The Greek Consul for Educational Affairs Dr Charalampos Ladopoulos visited Balwyn High School on August 21 to make a presentation to the 2008 Greek Premier’s Award recipient Effie Markesinis. Every year the Premier’s VCE Awards are awarded to the top VCE students.
Out of 42 VCE Languages Other Than English, only 10 Premier’s Awards are given each year. This year one of these recipients for the Greek language was Effie Markesinis.
She was only one of 22 High Achievers receiving a score of more than 40 in Greek. In fact she was the only student of Modern Greek who received a perfect score of 50. Effie is a third generation Greek who completed Modern Greek Units 3&4 as a Year 11 student.
The teaching of Greek recommenced at Balwyn High School in 1998. Currently, there are about 100 students studying Modern Greek with an equal number studying Ancient Greek and Classical Greek at the school.
Greek is also taught to Year 12 students after an initiative in 2003, by the Head of Languages Other than English, Eleni Kane.
Dr Ladopoulos presented Effie with a certificate of Excellence from the Education Office of the Consulate General of Greece and congratulated her on her outstanding achievement pointing out that it is students like Effie who embody the aspirations of the present and future generations to retain and promote Greek language and culture.
He also congratulated Mrs Kane, who, for the second time since 2003 has supported and encouraged a student to receive the Premier’s Award for Greek.