Offering Greek language classes at the parish level is a time-honored tradition for the Greek Orthodox Church in America. The parishioners at Saint Sophia in Valley Forge were fortunate enough to have Kyria Erietta Fotiadis as their Greek school teacher for many, many years. With her recent retirement, a search was on for a new Greek school teacher.

For the second year, Mrs. Dimitra Klapakis brings her extensive experience in Greek language education to our community. Mrs Klapakis was born and raised in Athens, Greece. She came to the United States in 1997. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Arizona State University. Mrs. Klapakis has been teaching Modern Greek Language to students since 2006 and has taught at various levels in different Greek schools in both Arizona and Colorado.

Dimitra loves teaching and is committed to providing all her students with the necessary tools to achieve their academic goals. She instills a love of learning the not only the Hellenic language but also the many cultural aspects of our ancestral homeland. She also loves to teach her students cooperative teamwork.

Mrs. Klapakis recently moved to Pennsylvania with her husband George and their three sons. Like most of us, she loves to go back to Greece to visit family and friends whenever she is able.

If you are interested in learning more about our Greek Language program or would like to enroll, please continue reading below.

Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church

Greek Language School 2023-2024

Greek language classes begin on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 (Kindergarten/Level 1); Thursday, September 21, 2023 (Level 2/Level 3); and Sunday, September 24, 2023 (Adult Education). All classes will end on Wednesday, May 26, 2024 (Children) and Sunday, May 29, 2024 (Adults). The completed REGISTRATION PACKET should be emailed to the Parish office at office@saintsophiachurch.org. Please submit PAYMENT IN FULL to the Parish office by September 10th. 

Course Level Placement Information: Course level assignment is based upon Greek language ability rather than grade level in school. Appropriate course level for the 2023-2024 school year will be determined based on age and upon review of the completed STUDENT EVALUATION FORM included in the REGISTRATION PACKET. The teacher, Mrs. Dimitra Klapakis, will also further evaluate each student on the first day of school to better asses their proficiency and understanding of the Greek language.  All students will be notified by the instructor of appropriate course level for the 2023-2024 school year.

Calendar: Classes begin on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. All classes will end on Sunday, May 29, 2024. There will be no classes the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, and no classes during Holy Week. Please see the attached GREEK SCHOOL ACADEMIC CALENDAR for the 2023-2024 school year.

Cancellations: Class cancelled due to weather will be rescheduled at the discretion of the Greek school instructor. Additional communication regarding schedule changes and/or weather cancellations will be communicated via text message.

For questions regarding the program and registration, please contact Dimitra Klapakis at 623-363-0980 or dimitraklapakis19@gmail.com. 

For questions regarding payment, please contact the Parish office at office@saintsophiachurch.org or 610-650-8960 during business hours.

Tuition payments can be made using any of the following options:

• Venmo - Search in Venmo or click www.venmo.com/SaintSophiaChurch to send payment to St. Sophia Church.
• Zelle - Through your bank’s Zelle system, input treasurer@saintsophiachurch.org as a recipient and you’ll be ready to send payment to St. Sophia Church.
• PayPal - Click on the DONATE button anywhere on this website to take you to a payment page. There you can pay using PayPal or a credit card.
• Personal Check - Please make checks payable to St. Sophia Church and be sure to indicate “Greek School Tuition” on the memo line.