The Plato Periodiko
January - 2022
Chairman's January Letter
At Plato Academy, we pride ourselves on creating warm, nurturing environments where children are well known and cared for. That is part of our culture that we will never change as we grow.
During its first year of operation, the school had approximately 100 students.
Today Plato Academy serves:
- 3,700 students
- 1,600 families
- 500 educators &staff
- 9 schools
- 7 A-Rated High Performing Charter Schools
- 97% parent, teacher and student satisfaction
- Daily instruction in Greek Language, Tradition, and Culture for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
Most Importantly: Our schools remain places where students are well-known, loved, and safe to focus on their studies and preparing for their futures.
Sincerely,
Louis Kokkinakos
Chairman of the Board
Plato Academy Schools
CEO's Corner--Getting Better, Every Day!
How Can We Better Support Plato Academy Teachers?
Over 2,000 years ago, Plato wrote, "A nation prospers to the degree that it honors its teachers."
The same holds true for Plato Academy Schools. Our schools will prosper as much as we honor our teachers. Maintaining our success as small, family-friendly, A-rated, high performing schools of choice that teach Greek as a second language will rely on our successful recruiting, supporting, retaining, and honoring our amazing teachers.
It is time well spent asking ourselves how we can do a better job showing our beloved teachers the respect, the esteem, and the reverence they deserve. After all, they are spending over 7 hours a day caring for our students, your children--the futures of our families and our nation.
Speaking from my 15 years experience as a classroom teacher, when a teacher who is accountable for the academic and behavioral success of their students knows they have the support of their school's administration and especially the parents of the students they teach, it is incredibly encouraging. Teachers spend their entire days, weeks, and months of the school year encouraging students to believe in themselves, to try harder, to do their best, to never give up, and to trust in the process. Teachers will never ask for it, but believe me, just like their students, they thrive in an environment that is supportive, encouraging, built on trust, and rooted in love.
9 Ways Parents Can Honor and Support Their Children's Teachers:
- Help your child arrive at school each day ready to learn and fly high with a good breakfast, completed homework, all their supplies and lots of love before they get out of the car.
- Communicate the message that we are all a community united to put students first.
- Be on our side: Support teachers when they reach out for help with schoolwork or behavior.
- Offer constructive feedback directly to the teacher or administration when you have concerns.
- Know that we know Plato parents are doing their best.
- Ask the school for help when needed. This is a challenging time for everyone and Plato Academy is here to help as much as possible.
- Read teacher communications.
- Ask if there's anything your child's teacher needs.
- Let your child's teacher know how they have helped your child.
Teaching and parenting share a lot in common. It's often exhausting, always important, and incredibly rewarding. Thank you for doing your part as parents and community members to help our teachers feel honored and supported!
Sincerely,
Matt Gunderson
CEO-Plato Academy Schools
#platostrong
#forwardtogether
Chief Academic Officer Update
Plato Academy Schools is proud to be a Cognia accredited system of schools, a seal of quality that is recognized internationally. Our Cognia accreditation was renewed in Spring 2021 by an outside team of Cognia reviewers. The process of accreditation includes evaluating our system using a set of research-based performance standards that provide a shared framework to pursue measurable, meaningful continuous improvement. At Plato our mission is focused on assisting students in achieving their full potential in academics and behavior. Similarly, we choose to maintain this review process with an annual internal review process called School of Excellence to ensure our system of schools is reaching its full potential as a system of schools. This year our internal teams included administrators, teachers, and parents. Highlights from our School of Excellence school visits include:
Caring and attentive teachers
Rigor in academics
Small school environment
Family feel
Areas we are focused on include:
Extracurricular activities
Full integration of technology in project based learning
Exploring field trips related to our Greek program
We thank our families for entrusting your children in our care each day. We remain committed to the continuous improvement pursuit of excellence in academics and the whole child.
Sincerely,
Danielle Cicetti
Chief Academic Officer - Plato Academy Schools
#PlatoStrong #AcademicExcellence
Plato+ Academic Enrichment
- Plato+ will be open for Teacher Work Days and Spring Break.
- Are you satisfied with how your student spends their time before or after school?
- Do you just love checking homework and making sure kids read, etc., rather than just relaxing into family time?
- Do you believe your kiddo is getting the fun, extra learning experiences that will give them a little extra advantage?
- If you are ready for some help giving your child what they need, I have a solution for you: our new Plato Plus program.
- Designed by a gifted-certified curriculum specialist and our own team of experts, Plato Plus is a before and after school enrichment program appropriate for all learning levels.
- Yes, your student will have a chance to finish their homework with support and be with their peers, but they will also do so much more: study secret codes, make slime, get outside, read, discuss, and debate...so many great things happen inside Plato Plus. Best of all, it doesn't feel like "school." Your student will love it, and we can't wait to give you the peace of mind knowing you are doing something special for your child's education.
PLATO+ INFORMATION NIGHT
Did you miss our Parent Information Night for Plato+? No problem, below is the recording to review. Please email us at PlatoPlus@platoacademy.net with any questions.
Volunteer Opportunity for Parents and Teachers: Strategic Plan Task Forces
Do you want to help make Plato Academy even better? After an incredibly challenging beginning to the school year due to a huge uptick in Covid, we are finally settling into a good groove where we can focus on the exciting and rewarding work of strategic planning. Below, you will find a list of the Task Forces and the Administrators who will be facilitating those teams. If you are interested in donating your time and talents to helping Plato Academy Schools become even better than they already are, please indicate below which of the Task Forces you would like to participate in. These task forces identify areas in which we want to improve over the next five years. Simply click the link below to learn more and sign up!
Plato Statue Dedication - Unveiling Ceremony
On January 4th, we celebrated the dedication of Monument Statute of Ancient Greek Philosopher, Plato by the Terry Tsafatinos Foundation. Recognizing The namesake of our schools.
Plato once said: Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire great actions in others.
We want to thank Terry Tsafatinos for all of his good actions that helped Plato Academy get started. His actions have inspired great actions in many others who have dedicated themselves to making Plato Academy Schools the largest and most successful group of Greek charter schools in the USA. As the founding chairman of Plato Academy, Terry Tsafatinos worked very hard to bring Plato Academy into existence.
Plato Academy Schools - All Pro Dad - Camping Trip Meeting
HELLO PLATO ACADEMY CAMPERS,
We are about 6 weeks away from the 2022 All Pro Dad Camping Trip and excited to meet at the Westgate River Ranch for a memorable weekend.
Many of our campers may have preparation questions so we have scheduled a "Camping Trip Information Meeting" as a format to address everyone's questions and concerns.
At this meeting, there will be a presentation going over all the various components that will make up the trip. After each component is discussed, time for Q&A will be allotted. We will cover all the information that you will need to know for this camping trip. This is a great opportunity to prepare your family for an awesome, fun-filled, weekend.
The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 25th at 6:00pm and should last about 1 hour. It will be held at the Plato Academy Largo Campus inside the cafeteria. The address is 7100 142nd Ave N Largo, FL 33771.
No food, beverages, or daycare will be provided.
We have just a few spots left. If you have not yet booked and would like to attend, please go to www.tinyurl.com/campingtrip2022
Thank you again for your support and participation in this school years camping trip. Look forward to seeing you at the meeting.
Gratefully,
James Sciandra, All Pro Dad Team Captain
All Pro Dad Plato Academy Facebook Page:
National School Guardian Appreciation Day!
National School Guardian Appreciation Day was this past Monday, January 10. Our Campuses came together to celebrate and recognize the tremendous work our guardians do to keep us safe!
To show our love and appreciation for our guardians, our students and staff organized to all wear YELLOW on Monday. Making for a wonderful this a surprise.
Help Plato Academy Rise Up in the Rankings with your Honest, Supportive Reviews $1,000 School Survey Sweepstakes !
Take a short survey on your school and be entered for a chance to win $1,000. Open to students, parents, and recent alumni. DEADLINE: December 31, 2022
ARETE AWARDS
Paige Pastorino - Student, Plato Academy Trinity
Paige Pastorino has been a student at Plato Academy Trinity for the past three years. She is now in 6th grade. Paige loves Plato Academy because of the Greek language and because she is challenged each and every day. She is excited to continue to learn more as she moves forward through our middle school program. Paige enjoys cheerleading and soccer after school. She also enjoys doing arts and crafts in her spare time. Paige is a captain of the Safety Patrol, a true role model, and a wonderful representative for Plato Academy Trinity!
Ms. Leach - Staff Member, Plato Academy St. Petersburg
Ms. Leach started at St. Pete in 2014 as an intervention teacher and always stepped in and up whenever and wherever needed. She did this all while earning her teaching certification. Now fully certified, she is doing an amazing job as a 3rd grade teacher. She has shown the true Plato way by having a heart and passion for students, determination and perseverance.
Mr. Peter Pachoumis - Parent Volunteer, Plato Academy Largo
Peter Pachoumis is a parent to two wonderful girls here at PAL. Both of his daughters have been going to Plato Academy since kindergarten and we could not be more proud of them. What makes Peter amazing is the artistic twists and fun he has brought to our school over the years. The last 2 years he has provided fun videos for our students by posting them to Youtube...check one out here! This year’s theme is Peter POP Art and Stanley discuss the 5 ways being a boss is just like being a student for the 2021 Great American Teach In. His ties the real world school academics, something our students learn daily.
We thank Peter, his wife Jennifer, and the whole family for all they bring to Plato Academy. Keep an eye out for his bright yellow Pop Art wrapped Jeep during the carline. You can also check out more of his skills at his website. pachoumis.comPeter POP Art
Wellness Check
Due to the recent surge in local Covid-19 cases, please take a moment to review the decision tree from the Florida Department of Education regarding Covid-19 protocols. Keeping our staff and families healthy and safe is always our first priority. If your child is symptomatic, please keep them home and communicate with the school regarding the next steps needed for their return.
Covid-19 Symptoms Include:
· Fever (100.4ºF or higher)
· Chills
· Sore throat
· Continuous cough
· Congestion or runny nose
· Fatigue
· New loss of taste or smell
· Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
· New or unusual headache
· Muscle or body aches
According to the Florida DOE Decision Tree, your student must fulfill 1 of the 3 following options in order to return to school:
Option 1: Self-isolate for 10 days, returning when all symptoms have improved AND remain fever-free for 24 hours without medication.
Option 2: Evidence of a negative diagnostic COVID-19 test (excluding home test kits) and is asymptomatic.
Option 3: A Physician’s written release to return to school with a return to school date.
Greek Word of the Month
Arete (Greek: ἀρετή) relates to virtue, excellence, moral excellence in all that you do. According to Aristotle: Excellence of character, is to act excellently in all that you do.
A person who exemplifies Arete is one who is of the highest effectiveness, using all of their abilities and potentialities available to them.
At Plato Academy, one of the founding principles of our mission is that each student is given the ability to reach their fullest potential.
Contact our Board Members:
Louis Kokkinakos - Chairman of the Board: lkokkinakos@platoacademy.netJohn Petalas - Vice Chairman: jpetalas@platoacademy.net
Yale Walker - Treasurer: walkery@platoacademy.net
George Antonaklas - Secretary: antonaklasg@platoacademy.net
Plato Academy Schools Mission Statement
The mission of the Plato Academy Charter Schools is to assist students in achieving their full potential by requiring and nurturing high academic and behavioral standards in a safe, supporting, challenging, and enthusiastic environment, providing a well-rounded K-8 education fortified by a study of the Greek language and culture, and fostered by a commitment and cooperative effort among the school, students, parents, and community: our family.
Email: gundersonm@platoacademy.net
Website: www.platoacademy.net
Location: 2045 Palmetto Street, Clearwater, FL, USA
Phone: 7272249175
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlatoAcademySchools