Holy Trinity Wilmington Greek School
Like the religious education classes, Greek language classes have been part of the Wilmington community since the early part of the 20th century beginning in 1923 with afternoon classes at the former P.O.S.A. Hall in Wilmington and also above the Presto Restaurant on Market Street. Later in 1929, the women of Elpis hired Mrs. Harisiades was hired to teach Greek classes twice per week on the second floor of the Woolworth Building. Probably most notably, thereafter, Zacharias Cozamanis was hired as the parish’s Greek language instructor and undertook the role as sole instructor to dozens of students and he would remain in the program for many years even after others succeeded him as “director.” After Mr. Cozamanis, another notable instructor was Katherine Macrogeans, who also served as the Church Secretary in the 1950s. These individuals, who lacked many of the basic teaching tools and traditional classroom settings but were steeped in enthusiasm and dedication, set the foundation for a successful program for decades to follow. In late 1960s and early 1970s, the school expanded to sponsor courses in Dover and Newark in addition to the Church under the direction of Peter Yiannos, primarily as well as Aristides Zdetsis. For many years, Margarita Mitses and Joanne Tsaganos organized the program teaching Greek while incorporating lessons in the Orthodox faith and traditional Greek dances. Subsequently Vickie Dalianis, John Pennia, Kostas Fountzoulas, and our current Director, Popi Tsaganos have led the program as it transitioned to the 21st Century and also welcomed the addition of Odyssey Charter teachers.
Today, the program provides weekly Greek language classes with supplemental online capabilities for additional instruction. The curriculum offers a blend of language, history, and culture for all students. Greek is introduced at the critical age of 4-5 and continues through the 6th grade helping students acquire communication skills as well as academic proficiency in Greek. Our teachers create supportive and engaging environments that make learning Greek fun and meaningful. Our goal is to deepen our students’ connection with their Greek heritage and thereby preserving and celebrating our cultural legacy.
As with our Orthodox Faith Sunday School, we encourage all children of our parish, from Pre-Kindergarten through the sixth grade, to participate in our Greek School. For more information you may contact either Fr. Christoforos or Popi Tsaganos (email: kallitsaganos at gmail.com)