Students, staff, parents, members of the School Executive and representatives of the School Board at Oakleigh Grammar all came together for another successful iteration of its annual Assembly recognising Greek Independence Day.
The Assembly brought together everyone associated with the school to commemorate the 204th anniversary of this significant date in Modern Greek history.
The event also featured the presence of special guest Bishop Kyriakos of Melbourne, along with Father Chris Dimolianis, Father Panteleimon Laskaridis, Father Stavros Kakavas, Tony Tsourdalakis (President of Intercommunity and Parishes Council of Victoria – Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia) and Maria Triantafyllou (Acting Coordinator of Educational Affairs Australia and New Zealand).
On behalf of Archbishop Makarios of Australia, Bishop Kyriakos spoke on the importance of Greek Independence Day, which also coincides with the beginning of Great Lent and the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Byzantine Choir then performed several hymns before Principal Mark Robertson delivered his Principal’s Address, focusing on the Greek concept of ‘filotimo’ and emphasising its special connections to the School values of humility, aspiration, respect and kindness.
Various students then gave musical performances to the delight of the parents and guests, including a live bouzouki performance by Year 5 student Vasili, and a presentation from the Middle School Dancing Group.
The school praised the students for showcasing their skills, noting in their press release that “each student admirably displayed their talents to mark such an important event for the international and local Greek community”.
