JAMAICA, NY – St. Demetrios Jamaica Greek Afternoon School held its graduation ceremony for the school year 2021-22 on June 13. Students of all ages recited poems and sang songs. They received enthusiastic applause from their proud parents and grandparents who are so proud of them.

Although it was a difficult year for all of us, it was a year, despite all the adversities, full of new experiences and a lot of learning for the young students, a year in a new environment for the youngest students, who last autumn walked through the school doors for the first time.

The celebration began with a prayer by the community’s presiding priest, Rev. Protopresbyter Konstantinos Kalogridis, who after congratulating the students and thanking the parents for their presence, wished everyone a good summer.

Members of the Parish Council, parents, relatives and friends of the students honored the celebration with their presence. On behalf of the Parish Council, Faye Pappas, deeply moved, congratulated the children for their participation in the Greek program of the Community and expressed the hope for the continuation of the Greek language and culture. Finally, she thanked the parents for the trust they show in the Afternoon School of St. Demetrios, which offers Greek education to their children and congratulated the teachers for their contribution to the School. Margo Pangalos thanked students, parents and teachers and said how happy she is to see so many children in the Afternoon School. Present from the Community Council were John Roumeliotis and Christos Tsouratakis.

PTA President Georgia Dendrinos congratulated the children for their productive work and thanked the parents for their full support in fulfilling their goals for the school year 2021-22. She also thanked the teachers who do a wonderful job of teaching the Greek language. They then gave all the teachers and children gifts for the summer.

Fr. Kalogridis presented the graduates with gold crosses to protect them in their later life.

Greek Afternoon School Principal Apostolos Fountas told the students, among other things, that they should be grateful to their parents and the Community of St. Demetrios, because they took care to offer them a proper Greek-Christian education. He thanked the children for their work all year round and wished them good progress, health, and a good summer. Fountas also thanked the teachers Panagiota Kakogiannis, Eleni Koumoulis, Paraskevi Makrinou and Stavros Kilimitzoglou.

The students Maria Theodorelou, Eleni Skiadas, Efstratia Skiadas, Tryfonas Nittis, Gerasimos Hatzigeorgiou, and Georgios Georganes received their diplomas from the Afternoon School.

In their speeches they emphasized their love for their parents who brought them to school, their thanks to their teachers but also to Fr. Kalogridis who introduced them to the way of God.

Fr. Kalogridis gave the closing remarks, noting the importance of the conquest of the Greek language by children, as this means that young children will be more and more connected as they move forward in their lives with Greece and its people and will develop relationships with their peers in Greece. He also presented the diplomas and awards and congratulated the students for their performance and effort.

It should be noted that the St. Demetrios Jamaica Greek Afternoon School is open Monday and Wednesday from 4-6 PM for all students who are interested in learning the Greek language and getting to know Greek culture. The students of the eighth grade are preparing for the Examination of the Modern Greek of the Archdiocese. Tuition is free. It was also announced that classes resume on Wednesday, September 14.