Dear Parents and Grandparents of the Saint Demetrios Community,

The children are back from their summer vacation and their voices, laughter and general exuberance fill the air. What a beautiful sight to behold as they scurry about from Sunday School to Greek Language and Culture classes to Dance! They are the future men and women who will take over the running of our society. Already the older ones hold positions of responsibility in their High Schools. They are the leaders of tomorrow and we are very proud of them. For the last few years, the Education Youth and Culture Committee (EYCC) has sought to establish a coherent program for our youth from Kindergarten to the 12th Grade. This entails the activities of Sunday School, Greek School, GOYA and Dance the totality of which make up the Youth Ministries of Saint Demetrios.

This year the Greek School that you have known for several decades in this community has been refashioned and renamed. It is now the Greek Language and Culture component of the Youth Ministries. In the Spring General Meeting of our Community, Mr. Chris Nichols, President of the Parish Council, informed us that the school facilities of the church would be leased to a Preschool consortium that would operate Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 6:30 PM throughout the year.  This was welcome as an income producing venture. The quandary of the Greek School, however, was where would we hold our classes.  The EYCC decided to move the instruction of the Greek language from Monday to Sunday and to add the presentation of aspects of the Greek culture

The Greek Language and Culture component of the Youth Ministries offers seven classes and a music program. The classes are: Preschool, Junior Palazakia (grades K-2), Palazakia (grades 3-5), Senior Palazakia (grades 6-8), Kamaria (grades 9-12), Beginner Adults and Advanced Adults (Monday 6:30 to 8:00 PM). These classes are taught by Stavroula Christodoulou, Irene Haralambis, Fedon Molfetas, Sophia Mylona, Petros Tsingelis and Kalli Vlamis. In addition, Maria Jordan teaches religious and secular songs to the four groups in K-12 in increments of 15 minutes. She is currently teaching the Kamaria the Christmas apolytikion "I Genisis sou" and a song that the children dance to. The lyrics of the song have been translated in English so that the children understand what they are singing and dancing to. To date, there are over 90 children and over 20 adults enrolled in the Greek Language and Culture classes and the numbers are growing. Each Sunday they are presented with ten new words and are guided in their proper usage. The classes on Sunday emphasize conversation while the Adult class on Monday studies grammar and syntax also

We were fortunate that Maria Jordan (on 9/18), Nina Mcguirk (on 9/25) and Maggie Barlow (on 10/2)  presented to the Kamaria class a brief history of their respective families. Who was the first ancestor to arrive on these shores, where did he/she come from and why, what challenges did they find upon arrival. The children were fascinated and they learned a lot. We will continue to have speakers every time we meet. I hope that many of you will participate in the future.

Anastasia Kastrenakis Merkel has developed a Youth Stewardship program that emphasizes service to the community by the young and responsibility for their actions and has been endorsed by the EYCC and the Parish Council. It involves the four components of the Youth Ministries

The aim of the Youth Ministries is to participate in the socialization of our children by giving them a religious foundation through Sunday School, an appreciation of the language and traditions of their ancestors through Greek Language and Culture classes, further delving into one aspect of Greek culture, Dance and teaching them good citizenship through GOYA

On behalf of Mmes. Jordan, Haralambis, Mylona and Vlamis and Messrs. Molfetas and Tsingelis I thank you for entrusting us with the education of your children. We realize that a child's brain is a miracle of nature and very impressionable and we are honored by this responsibility. Please feel free to discuss with any of us the progress of your children. We the teachers look forward to a long and productive cooperation with the parents and grandparents of our precious charges