MSA Sustaining Excellence news!
“Teaching well is the most effective way to show a student that you care and to establish a relationship with them in the first place.” - Doug Lemov
As an American school, Pinewood is accredited in the United States by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and goes through a mandatory re-accreditation process every 7 years. Currently, we are in the re-accreditation process for the period marking 2023 - 2030. This re-accreditation cycle is unique in that Pinewood has been invited to participate in a new and demanding protocol, Sustaining Excellence, whereby we establish a focal point for improving student learning and build it out through action research over the next 7 years.
Our focus for this work is on building authentic relationships to support student learning. This will be achieved through current and new practices in a multidimensional approach to relationships in the educational setting. Throughout the process, I look forward to sharing new ideas, approaches, and resources as we continue to position students as our North Star in everything we do.
Dr. Roxanne Giampapa
Head of School
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''Zorba the Greek'' - Secondary Greek class
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During their Greek class, our Secondary Native Greek students prepared a video presentation about the movie "Zorba the Greek", dedicated to Thessaloniki's Film Festival. Our students highlighted the significance of the movie and its impact on the audience. One of our best videos was made by Grade 9 student Maria Sagioglou.
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Final Round - Open Technology Competition
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It is with great excitement that we announce that the Pinewood Panthers, a team of 5A students supported and mentored by their teachers Mr. Christos Kosmidis and Mr. Joshua Nitz, have qualified for the second and final round of the 5th Open Technology in Education Competition with their innovative forest settlement project! The proposal, which was evaluated by a panel of academic experts, impressed the judges and earned the team a spot in the final round.
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The project, a model of a sustainable forest settlement, incorporates the use of 3D printing technology to create eco-friendly houses, reforestation to improve the environment, the use of legged robots equipped with sensors to detect fires, and transportation systems that are accessible to individuals with disabilities. Moreover, the team's success is also marked by the fact that they have secured funding for new materials and resources for their project through the Onassis Foundation. This achievement is particularly significant as it highlights the students' ability to develop and bring their ideas to life.
The Open Technology in Education Competition is a highly esteemed national competition organized by 51 Universities, Research Centers, NGOs, and the Ministry of Education. We are proud of the team's accomplishment and look forward to seeing their hard work come to fruition in the final stage of the competition.
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Grade 9 - Visit to the Jewish Museum
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As part of their preparation for the Pinewood Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, our freshmen visited the Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki. Returning to school, they expressed their deep admiration and respect for the invaluable contribution of the Jewish community to Salonika’s history and culture, highlighting the resilience of a people that suffered so much in the past and yet continues to shine in the present.
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Elementray Students at the MOMus Museum
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All our Elementary will visit the MOMus Museum of Modern Art-Kostaki Collection and our Grade 4 students were the first ones to go. Students activated their aesthetic viewing and visual thinking skills as they saw paintings of the Russian avant-garde period (1900-1930) as well as works by Greek and foreign artists which belong to modernism. By stimulating the senses through activities that activate them, we can help develop the children’s creativity while encouraging social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and linguistic development. Sensory engagement through art appreciation also helps strengthen the brain’s neural pathways and connections which leads to greater learning potential
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Grade 5 - TDL "who we are"
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In the context of migration and relationships in the TDL (Trans-Disciplinary Learning) Unit
'Who we are', students in Grade 4 explored the life stories of family members through oral history interviews. Understanding the personal stories of people who experienced events first-hand can help us understand previous generations and our history better. The interview includes questions about the person's childhood, studies, career, and private and family life, as well as achievements and important facts/events. The words are then audio-recorded and transcribed for interpretation. Students created visual maps to bring these stories to life and to appreciate the beauty of a truly international community.
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Holocaust Remembrance Day
On January 27, 11:00 am Pinewood will host the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Secondary Campus.
The Secondary students will be presenting their own artistic, expressive projects dedicated to the memory of the victims and survivors of the holocaust.
All parents are invited to attend the event.
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Elementary Student Council initiatives - February
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FEB 14 - Valentine's Initiative |
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Book Presentation by our Music teacher
We are very excited to announce that this coming Friday, Pinewood's music Teacher, Eva Ieropoulou, is presenting her Greek children's book 'The castle's war' at 18:00 at the IANOS bookstore - children's section
This is an interactive event with music and children's performance.
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School Photos
If you ordered school photos, please submit your cash payment to the school secretary in a sealed envelope with your child's name. The digital copies will be sent to your email.
If you have not yet ordered your child's picture, please click the link below.
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Congratulations to the following students for their college acceptances:
Ioannis Amanatidis
Salve Regina University, Newport with a scholarship of $21,000
Ioannis Markidis
- Richmond American University London
- University of La Verne, LA
Luana Camacho
St Mary's University, London
Mariana Nikolaidou
Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts with a scholarship of $59,000 |
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Invitation For Parents:
Success Beyond School
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How to turn teenagers into successful young professionals
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The success
Beyond
School series for 2023 introduces live online seminars featuring career experts, designed to help parents amplify their children’s career potential. The events are for parents and are free to attend.
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Parents as Partners 22-23 Semester 2: Session 1 Recording
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The recording and slides from the January 17 session NESA Parents as Partners 22-23: Bringing Out the Best have now been added to the Parents as Partners InfoHub.
We look forward to seeing you at the next session on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 4pm GMT+2.
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ELEMENTARY
Jan 27: Holocaust Remembrance Day Event at Secondary
Jan 24-31: Elementary trip to MOMus
Feb 14: Valentine's day Initiative
Feb 16: Kindness Day
Feb 17: Professional Development Day
(no school)
Feb 27: Clean Monday (no school)
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SECONDARY
Jan 27: Holocaust Remembrance Day
Feb 7: G8 visit to Math Fair
Feb 17: Professional Development Day (no school)
Feb 20-24: Entrepreneurship Week
Feb 22: Career Day
Feb 27: Clean Monday (no school)
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