Organized by the Direct Archdiocesan District Office of Education, the Seminar will include a great number of workshops covering the English and Greek curricula, from pre-K to high school grades, offering in-service training to the teachers serving in the community day and the afternoon schools of the Direct Archdiocesan District. The keynote speaker will be Mr. Nick Katsoris, writer and publisher of the Loukoumi Books and Materials for young children. 

The Greek language and culture teachers will have the opportunity to listen to two lecture presentations by distinguished university professors from Greece. Specifically, Prof. Georgios Papanastasiou, director of the Institute of Modern Greek Studies and professor of Linguistics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki will speak on “The relation of the Greek language and its script form throughout the centuries.” And Prof. Eleni Skourtou of the Department of Elementary Education/ University of the Aegean,Rhodes will speak on “The basic principles of language teaching from the aspect of bilingualism.” 

“Professional development is essential for making teachers competent and in alignment with education standards” noted Mrs. Maria Makedon, director of the Direct Archdiocesan District Office of Education. “We believe that all teachers can benefit from learning new methods and techniques and, thus, invite them to attend the District’s Annual Seminar that contributes significantly to their professional advancement.”

The Board of the Parochial Day School Principals of New York has designated “Election Day” for professional development, and all schools will be closed. The principals of the District’s afternoon Greek schools are advised to do similarly and encourage their teachers to attend. 

The Seminar will start with registration at 8:00 a.m. and end at 2:00 p.m. For further information, please contact the Direct Archdiocesan District Office of Education at (212) 570-3552, or visit the Office’s web page at www.education.goarch.org.