Presbytera Maria’s Annual Christmas Break Book Club
Presbytera Maria Koulianos, Principal
December 20, 27 and January 3 | 11:30 AM ET | No Registration Required
A Christmas Carol is a novella by Charles Dickens. First published by Chapman & Hall on December 19, 1843, it tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation from an arrogant, obstinate, and insensitive miser to a generous, warmhearted, and caring human being.
COME AND JOIN us in reading and discussing A Christmas Carol! We will dig deeply into the plot, its characters, lessons, and quotes such as, “‘I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!'”
Event Recordings
St. Raphael of Brooklyn Feast Day Lecture
Presbytera Maria Koulianos, Principal
November 16 | 7:00 PM ET | Registration is Required
Come and celebrate St. Raphael: his life, legacy and lessons with speaker, Richard Barrett.
Richard Barrett is the Director of Publications for Cappella Romana, as well as Director of Music and Protopsaltis of Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Somerville, Massachusetts, and the Artistic Director of the Saint John of Damascus Society. As a performer, he sings regularly with the ensembles Cappella Romana, Psaltikon, the Saint Tikhon Choir, the Patriarch Tikhon Russian-American Music Institute Choir, the Archdiocesan Byzantine Choir of the GOA, and others. He has served as an invited speaker, clinician, and singer at Orthodox parishes and sacred music conferences throughout the United States. He has published scholarly articles in Greek Orthodox Theological Review, Journal of Early Christianity, and Studia Patristica, and he also writes regularly on musical topics for Orthodox Arts Journal and other publications. He holds a Master of Arts in Ancient History with minors in Medieval History and Ancient Studies, as well as a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, from Indiana University.
Coffee with the Principals
Dr. Joylynn Blake and Presbytera Maria Koulianos
November 14 | 12:30 AM ET | Registration is Required
Join our Principals and the Chairs of Houses of Study as we prepare our hearts for welcoming the Light of World. Participants will reflect on how light plays a role in church tradition and our own spiritual understandings.
Fall College Night
Dr. Joylynn Blake
October 26 | 7:00 PM ET | Registration is Required
Scholé Academy’s Fall College Night will feature a panel of Christian college leaders offering thoughtful perspectives and practical guidance for anyone thinking about higher education. The event is open to all ages and is particularly suited for families with students in middle and high school.
St. Raphael School Fall Colloquy
Presbytera Maria Koulianos, Principal
October 19 | 7:00 PM ET | No Registration Required
“Maybe you have no idea just how good you really can be? And maybe you don’t know how much you matter? But maybe, just maybe, the world has been waiting centuries for someone exactly like you. One thing is for sure, you are here. And because you are here… anything is possible.”
Come Join Presbytera Maria Koulianos as she reads and discusses the Nautilus Award winning book Maybe by New York Times Best-selling author Kobi Yamada. The story is a celebration of the possibilities we hold inside us. The story is wonderfully sweet and the drawings are stunning – don’t miss out!
Coffee with the Principals
Dr. Joylynn Blake and Presbytera Maria Koulianos
September 29 | 11:00 AM ET | Registration is Required
Scholé Academy Principals Dr. Joylynn Blake and Presbytera Maria Koulianos invite parents and community members to sit down with them over a warm cup and consider how to cultivate a “Lightness of Spirit” amidst cultural temptations toward frenzy and anxiousness. Come visit with us and be refreshed.
Back to School Family Night
Dr. Joylynn Blake, Scholé Academy Director and Principal
August 31 | 7:00 PM ET
Dr. Joylynne Blake, director and principal of Scholé Academy, and her team talk about the upcoming school year. Enjoy the activities, games and discussion!
SRS Open House
Presbytera Maria Koulianos St. Raphael School Principal
August 10th | 4:00PM ET | Registration is NOT Required
Interested in experiencing a SRS course? Curious to learn more about restful classical pedagogy? Come to our Open House on July 26, 2023 at 2pm ET to take part in several short lessons by instructors offering courses for the upcoming academic year. Families will be able to join a classroom and get a 5-10 minute lesson as a sampling.
Saint Raphael School welcomes your family to join us and learn way to be a part of our community who pursues Christian education through the time-tested classical pedagogy where we offer restful, engaging, live online courses hosted by talented instructors in every discipline. Connect with us at this open house and prepare for Saint Raphael School’s Christ-centered culture, award-winning courses, and family-oriented community.
The Liberal Arts at St. Raphael
Presbytera Maria Koulianos St. Raphael School Principal
May 31st | 7:00PM ET
What is the Liberal Arts Tradition? How does St. Raphael School implement the Liberal Arts Curriculum within the Orthodox Faith? Come and Learn what we have to offer; from wonder to wisdom.
Open Mic Night
Presbytera Maria Koulianos St. Raphael School Principal
May 18th | 7:00PM ET | Registration is Required
Come enjoy Scholé Academy’s Annual Open Mic Night and celebrate student successes! Students in Scholé Academy recited original poetry, shared artwork, and excerpts from their short stories and essays, and enjoyed one another’s company!
Take a look at all the student work here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eJOS4cDmlw9WKurleEw033Q9pH_v21wZ?usp=share_link
SRS Father Porphyrios Memorial Lecture/h3>
Presbytera Maria Koulianos St. Raphael School Principal
May 11th | 7:00PM ET | Registration is Required
The Fr. Porphyrios (James) Taylor Memorial Lecture is hosted by St. Raphael School in memory of our founder. Fr. Porphyrios was an author, teacher, and leader in Orthodos education, and his work Poetic Knowledge: The Recovery of Education continues to inspire teachers and educational leaders, particulady those laboring to renew Christian classical education in the United States. The annual lecture will focus on themes exploring the intersection of Orthodox spirituality and education, keeping in mind the words of St. Porphyrios: “Whoever wants to become a Christian must first become a poet.”
SRS Launch Town Hall Meeting
Presbytera Maria Koulianos St. Raphael School Principal
April 20th | 7:00PM ET | Registration is Required
Bring your questions for this dedicated time to chat with St. Raphael School Principal, Presbytera Maria Koulianos in a Q&A session to learn more the upcoming 23-24 academic year course selections. Curious about placement levels or new course offerings? Interested in learning more about our Scholé vision? We look forward to giving you a glimpse of how Scholé Academy and St. Raphael School’s Christ-centered commitments and family-oriented courses can serve you!
SRS Family Faith Formation Movie Night
Presbytera Maria Koulianos St. Raphael School Principal
April 6th | 7:00PM ET | Registration is Required
The Island, rated PG-13, is a 2006 Russian biographical film about a 20th century Eastern Orthodox monk. It is focused on the protagonist’s,Father Anatoly’s, repentance of his sin continuously focused on the Jesus Prayer. He is a Fool for Christ who impacts those around him. Russian actor, Pyotr Mamonov, who plays the lead character, formerly one of the few rock musicians in USSR, converted to Eastern Orthodoxy in the 1990s and lives now in an isolated village. Pavel Lungin, the film’s director, said about him that “to a large extent, he played himself.” Mamonov received a blessing from his confessor for playing the character and now lives in an isolated village. Movie can be watched for FREE on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz-vegualMg
WATCH at home and COME to DISCUSS the simplicity, humility, remoteness, and miracles which converge into creating a timeless snapshot of Orthodox spirituality. This is a Family Faith Formation Night opened to our St. Raphael School families and to our greater Schole Academy community
SRS St. Raphael Feast Day Lecture
Presbytera Maria Koulianos St. Raphael School Principal
Elizabeth Crispina Johnson Lecturer
February 15th | 7:00PM | Registration is Required
Join us as Elizabeth Crispina Johnson presents on Saint Raphael, the Holy Shepherd of Brooklyn: His Life, Legacy, and Lessons. Listen to the conversation surrounding St. Raphael’s commitment to simply doing his work, that of serving others, engaging in the struggles of those around him showing them kindness and compassion, and how this “doing” can lead to spiritual growth.
Scholé Academy Tutoring Center Open House
Joanne Schinstock, Director Scholé Academy
Charissa Sethman, Educational Services Coordinator
• Discussion of Scholé Academy Philosophy and Tutor Profile
• Snapshot of Services Offered and How Those Look in Various Disciplines
• Q&A with the manager, principal, tutors, and special needs instructors
Click HERE to learn more about the Tutoring Center and Center for Students with Learning Differences.
Scholé Academy December Lecture Hall
Joanne Schinstock, Director Scholé Academy
Guest Lecturer Joshua Gibbs, Author-Speaker-Teacher
“What Should You Watch? A Selection on Film from Love What Lasts”
When you’re in the mood for a movie, how do you choose what you’ll watch? Given that the average American now spends more than a hundred hours every year just scrolling through Netflix menus, it is safe to assume that most Americans don’t know how to pick a movie. The way in which Christians choose what to watch is quite complicated. They want to be entertained, they want to be enlightened, but they also want to keep their finger on the cultural pulse of the country. What considerations ought to have top priority?
In this lecture, Joshua Gibbs reads the first chapter of Love What Lasts, his sprawling new book about how we choose what to watch, read, eat, wear, worship, and listen to. The first chapter of Love What Lasts is all about film—how film has changed since the 60s, how Christian viewing strategies have changed in the last generation, and what sort of questions confront the man who now has unlimited viewing options. If you often find yourself debating what to watch, are regularly disappointed with your choices, or simply want to have better taste in film—or better taste in general—this reading from Love What Lasts will help get you thinking in a new direction.
Click HERE to learn more about Love What Lasts and Gibbs Classical.
Scholé Academy November Lecture Hall
Joanne Schinstock, Director Scholé Academy
Guest Lecturer Matthew Smith, President Hildegard College
Math and Science for the Formation of the Soul: Placing the Quadrivium at the Center of Education with Founder of Hildegard College, Matthew Smith
The renewal of the liberal arts that we know as “classical education” is often narrowly associated with a renewal of the humanities — philosophy, literature, politics, history, and the arts. But the majority of the seven traditional liberal arts (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music, grammar, logic, rhetoric) are sciences. Classical educators sometimes find it difficult to integrate the study of geometry, physics, mathematics, and biology into a curriculum that inspires our students. Yet it is important to recognize that these “quadrivial arts” are essential not merely for technical knowledge but for the moral, intellectual, and spiritual formation of young people, which is why music and even theology are best taught as sciences. Great thinkers like Plato, Boethius, Aquinas, and Milton give us a roadmap and vocabulary for reinforcing the power of the quadrivial arts to lead students to a clearer vision of what is true, beautiful, and worthy of our love.
Click HERE to learn more about Hildegard College.