ETHOS • FALL 2017
cratic Discourse with others we stretch our lens and feel what our fellow human experiences. And with compassion and wisdom we act to make this school/ city/continent a better place.
Academy Welcome to ACS Athens Academy 2017-18 by Anthony Vandarakis, Academy School Principal
“E
verything changes and nothing stands still.” Those timeless words were spoken by Heraclitus of Ephesus almost 2,500 years ago and they ring as true today as they did in Ancient Greece. Some of us are joining the Academy this year from other continents, a cadre of you are matriculating from the ACS Athens Middle School, others are beginning the Diploma Program, while a special group of you are starting your final year in high school. Our families find themselves in a state of evolution as well. Greece herself is changing: the return to the markets, with a hope for fiscal recovery and eventual prosperity, is balanced with the great humanitarian need of this decade, the migrant crisis. Time and again the ancient proverb holds firm. Knowing what to expect, which is to say we must be ready for anything, we would do well to focus on acquiring and refining the necessary attributes: the ACS Athens Academy will center learning through time honored philosophy and by putting into action our school’s mission: these two foci will help prepare us for the world we have not yet met. The word philosophy comes from the Greek words for “love” and “wisdom” and generally refers to the pursuit of wisdom, moral discipline and knowledge through logic. It is here in the quiet, contemplative moments that we see the world and our place in it. Through So-
ACS Athens has always been, and continues to be, a student-centered international school, where American educational pedagogy is embraced. It is our mission that “through excellence in teaching and by providing diverse educational experiences, that ACS Athens challenges all students to realize their unique potential: academically, intellectually, socially and ethically — to thrive as responsible global citizens.” Even here, in the lofty heights of sustained excellence, ACS Athens must also grow. No longer is it enough to provide top-level classroom instruction, but we must marry blended and flipped methodologies (i²Flex) to student choice and self-determination. “Change is the only constant.” That is a law. Through dedication to “love and wisdom” and a commitment to our mission, ACS Athens Academy students, faculty and parents will successfully navigate learning and find a way to contribute to a world that is evolving at an accelerating speed. ■■