Beloved Parents of The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Demetrios,
We greet you on this, the second day of the Apostles Fast, having just concluded the weeklong celebration of Pentecost, including the Monday of the Holy Spirit (Του Αγίου Πνεύματος). May the Holy Spirit guide us as we navigate through these difficult and unprecedented times. Much has changed since the first half of March 2020. It was as if everything came to a complete halt. Even our children’s education was greatly altered. One thing is for certain: we do not exactly know what public grade schools, and many private schools, will look like come this Fall.
Districts throughout Illinois have been creating Plans A, B, and C to accommodate hundreds of children in virtually every elementary school; this will not be an easy task. These plans revolve around three different scenarios: A) return to in-person with social distancing, B) hybrid/blended dual platform, and C) remote learning. Staggered schedules have been discussed with a fraction of the students only coming in on some days of the week at a time, not the customary five days a week.
As of now, Pythagoras Children’s Academy continues to stay informed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on emerging guidelines for educational institutions. You can be assured that PCA will take every precaution to offer a safe, healthy environment for your child(ren) and will stay current to the State’s requirements and suggestions. As phases and guidelines evolve, so will we.
We want you to know that we are here for you and we share in your trepidation. The Church realizes the stress that many families have endured and continue to endure during the Covid-19 crisis. Our Parochial School, Pythagoras Children’s Academy, is here for you as well. We are confident that we can offer your child(ren) a fully-functioning elementary school according to the requirements outlined by ISBE, IDPH and the CDC, while maintaining the integrity and love of PCA. Although the classes may be multi-grade at times (combining two grade levels), the small capacity allows for differentiated instruction to take place and ensures that the social and emotional needs of each child are met.
Some of our, and our children’s, fondest memories have come from their parish of St. Demetrios and Pythagoras Children’s Academy. In this confusing time, we are here for you as a firm voice of stability and a reassuring sense of security. We believe we can do this at a high level. We feel confident that we will offer your child an excellent school year filled with hands-on learning, a rigorous core education, and a beautifully safe Greek Orthodox Christian environment.
Whether you have been part of PCA or not, now is the time to consider our school for your child(ren). If you have a child between preschool and 6th grade, we would like you to prayerfully and strongly consider registering your child(ren) for the 2020-2021 academic school year. The Orthodox Church setting will bring about a safe environment and comfort in this turbulent time.
If Illinois public elementary schools and larger private grade schools are to be affected by restricting the traditional school setting, then all other facets of our children’s academic experience will be affected as well. By choosing PCA, our children will be afforded the opportunity to not miss a beat during the school day. This will include a high-quality, customized education, a Greek language curriculum that is aligned with our Pythagoras Greek School, and most importantly, the immersion of our Orthodox Faith within the arms of our Church, as was strongly evident during the initial school shut down and seamless transition into remote learning.
Please prayerfully consider. If you are interested, please talk with other parents who have children in the same grade as your child(ren) and give us a call. We would appreciate a firm commitment as soon as possible in order to maintain numbers that will allow us to adhere to the requirements of the State.
We love you and are here for you during this challenging time and always,
Rev. Fr. Andreas G. Georganas Mrs. Thomaie Neris
Proistamenos School Board President