On Sunday 29th April 2018, I was very fortunate to attend the all-day educational conference titled: “Greek Language: A Learning Journey at a Greek Community School.” The conference was organized by the Cyprus Educational Mission to the UK in cooperation with the Greek schools and the communities of Agia Triada and Apostolos Andreas in Birmingham, and it was under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Cyprus. The conference was very well-attended by many teachers and parents from various parts of the country.
The conference started with warm welcome remarks from the Committee Chairs of both community schools, as well as with greetings from the Head of the Cyprus Education Mission to the UK Mrs. Papalouca, and the Education Coordinator of the Greek Embassy in London, Mr. Kosyvas. Mrs. Papalouca emphasized the importance of good planning and substantive work that needs to take place in Greek schools early on. Mr. Kosyvas emphasized the importance of setting up high expectations for all students and the need for high quality training of all people involved with the work of Greek schools (Committees, Heads and all other staff).
The conference programme was quite comprehensive, as it has covered various topics having to do with the work taking place at the Greek community schools. The first set of presentations was about how to effectively work with the younger students. Mrs. M.Karagiorgi emphasized the importance of developing oral skills and vocabulary among young students and adapting the material based on their particular needs and readiness. Mrs. A.Tantarouda and M.Koufomeriti talked about ways to enhance communication between schools and families and presented the “Learning Journey Books and Portfolios” which record the work and progress of students throughout the year. Dr. Sextou talked about the importance of incorporating theatre and drama among younger students upon learning the Greek language. Mrs. Spyridonos presented and analysed the four basic competencies Greek schools work for and emphasized the importance of continuous assessment of all students.
The second set of presentations was about ways to manage people in Greek communities and strengthen their ties. Prof. A. Psychogios talked about the challenges that complex communities face and how leadership needs to be more “relational.” Dr. A.Antiliou talked about the particularities of Greek community schools and presented ways that we can recruit and retain students. Dr. Stella Tryfonos talked about the role of technology upon strengthening ties among all people involved in Greek community schools and shared examples from Classdojo, an electronic platform for managing and assessing the work that takes place in schools, as well as communicating with families. Mrs. A. Vai Nicolaou talked about eveyone’s responsibility to safeguard children under our care and the importance of setting up child protection policies.
The last set of presentations aimed at informing the participants about the upcoming changes in the GCSE (effective in 2019) and A Level exams (effective in 2020). Mrs. Panagiota Magou-Serghi, Marina Charalambidi, and Panagiota Vasilaki talked about the GCSE exam and Dr. Marios Psaras about the A Level exam.
The conference ended with a wonderful workshop organized by Mrs. Vasiliki Kyriacou, Eugenia Trattos and Angeliki Elia, in which participants experienced first-hand a number of activities they could use to engage their students and retain their interest throughout their time at the Greek school.
The communities of Agia Triada and Apostolos Andreas of Birmingham very generously hosted all the conference participants by offering lunch as well as coffee and tea and various treats during the breaks.
Loucia D. Constantinou, PhD
Head Teacher of Schools,
Member of the Cyprus Educational Mission to the UK
