By Katerina Georgiou
An accomplished composer and Yaddo Fellow, whose work has been performed by the Albany Symphony Orchestra, he admits that teaching children both music and a foreign language is a challenge. “I prefer to go slow and steadily so no one gets left behind,” he says.
Though the students’ voices are impressive, it’s their mathematical prowess that’s winning them notice. In 2007, these same students placed first in the DSTP (Delaware Student Testing Program) in math.
Delaware is home to sixteen charter schools, but Odyssey is the only one with a mathematics-focused curriculum where Greek is taught as a second language. Students take 45 minutes of Greek per day, reinforced by 45 minutes of math taught in Greek (to supplement their regular math class.)
Since opening its doors in 2006, Odyssey has earned high marks for its rigorous academic program. Students have consistently exceeded statewide expectations for performance standards and last year the school was rated “superior” by the Delaware Department of Education.
Odyssey’s success can be attributed, at least in part, to its core teaching philosophy: the belief that knowledge is comprehended through relation. So, subjects like math and music are taught in complimentary ways.
Inspired by the Hellenic Charter schools sprouting up across the country, AHEPA Chapter 95 provided the initial seed money for Odyssey, after several of its members, with backgrounds in engineering, finance and physics, set out to create a school with a decidedly forward-thinking thrust. “Studies have shown that children who are taught language and music at an early age develop better learning and problem solving skills,” says George Righos, a former asset manager who is one of the schools’ founders, as well as its Vice President. Nearly 300 students from kindergarten to fourth grade attend the school –a number expected to swell to approximately 480 students by 2010.
Odyssey’s small-school environment and one-on-one attention rivals the offerings of tony private schools with one notable exception: as a charter school, tuition is free. Not surprisingly, seats at Odyssey fill fast. Admission is by lottery if applicants outnumber spaces. Last year, 96 names were placed on a waiting list.
For the 2009-2010 academic year, the school has already received more than double the number of applications than spaces available. To meet the increased demand, plans are underway for an expansion to a nearby building this summer to accommodate the upper grades.
While Odyssey employs Delaware certified teachers, and classes are taught using a core Houghton Mifflin curriculum, lessons also meet the standards of the Greek Ministry of Education. Mr. Kritsotakis is one of seven teachers brought to Odyssey on a program sponsored by the Greek Ministry that encourages teachers to work abroad. “The arrangement enables Odyssey students to receive the best educational practices of both countries,” says Dr. Peter Yiannos, an engineer and former executive with Scott Paper Company, who sits on Odyssey’s Board.
But with the trend towards more global languages such as Chinese and Arabic, some may wonder why Greek? “It’s not only that Greek is a centuries-old language that has withstood the test of time,” says Mr. Righos.“It’s a language that’s descriptive, the words are not abstract.” And with so many English words derived from Greek roots, he argues, students have a leg up on mastering their native tongue.
Still, it’s the thorough understanding of concept – embodied in the Greek tradition of teaching mathematics -- that Mr. Righos believes will set Odyssey students apart from their peers. “In traditional American schools you add up the numbers and it stops there. In Greece, mathematicians analyze and show you why the numbers add up to the amount.” This approach to teaching mathematics embodies the school’s mission: to keep students motivated by nurturing “philomatheia” – a lifelong love of learning.
Browsing the hallways of Odyssey, colorful displays adorn the walls and paper skeletons hang from classroom ceilings like leftover Halloween decorations.
Francesca "Frankie" Sedlacek, a third grader, explains that the skeletons are part of an ongoing project, in which the students trace their bodies to learn about the anatomical structure. “We’re learning about our biceps and triceps,” says Frankie excitedly, as she leaps up from her seat to demonstrate. “And these muscles right here,” she says, pointing down her leg, “are our tibia, fibula and phalanges.”
“I’m happy here,” quipped her classmate, Despina Kotanidis, who, at age eight, is already studying the saxophone, piano and violin. “In my last school, we did paperwork during gym,” she adds with a grin. “Here we actually get to run!”
This story first appeared in The Hellenic Voice, 02/18/’09
