ETHOS • FALL 2021
PTO Why Is The Buddy Mentoring Program Important For Our Students And For New Families Joining Acs Athens? by Members of the ACS Athens PTO 2020-2021
T
his last year amidst the COVID pandemic, has been difficult for school children and their families in quarantine, with some struggling more than others. These families were new to ACS and to Greece – their kids did not have time to connect with their classmates and families also did not know anyone in the area. These families reached out to the PTO and we saw the need for an action plan. In response to this feedback and with the enthusiastic support of the School Administration and Counseling offices we re-initiated the FSNF / Buddy Mentoring program at ACS. The Families Sponsoring New Families program, works in tandem with the Buddy Mentoring program, where students are matched with new students, to welcome them and help them with their transition into a new school. Families are matched using criteria such as neighborhood, age of children and hobbies so they can bond with a new family. Our goal is to make ACS Athens the most welcoming school in Greece. We never want families to feel isolated or lonely.
We are proud to inform, that we have had such a tremendously positive response, with a record number of families signing up to be sponsors. We thank you all for making ACS a most welcoming school and community. Our mission is to Connect, Support and Inform the ACS Community and this is done best with your help. It is also important to note, that we have a Community Share Page on FB that families can use to start groups or initiate activities with other families and may join here: ACS Athens Community Share Page on Facebook. We also encourage anyone who wants to make new friends and become a part of the ACS community to volunteer at our many events throughout the school year. The ACS Athens PTO sends out a warm welcome to our community of parents, students, faculty, and staff, representing approximately 65 nationalities. We proudly work together to give our children the best educational experience possible. To learn more about our activities, events and meetings, please visit our PTO webpage. The ACS Athens PTO Board eagerly looks forward to meeting you! ■
