Dr. Efthymiopoulos addresses Greek professors attending the Long Island seminar.
HICKSVILLE, NY – Teachers who dedicate themselves to the children of the community and to the preservation of Hellenism in America have long benefited from the material and moral support of the Department of Greek Education of the archdiocese whose national director is Dr. Ioannis Efthymiopoulos. Holy Trinity Parish in Hicksville hosted the department’s annual seminar Nov. 11 for teachers and administrators in the New York metropolitan area.
The seminar, which this year became a national traveling seminar, focused on the latest additions to the well-received textbook series”Τα Ελληνικά Μου – My Greek.” The books are published by the department.
Efthymiopoulos spoke about the importance of their mission to preserve the Greek language and heritage as well as the Orthodox faith in America. He thanked Father Theophanis Papantonis and the Hicksville community for hosting the seminar. Parish afternoon, the director of the Greek school, Antonia Nikitopoulos, gave a welcome speech.
Among the speakers who spoke at the meeting was Stella Kokolis, president of the Federation of Hellenic-American Educators, who declared the launch of the traveling seminar historic for the Community. Efthymiopoulos agreed and added that it was historic not only for what was presented and the location, but also because it is implemented through the cooperation of local metropolises and organized with the advice and financial support of groups like the Hellenic PAIDEA Federation of America. whose president, Vasiliki Filiotis, stressed that the valuable seminars inform academics about developments and innovations in their field, adding: “It is important for us to work with the conclusions of experts.”
Dr. Konstantinos Koutras, Consul General of Greece in New York, and Thaleia Chatzigianniglou, Head of the Consulate’s Educational Affairs Bureau, praised the department’s initiatives.
Koutras offered words of inspiration and support to educators and emphasized that “language is what immigrants bring from Greece, and it contains everything…it is so rich and full that it contains everything that the spirit needed for humanity to appreciate the power of Hellenism. »
“You are the force we need” to make the changes necessary to promote Orthodoxy and Hellenism, he said, “and to pass on our traditions to our children and their families. .It’s not just about the language, but the things related to it. it, our principles, our values, our traditions and the respect they foster. I urge you to devote all your energy to this cause – as Dr. Efthymiopoulos has done for decades.
Efthymiopoulos also recognized the dedication of Timoleon Kokkinos, who recently announced his retirement after years of service at St. Demetrios Afternoon School in Astoria.
They can’t get enough of “My Greek”
Efthymiopoulos spoke about the success of the My Greek series. “These books have become impossible to find,” he said, adding: “They have been so well received that the demand is extraordinary.” The first printing was out of print, as was the second updated one; some books are now in their third edition.
Among the achievements of the series, let us cite the facilitation of the teaching of the quality of pronunciation thanks to the system of activities integrated into the teaching of grammar and vocabulary.
In multiple areas, “we empower teachers to teach them well,” he said. The series’ methodology teaches language by placing lessons in the context of Greek history, culture and religion, integrating language and heritage teaching.
“Language teaching must be linked to other aspects of life… facilitating student interest and knowledge retention”, beyond what reading a text can accomplish, a -he emphasized.
Hicksville’s program began with a video showing footage from the department’s most recent seminar in Cyprus, followed by a presentation by Maria Heracleou of the University of Cyprus Institute of Education titled “Experiential and Creative Teaching Methods in preschool and kindergarten textbooks. the series “Τα Ελληνικά Μου – My Greek”.
Maria Teleiopoulou, assistant to Efthimioupoulos and member of the editorial team of “My Greek”, spoke about the teaching approaches in the new textbooks of issue 1A, level 1 and issue 1B, level 1 of the My Greek series.
Yiota Papagrigoriou, who teaches at the Greek American Institute at Zoodochos Pege Church in the Bronx, presented “Activities Involved in the Production of the ‘Gino My Parrot’ Pronunciation Manual,” Issue 3, Level 1.
The books are designed to bridge kindergarten and post-kindergarten experiences. Special care is taken to ensure smooth transitions and strong connections as students progress.
Ioannis, Giavaras, member of the editorial team of My Greekpresented “Our historical, religious and cultural heritage “Meteors and Mistras – Near the gates of Heaven”, number 1, level 3 book.
