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6 THE SHEPHERD • JUNE 2026 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO Dear students, families and friends of our Greek School, As we approach the end of the 2025–2026 school year, we are pleased to share that our Greek School continues to do very well. Our students have shown dedication, curiosity, and a genuine love for the Greek language, and this has been reflected in the strong progress we have seen across all levels. This month, we were especially encouraged by the high level of interest in the upcoming Ellinomatheia Program. More than ten of our upper level students expressed interest in participating in the placement process, which shows how committed our commu- nity is to high quality Greek language ed- ucation. Beginning in Fall 2026, our school will officially launch the Ellinomatheia Greek Language Program. This program is designed to prepare students for the internationally recognized Ellinomatheia exams, which are offered each May by the Greek Ministry of Education. The Ellinomatheia certification is a lifelong credential that never expires and provides formal recognition of Greek lan- guage proficiency. It also strengthens high school and college applications and supports heritage language development. We are also excited to share that we are preparing to ap- ply for our school to become an official Elli- nomatheia Examination Center . This would be an important milestone for our commu- nity, especially since the nearest testing cen- ter is more than 100 miles away. More details about the program will be shared soon As we look ahead, we are also preparing for a major milestone: the 100-year anniversary of St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church, which will be celebrated next year. Naturally, the Greek School will be involved in these cel- ebrations, and this is a wonderful opportu- nity to honor our own long and meaningful history. According to the historical record, the first officially organized Greek Language School at St. Spyridon was established in 1932 under Reverend Germanos Georgiou, who also served as the teacher. Before 1932, Greek lessons were offered informally at Lin- coln Elementary School. As we prepare for the 2026–2027 school year, we look forward to launching the Elli- nomatheia Program, pursuing testing center status, participating in the church’s 100year anniversary, and continuing to strengthen our curriculum and community engage- ment. Thank you to all our families, teachers, volunteers, and students for your dedication and support. Together, we continue a tradi- tion that began in 1932 and will carry proud- ly into the next century. Finally, we invite all our parishioners and families to follow and like our new Facebook page, San Diego Greek Language School. This is where we share our latest news, up- coming events, classroom activities, and important announcements. Staying connect- ed through our page helps strengthen our community and keeps everyone informed about the wonderful things happening at our school. Warm regards, Dr. Eleni Sinopoulou San Diego Greek Language School Director GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOOL ΣΧΟΛΕΙΟ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΓΛΩΣΣΑΣ Seeking Our History: Help Us Celebrate Our Centennial! ​Dear Community Members, As we approach the historic 100th Anniver- sary of the founding of our parish in 1927, the Historical Committee is working to pre- serve the legacy of the generations who built our community. To tell our story fully, we need your voices and your memories. During our in-depth research we came upon the 50 names that signed the original peti- tion to create our community. We are hoping that some of you may know these families and have information regarding them. 100 th anniversary Saint Spyridon Angelson, Socrates Georgiou, Demetrios Paboojian, Haig Athas, George Gianulis, James Panos, Christos Bakas, Nicholas Givas, Theodore Papaeleas, George Botsakis, Nicholas Kalivas, Gus Papas, William Callas, Peter Karas, Constantine Pavlos, Speros Canaris, John Katsikaris, Vasilios Polos, George Chialtas, George Kolender, Michael Every family holds a piece of our collective journey. We are looking for: • Photographs: Early images of church festi- vals, baptisms, weddings, or the construc- tion of our buildings. (Originals will be scanned and returned). • ​ Stories & Oral Histories: Personal ac- counts of life in the parish, memories of our founders, and the preservation of our traditions through the years. Prounis, Otto D. Christos, Tom Kondos, Nicholas Sanios, Aristides Condas, Philip Ladas, Stamatios Scondras, James Constantinou, Andreas Maginas, George Skandalis, George Dakis, Speros Mandas, John Stamatopoulos, Alex Demetris, Peter Manos, Nicholas Tsandis, Theodore Drulias, George Mastoris, Peter Tsiknas, John Eliopoulos, James Mitsis, Nicholas Vafiadis, Menelaos Fatseas, Jerry Negris, Evangelos A. Vallas, Arthur Floros, Christ Nicholas, George Yampanis, Marcos Ganas, Thomas Orfanos, Stylianos • ​Archival Materials: Old programs, news- paper clippings, and documents related to our community’s growth. HOW TO CONTRIBUTE: Please contact the Historical Committee via the Church Office or by leaving a message through the Hellenic Cultural Society of San Diego at (858) 755- 2017. By documenting our past, we ensure that the faith and sacrifices of those who came be- fore us continue to inspire the next hundred years. Thank you for your help, Alexia Koulaxes Anas Historical Committee Chair Angeline Georggin, Penelope Duncan, Rox- anne Koulaxes Waasted, Olga Stephens, Pat- ty Moises, Jeanette Rigopoulos, Maria Platis Committee Members