SAINT NICHOLAS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH of ANN ARBOR

GREEK SCHOOL ORIENTATION 2005-06

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Dear parents,

Welcome to our Saint Nicholas Greek school for the 2005-06 school year. I would like to introduce you to the St. Nicholas Greek School and provide you with helpful information.

Classes for all levels will be held from 4:30 to 6:00 or 6:15 to 7:45 (Monday-Thursday). All levels will follow the schedule outlined below:

4:30 to 4:45 or 6:15 to 6:30 - Conversation

4:45 to 5:00 or 6:30 to 6:45 - Review previous lesson

5:00 to 5:30 or 6:45 to 7:15 - Presentation of new lesson

5:30 to 6:00 or 7:15 to 7:45 - Songs, Games, etc.

Please plan to have your children arrive at school 5 to 10 minutes ahead of time. This will give everyone the opportunity to take their seats and settle down. The lesson starts exactly at 4:30 or 6:15 according to your students schedule.
To minimize interruptions and improve the concentration of the entire class, late arrivals will be escorted into the classroom by the room-parent and not the parent or guardian.

The students will be assigned a new dialogue with everyday words and simple grammar every week. For first grade students the dialogue is also written phonetically until they learn how to read. A translated version of the dialogue will be provided to help students and parents. Students need to understand its meaning and memorize it (slight variations with the same meaning are also acceptable).

In addition, the students according to their level will be given a passage to read (from either a book or a handout) and a writing assignment. These will be complemented with other simple and fun activities. Mythology, history, geography, religion, customs and traditions enrich the learning process of all the students and will become part of the curriculum as the students become more familiar with the language.

Feasts and Special Event Programs

·   Feast Day of the Three Hierarchs and celebration of the Greek Letters (January 30^th). This program is held in church. Students memorize and recite poems and/or sing songs. The day before the program we have a rehearsal including a hands on lesson about Prosforo (church bread). This year the program will take place on Sunday, January 29, 2006.

·   Feast Day of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary and celebration of Greek Independence Day (March 25^th). This program takes place in our social hall. Students recite poems, present skits, sing songs and perform traditional Greek dances. Three rehearsals are scheduled on Saturdays before the program. The program will take place on Sunday, March 26, 2006.

·   Greek School Graduation. This program takes place in church. Students receive their certificates and diplomas. The program will take place on Sunday, June 4, 2006.

All students are encouraged to participate and benefit from these programs. Preparation for the programs begins about a month ahead of time. A participation form needs to be signed by a parent on time so we can plan accordingly.
For these programs we have a few rehearsals on Saturdays in order to prepare and at the same time keep up with our regular classes without too much interruption.

Communication

To ensure a successful school year, please check your child's blue folder every week. On the outside of the folder your student will have a class schedule to keep you informed of any upcoming events. In the space under homework you can write comments. Inside the folder your student should have the weekly homework-packet on the left and all the study papers on the right. Corrected papers should be left at home. The cover page of the weekly homework-packet lists all assigned homework, the name of the room parent for the following week and provides space for parent comments which are always welcome. Please read whatever papers, notes, and homework assignments I send home as soon as possible so you have the necessary time to plan and prepare accordingly. This year every student will have an assigned cubby. At the end of class make sure you check your cubby and take home all papers. When a student misses a class the homework packet will go in the cubby so you can pick it up whenever it is convenient. Please remember that your cubby is under your name.

Homework

Greek School classes are held only once a week. Students need to practice at home. Ten minutes a day is all that is needed for the students to learn and memorize a dialogue. Remember, practice makes perfect!

Homework is:   A positive and valuable extension of the school day.

·   A vital link between school and family.

·   A positive interaction between parent and child.

Evaluation - Assessment

The students are evaluated through different tools. Homework, class performance, quizzes and tests through out the year. They also take a midterm exam and a final exam. The week before the exams we practice with a pretest which helps to familiarize the students with the test and gives them the opportunity to review. After the exams we have conferences and we talk about the progress and needs of the students.

What your student needs for Greek School

·   A good attitude!

·   A good binder or a backpack

·   Two note books (one for notes and one to make a dictionary)

·   A set of washable markers (8-10)

·   A set of crayons (8-10)

·   Two pencils and a good eraser

Rules of Student Behavior and Consequences

Included in this packet are two handouts about the expected student behavior and the consequences of not following these rules. Please go over it with your student so he/she knows what is expected in the classroom.

Room Parent program

The Room Parent program has worked well over the past years and will continue this year. All Greek School parents will take turns and serve as Room Parents every few weeks depending on the size of the class.

·   The Room Parent program ensures the safety of the students. During Greek School hours the teacher should not be the only adult in the building. Having a room parent makes it safer for the students in case of an emergency.

·   It enables the teacher to concentrate on academics and give more to the classroom as a whole.

·   It provides parents with the opportunity to learn first-hand what goes on in the classroom and to observe the students and their progress.

·   A separate handout describing the duties of Room Parents is attached.

Emergencies - Keeping in touch

We have a telephone with an answering machine in the Greek School classroom to help with communication between the parents and the school. The Greek School phone number is 332-8230. My home number is 996-0481.

In case of an emergency or in case your student is not coming to school please call the room parent for that day and let him/her know so the room-parent does not have to wait by the door for no reason.

Greek school Schedule and Directory

A Greek school schedule will be available in the classroom and is also posted on the web site of the church.
Please take the time to go over the new schedule and mark your calendar for all special events.

In case of a change families will be notified.

A Greek school directory will be provided to all families as soon as possible so we can communicate with each other.
If you haven’t filled out a registration form yet, please do so as soon as possible so I can put all the information together and distribute it to you.

I wish everybody a productive and fun year.

Ioanna Ioannou
Greek School Teacher