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International
School
LARISSA
2003-2004
1
Location
International School of Larissa
(The NATO school in Tyrnavos)
Headquarters JCSC, Tyr navos
40100 Larissa, Greece
Tel: +302492029113
Fax +302492029114
e-mail: isl@tasis.edu.gr
Formatted: Font color: White
Formatted: Font color: White
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Basil Daskalakis
President of the Governing Board
Petropoulou Alice
Chris Grant Bear
Controller
MAIN campus Liaison
Fanis Malakondas
Financial Director
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THE IDEAL INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
When I made my commitment to the International School of Larissa, ISL, I made a
commitment to every parent, a promise to fulfill the vital need for a school which
provides an ideal international education, which is a vision shared by all of us. Children
spend their most important years in school. These are their formative years, a time
when they absorb knowledge and develop the skills and talents they will rely on for the
rest of their lives. As modern educators we want to give our students the experiences
and knowledge they need to play an active role in the international world of the 21st
century. Building a strong foundation is our goal: an international education with a
view to tomorrow. How we intend to do this, is reflected uniquely in an exciting
program of innovations. I am confident that through our efforts the international
school of Larissa will be in the forefront of private education in Greece.
Basil Daskalakis
President
4
Principal
Mr.Dimitri Pontikas
Mr.P
As we face the challenges of the 21st century, we envision our
students successfully interacting in their world each contributing his
or her best through a broader knowledge of each other, with insight
and a deeper understanding of the similarities and diversities in
cultures.
Our goal is to instill in all of our students the values and knowledge
they need to play active roles in this new exciting world. We are
dedicated to providing a balanced and international curriculum to
prepare our students to face the challenges they will meet in their
lives by giving all students the individual attention needed to
maximize their potential; by creating a disciplined stable and caring
community where students learn to be sensitive to others and to
challenge themselves; by producing a careful system of guidance; by
being a truly international school open to all; by preserving each
student’s cultural identity while encouraging understanding and
tolerance of different cultures and perspectives.
2003-2004 was a great year at ISL. The best is yet to come. To those
of you who are moving I wish the best. To those of you who are
staying I promise along with the ISL faculty to deliver the best. See
you next year.
5
John A. Brewster
President, Parent’s Organization
Dear Parents,
As the President of the Parent’s Organization (PO), I want to thank you for supporting and helping us
make the transition from DoDDs to ISL. We faced numerous challenges both big and small. The
most notable were moving into a new facility and adjusting to a curriculum which was unfamiliar to
many of us. Our approach and solution to each and every issue centered around maximizing the
talents of all those involved. The resources were limited, but the energy of the ISL staff, parents and
of course our children were limitless.
Everyone involved can feel quite proud of the journey we’ve taken this past year. The list of
organizations and individuals who made this year a success are too numerous to mention. I would
like to send a special thank you to the ISL staff and teachers whom we ultimately entrust our
children’s education to. As a parent, I know that my child and all the ISL students received a first-
class and well-rounded education.
Looking towards the future, we have an exciting 4-week summer program followed by the beginning
of ISL’s second school year. We’ve come a long way and we will continue to make great strides in
cultivating an environment that fosters success for our children’s future. I am looking forward to the
opportunities ahead and working with those of you who will be here next year.
Take care and have a great summer vacation!
6
CAOC-7 Liaison to School Advisory Board – Nick Tolias, LtCol, USAF
It is hard to believe that we are approaching the end of the first year for the International
School of Larissa. The end of the school year also marks the transition of the School Advisory Board
Chairmanship from JCSC to CAOC-7. What that really means is that we will lose the leadership and
hard work of Col Thomas Allmon who deserves a great deal of credit for his work in ensuring that the
dependents of the NATO local community obtained such a first-rate comprehensive education with
excellent facilities in just one year’s time. Col Allmon will hand over this project to CAOC 7 having
done all of the hard work and now it is our challenge to keep it going. On behalf of CAOC-7, we wish
Col Allmon the best in his next assignment and many thanks for the legacy that he is leaving behind.
Thanks from all of us is also due to the principal of ISL Mr. Pontikas and the teaching staff of
ISL for their dedication, patience, courage and humility while creating a functioning school
environment in record time and overcoming obstacles out of their control. We are truly privileged to
have these dedicated professionals teaching our children and as many of you the children feel the
same way. I have watches over the months how attached many of the children are with their
teachers and I have seen the tears in their faces when it was time for the child to say good-bye to
the teacher and classmates.
For the coming school year, ISL campus will expand as we open the High School building and
the gymnasium. This will start to give shape to a first-class campus as envisioned by our host, the
Hellenic National Defense General Staff, which has financed the construction of the campus. It is
also the vision of the owner of ISL, Mr. Basile Daskalakis, to create an international English-speaking
school with the most comprehensive curriculum dedicated to producing students ready for the 21st
century global community, such as at our associate school in Athens since 1979--TASIS Hellenic
International School.
I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Daskalakis in Athens a few weeks ago along with many
teachers and principals of TASIS during the presentation of the new school logos for TASIS & ISL. I
assure you that we are very fortunate to have this dedicated group of professional educators
assembled at TASIS Hellenic & ISL working to educate and support our children, while preparing
them for the international environment by appreciating and respecting various cultures. What an
opportunity and privilege to attend ISL!
Farewell to those moving away and to all we wish a great summer vacation.
7
SAB Chairman Comments
It has been a pleasure being a part of the International School of Larissa as it grew and developed
during its first year of existence. There have been numerous obstacles that had to be overcome.
However, through the hard work of the school administration, the parent volunteers, Joint Command
South Cent (JCSC) staff and our host Nation authorities, those obstacles have been overcome.
Due to the upcoming deactivation of JCSC in September 2004, the NATO responsibilities for the
school were passed to the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC). The CAOC leaders are
committed and well prepared to tackle all future challenges that may arise. That said, they will need
the active support of our host nation authorities, parents and the school administration to ensure
those challenges do not impact on the education and growth of our children.
Many thanks for the dedicated efforts, long hours, and perseverance by everyone over the past year
who helped make this school year a successful one. I know that continued success will follow as we
expand the school to encompass a rigorous summer program and open the high school next year.
Continue to focus your efforts on the children. They are our future. Best of luck for next school
year!
Thomas A. Allmon
Colonel, United States Army
Chairman, ISL School Advisory Board SY 03/04
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Susan Welch
Administration
Sharon Engelking
Tillie Backhouse
Kindergarten teacher Kindergarten Aid
Angela Pabisch
Lorrain Nolan
EAL teacher
1st & 2
nd
Grade Teacher
Nick Christofalos Dimitri Koukidis Calliopi Revisiou
3rd& 4th Grade Teacher
5th &6th Grade Teacher 7
th
&8
th
Grade Teacher
The Staff
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Jill Reedman Maria Kaneli
Art & Drama Teacher Greek Teacher
Nektarios Pappas
Constatina Ezerbekoglou
PE Teacher Music Teacher
Ms.Eleftheria, T?? cleaner Mr. Yiannis, Caterer
Mr. Electrician
Chief.P. Muller (aid
)
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K i n d e r g a r t e n
Ms.Sharon
Ms.Tillie
Necmi Oldag Anastasia Kiousis Antonios Zarkatzias
Diego Perez
Mete Cetingoz Stamatina Tolias
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Athena Potcovic Quincy Haccou Barbara Brewster
Erin Stroebel Dylan Thomas Hannah Jackson
Deniz Cetinkafa Ryan Newallo
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1st and 2nd Grade
Ms. Lorraine
James Stroebel Cimone Isbell
Eleanor Ashcroft
Melissa Marangoni
Lorenzo Cappuccio Antonia Mulalley
1
st
G
R
A
D
E
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Ashley Evans
Gabriele Marsella
Thomas Hoey Alexandra Dinkins
Dylan Kellog
Stefon Jones
Kenneth Horne
Constantine Tolias
Bobby Milie
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3rd and 4
th
Grade
Mr. Nick
Chris Evans
Ryan Foy
Jan Onin Doria
Burak Eser
Kirstin Horne
Adam Sadiq
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Brianna Basilio
Athena Kennedy Sophia Goldstein
Thomas Allmon
John Rush
Forest Muller
And of course
Sssssssssssssid
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5th and 6th Grade
Mr.Jim
Austin New(Horne)
Jessica Philips (Foster)
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Sage Hoey
Logan Smith
Dogukagan Akyurek Samantha Thomas
Murat Eser
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7th and 8th Grade
Matteo Marsella
Christy Rush
Brandon Gerding Bilgekagan Cetingoz
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Andre Johnson Paola Perez
Vehbi Oldag
Josh Thomas
Brandon Evans Juan Serrano
And……………………………………………………………..Miss C
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And it opened …with a great applause :
If you’re happy and you like it clap you’re hands.
Everybody was there and they were all excited.
There were many things to be said…..
…. but even more to be done..
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And we got down to work!
And we worked hard.
And we
worked
t
o
g
e
t
h
e
r
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And we had fun
Halloween
But the ball
was over
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100 years of Aviation
Rituals Revived
The Jungle Book play
A n c i e n t M a s k s
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Things started getting rough and cold,
but that didn’t manage to get us down.
Never underestimate the power of a smile.
We danced depression away.
And we stuck together to share warmth.
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It was a season to be jolly
fa la la la la la la la la............a
Santa Clause came to ISL
But it was Mr.Baras who brought the presents.
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Everything is everything.
What is meant to be will be.
After winter, must come spring.
Change, it comes eventually.
If you’re not part of the solution…
…then you’re part of the problem.
Keep it clean!
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Mill stone fountain, Post Office Square, Larissa Katsigra Gallery,Exhibition of the Olympics
(aka Mc Donalds square)
The ISL basketball team in action.
We love this game!
International Children’s Day, April 23rd
. The Turkish
element set up a party for the children and we all
gained a pound from the delicious treats they
brought. Tesekuler.
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They say that a bad craftsman blames his tools…so we all got earplugs.
But they insisted and we called for help.
They worked hard, until it started sounding like music. This is how we do it.
LIVE ! at ISL
And
We
Got
The
Best
help
anybody
could
get,
Mr.Evans.
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Quotable Quotes
Hello, International School of Larissa.
This is the principal speaking
Whose idea was this ?
Being a princess is
tough , but someone’s got to
do it.
Whatchu looking at ?
Heah !
This is not working
I hope I’m getting
paid to do this.
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Overall
When things got serious, it was time for action and we tried hard.
When things were too fragile, we were there to pick up the pieces.
When you needed us we were there
When you’ll be gone, we will always remember
the time we spent together and the fun we had.
Take off. Take care.
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Take it EASY
Some people think they can just get away with anything
.
And others are still trying to find their way to the right place
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The academic year 2003-2004 in ISL was a year of hard
work and achievement. Our aim was to establish an
educational community that promoted international
values respecting cultural similarities and differences
.Our vision was broad, our hopes high. We rose to all
the challenges and the end result of all our endeavors
was
a Good School.
There were many difficult moments and many obstacles
which we overcame and they only served in motivating
us more .There were also many beautiful moments that
reassured us that our efforts were appreciated and hard
work does pay off. Our aim was to promote education,
provide support and nurture a loving and caring
environment that every child and parent would
remember with a big smile on their face and with
gratitude. You all invested in ISL that which keeps your
aspirations high in life and that which you love most,
your children. In return we received what we were
hoping most to receive, the whole world in a nutshell.
Our strong belief is that we hand them back to you,
one year older, brighter, more confident and ready to
rise to the challenges of the next academic year. It’s
hard to see them go because ISL due to the number of
students was a family and not some faceless
educational institution. Our future intention is to keep
on cultivating this family environment no matter how
many students we may have. Our hope is to educate as
many as we can. Our commitment is to exist and
inspire. Our belief is that we will.
Your children, our students have given us a wonderful
and inspirational foundation for the future. The
opportunity we were given to share and learn from
them- and each other-has provided us with a strong
base from which to go forwards. We’ve seen the future
and it definitely is worth fighting and living for.
Thank you, all.
Miss C
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p.s.
It was very difficult to fit 173 days in a book. It was even more difficult to decide
which ones not to leave out as each day had it’s own special character. But there will
always be moments that were never captured in a snapshot and that put a smile on
our face or moved us to tears and those are the moments that you can’t upload from
any memory stick or delete because they are saved on hardware that’s pretty soft
inside, your heart. Always find a reason to keep it warm and ticking.
p.s.2
Next year the last two pages will be hosting pictures and news about what you’ll be
doing within a year from today. Keep in touch.
Miss C
Special Thanks to :
All the volunteer parents that helped out with duties.
All the families that donated books, videotapes, maps, games, toys,
art supplies, puzzles.
All the people that provided help by employing all their special
skills: Baking, sewing, taking pictures.
Ms. Gerding for her educational support and her very effective tips
on teaching.
Mr. Evans for teaching drums and breaking the silence.
The computer technicians from JCSC who set up the internet
connection in the computer lab.
The support group from the maintenance section.
MWR for keeping in touch and providing updates.
The German Community for the 90euro donation.
The parents’ organization for too many reasons to mention.
To Mr.Baras for the basketball tracksuits.
To everybody that invested in ISL.
Thank you* Molto Grazie * Muchas Gracias * Tesekuler
Sa? e??a??st??µe ????? ?e?µ?.
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G???s?? ae? d?das??µe?e???.*
*As long as I live, I learn.
Aristotle
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I
Still
Long..
For
ISL
Is
Someone
Leaving ?
Is
Summer
Late ?
I
See
Learners
I
S
L
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