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Sunday School Program
Overview
The Cathedral's Sunday School program (PDF) is the oldest in the DC-metropolitan area. Spanning generations, this program nurtures our most precious resource, our youth. Children raised in this program are taught the spiritual values of Greek Orthodoxy and the rich customs and traditions of the Greek culture.
Our Sunday School, equipped with the latest and best teaching aids, a sound yet flexible curriculum, and staff by qualified teachers, has the following three goals:
- To educate our children spiritually and morally, in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the faith and traditions of the Greek Orthodox Church
- To develop in our children the habit of attending church regularly, studying the Scriptures, and participating conscientiously in the worship and sacramental life of our church
- To cultivate in our children a Greek Orthodox conscience and devotion to our ideals and to prepare them so that they become faithful and devoted dynamic members of our church, our community, and our country
Today, our Sunday School has an enrollment of over 300 students and 15 classes.
Classes
Given that children may be of different ages in their classes at school, the Sunday School has grouped its children according to age to maintain continuity across groups. The minimum enrollment age is three years old and runs through age 18. Of note, at age 14, the boys enter our altar boy program for one year.
Term
The Sunday School term runs from the fourth Sunday of September and extends through the third Sunday in May.
Hours
Students are required to be in the church building by 10:00 a.m. and remain until they have been dismissed by their teacher (usually around 11:50 a.m.).
Contributions
A $10.00 registration fee is paid per child at the beginning of the Sunday School year. In addition, students are encouraged to make weekly offerings to the donations tray, which is circulated throughout the classrooms. The registration fee and contributions help pay for our books, white boards, visual aids and other school supplies.
Classrooms
Sunday School classes are held in the Frosene Education Center which is connected to the Cathedral via the ground level.
Curriculum
The Cathedral's Sunday School curriculum is tailored to meet children's spiritual needs across various ages. For the younger children, the curriculum tends to focus on the child's individual needs and deals with Christianity in general terms. The curriculum flexes to the children's interests and desires making the learning process enjoyable and fun. For the older children, the curriculum becomes more systematic, but drives the students to voice their own thoughts and opinions. The subject matter is primarily centered on the religious traditions in the Greek Orthodox Church, but will frequently apply religious learning to real-world situations and events. The goal for our older children is to help them apply the fundamentals of Christianity in their life journey and everyday interactions.
Music Group
For ages four to nine, the music program provides an opportunity to learn the words (in Greek and in English) to many hymns and songs heard throughout the Divine Liturgy and on holidays. The music lessons are approximately twenty minutes long and are offered on alternating Sundays by age groups.
After Group
The high school discussion group, historically called the Aftergroup as years before it convened after the church service, brings together the church's teenagers (ages 13 to 18) and provides them a firsthand opportunity to engage in discussion with the clergy. On a monthly basis, this group is convened during the service as one of our priests joins the teenagers in an open-group discussion of current events and the meanings of Orthodoxy. Past discussion topics have included:
- Man: Made in the Image of Christ
- The Nature of God
- Finding Christ
- The Great Lent, Fasting and You
- A Comparison of Islam and Christianity
- Is There Such a Thing as a Moral War?
Altar Boys
The 14-year-old boys depart from the traditional Sunday school curriculum to partake of our altar boy program. Through active participation in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and holidays, the program instructs the boys on the meaning of the Divine Liturgy, other services, and the fundamental sacraments of the church.
Prior to participating in the Divine Liturgy, the altar boys meet with Presbytera to review elements of the Divine Liturgy. Primarily, the altar boys will focus on the day's Gospel lesson or epistle reading and interpreting its meaning and relevance to their lives. Upon concluding their lesson, the altar boys ascend to the altar and assist with the Divine Liturgy.
Altar Boy Schedule
| 9:00am - 9:50am | Arrive at Cathedral for Sunday School Session with Presbytera |
| 9:50am - 12:00pm | Ascend to the Altar to assist with the Divine Liturgy |
Calendar
---------- = no class communion; Sunday School is in session.
*Schedule is subject to change
Teaching Staff
The program is run by over 30 dedicated volunteer teachers and staff, many of whom are graduates of the program themselves. The staff bring a variety of backgrounds to further enrich the Sunday School program and include public and private school teachers, academics, professionals, and, of course, mothers and fathers of some of the children. This tight knit group extends back over 50 years with teachers touching generations of the cathedral's youth.
Sunday School Staff
| Nursery | Alicia Clark |
| Age 3 | Niki Lachica, Diane Stratakos |
| Age 4 | Lynne Courtney, Mary Ann Nasou |
| Age 5 | Mary Cranford, Elizabeth Shramek |
| Age 6 | Maria Mechelis, Melissa Ganginis |
| Age 7 | Stracie Maniatis |
| Age 8 | Kelly Tanzi |
| Age 9 | Kristina Mechelis, Amanda Ganginis |
| Age 10 | Margo Anderson |
| Age 11 | Jim Polis |
| Age 12 | Van Andros |
| Age 13 | Joanne Kenny |
| Age 14 | Harriett Tavlarides |
| Altar Boys | Peter Sbily, George Paul |
| Age 15 | Alexis Graham, Jane Walsh |
| Age 16 | Arthur Koines, Alexandra Heliotis |
| Age 17-18 | Diane Cerniglia, Amanda Creed |
Registering for Sunday School
To register for Sunday School, please contact the Cathedral office at 202.333.4730 or click on the link below to download the Sunday School registration form (PDF). There is a $10.00 per child registration fee.
