History

The seeds of Pythagoras Children’s Academy (PCA) were planted in 1998, when a day school class was offered at The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Demetrios as a satellite location for Plato Academy. What began as a single, multi-age class of students, from three years-old through first grade, is now a flourishing parochial elementary school, offering classes from pre-school through fifth grade.

Since the church did not previously have a day school, the satellite program was approved for the 1997-1998 school year. It was an exciting endeavor to operate a school under the auspices of the church, allowing children to advance their education and learn Greek, all while being immersed in the Hellenic Heritage and receiving instruction in the Orthodox Faith.

At the end of that school year, the program was terminated due to financial constraints, but parents and parishioners urgently petitioned the Parish Council to reconsider. A special general assembly meeting was convened to discuss the fate of the program, and the community voted to proceed with the establishment of a new day school within the community of St. Demetrios.

The Parish Council elected John Hilaris to lead the effort. Along with a dedicated team that included Eleni Hasapis, Toula Hilaris, Maria Kaldis, Kiki Kanakaris, Peter Kanakaris and Kiki Karabelas, this tightknit group worked diligently to complete the necessary groundwork to found the school. Within two months, all registration requirements for the State of Illinois were complete, the Academic Handbook and Parents’ Handbook were created, and funds were raised to purchase classroom materials. The new school was well on its way.

Originally called Pythagoras Day School, our nascent institution opened its doors in September 1998 with twelve students. Kiki Kanakaris was the school’s first director, and John Hilaris served as the first School Board President. Dina Jason, who had been part of the satellite program, was appointed as the very first teacher of the fledgling program.

PCA continues to grow, and we are continually enhancing our curriculum to better serve our students. The 2014-2015 school year brought the highest enrollment to date, the first-ever fourth grade class was offered, we hired our first full-time director, and in 2015-2016 school year, we finally realized our dream to offer a fifth grade class, rounding out the program for a smooth transition to middle school. In the 2017-2018 academic year, another dream became a reality when we became a Fully Recognized School by the Illinois State Board of Education.  The school continues to evolve, and remains steadfast in its mission to provide students with the highest quality elementary education with strong academic, spiritual, and cultural foundations, rooted in Orthodoxy and Hellenism.