Episode Transcript
[00:00:10] Speaker A: This is the owlcast, the official podcast of ACS Athens.
Listen to the exciting story of the american community schools of Athens.
Check out what drives all the members of our international community of learners as we create the education of the future.
Here's John Papadakis.
[00:00:50] Speaker B: It the road to the world of.
[00:00:53] Speaker C: International education passes through the school's admissions office, whose main mission is to inspire and guide families in making the right choice for their children. It's not an easy decision as there are so many options depending on what is the educational goal of the family.
Europe's international schools have seen a 23% increase in their student intake in the last ten years, according to a report by educational consultants ISC Research. In 2018, there were 598,000 students in Europe's international schools. That figure has grown by 4% to 621,000 in January of 2023. This trend reflects a global flourishing of international schools. The last decade saw the number of international schools around the world growing to 13,190, a hike of over 50%. And to see the global perspective, in 2023, there were 6.5 million students enrolled in international schools worldwide. Attending a european international school presents a myriad of advantages, foremost among them being the globally accepted education model it offers. This proves invaluable for students contemplating pursuing higher education abroad, given the many partnerships these schools boast with universities worldwide. Beyond the academic perks, international schools foster a richly diverse and multicultural environment for learning. Students engage into various cultures and languages, forging friendships with peers hailing from every corner of the globe. Since 1945, ACS Athens has served tens of thousands of families that were seeking the american education experience and since 1975, the international diploma option. It's not just its location in Athens, Greece, which is the epicenter of western culture and humanism. The school's community and global appeal has formed a unique personality sought after by international and domestic families drawn to it. Because of this community feeling and variety of options, the admissions office of ACS Athens is the face of the school for the new families crossing its gates, and today we're happy to host them in the outcast. With us today is Francis Totas, assistant director of enrollment management for over a decade now, and Dr. Jenny Gregoropulu, who is the admissions and outreach counselor and the newest colleague who joined the admissions team in 2023. Let's meet them both.
[00:03:36] Speaker D: I'm Fran Totas and I've been at ACS since 1987.
I originally came to the school in 1980 and I'll never forget looking outside the gates inside, and I would see a school, and I said, if this is an american school. I'm okay with coming here. My dad would say, don't you want to see the school? I go, is it an american school? If it's an american school, I'm very happy to be here. So since then I went to school for two years here. I graduated in 1983, came back in 1987 and started working in a business office in the elementary school, in the middle school.
[00:04:14] Speaker B: In what capacity?
[00:04:16] Speaker D: Business office. I was doing the accounting, business office, clerical work. Elementary school, I was assistant to the principal. Middle school, I was assistant to the principal. And again the same in the high school.
[00:04:30] Speaker B: Let's start from the beginning. You said you came here and you said this is an american school.
[00:04:34] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:04:35] Speaker B: So you mean to tell me you went to the admission office at this time?
[00:04:39] Speaker D: No, back then we didn't do things like that. I mean, it wasn't like what we do now. It's just that I came, submitted my paperwork.
[00:04:46] Speaker B: To who?
[00:04:47] Speaker D: The registrar, if I remember correctly, or.
[00:04:50] Speaker B: The secretary of the academy, or the.
[00:04:52] Speaker D: Middle school, if I remember correctly. It was a records office. Really? It's been such a long time. Don't go back that far.
[00:04:58] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:04:59] Speaker D: And yeah, we just gave paperwork, report cards. We didn't give any documents.
[00:05:05] Speaker B: Were you nervous?
[00:05:06] Speaker D: No, because I was happy that it was an american school. That's all I cared. I didn't want to come to Greece.
[00:05:11] Speaker B: So before that you were in american school?
[00:05:12] Speaker D: I was in the States. In Chicago, yes.
[00:05:15] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:05:15] Speaker D: Grew up. Born and raised in Chicago.
[00:05:17] Speaker B: Okay. So you came here, you came to the school, you started submitting your application, right. Or whatever documents you submitted, someone came back to you and say, congratulations, you're admitted at ACS.
[00:05:30] Speaker D: Exactly. It was not that difficult, to be honest with you. I mean, we just had to have proper paperwork, report cards, transcripts and yes, you're admitted.
[00:05:40] Speaker B: Congratulations.
[00:05:41] Speaker E: Well, thank you.
[00:05:42] Speaker D: I'm glad to be here.
[00:05:44] Speaker B: And then after all the different capacities you were in, which means for me, you know the school inside out. You know it as a student, you know it as a graduate, you know it as an administrator, and now you know it as a member of the enrollment team. Right. How long have you been in the admissions office?
[00:06:04] Speaker D: Since 2011. 2011.
[00:06:07] Speaker B: Okay, I'll come back to this particular year. Let's go to Dr. Gregoropulu. Jenny, what's your story?
[00:06:14] Speaker E: So 2011 is when I started working at ACS Athens. I'm Jenny Gregoropoulos. Hello from me too.
[00:06:21] Speaker B: You're not a graduate?
[00:06:22] Speaker E: No, I'm not a graduate.
[00:06:24] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:06:24] Speaker E: My sister is.
[00:06:25] Speaker B: How did you escape that?
[00:06:27] Speaker E: Because I was in the States.
[00:06:28] Speaker B: Oh, you were in the states.
[00:06:29] Speaker E: Okay. So I went high school in the states. I did my university years there, and then I came back. I did other things.
[00:06:36] Speaker B: So there was a position opening, and then, you know, let me try my.
[00:06:41] Speaker E: It wasn't like that exactly. I started working as a substitute teacher, then as shadow teacher, then the position opened up as an ESL teacher. So I went back and I got my teaching certificate.
[00:06:55] Speaker B: So you're a language teacher?
[00:06:56] Speaker E: I'm a language, yes. ESL. ESL and business studies. So I have a dual major.
So I started teaching ESL in middle school. Then I'm also an IB teacher. Business IB. So I did the business IB in high school, and then I went to elementary school and went back to middle school. And then there was an opening for the ESL coordinator position. I applied for that and I became the ESL coordinator.
[00:07:26] Speaker B: Well, you're coming from an academic background.
[00:07:28] Speaker E: Yes.
[00:07:29] Speaker B: Okay. And now for the last year, almost, you're part of the enrollment team. Okay.
[00:07:35] Speaker E: And I'm very happy to be.
[00:07:37] Speaker B: And in your mind, was it what you expected to be when you found out that there is an opening in this office?
[00:07:45] Speaker E: You mean what was my perception at the beginning? Yes, yes and no. I would say so. I could tell because I had collaborated with Ms. Toto's friend before as ASL coordinator. So we had collaborated on numerous times. So I had seen a little bit about how the office works, but not, of course, the inside story of everything. But we had collaborated, so we knew that our chemistry was good. So when it came, it wasn't a bad surprise. It was a good surprise.
[00:08:20] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:08:21] Speaker E: But in terms of how the whole office works, no, it was all new to me.
[00:08:27] Speaker B: Okay.
I guess going back to Fran, you have had the opportunity to see other schools in Europe, other international schools, but we also know how private schools work in Greece.
In your opinion, how critical is the admission function for a student who's coming for the first time? And we have different kinds of students. We are welcoming students from all walks of life, from all kinds of countries, language requirement and all this. So how do you see your role? The first person you see when you go into a school is the other than the person at the door. You see the enrollment office.
[00:09:11] Speaker D: I feel that we have a lot more students than the students in Europe from the schools that I communicate with, which means at this point, there's basically two people to greet and meet and accommodate the large influx of students we have. There's two of us. What we do as an office is, I think, unique. We're not just telling them how to apply and giving them the steps and pushing the papers around. No, we're bringing them on board, showcasing our school, explaining what our school is all about, and then guiding each student because everybody's different as far as their language, as far as their needs, if there are any.
As far as how the Parents can get to know the school better by informing them about different committees, the parent teacher organization. In other words, we're telling them what they need to know about what the school is about and kind of giving them the ropes, how to make their lives easier. They're having enough hard time trying to find a house, a country. We don't want to make it difficult for them, so we're kind of guiding them all the way.
[00:10:27] Speaker B: Would you say that we are managing expectations?
[00:10:31] Speaker E: Yes, I would say that in a way we do because every child is totally different. Even siblings are totally different. So we are called upon to evaluate what the needs are and attempt to accommodate in the best way possible. And like I was saying today to Fran, there is not one size fits all. So this way we have to be very adaptable to every situation. Because like Fran said, I mean, people come here, they have so much know, changing jobs or countries, language, schools, everything. So they find it a comforting place. After our initial talk and receiving these emails from parents that they have been greeted nicely and they really felt at home once they passed through the gates of our school, this is what we attempt to do and it seems that mission accomplished.
[00:11:30] Speaker D: And then I find that in the end they're thankful. They're truly thankful. And they don't forget the first office they come to. They will always come back to us to ask for advice. Or if they can't find something, they know what phone number to call and we will guide them again. If it's for an after school activity, if it's for something that's taking place, if it's something they missed, they do call our office again and that's the gain.
[00:11:54] Speaker B: So it's the point of reference.
[00:11:56] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:11:56] Speaker B: Okay. So as an american school, having the american curriculum, as an IB school, having the IB diploma for someone who comes from this kind of environment, if you're an american family, you're coming to ACS, you know, it's an american curriculum and so on and so forth. How about those students that are coming from all other countries? We have how many now? Over 62, 62, 65.
[00:12:21] Speaker D: Different nationalities.
[00:12:22] Speaker B: So we have so many students coming from totally different educational programs, totally different educational background, cultural background, language backgrounds. Okay, why would someone choose to come here? Why would they come here? And they say, this is my school. What do you hear from parents?
[00:12:40] Speaker D: It's an international community. We accept different cultures. We're diverse. We accommodate. Parents all speak to each other. It's word of mouth. Everyone knows what happens here. We don't need to advertise. Other people advertise for us. So we are catering to their needs and we're here for them. Especially in the diverse community. We have the after school programs, the recreational sports, athletics. All this is important to families.
[00:13:09] Speaker E: I second that. Plus, it's not only the actual programs. It's like I said before, it's the whole feeling that they have. But we also have a very, very rigorous academic program in all different core subjects, but also specials, et cetera. The athletics program is amazing.
The after school, the summer camp, even special programs like the ESL, the OLP. It all caters to students'needs, because the student is our center and we are a student centered school. So around that is everything else.
[00:13:48] Speaker B: I want to stay in the subject of the diversity of the cultural and the linguistic diversity. We always have students that are coming from these backgrounds, and some of them may not meet the school's language proficiency requirement or the standards, as we say, the academic standards. And again, the standards are dependent on the level. It's a different standard if you are a non english speaker in first grade. It's a different thing if you are in a 6th and 7th and eigth.
So we have a student who has this background and may not possess the necessary skills or experiences. How do we determine, how do you in the admissions office determine the readiness to engage, to fully engage in the classroom that they have to come in and understand what's going on around them. Most importantly, understand the content. When this particular student is not ready in their language, what is the level we want them to reach and what kind of support do we offer? I mean, jeNny, you are in charge of the ESL EFL program, answering your question.
[00:14:56] Speaker E: First of all, in grades, actually, from PJ all the way to fifth grade, we have grade level assessments, admission assessments, and then 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade. Again, we have the admissions test plus the ESL test just to evaluate the level of English.
[00:15:14] Speaker B: Both tests are language tests. Correct?
[00:15:16] Speaker E: Language and math.
[00:15:17] Speaker B: But the admissions test is english plus math. But then you have another ESL assessment.
[00:15:22] Speaker E: ESL is for EnglIsh? Yes.
[00:15:24] Speaker B: It's important to understand this because esl determines the level of support.
[00:15:29] Speaker E: Exactly right.
[00:15:29] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:15:30] Speaker E: So for up to fifth grade, we can actually accept students with zero proficiency because we have a very good program, the ESL program. In 6th grade, the students must be, according to CeFR, which is a common European framework, a two level, which means upper beginners, that goes for 6th and 7th grade. 8th grade, they have to be b one, which is, I would say intermediate. That's the lowest. And then for high school, it has to be high, intermediate or higher. Yeah, or higher. So different proficiency levels depending on the schools.
[00:16:13] Speaker A: You are listening to the owlcast, the official podcast of ACS Athens.
[00:16:30] Speaker B: Staying with the language requirement. Have you seen, as an eslefl teacher, something that stood out from your experience? A student who came in and you said, you know what, I don't think that person is going to make it. And then through the support, you saw a turnaround. Is there something that comes to mind?
[00:16:48] Speaker E: First of all, we never say that a student cannot make it, because we hope that they all make it. What has ReaLlY stood out? We had a student from CHina who, during the COVID era was in CHina. So he was taking the ESL classes online, and he came here the second semester when he was able to come with his family, he was able to exit the program within the first semester that he came back. So he actually, from almost zero proficiency, got to the point of exiting within a year. And this is very remarkable because the thing is that research says that in order for a student to be academically ready to exit, he or she needs three to five years of continuous english support.
[00:17:38] Speaker B: From zero proficiency.
[00:17:39] Speaker E: From zero proficiency.
[00:17:40] Speaker B: Three to five years.
[00:17:41] Speaker E: Three to five years. And to be able to have a student exiting within the first year, it's amazing. Of course, the student did a lot of work, but it was also the program that was able to support this well.
[00:17:55] Speaker B: And language proficiency is one of the challenges. The other could be that the student has learning needs or requires support on learning needs. And usually when we have cases like this, most of the families, if not all, provide this information from the get go, they say, you know what? My child has need for support. We have specific programs. How do you communicate this? Through admissions? When is this coming to play a part in the decision to accept a student with learning needs? Considering what is the level of support we have?
[00:18:35] Speaker D: We can accommodate mild learning differences. And usually in our discussion with families, we do talk about this with families, because sometimes through our discussions, we get to understand the family, the dynamics, the schools they're coming from. Sometimes families don't even know if their child requires any support. Families coming from abroad pretty much already know this because the schools are different in other countries. Schools in non english speaking countries may not even touch the topic, so we usually assess them through interviews if they're younger, from PJ to five. And this is where we can mostly pick up. If a child has a need that we can accommodate, we will tell the parents that there's a need that we feel there is need. We monitor first to see what that need is, and then later on we will ask them to go for further testing. Of course, if a child is non native, it's difficult to do that type of testing if they're not in their native country.
[00:19:33] Speaker B: Exactly. This is important to understand.
Would you say, I mean, you've been in the admissions office for over a decade now. Would you say that we have an increased number of students requiring these kind of services, or is it at the same level, or is it. I mean, what's your assessment? What's your impression?
[00:19:53] Speaker D: I believe that it has increased through the years. It's increased because there's also students, like I said, from coming from countries that are not even aware of what this is, what this has to do with and how it's coming about, if it's cultural, if it's with the change in times, if it's what's going on within homes.
[00:20:12] Speaker B: Do you think that this is probably an increase due to increased awareness from the families that they see a lot more things they do pick up lately? They pick up things earlier and earlier, and in their eagerness to help their child, they have more and more cases of testing of these kind of things.
[00:20:35] Speaker D: Families do say that we noticed that my child doesn't hold a pencil properly or is having some issues with speech. We were looking for a school in particular that can help us. So when they're searching, they're targeting a school that can't support some type of mild learning need.
[00:20:53] Speaker E: They're also more aware of what is going mean of the different challenges. Like Fran said, in previous years they would, ah, maybe the child is lazy, but now they are very aware of what their child may need and they're ready to accept it. Before there was some kind of reluctance in trying to figure out what the problem was, but now they're more open minded also to address any learning needs.
[00:21:24] Speaker B: Because they have the means to test.
[00:21:26] Speaker E: They're not ashamed too.
[00:21:28] Speaker B: It's not a taboo anymore to say that I have a child with special needs.
The idea is whether as a school we can meet these needs at an appropriate level.
[00:21:39] Speaker D: I often ask families that come to me with forms I said, how is it that you decided to do these tests? Was it your previous school that requested. No, no, we took the initiative and we have taken our child to be tested. So like you said, jenny, they are more aware and families are trying to do the best they can for their kids.
[00:21:59] Speaker E: I want to also add that sometimes in their own language, they might not be able to pick up the problems because that's how the schools are. But learning a new language sometimes creates or surfaces these needs. So we might be able as educators to pick up on something that I know.
[00:22:21] Speaker B: I don't want to make this the focus of our discussion, but because you are an ESL EFL specialist, have you seen situations of non English speaking that they are diagnosed in their native language and then they come to an english speaking environment and you see a difference in how these learning differences appear?
[00:22:42] Speaker E: Actually, yes. Some students with facing learning challenges or learning differences when they learn English, it's easier for them. For instance, from Greek to English.
English is easier for them because Greek has all those vowels.
It's a more difficult language. But because of the simplistic way that the English language is created, it's easier for them to pick up on the language.
[00:23:11] Speaker B: Right.
[00:23:11] Speaker D: First they need to learn the language before we can actually support them. So we'll take that year to teach them the english language. Some kids might need one year, others two, but if a child has any needs, first they have to learn the language. Then we can move on to support the need.
[00:23:25] Speaker B: What's the goal? What I'm looking to find out is those parents who are coming in, do they understand that our goal is to be college bound, that you are living an international school, to go to an international university? Because right now we have universities in Europe, we have universities in the states, we have universities all over the world, Canada, Asia. Right. Do they understand that this is our ultimate purpose?
[00:23:54] Speaker D: Well, yes, especially when they're coming to a school like this, they know that their child is going to go to a good university, whether that's in Europe, whether that's in the United States, and of course that the child has choices is how they're going to get there. They can either do the american high school diploma, they can do an IB diploma, a combination. They do have more choices than other schools.
[00:24:14] Speaker E: And it's something that we always communicate that our school is college bound. So what we aim to do is to prepare our students to enter their first or second choice of university. So this is something that we communicate with the parents.
[00:24:29] Speaker B: Day one, what most schools must promote around the world at least there is a conscious effort, especially in Europe and in the states, to promote inclusion and to promote cultural understanding. And the parent comes and say, what do you do? What kind of initiatives do you have in the school? What kind of programs? How do you guide my child to live the inclusion, to experience inclusion and to be understanding towards different cultures? How do you discuss this with parents.
[00:25:02] Speaker D: Taking part in a lot of the activities that we offer at ACS?
[00:25:06] Speaker B: Examples.
[00:25:06] Speaker D: Most of the most important activities we have is sports. Sports is important to be a well rounded student, to be academically on top, yet to be able to be active in sports.
By students being involved in sports, it helps them for teamwork, to work together, to be team players, to have a common goal. But not only those type of sports. Some kids are not sports oriented, oriented. There's model United nations, very important, especially.
[00:25:37] Speaker B: When you curricular activities of the school.
[00:25:39] Speaker E: Of course, clubs, also clubs. We have clubs during the day.
[00:25:42] Speaker B: Can everybody join?
[00:25:43] Speaker E: Yes, and everyone can join. Of course the clubs, yeah.
[00:25:47] Speaker D: When speaking to parents and they're talking about their kids, that's a good opportunity to tap into what their kids are doing and say, you know what, mun would be great for your child. You should do mun. Or hey, you're a great soccer player. From what I understand, from what I'm reading, you should try out for the sports, guide them by listening to them. You can offer them what we have at the school.
[00:26:09] Speaker E: And also we have the clubs that I was saying, they are student driven. So the students may come up with an idea and they go to their counselors and they can actually put this idea in place.
[00:26:21] Speaker B: For me, this is the most important for me, that the student can actually follow their own interest.
And I remember a case a few years ago. There was this student who came to me and said, sir, I want to create a club about digital music. I'm like, that's interesting. What do you mean?
And he was willing to teach other students how to create music on the computer. He just wanted someone to be his advisor. So he managed to get about twelve kids. But the main thing, it's not how many stayed until the end, but the main thing is that he managed to create something on his own interest. So in your capacity, whoever, either one of you, have you been an advisor in one of these clubs? And how do you see the benefit? What was the benefit to the students?
[00:27:13] Speaker E: So I have been, I remember one year we had a student who had a challenging behavior, let's say. So he loved street art though. So we talked with Dr. Pelonius, and we actually put together a street art club, and I ran it because I love art.
And this boy was able to actually get involved in the club and drive all this energy towards this idea that he really liked. We ordered specific paints, and he did amazing things, and his whole momentum changed because from being a naughty child, he actually became the creative one. So he was happy, and everybody else was happy at the same time.
[00:28:04] Speaker B: How about you, pren?
[00:28:06] Speaker D: I've seen students try different activities. I've seen them try band. I've seen them try sports. I've seen them go into model United nations, and in the end, they find what they want to study through all the activities we offer. And then they come back and they talk to you about it. They come back, especially Christmas time. All the alums come back, and you can see their growth, and you're proud of all these kids who actually met and got to their final destination through what they acquired from our school. It's a great feeling when you see all these kids, they actually get to that level.
[00:28:43] Speaker B: You mentioned alums. You're an alum.
[00:28:45] Speaker D: I am an alum.
[00:28:46] Speaker B: When an alum family comes here and they want to bring their own child.
[00:28:51] Speaker D: Yes, it's scary, okay.
Because they remember me from the high school.
[00:28:57] Speaker B: You have to elaborate now. Come on.
[00:28:59] Speaker D: Yeah, because a lot of these children have grown up, and they have their own families, and they're bringing their kids, and they're like, oh, my God, you're here. I remember them from the high school. Some I remember from the middle school.
[00:29:12] Speaker B: But what are their expectations? I mean, if you're an alum, you have a different connection to the school. I'll tell you, you think of the school as something of your own.
[00:29:20] Speaker D: They want their children to live the experience that they also live. They want that feeling, that happiness, the education. They want to give it to their kids. I mean, I wanted to do the same thing, and I feel I was able to accomplish that. Because when you walk through that gate in the morning and everyone's smiling and everyone's looking at you, that doesn't go away. That is something everyone does at the school. And the alums feel it. The parents feel it. Everyone feels it. It's home.
[00:29:52] Speaker B: Well, let me tell you, and this is a personal story. I had a relative who visited the school visited. No relation with the school at all. And after the visit, she came to me, and she's like, what do you guys take? I see everybody smiling. Everybody's happy. Everybody's. And I have to say it's the air. There is nothing else. I don't know how else to explain it because you can see it coming from the outside. And I think that this is the experience that the families really understand when they leave. So they come, they see you, they see the teachers, they see the whole environment. And this is not a common environment. And ACS is a very particular animal.
It's very particular.
[00:30:41] Speaker D: It's unique.
[00:30:42] Speaker B: It's unique.
[00:30:43] Speaker D: It's unique. And while they're here, of course they're going to be stressed about their kids and of course they're going to have concerns and of course there's going to be discussions. But in the end, when those kids graduate, everybody in that auditorium, in theater cries everyone because it's a beautiful group of people that leave. But then, you know, in September, another beautiful group of kids are going to come in, right? And then we're going to have a chance to mold all those kids again.
[00:31:07] Speaker B: That's the challenge for us.
[00:31:09] Speaker D: It's a challenge, but we can do it.
[00:31:10] Speaker B: It's more of a challenge now that we are at capacity. So this is something that is one of the fortunate problems that we have to manage when a school is in need of students, it's a whole different ballgame. And in our case, the last few years that we are on capacity, we have to, I don't want to say be selective, but in a sense, make sure that the experience that we offer the new students is equivalent to the experience of the other students that are already here. If it's not, something's not right. And coming to this particular topic, I want to talk a little bit about the experience of the parents.
We have parents who are coming to this school, coming from international schools, coming from local private schools and so on. What would you say is the involvement that these parents are looking for, and why do they want to get involved in the school, in your opinion, more.
[00:32:14] Speaker D: So than other years? Families need to be involved. They need it, especially when they're coming from another country. They don't know anybody. They don't know anybody in their areas. So this is a point where they come together. That's why it's a community, the word community in our schools. And they can be involved with the kids. They can be involved in the classrooms, helping the teachers. They can be involved with the parent teacher organization, which is an amazing group of people that support this school throughout the year. And when we let them know at the beginning, when they first come, I can tell, I mean, if there's a parent, he's working a lot, and he's away. And then you start talking about the PTO, you can see through his eyes that, oh, okay, this is it.
[00:32:59] Speaker B: There is something for me to do.
[00:33:01] Speaker D: My family will be happy, my wife will be happy, my children will be happy. Everyone's happy.
[00:33:08] Speaker B: So the onboarding of new families is conscious.
[00:33:12] Speaker D: It's crucial. It's crucial having the kids be involved with the buddy system, connecting them with other kids, making them feel at home in the first two, three months.
I think it's the right thing to do, and it'll be smooth sailing for them after that.
[00:33:29] Speaker B: What has been your experience, Jenny?
[00:33:31] Speaker E: The same, I would say, because at the beginning, of course, everyone is stressed and cautious, I would say, because they have experienced other school systems, other communities, and once they come, and I wanted to add something before regarding the incubator zone and the innovation lab, that when we show them and we explain to them that they can actually participate in the form of mentorships and stuff, they love it because they want to be involved in something that they know well, because it's their profession or their hobby, and they can be a part of the community in a meaningful way. And their kids will be happy about them and proud, of course, and they will be involved in this also. The parent teacher association is amazing. They're really doing a great job with all the different events.
[00:34:25] Speaker B: They're a partner of the school. They are a member of the community. They're partnering.
[00:34:31] Speaker E: Yes.
[00:34:31] Speaker D: I often tell parents that this is your school. This is not only your children's school, but this is your school. So all of us together in this triangle, we work together to make sure that your child is going to make it to that final destination.
[00:34:46] Speaker B: I guess the only thing you cannot say about ACS is that life at ACS is boring.
[00:34:51] Speaker D: Not at say that.
[00:34:53] Speaker B: That's the thing that you cannot say ever in this school.
[00:34:58] Speaker E: And everyone is involved.
Wherever there is something to be done, everyone gets involved. And that's the beauty of it.
[00:35:06] Speaker B: And as we've discussed in the past, I think that the admissions office should be writing an annual book of experience.
[00:35:15] Speaker D: Are you getting ideas now?
[00:35:17] Speaker B: You have no idea.
And say these kind of things because parents want to hear from other parents.
[00:35:25] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:35:26] Speaker B: Okay. The best way to learn about the school is talk to the parents of the students that are in the school. And we have so many examples of that personally and on your capacity. I think we hear that all the time. Finally, concluding this discussion, which I think could take another half an hour, what would you say to a parent that says, give me three words about ACS Athens. What would you tell this parent? How do you characterize the school in three words?
[00:35:58] Speaker D: Family experience.
[00:36:00] Speaker B: That's two.
[00:36:01] Speaker E: One.
[00:36:02] Speaker D: Community.
[00:36:04] Speaker B: Community experience.
Same for you.
[00:36:07] Speaker E: I would say community consciousness. Just being part of all this. So ##ness and citizenship.
[00:36:17] Speaker D: And don't forget, that is our ultimate goal, to make sure that kids, when they leave the school, they're global conscious citizens.
[00:36:24] Speaker B: The only thing I would add is holistic education, because everything that you described educates the whole person. It's not just the academics, it's not just the extracurriculars. It's not just the clubs and everything.
[00:36:40] Speaker D: I don't think it's three words. It's a lot of everything.
[00:36:43] Speaker B: So I guess the holistic has to be part of our discussion when we talk. And if someone doesn't understand what holistic means, just show them.
[00:36:54] Speaker E: We explain them and we do. Exactly.
[00:36:56] Speaker B: Thank you so much, ladies. Jenny Gregoropoulou. Fran taught us. Visit more often.
[00:37:02] Speaker D: We will try.
See you sooner now that we're used to the microphone.
[00:37:06] Speaker B: Yeah, we have a video to make.
[00:37:08] Speaker E: Yes, we do.
[00:37:09] Speaker D: I'm excited, Mr. Project. I'm going to call him.
[00:37:12] Speaker B: See you later. Thank you.
[00:37:13] Speaker E: Thank you.
[00:37:13] Speaker D: Bye bye.
[00:37:17] Speaker A: You are listening to the owlcast, the official podcast of ACS Athens. Make sure you subscribe to the owlcast on Google Podcasts, Spotify and Apple podcasts. This has been a production of the ACS Athens Media studio.
