Socrates Academy has been an honor school since its early years. An “Honor School of Excellence”. There was no doubt that we had some of the most supportive and hard-working teachers in the country, some of the most devoted students who had a passion for learning, and parents who had wished to see a bright future for their kids. All of the hard work and devotion paid off in 2018, when Socrates Academy was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Dept. of Education, meaning that we “have achieved high levels of student achievement or made significant improvements in closing the achievement gap among student subgroups”. There are many reasons why we have been awarded this honor.
First, I think that the staff and the administration were a big part of leading the school to success, and to our being awarded the honor. We have many teachers who consider it their mission to see the success of their students, and to help them learn to the best of their abilities. Teachers such as Mrs. Galanis, Mr. Leddy, Ms. Katerina, Ms. Hovan, and Ms. Maria, to list a few. They try their hardest to make the best learning environment for their students, and to push their students past their learning boundaries. The administration also pushes their students to not only become better people and to grow into successful adults, but they encourage the students to learn. Mrs. Brighton, Mrs. Barnes, and Mr. Bogar are part of the reason why our students are as successful as they are.
Even though the staff plays a huge role in the success of our school, it is impossible to do so without the students. The students have to be willing to learn. They must be respectful towards their teachers and peers, which is exactly what the students at our school show. Our school has students who are trying their very hardest to make not only their parents and their teachers proud, but themselves. Students will do anything to get that A+ they’ve been working for. Students try their hardest in school, because in the foreseeable future, college comes into the world of the students, and they want to make sure that they get there in the best way possible, and as well prepared as they can be. Last year, our school had some of the highest EOG scores in the state, and even the country, and this is because of the hard work and determination of the students.
After the teachers teach their kids, the next people in line to help students succeed falls to the parents. The parents are the people that the kids might come to for help with homework, or maybe just for support. Our parents have raised our students to be as hardworking, respectful, and determined as they are today. Parents also put in so many volunteer hours at our school to help us become more successful. Parents come in to help out the school when they are needed most, and they come through, which most definitely contributes to the success of our school.
Last but not least, I have to mention that we have not only a better staff, students, and parents, but something more, and that would have to be our Greek program. Our Greek program is unique, not only due to the language, but to how the language is taught, and how much the kids learn. Learning Greek is an opportunity that not many other schools offer, and our students become very good at Greek. The teachers know how to teach our students so that they can successfully obtain that knowledge. In the Spring, middle school students have the opportunity to take the Ελληνομάθεια (Ellinomatheia), a Greek exam from Greece, testing the students on their proficiency in the Greek language. Some of our students have had some of the best scores possible for the type of test they took. I’ve taken the exam twice, and it definitely isn't easy. So the fact that some students here can pass an exam straight from Greece is pretty amazing, and this is due to the Greek program we have, and the teachers who support and encourage the scholars every step of the way.
Socrates Academy has been recognized as one of the best schools in the country, and for good reason. We have the best teachers, students, parents, and an amazing Greek program. At Socrates, we go beyond our limits to become a more high achieving school, and we have succeeded in doing just that. We were able to earn the “National Blue Ribbon School” award, and we’ve lived up to it. I’m excited to see what more Socrates Academy can achieve. All I can be sure of is that whatever we put our minds to, we can accomplish.
