Cherry Hill, NJ – It’s full speed ahead for St. Thomas Greek School. Yesterday, the students were introduced to new computers and a revised curriculum in the classroom that included Byzantine and Traditional folk music studies.
Some 150 students, from kindergarten through 6th grades filed into the church for a holy blessing and group photo with Father Christoforos, before heading over to their classrooms for the first day. Laptops, monitors, and iPads were waiting for them in each classroom, donated in honor of Mariana Tsokandas.
“The program continues to be one of the best in the Delaware Valley,” said Principal of the Greek school Panagiota Delimari. The Greek school program runs two days a week at St. Thomas, Monday and Thursday (both from 4:30-6:30). Twelve Greek school teachers manage the needs of the students, which have continued to grow as well.
The 1st and 5th graders are divided into two sections each because of their size. Most classes range in student sizes from 13 to 18, but the 1st and 5th grades each have 26-30 in students and have been split to better coordinate the curriculum.
In other news, a portion of the educational studies will now be devoted to Byzantine and folk music studies. The new addition to the education program is the request of the Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey. The music studies will be introduced to the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students the first year. “This will provide a more rounded cultural as well as faith based understand of Hellenism; It’s key to our future.“, added Principal Delimari.