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History
In 1989, the Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese Hellenic Republic chose St.
Haralambos Aristotle School to test new
didactic material designed for second
language learners of Greek.
Accordingly, Father Dean Botsis and Mrs.
Angie Balodimas-Bartolomei designed and
initiated a special program for 2nd-3rd
generation Greek American children.
The pilot program which initially
consisted of only 11 children was met with
much enthusiasm and success. As the
enrollment rapidly increased it was evident
that this type of Greek school was a
priority for educating future Greek-American
children. The following year Aristotle Greek
School GSL was founded. Its goal would be to
teach Greek as a second language in an
environment conducive to the needs of our
children while continuing to pass on the
traditions and teachings of our faith,
culture and heritage.
Much effort was placed in developing a
curriculum that would incorporate the latest
pedagogical and linguistic methodologies.
With immense dedication from an experienced
bilingual staff and with the support of
Father Dean Botsis, the parish of St.
Haralambos and dedicated parents, the school
rapidly grew. As the years progressed, the
GSL Program became a prototype for other
parishes and continues to be the model
Greek-American language school today.
We hope that the GSL Program will
continue to illuminate and educate our
children in preserving the rich Hellenic
culture, heritage, traditions, and language
and Orthodox faith of our people. We thank
all of you for your constant support and
belief in our program. |
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