President’s Newsletter
Message from the President Greetings ACS Athens Community Members! The school year ended in June with the Commencement Ceremony being the culminating event that sent off our graduates to the next phase of their lives. Immediately thereafter, we began the ACS Athens Summer Camp and the first ever Basketball Camp, which were both very successful. In early July we received the great news that our IB seniors, despite the challenges, received excellent IB Program final results and college acceptances. We are so proud of what they accomplished! Though, no doubt, we have continued challenges, we are better able to navigate whatever changes come our way by the pandemic. All our students have much to celebrate and be proud of as we move forward in our vision of “Empowering Individuals to be Architects of their own Learning”. The lessons learned from a year gone awry will no doubt be etched in their and our memories for years to come. Hats off to students for their resilience and ability to pivot and get the most out of the online educational experience. Kudos to the faculty for their commitment to educating students holistically. Together, we are ACS Athens, and we continue to move with confidence knowing all that was accomplished and knowing which way we are heading.
July 2021
Message from our Board Member On June 16th, I had the pleasure and opportunity to be present in the Annual Commencement Ceremony of the 2021 graduating class. In one short sentence - what a beautiful evening it was! On one hand the inspiring speeches of the guests of honor and our teachers saluting our new graduates as citizens of the world; and on the other hand the amusing speeches of the Salutatorian and Valedictorian with the call to respond to the new challenges before us. Both speeches being good examples of the strong characters, wholesome personalities and talents of the entire class! The epitome of an almost endless list of successes were the achievement of the highest ever IB scores thus providing multiple university opportunities for our graduates to study abroad. In closing, I should not forget to mention the professional appearance and live performance of the student jazz band that really took our hearts with their melodies! On behalf of the ACS Board of Trustees, I would like to add my congratulations and wish our 2021 graduates the best in their personal and professional lives. Pascal Apostolides ACS Athens Board of Trustee member Secretary of Executive Committee
We plan to come together in September for the new academic year face to face unless otherwise indicated by the authorities. I look forward to seeing our students then! Best wishes for a beautiful summer! Peggy Pelonis, Ed.D ACS Athens President
News & Events IB RESULTS 2021 Congratulations the Class of 2021 for an excellent performance in their IB scores: • • • • •
100% success (all students passed) Highest diploma score 45 (two students) 100% of our students scored above 30 47% scored above 40 Average ACS Athens score was 38 with the Median being 39
Congratulations are also extended to the faculty, for their commitment and diligence in teaching and guiding the students. Kudos also to the entire support team of professionals and staff. The worldwide average has risen this past year due to the dual route option. Our students met and surpassed the worldwide scores and we are extremely proud of each and every one of them.
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2021 Senior Class Commencement and Middle School Graduation The 2021 Senior Class Commencement speakers and honored guests were: Geoffrey J. Pyatt, US Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic and Sebastian Bellin, Athlete/Entrepreneur. Mr. Demetri Paneras, parent and US Board of Trustees member was the Middle School graduation speaker.
Enrollment New student enrollment is continuing as students seek admission from many countries across the globe.
New Faculty Orientation Program The New Faculty Orientation Program has been revised and upgraded, with the goal being to help new hires transition smoothly to ACS Athens.
New Members in the ACS Athens Family A new Middle School principal and three faculty members were recruited and hired from the U.S., as well as the new IB/AP Director.