On Sunday June 11th the Annunciation Cathedral Sunday School celebrated a very successful and rewarding year with their annual graduation program and luncheon. Traditionally, this event marks the beginning of our summer respite, a time when parents, teachers, and children can hopefully slow down, reflect upon their lives and begin re energizing their batteries.

When we initially began to compose this article, our intention was simply to welcome our youth back home and to disclose our fall schedule. Yet, as we began to browse through our calendar, trying to list upcoming events, we found ourselves reminiscing about this past summer and realizing that, despite the many distractions that summer brings, we nevertheless managed to constantly stay in contact.

On Sunday July 2nd (with over 30 youth in attendance), we celebrated Independence Day with a barbecue at the home of Michael and Ellen Canellos.( Mike extends his sincerest love and thanks to Father Gregory for his support and blessing and to his wife Ellen for her hard work, while he played!)

From July 11th through July 21st with the help of our women's basketball team, we conducted a daily youth basketball clinic. At the end of July, with the help and guidance of Ari Stratakis, many of our families attended the annual Annunciation Summer Camp at Casini Ranch.

In August, while our beautiful hardwood floors were being refinished, we seized the opportunity to attend numerous Giants' baseball games. (Special thanks to those families and friends who donated tickets!)

Our Greek dance groups also practiced throughout the summer, in preparation for our Festival and also for the Folk Dance Festival (FDF). Preliminary plans by our dance groups for a fundraiser "Glendi" in February and a New Years Dance are underway!

Sunday School classes resumed on September 10. Although our Principal, Denise Yeilding has been unable to oversee our programs due to an illness in her family, our thoughts, prayers, and love are with her. Our GOYA officers also met on September 10, and confirmed their plans for a teen Christmas dance on Friday December 15, 2006.

On Thursday, September 21, our youth basketball teams celebrated their annual "Awards Dinner" with over 100 persons in attendance. Basketball practice for the Junior Varsity Season will begin on Wednesday October 19th, with league games to commence the first week of January. (registration forms are available at our information desk.)

Although this appears to be the opportune moment to welcome our youth back from their summer break, the more we check this past summer's schedule, we are beginning to question if we even paused to take a break. In any event, welcome home!