On Saturday, March 2, 2024, Plato Academy Schools marked the 20th anniversary with a grand celebration at the Steve Christopoulos Hall in Clearwater, Florida. The event was graced by school educators, local community officials, families, and students, all coming together to celebrate two remarkable decades of progress and student success.

On Monday, March 4, 2024, we had the pleasure of hosting a distinguished group of guests eager to witness the impactful work happening at Plato Academy Schools. exchange ideas about the importance of teaching the Greek Language, and engage in discussions regarding the challenges this effort is facing nowadays.

The group of our esteemed guests included:

• State Senator Mr. Leonidas Raptakis,
• Mrs. Eugenia Manolidou, Head of Studies at Elliniki Agogi School of Ancient Greek
• Mr. Dimitris Logothetis, Chairman of the Leadership 100 Conference & Chairman of the Hellenic American Academy.
• Professor Aristotle Michopoulos, Professor of Classics and Greek Studies at Hellenic College
• Dr. Donna Raptakis,
• Mrs. Penelope Salmons – Angelidou,
• Rev. Protopresbyter Gregory Stamkopoulos – Assistant Director of Greek Education and IT Database Administrator, Department of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
• Rev. Fr. Theofanis Katsiklis, St. Nicholas Cathedral
• Rev. Fr. Sampson Kasapakis, St. Stephanos Church
• Mr. Louis Elias Kokkinakos – Chairman of Plato Academy Schools Board
• Mrs. Amy Hayes, Chief of Schools,
• Ms. Danielle Cicetti, Academic Director,
• Ms. Dawn Parker, Director of Staff Training,
• Mr. Alexandrou, Director of Plato Education Foundation

The Battle of the Books competition is a literary contest where students read a selection of books chosen by the school. They then compete by answering questions about these books, promoting reading, comprehension, and critical thinking skills in an engaging way.

In a vibrant celebration of Greek heritage, students gathered for the annual reenactment of the Olympic Games ceremony, a tradition that echoed the historic event held in Olympia, Greece.

Amidst the echoes of ancient rituals, the lighting of the torch ignited a sense of unity and pride.

In homage to tradition, students showcased their mastery of traditional Greek dances. Amidst the rhythmic beats, the school grounds transformed into a stage for athletic prowess as students displayed their skills in various athletic performances, embodying the values of competition, perseverance, and camaraderie that define the Olympic spirit.

I have to take a moment out of my day to shout out Erna Campbell 2nd grade. Every time I push in to assist the students are all engaged. Today they really impressed me with answering complex questions about poetry and some bonus math questions related to telling time to the minute. Wow!

Mrs. Campbell way to go!

(Ms. Furey)

Shout-Out to Mrs. Knight, Mrs. Root, Mr. Papadopoulos, and Ms. Concannon

Thank you for working hard to ensure our 8th graders completed their PSAT this week! Your dedication and commitment to the process was appreciated!

Shout-Out to the 2nd grade team

Thank you for creating such an exciting Reader's Theater opportunity for your students!

Shout-Out to Mrs. Kazakevich

Thank you for jumping into the art classroom and sharing your love of the arts!

The Plato Academy Family is excited to witness your dedication to achieving career excellence. Your commitment to professional development will greatly benefit both students and coaches alike.

Since 1976, the month of February has been recognized by the U.S. government as Black History Month. Black History Month, or National African American History Month, is an observance of the achievements by African Americans and their important role in U.S. history.

Two students at Plato Clearwater shared a story with special significance:

The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) induction ceremony is a special occasion for our middle school community. A time to recognize and celebrate the exceptional achievements, character, and leadership of our outstanding students.

The heart of the ceremony lay in the NJHS membership pledge. Our inductees recited the pledge, promising to uphold the highest standards of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship, ready to make a positive impact on our school and community.

Congratulations to all our remarkable students! You are now part of a prestigious community that values integrity, compassion, and excellence. As NJHS members, you have the power to shape a brighter future. Let your light shine, and continue to make us proud.

The ceremony took place on February 6, 2024 at Plato Academy Clearwater.

The very first National Junior Honor Society Induction at Plato Academy Tampa took place on March 23, 2024! A beautiful event hosted by Mrs. Brandi Garwood, the NJHS sponsor. The first group of inductees was comprised of 40 middle school students who earned the proper grade point average, and exhibited the NJHS traits of character, scholarship, service, citizenship, and leadership.

Character education is a program aimed at cultivating positive character qualities in students. The primary objective is to establish a school culture that is immersed in attributes like respect, responsibility, honesty, and self-motivation. This emphasis on character traits is intended to enhance student achievement and create a secure learning environment.

In the Commitment to Character program, a fixed curriculum is not used. Instead, a range of strategies is offered to be seamlessly integrated into the regular curriculum. This approach is marked by a deliberate and conscious emphasis on character education. The program employs various methods including a shared vocabulary (common language such as using the same character traits), seizing spontaneous teaching moments (teachable moments), engaging in community service activities (service learning), and setting examples through behavior (modeling). These strategies are applied across all subjects, ensuring that character education is woven into every facet of the curriculum.

As we approached the holiday season, a time of reflection and gratitude, we reached out to our school community about a few military service members who were Plato Academy Clearwater alumni, and were currently deployed, far from the comforts of home. Our mission was simple yet powerful – to send a heartfelt reminder of appreciation and support through military care packages. Although these packages took a while to get delivered, we are happy to know that our alumni received them and are well.

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Basketball playoffs have concluded. What an exciting finish to the regular season! Please see the link below for the final results from basketball. Winter II sports are underway. Stay tuned for updates from the upcoming seasons.

Please note that coaches are still needed at each campus for our remaining available sports.

Click on the three links below for details on our sports programs, when tryouts and other important dates are, and what coaching needs your campus still has.

If you have any questions about the upcoming sports seasons, please feel free to email me at: athletics@platoacademy.net

I want to wish you all a very Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year. I am looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Justin Davis

Recent reports have highlighted an emerging scam targeting our community, wherein individuals impersonate law enforcement officers, influencers, and other authority figures to exploit students. These scammers aim to manipulate students into revealing their passwords and login details, subsequently leveraging this information for intimidation and, in some cases, coercing students into sharing inappropriate images.

This alarming development underscores the critical need to educate our children about the importance of maintaining online privacy and security. We strongly encourage you to engage in open discussions with your child regarding the risks associated with sharing personal information online.

Here are some key recommendations:

1. Educate Your Child: Take the time to discuss with your children the significance of safeguarding login information and the potential consequences of sharing it.

2. Monitor Online Activities: Stay vigilant about your children's online interactions and the platforms they frequent.

3. Foster Open Communication: Create an environment where your child feels comfortable sharing any concerns or suspicious encounters they may have online.

4. Report Suspicious Activity: If you or your child encounter any suspicious behavior, please refrain from engaging and promptly report it to the Sheriff's Office by dialing 911. Immediate reporting is crucial in preventing further incidents and safeguarding our community.

We understand that navigating online safety can be daunting, but by working together, we can establish a safer digital environment for our children.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and your ongoing support in fostering a secure and nurturing environment for our students.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As part of our ongoing commitment to provide the best resources and curriculum for your child's educational environment, we are requiring an annual Technology Fee.

In today's digital age, technology plays an integral role in education, enabling your child to explore, create, and learn in innovative ways. To ensure that this learning experience remains uninterrupted, we are implementing a nominal fee of $25 per student to cover potential damages to the school-issued laptops. This fee will be used exclusively for repairing or replacing damaged hardware, guaranteeing that your child's education continues seamlessly.

This fee ensures seamless replacement of damaged laptops to our students when devices need repair from wear and tear (keys falling off or mousepad not working) or accidental damage (closing screen on pencils, dropping) to the device. Until now, parents were asked to cover the costs of these damages as they occurred.

Parents who do not submit their Technology Fee will be responsible for covering the potentially much higher costs of hardware repair replacement in the event of damage. We strongly recommend opting for this coverage to avoid any undue financial strain in case of accidental damage to the laptop.

To enroll in the program, please fill out the following payment form and submit the $25 (non refundable) for the current school year. Your proactive participation will contribute to a worry-free and productive learning experience for your child.

We appreciate your continued support in creating a nurturing educational environment for our students. Should you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to reach out to your campus administration.

Thank you for entrusting Plato Academy Schools with your child's education.

Price: $25.00

Typical device damage costs:

Click the links below, find your school & leave a review on any of the platforms below then send your rating to your principal to receive a volunteer hour!

Project Connect is a non-profit organization founded in May 2015 with the support of Greek shipowners and distinguished professionals in Shipping and Human Resources. The vision of Project Connect is “sustaining one of Greece’s top resources, the Shipping Industry through supporting the “can do” mind set and the aim for excellence that has built it, and to instill this mind set into the next generation workforce who will ultimately strengthen Greek Shipping’s competitiveness in the International arena.” www.project-connect.gr

This is an anonymous form (unless you choose to leave your information) for anyone: staff, parents, guardians, or students to share any suggestions, concerns, ideas, or comments on how you think any aspect of our schools could be improved with the Plato Academy Home Office. This will always be available to you and will be reviewed regularly.

If you have a safety-related concern, you may also use the School Safety Survey.

Thank you for your support and dedication to helping Plato Academy get even better!

"...Hermes is the namesake of Hermes the Trismegistus, as the ancient Greeks called the Egyptian god Thoth, who was the inspirer of the arts and sciences, but also a writer.

Until about five years ago, he too lived among an anonymous crowd. But by a quirk of fate, or a fateful choice, or a fateful end because of by fate or fateful coincidence, he suddenly found himself in the disputed mythical world and he took up the duties of a steward in Aeolia and specifically in the palace of Zephyros who is the west wind and mediator between Hades and humans........"

Order the book and read the rest of the story.

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E. Anastasopoulos Family

Vie Corporation