, Jk-12/Wellness Center

“E

ight million child refugees is a mental health time bomb. Ignoring it now would be a terrible mistake.”

Joan Smith-The Guardian-December 27, 2016

Works Cited “English Standard Version.” Matthew 20:26 - Bible Gateway.

Crossway Bibles, 2001. Web. Greenleaf, Robert K. The Servant as Leader. Indianapolis, IN: Robert K. Greenleaf Center, 1973. Print.

Kent, Keith M. “Definition of Servant Leadership.” Definition of Servant Leadership. To Serve First, The Servant Leadership Journey, 2017. Web. ■

Introduction Many of us may try to acknowledge or even understand the international refugee crisis that the world faces today and in particularly Europe, by listening to the news, reading news, or even volunteering where there is need within one’s country. But how can we ever truly understand the trials and tribulations that any refugee child, or adult endures while fleeing from their home countries under inhumane conditions?

Trying crossing of the borders by foot and ship, separation from family members, loss of family members and personal belongings, loss of security and freedom to be an individual with certain rights in society are just a few of the many traumas refugees are facing. The magnitude of separation from one’s secure attachment figure leaves damaging psychological wounds blind to the human eye. Bowlby (1969) postulated the importance of such attachments and

44

how they pave the road for all healthy, secure and safe interpersonal relationships. So what does this mean for the refugee children who are not only separated from their parents, siblings or other primary care givers and under severe conditions that may leave behind post-traumatic stress symptoms that eerily hover over the soul?

The Vulnerabilities of Refugee Children and Adults Other than the psychological wounds manifesting from experiencing severe loss, many physical injuries, health issues, possible acts of violence, aggression, emotional, physical and sexual abuse may also be realities for many refugees. If we as educators, counselors and mental health professionals are to genuinely give a helping hand and heart to these individuals, one must first be mindful and sensitive to the diversity of culture in regards to where one is coming from, one belongs and moving onto.

Basic Human Needs Additionally, when providing support to refugee children and adults, the basic human needs must be assessed firsthand in order to implement appropriate therapeutic interventions. According to Maslow (1943), every human being has five basic needs. These are: 1) biological and physiological needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, 2) safety needs protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, freedom from fear, 3) love and belongingness needs - friendship, intimacy, trust and acceptance, receiving and giving affection and love, affiliating, being part of a group (family, friends, work), 4) esteem needs - achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, self-respect, respect from others, 5) self-actualization needs - realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences (McLeod, 2007).

What is Culture?

In order to truly understand individuals that educators and mental health professionals work with, one must recognize many multi-cultural variables such as race, culture, gender, religion, sexual orientation, language and many more. Multi-cultural psychology or the multicultural model of human behavior encompasses more than issues concerning race, ethnicity or sexual orientation factors; it also includes socioeconomic status, physical disabilities, etc. (Sue et al., 2003). Culture as described by Matsumoto (2000) is the set of attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviors shared by a group of people, but different for each individual, communicated from one generation to the next.

According to Berry et al. (1992) culture has different meanings in various cultures. However, culture can be referred to in ways that it touches on aspects of life. These aspects include general characteristics such as: 1) food and clothing, 2) housing and technology, 3) economy and transportation, 4) individual and family activities, 5) community and government,

6) welfare, 7) religion, 8) science 9) sex and 10) life-cycle.

Acculturation Acculturation refers to the process in which migrant populations adjust and adapt to the country they migrate to (this is also referred to as the host country).

Assimilation is the acculturation strategy where individuals devalue maintenance of their own culture and interact exclusively with members of the host society (Sam, 2000). Whereas on the other hand, separation is a strategy in which individuals place a higher value on maintenance of one’s original home culture and minimal interaction with the host culture (Sam, 2000). Integration is the most optimal strategy as individuals have a positive attitude toward maintaining one’s cultural heritage as well as with members of the host culture (Sam, 2000). Lastly, marginalization involves the devaluing of or rejection of one’s original culture along with avoiding interaction with members of the host culture (Sam, 2000).

Refugees in Greece Since 2015, 1,010,000 refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan have arrived in Greece by sea as an intermittent residence on route to mainly Sweden or Germany applying for asylum (UNHCR, European, Stability Initiative & UNICEF, 2015). It is estimated that there are 63.5 million refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people across the world (UNHCR, 2016). Syria and Afghanistan account for half of the child refugees under protection of the UN refugee agency (Smith, 2016).

Educators and Mental Health Supervisors Mental health professionals must be up to date with their knowledge and skills on multicultural assessment and intervention which include the following four elements: 1) recognize cultural diversity, 2) understand the role that culture and ethnicity/ race play in the socio-psychological and economical development of ethnic and culturally diverse populations, 3) understand that socioeconomic and political factors significantly impact the psychosocial, political, and economic development of ethnic and culturally diverse groups, 4) help clients to understand/ maintain/ resolve their own sociocultural identification; and understand the interaction of culture, gender, and sexual orientation on behavior and needs (APA, 1990) ACA Code of Ethics (2014).

Supervisors of mental health professionals and the multicultural counselor and/ or educator must adhere to these ethics and guidelines, so that the training of competent multicultural counselors can occur.

In regards to supervision, there are two important areas in which multicultural differences play an essential role in supervision. These two areas are: 1) the

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

building of trust and working alliance, 2) the evaluation of the supervisee’s competency and ability (Ladany, Brittan-Powell, & Pannu, 1997; Lopez, 1997).

Purpose of SlAM-IT!!! Program This initiative developed while collaborating with a colleague, Ms. Sevasti Koniossis, during the ECIS-RSA Summit on Refugee Education, held at ACS Athens.

Along with the cooperation of Ms. Danai Papaioannou and Ms. Eirini Atoniadou, the program in progress, will aim to provide peer-buddy support while allowing student service leaders of the Middle School Student Service Club the opportunity to fully engage and connect with refugee children and teens who will take part in Saturday-Laughter-Athletics-Music-Intentionally-Together (Sax, 2016). Through social peer groups with opportunities for physical exercise and music therapy, refugee children and teens will also have a safe and supportive environment where they can begin to feel a sense of belonging and connect to others without having language barriers in between, while adjusting to schools in Athens, Greece.

References American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA Code of Ethics: U.S.A.: Author.

American Psychological Association (1990). APA Guidelines from Providers of Psychological Services to Ethnic, Linguistic, and Culturally Diverse Populations. U.S.A.: Author.

Berry, J. W., Poortinga, Y.H., Segall, M.H., & Dasen, P.R. (1992).

Cross-cultural psychology: Research and applications. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment. Attachment and loss: Vol. 1.

Loss. New York: Basic Books.

Edwards, A. (2016). Global forced displacement reaches record high. Retrieved from UNHCR website: http://www.unhcr.org/ news/latest/2016/6/5763b65a4/global-forced-displacementhits-record-high.html Ladany, N., Brittan-Powell, C.S., & Pannu, R.K. (1997). The influence of supervisory racial matching on the supervisory working supervisee multicultural alliance and competence.

Counselor Education and Supervision, 36, 284-302.

Matsumoto, D . (2000). Culture and psychology people around the world. California: Wadsworth.

McLeod, S. (2007). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Retrieved from Simple Psychology website: http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html Murray, D. (2015). UNHCR says most Syrians arriving to Greece are students. Retrieved from UNHCR website: http://www. unhcr.org/news/latest/2015/12/5666ddda6/unhcr-says-syrians-arriving-greece-students.html Pope-Davis, D.B., Coleman, H. (1997). Multicultural counseling competencies, London: Sage Publications.

Sam, D.L. (2000). Acculturation and psychological well-being among immigrant adolescents in Finland. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15, 4, 446-469.

Smith, J. (2016). Europe is failing to help a generation of traumatized children. Retrieved from: https://www.theguradian. com/commentisfree/2016/dec/27/europe Sue, D., Sue, D.W., Sue, S. (2003). Understanding abnormal behavior (Seventh Edition). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

UNICEF (2016, April 6). UNICEF urges full hearings for refugee and migrant children stranded in Greece. Retrieved from: https://www.unicef.org/media/media_90818.html ■

Building Bridges for a More Inclusive Society

by Danai Papaioannou, Student Affairs Officer

T

he ACS Athens philosophy of education firmly supports the notion that in addition to academic rigor, reading diverse literature and history and cultivating a ‘can do’ attitude, taking action is vital if students will have a say in the world we live in. It is not students’ thoughts that empower them to transform the world as architects of their own learning, it is who they are, how they manage their thoughts and their emotions, how they turn thoughts into forward action, how they collaborate and how they constantly seek new avenues of improvement.

ACS Athens educators encourage students to make research a regular part of learning thus, in depth research on the refugee crisis and its impact in Greece has been the focus in the last few years. Along this path, the Office of Student Affairs is dedicated to ongoing practices that will improve the lives of those that are in need. Among these initiatives is a strong relationship with METAdrasi, an NGO which helps facilitate the reception and integration of refugees and migrants in Greece. Their focus is to provide protection and other services to unaccompanied minors that arrive in the country. Accordingly, ACS Athens launched a project aimed at supplying books to METAdrasi’s Accommodation Facility for Unaccompanied Minors in Vathy, Samos.

→

Continued on page 48

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

47

48

In order to facilitate the continuous education of minors while large number of children remain stranded in refugee camps without basic educational facilities such as classrooms and libraries we were compelled to provide as many educational materials as we could. Many were involved in the process; Division Chairs, teachers, staff, Middle School students, the “Service Leaders” club, the Art classes and the school photographer who captured moments of collection, sorting through, packaging and dissemination of books; images that later allowed us to reflect on the importance of such actions.

The initial call for collaboration on collecting books began in November with shipping taking place in mid-December. As the books travelled from Athens to Samos and, with the dawn of the New Year, we found ourselves fortunate to have received pictures of the children at the accommodation facility. The book reception allowed them to create an informal educational activity. As we all gathered to look through the pictures, we realized that “we had found ourselves in the service of others”1.

It is indeed our strong belief that it is our responsibility to contribute toward ensuring that the world will transform into an inclusive society; a world where no one is left behind. It is our students who show the greatest commitment to achieving this objective.

1

Mahatma Gandhi

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

gineering (M.Eng. from the University of Warwick).

The Misconceptions Surrounding Healthy Food The misconception of healthy food being expensive or tasteless has led to an increasingly unhealthy world population (e.g. diabetes cases quadrupled from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014) which is alarmingly profound in Greece today (#1 in the world for child obesity).

At The Falafel Project we strive to counter this worrying trend by showing that healthy food can be both affordable and flavourful – it’s our underlying noble cause that guides us with everything we do.

Our menu is designed in such a way – sourcing locally, keeping food waste to a minimum, etc. - so that we can select the highest quality ingredients whilst maintaining a low cost. This, in turn, allows us to sell our food at a relatively low price.

The Importance of Food Education: The Falafel Project

by Daniel Yakovee, Founder of The Falafel Project

I

t all started with the idea that fast food doesn’t have to be junk food. Developing this concept led to the launch of The Falafel Project in 2015, serving healthy, creative, high quality street food, with prices and serving speeds matching those of our fast food competitors. Designing and implementing this model successfully was the result of my seemingly ‘irrelevant’ educational background in Manufacturing En-

The Importance of Food Education As world food production and distribution struggle to keep up with an exponentially growing population, food is an increasingly important topic. This includes issues such as: Nutrition, and the impact of what we consume on our health Global food supply and demand, increasing the efficiency of food production and distribution, food waste, genetically modified crops (GMCs), etc.

Food marketing: the way restaurants and manufacturers market their products Legislative and economic issues, e.g. the proposed tax on sugary drinks in England and the resultant

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

economic impact on the healthcare system I strongly believe that giving today’s students a solid foundation in the broad spectrum of food education will inspire them to make a difference in tomorrow’s food supply chain and consumer habits.

The Falafel Project and ACS Athens In December, The Falafel Project donated food for a luncheon at ACS Athens for a small group of refugee children sponsored by the school. This was the first of a series of sponsored lunches at activity-filled weekends for refugee children starting this year.

Long term, we hope to co-operate with ACS Athens staff designing educational activities based on food, tailored to each age group. The Elementary School would learn about where food comes from, and have the chance to grow and prepare their own food, the Middle School about the chemical composition of various ingredients, the biological processes involved in their consumption and the global food supply chain, and International Baccalaureate (IB) students

would focus on critical thinking: food marketing, pseudoscience, and source analysis.

In line with this Ethos magazine issue’s theme – ‘forging partnerships: broadening educational opportunities for a better society’ – consider that today’s students are tomorrow’s food producers, distributors, thought leaders, and lawmakers. Let’s help them take that first step!

The Falafel Project 19-21 Chaimanta Street, Chalandri 15234 Telephone 210 6819192

■

51

Middle School adventures UN Day 2016

by Rebecca L. Meyer, Middle School Principal

U

N Day is an annual global event to recognize the important work of the United Nations.

Fundamental to effective global citizenship and in accordance with our mission statement, ACS Athens students develop a strong sense of civic responsibility. UN Day Coordinator, Ms. Labrini Rontogiannis describes this traditional Middle School event as a “unique opportunity for students to ‘escape’ from their normal routine and become involved in learning more about the UN organization and reflecting on the important work of the UN and its specialized agencies.”

The theme of this year’s UN Day was “Developing Our Harmonious Diverse Community.” Students were prompted to discuss topics initiated by the United Nations in relation to this theme. Each grade level looked at a different aspect of this topic: 6th grade students explored the “Biodiverse Environment” in celebration of the “United Nations Decade on Biodiversity,” 7th grade students looked at the theme by exploring “Our Biodiverse ACS Athens Community and World” and research was the focus of 8th grade students over pulses in celebration of the “International Year of Pulses.” Our students explored these topics in depth in order to determine how they applied to their lives, the communities in which they live and the greater world. Students spent the day in assigned groups with a teacher advisor. The day fostered both independent and collaborative work.

To bring home the concept of environmental sustainability, students were encouraged to bring an international waste-free lunch. The day ended with a presentation from 8th grade students of Tube ACeS: Pandelis Sfinias, Jason Somoglou, and Dimitris Nti-

nopoulos. They presented a call to action recycling research based project. Every year UN Day is an excellent opportunity for students to think and reflect on pertinent world issues.

Middle School UN Day Coordinators: Heike Arnold, Christina Bakoyannis, Labrini Rontogiannis.

■

Current page Students engaged in activities focused on civic responsibility throughout the day.

52

Students engaged in activities focused on civic responsibility throughout the day.

Field Trip at Tritsis Park

by Rebecca L. Meyer, Middle School Principal

M

iddle School field trips are a way for students to learn outside the traditional classroom. It also allows our ACS Athens to develop partnerships with the local community. 6th grade students enjoyed a trip to Tritsis Environmental Awareness Park.

A Student’s Reflection: “What I Learned from the Tritsis Park Field Trip”

By Yiannis Salvaras, 6th Grade Student In the Tritsis Park field trip I learned many things about science and a lot of things about the environment. One of it is that frogs are endangered species.

I also saw some parrots flying in the trees with binoculars. We saw some frogs and tadpoles in the river.

Unfortunately they weren’t jumping. We saw them under water. We also collected some plants so the farm could become more clean and safe. We also went to see horses. One liked us to pet her. The other one was sleeping and the last one was wild. The wild one had a special, stronger cage and we weren’t allowed to touch them because they’d bite us. We also did hidden clues which we had to find. The first team that finds all the clues wins. The scavenger hunt was my favorite part. The things that we had to find was a word from the field trip like “environment.”

Yannis Salvaras, Middle School student

■

Opposite page Middle School trip to Tritsis Environmental Awareness Park

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

took place throughout the day, with topics ranging from ‘New trends in UK applications,’ the ‘Best Fit Art Schools for International students,’ to ‘Ethical Standards for School Counselors.’ The conference was filled with a variety of events and activities during the days and evenings, ranging from a High School and College fair, a 10k charity run, and various team building activities.

International Association College Admission CounselingConference @ Rutgers Univ. July 11-15, 2016

by Stelios Kalogridakis, Middle School Counselor

D

uring this past summer, I had the privilege of attending the annual IACAC Conference hosted by my alma mater, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. As a long time member of the International College Admission Counseling Association, I was given the professional development opportunity to attend this year’s conference. The Association, which aims to “facilitate global interaction among counselors and institutions in support of secondary students transitioning to higher education, while promoting professional standards that foster ethical and social responsibility,” is a wonderful resource for our school’s student affairs counseling department.

Meeting with colleagues and university admissions representatives from around the world, the conference was a wonderful networking opportunity, providing an exchange of practices in the counseling field, college admissions, and new trends in applications. The three day conference was hosted by Rutgers, which housed attendees in the newly revamped Livingston campus dorms, giving us the experience of a college student of today. A multitude of sessions

Following the conference, I had the opportunity to attend a college tour in Champlain Valley, at the border of upstate New York and Vermont. I visited the following universities: University of Vermont, State University of New York Plattsburgh, St. Michaels College, and Champlain College. It was a valuable opportunity to see these campuses, and to make ACS Athens known to their prospective admissions representatives (there was currently one ACS Athens alumnus enrolled at the Univ. of Vermont at the time). The opportunity to network with these universities is valuable as it helps us inform them about what our students have to offer. Here’s to future professional development opportunities and expanding our college options for our ACS Athens graduates!

■

55

and develop more effective learning strategies.

Self-assessment helps students understand their learning process and consider how to take on learning challenges. Faced with a difficult task, they think about strategies they have used in the past to handle new material, increase concentration, and keep persevering. They decide how to apply these strategies to their current challenge. As a result, they become stronger, more resilient learners.

Providing additional support to students is strongly related to students’ positive self-beliefs.

Additional support can help students acquire the numerical and spatial skills without denying them exposure to more challenging material.

This year our Academy CAS students are also involved in assisting our Middle School students in Pre-Algebra classes. Students feel comfortable, relaxed and learn effectively in this environment.

Self-Assessment in Mathematics

by Dora Andrikopoulos, Mathematics Coordinator JK-12

S

erious research, collaboration amongst educators and students, almost always, leads to meaningful, significant learning.

My action research this year focuses on student- Self assessment. Self-assessment is a remarkable tool for learning in mathematics. It is assessment for learning.

Students get the opportunity to reflect on their own work and also identify their specific needs and difficulties. As students reflect on what they have learnt and on how they learn, they develop the tools to become more effective learners.

In my experience, self-assessment and peer support has proven so far, to be the key mechanism to developing mathematical skills and enhancing conceptual understanding.

Goal-focused self-assessment encourages academic achievement when built into daily schoolwork.

Students develop valuable lifelong skills, including the ability to think critically about their own work; know themselves and their learning styles; reflect on their individual strengths and challenges; and measure their progress toward goals.

They become autonomous learners who take responsibility for their learning and become actively engaged in the academic life of the classroom.

Regular use of assessment tools develops and promotes a growth mindset. Students with a growth mindset want to improve; they stretch themselves,

More frequent use of problem solving as a method of teaching mathematics can also help students to connect the abstract or conceptual aspects of mathematics with real life, and make mathematics lessons more engaging for all students.

In my opinion, giving all students similar opportunities to learn complex mathematics is a key strategy for tackling low performance and increasing equity.

Expectations are not lowered and content is not watered down when students experience difficulties and anxiety.

56

Resources and pedagogical tools are always ready to teach heterogeneous classes effectively, and to provide additional support wherever needed.

Flexible grouping may be used for differentiating instruction effectively in the classroom. Activating learners as owners of their learning– self-regulation of learning- leads to student performance improvement.

I have involved my students in monitoring their own progress with Progress Charts that they complete after each error analysis on a cumulative assessment. Students record the areas of strength and areas they need to focus in. I have observed that students have become more autonomous and are able to accurately predict their performance on the next assessment.

Students enjoy participating in self assessment and like seeing their progress. To guide students in understanding the process of self-evaluation, I have them complete a self-reflection.

“Using the Progress Chart helps me go over my test, recognize my mistakes and also identifying my weaknesses. Identifying my weaknesses helps me set down a goal to improve at that specific thing I don’t understand. Setting down a goal, (the progress chart), that I almost see every day, makes me remember my goal and try to accomplish it. By accomplishing those goals, I become more confident in myself and in my abilities in math and as a result I have a better output.”

Once students have reflected on their learning, they are ready to set new goals for themselves. As they work toward these goals, they are encouraged to reflect on their learning journey at regular intervals. Students record their observations during these periods of self-reflection to help reaffirm their goals and motivate them to move toward meeting each goal. With practice, students who self-assess become more conscious learners, able to apply knowledge of their learning needs and styles to new areas of study.

■

Student comments on their reflection sheets also show that they acknowledge the value of their own studying – something that enables me to measure the effectiveness of the formative and summative assessment techniques I use-.

Examples of student reflection responses are: “Progress Charts help me by showing what I will need to focus on when studying, because I have observed that previously taught concepts may show up in another assessment. I have a chance to improve and set new goals.”

“It keeps me interested because I get to learn how I am performing in math.” “ When doing an error analysis, it can be good to collaborate with someone else, because first of all you can work together to solve a problem and explain to each other instead of asking the teacher right away. Then, you can spot errors and help your classmate understand.”

“Developing my own progress chart gives me the opportunity to see myself through my accomplishments and use this information to fix my weaknesses.”

“Collaborating with my peers during my error analysis enhances my learning in several ways. Firstly, it opens my mind to many different perspectives and ways of looking at the problems given to us, some more efficient, and some completely different than my own. Secondly, it gives me a chance to have my mistakes corrected and walked-through so I understand exactly what I have made a mistake on and how to correct it.”

“I have observed an overall improvement in my grades because I take the time to mark my problem areas and go over them efficiently, I can collaborate, and share perspectives with others, and I also have many valuable resources that guide me in my studying.”

One to one assistance

Students working on a probability Investigation Flexibility of i2Flex methodology

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

media literacy.

The New Media Studio Mind over Media: Critical Thinking through Media Literacy Programs; Introducing the New Media Studio of ACS Athens

by John Papadakis, Director of Technology

W

hen UNESCO considers literacy a “fundamental human right and the foundation for lifelong learning… essential to social and human development in its ability to transform lives” (http://bit.ly/1vfFsEL), education for the 21st century cannot ignore the importance of media literacy in the development of critical thinking to the young people of our world. To that effect, ACS Athens is proud to introduce new initiatives and expand existing ones aiming to spark the interest of students, reinforce their critical thinking process and provide tools to explore and discover new ones that open minds while learning and mastering new skills.

ACS Athens is proud to have been at the forefront of academic excellence, for which it was recently recognized as a pioneering K-12 international school by Middle States Association for Colleges and Schools. (http://bit.ly/2k3nfIC). Its commitment to preparing students from diverse national, social and economic backgrounds for an educated and ethical leadership role in today’s society could not be less as it pertains to

In times that are described by many as the “post-truth” era, not due to shortage of information, but due to the lack of critical thinking in finding the truth between the lines, an educational institution has the responsibility and an important role to play in offering opportunities for young people to look further than their raw social media feeds, beyond news sources prescribed by non-reliable algorithms, through anonymous postings of doubtful source and intent, un-researched and irresponsible blogs and mass produced stories. Only then, a young mind can reach meaningful and useful conclusions, form a clear and informed opinion that might lead to responsible action for the real benefit of the local and global communities.

According to the Center for Media Literacy, “Media Literacy is a 21st century approach to education. It provides a framework to access, analyze, evaluate, create and participate with messages in a variety of forms — from print to video to the Internet. Media literacy builds an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of a democracy” (author’s highlight) http://bit.ly/1ks1KOE The last couple of decades of the 20th century were characterized by the leaps and bounds of technological innovation in all fields of human activity and the increasing need of technology in everyday life. That was the preamble for the explosion of the internet in the 21st century so far, which is probably the most important catalyst in human life, socially, financially, scientifically and politically. Information is the predominant asset in human interaction, which is valued by all as the main tool for progress in all fields.

Starting this academic year, ACS Athens implements new initiatives on a three-pronged approach. First, by reinforcing the media element of existing courses in the Academy/High School level (Grades 9-12). Humanities and Language courses already embrace media literacy topics and projects, through critical thinking and personal inquiry approaches to learning. Through the media element, students are encouraged to explore alternative media-based outlets to express their subject of inquiry. As of the 2017-18 academic year, new academic courses will be introduced in the Academy curriculum, which will provide the theoretical and technology background and foundation for students to expand dramatically their knowledge and reach into the media environment. A Creative Writing class will provide students with the proper language skills necessary to create media content, while a Media Technology class will offer students the technical skills in order to materialize an idea born out of the Critical Writing class, or assist students from other classes or grades interested in exploring the platform. The BYOD (bring-your-own-device) program - already practiced at our school, will assist students in their effort to explore and learn new tools on video/radio production.

Extra-curricular student initiatives already gaining steam include a fact-checking task force that will pro-

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

vide necessary training and support in approaching media reports with a critical mind, researching stories on important and less important issues of interest to the students, to the educational community and to the world in general.

This new approach to media literacy would not be possible without the technical facility of our new Media Production Studio, located at the H.J.Sabbagh Library.

The new Media Studio has been in the planning stages for the past 2 years and through the generous donation of ACS Athens Chairman of the Board Mr. Suheil H. Sabbagh it is now a reality. State-of-the-art equipment includes professional digital cameras in a green screen studio that offers unprecedented flexibility in video applications. The new Control Room includes some of the latest technology digital video and audio control boards and two digital video/audio editing workstations, a sound booth for audio applications, while it is designed to serve as a media lab for up to 10 students working simultaneously on their individual or group projects.

Literacy, as a term of language proficiency is used to describe the ability of an individual to have access to learn and use language effectively, through reading, comprehension and writing. As technology was becoming the preeminent factor of human progress in the late 20th century, computer literacy became almost a synonym to language literacy. Any individual with high enough hopes and aspirations for his/her life and professional career had and still has to have an above standard knowledge of information technology tools and their real life applications and impact. With the advent and explosion of the internet, information overabundance and instant dissemination and worldwide reach has added a new level of literacy that tests the limits of human intelligence, as it pertains to its ability to discern usable, reliable and relevant information. ACS Athens’ role in this is simply to promote research and guided inquiry and offer its students the tools to correct the myopic vision of reality offered irresponsibly by the media cacophony of our era.

Faculty and staff attended two informative sessions on the functionality of the Media Studio

■

The team that worked for the implementation of the Media Studio. From left to right: Mary Manos, IT Administrator• Stavros Tzanetakos, Facilities Manager • Jim Koulyras, AV Services • Stefanos Kakaris, Director of Finance • Suheil Sabbagh, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and major funder of the project • Dr. Stefanos Gialamas, President • John Papadakis, Director of Technology • Linos Meitains, Theater Manager • Marinos Makris, IT Technician

59

6th grade buddies: Zoi Lazaridi and Theofano Vitalioti, Emmanuel Fellouzis & Jim Chlympatsos (7th grade), and 8th graders Oscar Wang & Lizhou Hu spend time bonding under the watchful eye of Middle School Counselor Stelios Kalogridakis

Musings “A Lasting Bond”

by Rebecca L. Meyer, Middle School Principal

S

itting in the passenger seat of a rental car on the island of Rhodes while fast spinning wheels fail to free us from the sand; many thoughts race through my mind. However, there is no need to panic because I am with my mentor. She casually exits the vehicle and approaches the strangers to engage in a conversation I cannot comprehend. A van quickly pulls up, the sliding door suddenly opens and a large family eager to assist gets out. Within seconds we are free of the sand and back on our journey.

This being my first year living in Athens, let alone the first time aboard, I anticipated new adventures, but never imagined stuck in the sand. My mentor Dr. Julie Crain, who is also the Academy Principal, has gone out of her way to help me adjust to this foreign environment. She has not only taught me about the school, but introduced me to the Greek culture. Dr. Crain has been influential to a new administrator’s survival. We quickly developed a strong bond. Knowing I can always rely on her in any situation, even outside of work. On a professional level, she is willing to share her skills and expertise during the weekly principal meetings combining elementary, middle school, and Academy.

This collaboration between schools fosters relationships and constructive feedback. Understanding the importance of mentoring, Dr. Crain states, “Mentoring colleagues and teachers is an extremely enjoyable and important role that I take seriously in my profession. Through my research and experience, I know that the first months of induction into the profession are important keys to success for the new employee.”

The administrative mentoring program mirrors our buddy system in the Middle School. Through the guidance of our counselor Mr. Stelios Kalogridakis and the

Middle School Principal Rebecca L. Meyer and Academy Principal Dr. Julie Crain on the bus heading towards the speech given by President Barack Obama during his visit in Greece

Office of Student Affairs, the buddy system allows new students to be acclimated to their new environment.

Students are paired with a mentor with similar classes to ensure a familiar face during transition. Buddies are assigned to all new incoming students in grades 6-8 and introduced on the first day of school. Buddies are assigned to students year round, a change from the past as enrollment increases and new students arrive throughout the year. Dr. Crain reminds us that learning takes place year round. She confirms, “It’s important to remember that the mentee is new and learning throughout the whole year, not only at the beginning of the school year. We can’t forget about them in January but we must continue to teach them.” The same applies to our students as they understand the value of the buddy program. Student Jim Chlympatsos, 7th grader, reflects: “I really liked having a buddy in the beginning because he showed me things that I did not know about the school. Also, he introduced me to other students, so I met a lot of new people, and made new friends. He also helped me with my homework in the beginning, by explaining to me what to do, Moodle, Skyward, etc., as my English is not that good. He was extremely helpful. Personally, I also like my buddy

60

a lot.” In addition, students have the ability to evaluate the process through a questionnaire and meetings with the counselor. New 6th grader, Theofano Vitalioti states, “Well, it was good; we had the opportunity to meet someone new, and we actually had some classes together. But then my buddy’s schedule changed. And now we hang out!” It is not just about what you give, but what we take out of the experience. “I like being a buddy, because some students are shy, and we get to know them better. And of course, we become friends,” 7th grade Katerina Papadikis.

Keeping with our positive environment we also have a Secret Encouragers among the Middle School faculty.

It is with the notion that little things do matter. No one is obligated to sign up; however, there is a large participation because the faculty has a strong bond.

Encouragement is not necessarily evaluated through small monetary gifts but creative ways to inspire one another throughout the year. There are multiple roles outside teaching duties, some include pursuing higher education, along with raising a family where simple words of encouragement make a memorable impact.

Mr. Bobby Zervas, secret encourager participant expresses this sentiment. “We don’t help each other out in anticipation of reward, but to signify the support we have for one another.”

The environment at ACS Athens allows faculty and students to grow to their highest potential and makes everyone feel as though this is home. When I welcome new faculty to Middle School next year, I am excited to share mentoring and lasting bonds that I have experienced. I have Dr. Crain to thank and appreciate as a model of forging rapport among colleagues. I will pay it forward.

■

A Modest Observation

by Angela K. Spiliot, Elementary School Teacher

P

édia is Much Deeper than a Page Number in a Textbook

Sometime in your life you need to pull out all the glory your school children have taught you. In the 29 years of teaching K - 12 I have learned generously from my kids. In reality, they have an abundance to teach!

Here is my time to share why, educating our youth is beyond a textbook page number.

Seven years ago I started teaching 2nd grade. Blind.

Clueless. I was moving in from high school Technology.

I was greeted and welcomed with strong open arms by my new 2nd grade team.

Being an open hearted, holding nothing back child myself, I took my new role enthusiastically. This enthusiasm was woven with fear too! These were MY KIDS but their SUCCESS story I wanted to be, ALL theirs. How could I clearly teach them, that in all reality, they were the master mind of their own learning? My answer did not come to me immediately. I observed, listened and learned by them. I understood I needed to fortify them with the necessary building materials so they could take their learning one step higher every time. What I easily and gratefully gave? Love, Patience, research skills, and being held accountable but definetly not being spoon feed. I want to teach them to be in charge! I am not the most important block in the kit! They are.

My school children are!

A class must be given the opportunity to want to learn, not have to learn. “Have To’s” creates negative outcomes especially for their future. How do we facili-

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

tate a want to learn setting? By making sure you teach them to be in charge! In charge does not mean a certain page number, or giving out answers, definetly not.

In charge means they can bring onto their tables all the information you have taught them. Then they can use and mold that knowledge to put together a final outcome of any particular learning!

I am not a writer or a poet. I am a teacher that passionately wants to create thinking, questioning and positive, beautiful, happy reliable people.

Teach your students to think for themselves, it is not easy and I myself am not where I want to be with them exactly yet, but we are surely on a smooth road of, it’s not about the page number!

■

Reflective classrooms The Importance of Learning Reflective Skills and its Metacognitive Effects for Elementary School Students

by Sophia Moros, Elementary School Principal

A

defining condition of being human is that we have to understand the meaning of our experience.

—Jack Mezirow Many adults carry on about their daily routine without connecting their experiences and even separate each part of their day as unrelated sequence of events.

These events are then pushed to the side as daily happenings and either ignored or overlooked and, unfortunately, result in missed learning opportunities from these incidents.

“Psychologists refer to this type of life view as an “episodic grasp of reality” (Feuerstein, Rand, Hoffman, & Miller, 1980), and it is not a habit we want to pass along to children. Instead, we want students to get into the habit of linking and constructing meaning from their experiences. Such work requires reflection.”

Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

There are many facets to the idea of reflection. When students are guided through the reflection process they can achieve many different things. First of all, when students are asked to reflect on their work they have the opportunity to strengthen the quality of their creation(s) and even further develop their skills.

Many times, if not most, self-reflection is the most critical part of the learning process because it produces insight and unites learning experiences. Secondly, when students are asked to reflect on experiences, such as a particular moment from a field trip, they are given the opportunity to enhance meaning and highlight one instant that they consider the most beneficial part of their learning throughout that day. This, in turn, equates to complex learning as it forces children to filter through a sequence of events, make a connection to a specific occurrence and connect it to a lesson learned. Lastly, reflection is something that can be performed in a group or independently, but it requires time and specific guiding. Everyone experiences events and creates meaning through their own associations.

However, it is through deep thought and careful consideration where we can enhance our insight to what we experience and then build meaning.

process aimed at promoting a deeper level of learning.

However, when scaffolding one’s ability to reflect it entails connecting previous experiences to draw forth cognitive and emotional information using one’s senses (including visual, kinesthetic, tactile and auditory) in order to synthesize and evaluate daily events in a way that promotes meaning towards an original situation.

All educators understand these facets as a term called scaffolding; which originated as a theory introduced in the late 1950’s by a cognitive psychologist, Jerome Bruner, who first used the term to describe young children’s oral language acquisition. Later on, the term Instructional scaffolding became known as the learning

The most challenging part about teaching students to reflect is to have them establish connections between past, present and future events. When students are able to make sense of experiences that have taken place and make connections between a series of events in a fluid and sensible manner, they have reached a greater level of reflection and even understanding of a con-

One simple means to promote the scaffolding of student reflection is to encourage discussion and simply welcome children to think about their thinking. This can be quite a tedious process as it forces children to make direct correlations between personal experiences or events and requires a great deal of prompting and guiding from the teacher. The steps toward reflection include having students share details about their individual intentions, describe particular strategies for problem solving, explain a process and finally analyze the adequacy of the outcome (whether it was expected or not). Through lengthy & rich discussions one can promote skills like empathy, allow for flexibility in thinking and model persistence between peers; all of which are traits that require a complete understanding of a situation.

63

64

cept. Some effective strategies teachers use to model and instruct reflections include discussion, interviewing, questioning, log notes or journals and portfolios feedback.

Scaffolding student’s reflections allows children to see the learning process in a holistic approach rather than its individual components. When children master the various skills required to merge the levels of reflection, they can synthesize their learning and apply these skills elsewhere. These strong critical thinking skills support student learning and allow an easier transfer of learned skills in different situations.

When children are taught to ask the right questions their confidence grows and their ability to become a critical thinker increases. This process of reflection guarantees life-long learners and provides students with the necessary strategies to scaffold new information while comparing it to additional details. Mastering reflection skills not only promises success in academics, but in behavior skills and social skills, too.

Students become proficient in focusing on the “how and “why” of a situation and are able to make decisions more confidently as they will be able to predict possible outcomes of a situation.

In reflective classrooms, teachers encourage students to make meaning from experiences in their writing and classroom discussions. Time is dedicated to evaluate the metacognitive tactics then students are guided to analyze outcomes by synthesizing meaning. Because this process guarantees an error-free environment, students are more likely to participate and share their thoughts more easily. Reflective students are able to produce valid points with extended detail that provides valid connections to past, present and future ideas making them feel secure in what they know.

Isn’t’ it about time you learned how to reflect?

■■

Elementary adventures Broadening Educational Opportunities for all Students: Learning in the Digital Age What is Gamification?

by Christina Marinou – 1st Grade Faculty & Zoi Karatza, Middle School OLP

“S

ure they have a short attention span — for the old ways of learning!”

-Edward Westhead, former Dartmouth professor The rapid evolution of technology has affected every aspect of our everyday life, and thus education. Therefore, educators from all over the world are currently trying to introduce technology into their teaching, to provide a more interesting learning experience. This makes digital games an important educational tool for teachers. The global spread of Internet use and the need to develop educational practices that motivate and engage students offer the ability to create an attractive learning environment to support the learning process. It is not a secret anymore that with efficient planning, educators can use digital games to support multiple learning styles and skills providing a more interactive framework.

Working closely with University of Athens and the

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

achieve our teaching objectives and were also simple and did not cause any confusion among students. The games had specific rules, while they were quite attractive because of the graphics and their objectives.

Using this digital technology, the group’s cooperation learning was strengthened as well as the confidence of many children, given the eliminated feeling of fear of judgement. We had surely accomplished at least two of the most important goals that we had set; the group was highly motivated and students stayed involved for a long period.

Technological Education Institute of Piraeus and with all the evidence pointing toward the effectiveness of Game-Based Learning, we tried to create a series of lesson plans that would help students improve problem-solving and social skills that can be worked into the curriculum. We started with deciding which games we should use, and this was a very tough decision to make.

We ended up following two very simple rules; we selected games that were not based on complex or time-consuming scenarios and that students could use even in a limited offered time and simple games that did not load students with useless information or great instructions volume. The idea was simple; we wanted to promote discovery learning through games. It seemed very easy to find digital games (commercial or educational) that met our school’s curriculum at first, but this step was the most time-consuming part of the planning procedure and it led us to even creating some of our very own material. The selection was made per the methodological Omega framework (Tragazikis et al., 2011). More specifically, we took into consideration the games’ features (rules, fun, easy to use, graphics, player features, etc.) and the players’ characteristics and needs in order to select digital games that appeal to all students, while being related to the specific learning objectives that we wanted to achieve. Based on the criteria above, we ended up with three different ways of introducing the topic of Gamification, by applying the typical elements of game playing in our class. We created a simple game that children could play on the schoolyard and practiced it for a few weeks. Following this game, we built a series of lesson plans that would help students with arithmetic practice, while having fun. We used three digital games and we also created one game with QR and NFC Codes that was based on the word problems provided by Pearson SuccessNet, to deliver a hybrid experience while interacting with the natural environment and digital media at the same time. These resources could help us

The second big step we had to face, was to find a strategy to introduce these games to our classroom, without getting students off track. Digital games are wonderful tools, especially in elementary mathematics, but it is surprisingly easy to override students’ interest in other areas of study. For that reason, we decided to use these games for delivering content that adjusts itself to player knowledge and learning style and set a consistent, scheduled play time, instead of using them sporadically. This way, digital games slowly became as engaging as possible and also part of the students’ learning experience.

Regarding the involvement of children in the educational process, observations were completed at two levels. First, we measured the degree of involvement of children in the educational process before the use of digital games and then the degree of involvement during the time of digital games’ implementation using the Leuven Scale, to compare the results.

More specifically, students with great difficulty in communicating due to the language barrier and children with learning difficulties demonstrated an increase in the level of participating in the educational process.

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

This indicates that all students, even the ones with reduced motivation to participate more actively in the educational process, developed a team spirit that will hopefully help them to work with their peers in other activities as well.

In addition, Calvert (Children’s journeys through the information age; 1999) describes that children with concentration difficulties can be helped by digital games, which will give them a reward for producing faster brain waves (“beta waves”) and it is true that these games have helped students to maintain their interest and focus for a longer period. Signs of rapid learning and good adaptions were observed during our research. Although digital games are often associated with many stereotypes, educators should try to meet the needs of this new generation of learners, who are digital natives and whose distinctive characteristics should be acknowledged in order to ensure successful learning outcomes and motivation on their part (European Schoolnet; 2009). It is true that gamification of learning can be a very fun experience for both learners and educators. The only steps that we should take on creating such a learning environment is to experiment to find what works best for us and our students and to plan carefully. Aren’t these some of the key elements that make up a successful educator, anyway?

■

Partnership Building, Between Parents and Children Regarding Physical Activity in every day life

by Efi Karatopouzi, P.E. Teacher

A The Leuven Scale for Involvement

s a PE teacher for several years and being a mom for almost 18, I have come to the realization that exercising outdoors and playing with your children when they are young has a great impact on their lives, it is indispensable for their future, and that’s not just me that is saying that, but there are many reports that will assure you that this is true.

Parents are the most important people in their children’s lives. Children learn about the world and their place in it through conversations, play activities etc.

By working together, parents and children can develop their skills and their relationship.

Parents influence their children in countless ways.

Children do inherit some traits from their parents, who create the environment that the child is raised in, and strongly influence intelligence and personality through their interaction with the child. As the child grows up, parents prepare him or her for life either directly or indirectly. Even when kids reach adulthood, their mother and father have a considerable ongoing influence, either in person or through memories.

Level on Involvement

Partnership involves parents and children working together to foster better relationships. Each one rec-

67

ognizes, respects and values what the other does and says. Partnership requires responsibility from both sides.

A partnership approach in a family is very important, especially at times of change in children’s lives. By working together and sharing information,parents and children get together and can make their lives easier and more creative.

Good partnership is built on trust. One good way to make this partnership work is being involved in physical activities indoors or outdoors.

The term physical activity describes any form of motor skills development that activates major muscle groups in the body. So sports, every form of physical exercise or active play, walking, cycling, or even gardening, is an ideal way of keeping a healthy body and mind.

The benefits of this partnership is valued and respected, by both parties. Parents get more involved in their children’s everyday life, leading to better communication which increases the confidence in their children’s personality.

More important is that parents and kids get to know

68

each other better, and at the same time learn about their bodies and their health of mind.

This partnership also promotes children’s understanding of “Limits” which is very important for their continuous growth.

Although research, measures and studies define the value of every day physical activity, real life is not like that. It is all about personal contact, communication with each other and having fun by sharing moments that will stay forever.

Take a quick walk in the park, forest, sea side with your toddler, go for cycling, or play with a ball, in short, do anything that will make you have fun and be active.

You don’t have to be an expert to play or do all of the above - the only thing you need is a little time, and feeling like a child again.

Facilities

■■

Campus Projects and Renovations

by Stavros Tzanetakos, Facilities Manager

R

enovation of Boiler Rooms

The boiler rooms of Annex, Middle School and High School have been fully renovated in the summer of 2016.

The boiler rooms were old and their condition was poor. The installation layout was chaotic and wear and tear were evident everywhere. Basic infrastructures were also missing.

New boiler rooms have taken into consideration modern and updated techniques and technologies, energy saving tools and building regulations to meet the higher standards of a natural gas driven boiler room (for future reference).

Most importantly, the whole renovation has been designed in such a way that the boiler rooms can shift to natural gas driving without any loss of the present renovation items or components.

You can see below a few pictures of the boiler rooms before and after renovation. ◉◉ Complete renovation of building elements; the floor has been restructured to provide incline for water draining, walls have been rearranged according to regulations and standards for natural gas future retrofit. ◉◉ New boilers have been installed, new piping, new pumps, new valves, and new auxiliary components; all of them in a well shaped and

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

organized layout. ◉ Automation and energy saving systems have been installed.

New inverter circulating pumps have been installed, made in Germany.

Inverter achieves energy saving and is capable to match the circulator in the most suitable power that the installation demands.

Modern compensation three way valve and suitable controllers have been installed, performing continuous monitoring of the environment temperature and the heating needs, automatically matching the boiler operation to the minimum level.

The result is less boiler operation time and less energy consumption.

New Siemens automation systems, equipped with suitable sensors, have been installed to boiler rooms, offering the possibility of monitoring, recording and remote controlling of boiler rooms.

Renovation of Water Closets During the summer, 20 small WCs of ACS Athens campus have been completely renovated and turned to pleasant, modern and practical rest rooms.

Old installations and fixtures have been completely removed and new ones have been installed in place.

In particular: ◉ All sewage pipes have been replaced. Special care has been given to the selection of pipes that are sound proof in order to minimize the noise of flushing water. ◉ All main water supply pipes have been replaced and arranged in such a way as to facilitate fu-

ture maintenance. ◉ All electrical wiring has been replaced. Moreover, new electrical switchboards have been installed to accommodate the loads of the WC. ◉ New tiles on the floor and walls have been installed. On the floor, we selected slightly anti-slip tiles for safety reasons. ◉ The ceiling has been replaced with modern ceiling plates. ◉ All sanitary articles have been renovated. In addition, necessary accessories have been added, depending on the users of the rest room. ◉ The lighting has been replaced with modern led fixtures. ◉ The doors and windows have been maintained or renewed were necessary. ◉ Special design (edge-free) heating radiators with automatic temperature-control valves have been selected for the designated areas. ◉ Ventilation facilities have been installed where necessary.

Renovation of Tennis Courts The tennis area has been completely reconstructed.

The new design offers four tennis courts and a big playground area for children. The tennis posts are portable and can be moved aside providing the children with a wide and safe area during their break.

The new tennis courts are made of turf (artificial grass) in blue and green colors. After reconstruction, we can provide four courts, two singles and two doubles, all located in a unified area.

The turf, that has been used, is approved by the Inter-

ETHOS • SPRING 2017

national Tennis Federation. In addition, extra lighting poles have been installed for the better lighting of the courts.

Renovation of Soccer Field The soccer field has been fully renovated.

The old turf has been removed and the ground has been surfaced by asphalt to provide a long lasting supporting layer to the new turf. The slight inclination (0.5%) of the groundwork, along with a large draining system, ensures a quick runoff of the raining water.

The final surface is an artificial turf, filled with sand and rubber particles, providing a safe playing area as per Hellenic Athletic Federation standards.

Along with the soccer field, a new running track has been constructed, according to the standards of Hellenic Athletic Federation. A thick asphaltic layer has been primarily constructed to offer a good foundation to the track, followed by a rubber layer of 10mm and a final finishing layer of embedded rubber granules.

In addition, a long jump facility, including runway

and landing pit, is under construction, providing the athletic department with a new activity field.

Moreover, an area of over 400 sq.m has been resurfaced in the same way as the running track, providing the athletic departments of ACS Athens with a safe multipurpose playground area.

Electronic Announcement Board A LED board, donated by PTO, has been installed onto the main yard of ACS Athens, for making announcements or informing the parents and students of upcoming special events or activities of the school.

At this point, we would like to thank the PTO for its generous and consistent contribution to the improvement and upgrading of ACS Athens every year.

In addition to the projects listed above, numerous repairs have been also carried out by the maintenance crew - excluding the ones requested by the teachers.

I would like to say a “great thank you” to the maintenance crew for the hard work they do and the devotion they show to complete the tasks on time and keep ACS Athens infrastructure up and running.

■

71

72

Own a piece of the proud history: ACS Athens 1945-2017 Get your commemorative album today www.acs.gr