Sunday School News - September 2026

Welcome to the 2026-2027 Sunday School year! Here is the Sunday School Schedule for September 2026:

• September 13: Classes Begin, Agiasmos for the new school year; Festival of Ministries/Registration Sunday for all youth activities

• September 20: No classes, Greek Affair

• September 27: Worship and Classes, Sunday School Picture, Teacher Meeting

The calendar for the entire 2026 -2027 Sunday School year is posted on our website (https://www.ss.st-luke.org) and will also be emailed to all families who register their children for the 2026-2027 school year.

We are very excited to begin the year and welcome our students to the first Sunday of classes on September 13, 2026. After Holy Communion, students of all grades should go to the Education Building and join the class that matches the grade they attend at their regular school. Please see the chart below:

SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS 2026-2027

First Floor	Room Number	Teacher(s)
3 year olds	Room 103	Lisa Palmieri and Kathy Zarvalas
Pre-K	Room 101	Faithe Kalisperis and Marinela Tsapournas
11th and 12th Grade	Room 100	Danny Milinkovic and Evan Palmieri
Second Floor	Room Number	Teacher(s)
Kindergarten	Room 201	Marilena Ristas and Helen Kopitas
1st Grade	Room 205	Thomas Ristas and Phoebe Harris
2nd Grade	Room 203	Eleni Kornblatt and Evie Karros
3rd Grade	Room 202	Sophia Tsakiris and Jen Kyriakodis
4th Grade	Room 207	Marina Despotopoulou and Fotini Kathopoulis
5th and 6th Grade	Room 204	Elene Mironidis and Christian O'Donnell
7th and 8th Grade	Room 206	Art Karros and George Kevgas
9th and 10th Grade	Room 209	Peter Pavlis and Heidi Galanos

OPEN HOUSE

Please mark your calendars! This year’s Sunday School Open House will be held on Sunday, October 25, 2026, immediately following Holy Communion. As we celebrate and recognize the important role grandparents play in nurturing and passing on the Orthodox faith to future generations, we warmly invite all parents and grandparents to visit our Sunday School classrooms with their children. Open House is a wonderful opportunity for our teachers to connect with families, introduce the new national Sunday School curriculum for each grade level, share what students will learn throughout the year, and establish the best ways to maintain meaningful communication between teachers, students, and families.

We look forward to welcoming our families into the classrooms and beginning another year of learning, worshiping, and growing together in Christ!

REGISTRATION

Please visit the Sunday School table at the Festival of Ministries on September 13, 2026, OR, click on the following link: https://www.ss.st-luke.org/registration

Please be sure to indicate on the registration form the name(s) of those who are permitted to pick up your child/children from Sunday School if you are not able to do so. Teachers will not dismiss a child to someone unknown to them unless you have given permission. This policy is an important facet of our Youth Safety program, which we take very seriously.

DIVINE LITURGY READERS

Please encourage your children to volunteer to read the Epistle or the Communion Prayer during Divine Liturgy.  We will send you the reading(s) ahead of time so that your child can practice and become comfortable with the texts beforehand.

PHILANTHROPIC AND SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Our children’s religious education is rooted in worship, prayer, and service to others. Throughout the year, Sunday School families will have opportunities to put their faith into action by serving those in need.

This summer, through the generosity of our Saint Luke community, our FOCUS Backpack Fundraiser provided nearly 1,000 backpacks to local children. This year, Sunday School will also coordinate monthly food donations, meal preparation, and delivery for individuals experiencing homelessness through FOCUS Philadelphia.

Through these ministries, we hope our children learn that serving others is an essential part of living our Orthodox faith and serving Christ Himself.

For more information about Open House, registration, reading in church, service opportunities, or any other programs/activities, please contact Jane Kelly, Panayota Kevgas, and Sophia Milinkovic at stlukesundayschool@gmail.com.