The Greek Afternoon School of the Saint Nectarios community in the suburb of Roslindale, Boston, has emerged in recent years as a modern and dynamic nursery for the cultivation and enhancement of the Greek language and heritage.
In an interview with The National Herald, the school’s director for the past three years, Maria Kyriakantona?ki-Bakola, stated, “The COVID-19 pandemic brought many changes to the world, including the way of teaching and learning. Our school faced these challenges with optimism and innovation. It remained with a few students during the pandemic, and classes were conducted electronically, remotely.”
And now, three years later, the miracle of reconstruction has taken place. Kyriakantona?ki-Bakola said, “at this moment, our school consists of nearly 70 students from Kindergarten to the Sixth grade, and recently a new class was created for children aged 1-3, titled ‘My Mom and I.’ I teach the class myself in collaboration with the vice president of the Parents’ Association, Mrs. Maria Chala.”
She explained, “We meet once a month with a different thematic unit where parents play with their children. This group offers a program that combines songs, fairy tales, crafts, and puppet theater, all in Greek, thus providing a unique opportunity for learning the Greek language and culture at a young age. It’s a new unit that has been embraced from the beginning by the families of our little friends.”
She spoke with reverence about the fifty-year history of the School and the long and valuable contribution and teaching of those who came before. She also praised the current teachers and collaborators at the School, including officials of the parish, Fr. Odysseus Drosos, the president of the parish council, Kostas Vazakas, and Ioannis Katsaros, the head of the Center for Greek language proficiency exams, the ‘Ellinomatheia’.
The students attending the School come not only from Roslindale and the surrounding areas but also from distant towns such as Westborough, Marlborough, Medfield, Millis, Sharon, Canton, Norwood, and Lexington. Kyriakantona?ki-Bakola stated that “the love for the Greek language and culture is so strong that parents disregard even the long distances,” highlighting that “this fact is an indication of the school’s success.”
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