Annunciation/Evangelismos Church Catechism School
CURRENT AND UPCOMING CATECHISM SCHOOL EVENTS AND PROJECTS
'25-'26 Youth Ministries Registration >
Welcome Back to Catechism School! Sunday, September 28, 2025
On behalf of Catechism School, I want to thank everyone who contributed to the successful start of last week's classes. On Sunday, we welcomed nearly 60 children aged 2 to 18 to classes! Our students and teachers enjoyed getting to know each other in their new classrooms and received a special blessing from Father John to mark the beginning of the new school year.
In the coming weeks and months, we look forward to establishing a routine and will continue to offer a safe, welcoming space for all our youth to learn about our beautiful Orthodox faith. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me or your child’s teacher.
It’s not too late to register your child for Catechism & other ministries!
God bless,
Jacinda Ojeda
Catechism School Director
General Catechism Notes:
On regular Sundays, students will go to their classes after receiving Holy Communion, and each class will last about 30-40 minutes. We encourage parents to enjoy some peaceful time at coffee hour while waiting for their child(ren) to finish. Students will be given a small snack. Children in grades 1 and above will be released to the hall once their class ends. Younger children will need to be picked up from their classroom. Parents and guardians are asked not to linger in the Catechism wing while classes are in session.
This year's class schedule is as follows:
- Little Apostles (ages 2-3, with a parent/guardian): Ms. Connie Laspee, Classroom 1, apostles@anngoc.org
- Pre-K/Kindergarten (age 4 by Sept 1st): Ms. Kate Limberakis, assisted by Ms. Kali Godshall, Classroom 3, kindergarten@anngoc.org
- 1st & 2nd Grades: Ms. Kelly Toumbanakis, Classroom 2, firstgrade@anngoc.org
- 3rd & 4th Grade: Ms. Angela Gaugler, assisted by Ms. Emily Stine, Classroom 4, thirdgrade@anngoc.org
- 5th-7th Grade: Ms. Debbie Sourias, Classroom 6, fifthgrade@anngoc.org
- 8th-12th Grade: Mr. Mitch Papakirk, Conference Room, highschool@anngoc.org
The Catechism School year runs from mid-September to mid-May. Please mark these important dates on your calendar.
- September 28: First day of Classes
- November 30: NO CLASS, Thanksgiving Break
- December 21: Nativity Pageant (and PTO Bake Sale!)
- December 28: NO CLASS, Christmas Break
- February 1: Godparent Sunday
- March 1: Parish Oratorical Festival
- April 10: Holy Friday Youth Retreat
- April 12: NO CLASS, Holy Pascha
- May 17: Graduation Sunday
If you have any questions or would like to get involved in Catechism School, please reach out to me. We're excited to welcome our students "back-to-school" this Sunday and can't wait for you to see the new spaces!
Yours in Christ,
Jacinda Ojeda
Catechism School Director
Annunciation/Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church
c: 215.688.0461
Graduation Sunday, June 1, 2025
As we wrap up another wonderful year of Catechism school, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for all of the support we've received from the Annunciation/Evangelismos community. Our Catechism School continues to grow - the number of students registered for classes has risen once again, and our teachers have worked diligently throughout the year to teach our beautiful faith and foster a sense of community among our youth.
From our youngest two-year-olds to our high school students, our students learned about their faith not only through their traditional Sunday class time, but also through "Ask Father John" Q&A sessions, participating in processions and special services, attending an all-day Holy Friday Retreat, and collaborating with Matthew 25 and the Homeless Ministry. It was truly a busy and blessed year!
Thank you to our wonderful teachers and substitute teachers for their faithful dedication; Father John, George Dalagelis, the PTO, and the Parish Council for their support; and, of course, to the students for their joyful enthusiasm and to the caregivers who bring them to classes each week.
We are already planning for next year and are actively seeking new teachers, substitutes, and teaching assistants for the fall. If you are interested in joining our Catechism School staff, please reach out to me at catechism@anngoc.org.
Have a wonderful summer, and God bless!
Jacinda Ojeda
Catechism School Director
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Sunday of Orthodoxy, March 9, 2025
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Nativity Pageant, Sunday, December 22, 2025
Our youth and choir presented a precious Christmas Pageant this past Sunday. Seeing Parishioners, families, and friends gather together to sing Christmas carols and hymns was heartwarming. Oh, to keep this spirit in our hearts all year long! I would like to thank our youth leaders and parents for their loving and thoughtful dedication to our annual pageant. And a tremendous heartfelt thank you to Jim Papacostas, the beautiful choir and organist, for their tireless efforts, enthusiasm, and extraordinary talents in bringing it all together.
Wishing you all a blessed and Merry Christmas
With love
Effie Patounas
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MISSION
“Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and the stranger that is within your gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law." Deuteronomy 31:12.
A house must have a foundation to stand firm, and a tree needs strong, deep roots to grow properly. The mission of The Annunciation Catechism School is to provide a safe, nurturing environment for our youth in which they may grow their faith in Christ, learn the traditions and teachings of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, lovingly and enthusiastically live that faith on purpose, become disciples, and experience God’s constant presence in their lives.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” Matthew. 28:19-20
CURRICULUM
Our Church School program follows texts from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, supplemented with additional references, projects, and activities. Children learn outside classrooms through church processions, special services, performing in the Nativity Pageant, attending "Ask Father" sessions with the Parish Priest, and collaborating with Annunciation/Evangelismos's various service ministries.
PARTICIPATION
Catechism classes are held every Sunday from September to May and are available for children in Pre-K (starting at age four and fully toilet trained by the first day of class) through High School (12th grade). For younger children, please see our “Little Apostles” pre-Catechism class.
Classroom instruction starts after Holy Communion and lasts about 45 minutes. Lessons use creative methods and follow the Archdiocese's curriculum, enhanced by special programs. Children learn best by living their faith at home and school, especially through participation in Liturgical and Sacramental life. Our teachers create a welcoming environment. Learning is fun! Join us!
CONTACT
Jacinda Ojeda, Catechism School Director
We always need helping hands to improve our children's program and our service to our community. Please do not be shy! If you want to join this worthwhile effort, please contact Jacinda or Fr. John Johns.
HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES
The Children's Word-Orthodox Christian Network
A weekly newsletter that includes a message, coloring page, and activities on the Sunday Gospel lesson and one of the Saints for the week.
Orthodox Pebbles- A digital collection of high-quality, free, online Orthodox Christian educational resources for young children.
Be the Bee is a video series about finding God in everything, every day.
A collection of icon printables for coloring.