(Note: As the Herald went to press, we learned that we have a volunteer for the younger groups, and that the groups will be practicing on Sundays, following the Divine Liturgy. An organizational meeting will take place on Sunday, September 10, and practice will begin on Sunday, September 17.)

SUNDAY SCHOOL RESUMES SEPTEMBER 10

On behalf of the entire Sunday School Faculty, we look forward to welcoming you back from summer break and, at the same time, to welcoming newcomers to our Sunday School.

Registration will take place in the children’s respective classrooms. Teachers will be on hand to greet the children and direct them to the classrooms. Sunday School begins at 10:30 a.m. Please be on time. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Father Stephen will celebrate an aghiasmos (blessing) service for the beginning of the school year.

This year we will be making a special effort to restore the tradition of a proper dress code for our youth. Out of respect, all students are asked to refrain from wearing jeans, sweat pants and tennis shoes to church. (This attire may be appropriate for dancing, basketball, and other functions, but not for church).

SUNDAY SCHOOL: SOME THOUGHTS

We, the parents, are the primary teachers of our children. They learn from our words and, mostly, from our actions. We are responsible for instructing them in the Faith and for teaching them what it means to be an Orthodox Christian.

The goal of the Sunday School is to be a partner in our children’s journey towards becoming Orthodox adults.

Today, we are teaching the children and even the grandchildren of our former students. Interestingly enough, our former students recall their Sunday School days with fondness. Many of them remain friends to this day. More importantly, they have returned to the Cathedral to raise their own children in the Faith which they were taught as children.

At the Cathedral, we follow the prescribed curriculum of the Archdiocese. From Pre-school to 4th grade (we call this the “Lower School”), our students focus on the “How” of things—how to make the Sign of the Cross, how to recite the Lord’s Prayer and the Nicene Creed, how to take Holy Communion. Beginning in the 5th grade (we call this the “Upper School,” and we go through high school), we explore the “why” of things—why do we sing hymns, why do we read the Bible and participate in the Divine Liturgy, why do we embrace the truth of Orthodoxy as vital to our salvation. We team with you, the parents, for yet another generation of students.

Faith, fun, friendship—these won’t happen unless your child comes to class on a regular basis. Faith and friendship must be seeded and then nourished over time. Regular attendance gives us a chance to do just that.

Please use the handouts your children bring home as an opportunity for family discussion, especially around the dinner table.

We are excited about the new school year and we look forward to your continued support. When you come to Sunday School on September 10, we ask that you accompany your child upstairs, meet the teacher, and complete the registration. Classes are held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. each Sunday. Then, the students go to church for Holy Communion and for the remainder of the Divine Liturgy.

Do you think you can be of further assistance? We are still in need of three assistant teachers to help at different grade levels. Please contact Denise Yeilding, dyeilding@yahoo.com or Father Stephen, dean@annunciation.org, 415 864-8000 if you can help or if you can suggest whom we could approach to help.

GREEK SCHOOL RESUMES OCTOBER 11TH

Greek School will begin following the Festival, on Wednesday, October 11. It will take place in the second floor conference room at 4:00 p.m. It will be taught, once again, by Demetra Armenakis. Greek School is open to young people, first grade and up. Since we pay the teacher, we charge $200 for each child ($150 for the second child in the same family). This charge is negligible compared with the benefits your children derive from learning a second language and, in the case of most of them, the language of their parents or grandparents. It is also the language in which the New Testament was written, not to mention the Iliad and the Odyssey, poetry, tragedies, comedies, and philosophical writings of ancient Greece. On a practical level, high school credit is given to those who take modern Greek as a second language, and pass the appropriate tests.

BASKETBALL AWARDS DINNER SEPTEMBER 21
Family members and players are invited to Annunciation’s Basketball Awards dinner, which will take place in our Korinthias Center Thursday, September 21, beginning at 6:30 p.m. In recognition of their sportsmanship and participation in the program, trophies and awards will be presented to all our youth participants. Dinner will be served promptly at 6:30 p.m. and our program will conclude by 8 p.m. Each year, the awards dinner is a success. We look forward to welcoming you on September 21. For further information, please contact Mike Canellos, at 415 864-815.