Socrates once said, “Wisdom begins in wonder.” Socrates Academy in Matthews takes this admonition to heart, as children are expected to be active thinkers while learning and speaking two languages during the normal course of a school day.
The campus, complete with large columns, bright halls, and symbols of ancient European days, is meant to capture the feel of historic Athens. The K-6 school is tucked into an affluent community in the suburbs of Charlotte.
Now in its fifth year of operation, Socrates Academy is the brainchild of three Greek businessmen living in the area. They dreamed of an educational experience for students that included immersion in the Greek language, philosophy, and culture. They launched an eco-friendly, Greek language-intensive local public charter school, inviting children from a host of backgrounds — including those of Hispanic, Russian, and Asian heritage — to join the student body.
“We don’t have textbooks,” said Principal Janice Dellinger-Holton, a 40-year veteran of education. “We don’t departmentalize here. There is no tenure. We’re about kids and teachers at Socrates. We are energized for education. Students are taught to be critical, analytical thinkers”
She said the staff, teachers, and administrators understand it takes teamwork to make a charter school run effectively and efficiently. Everyone works together, juggling multiple tasks to make the school a success.
Their biggest obstacle has been managing the burgeoning student body, which has grown from 67 to 447 students, with a wait list of 150 children over the past five years.
Socrates has moved from its original space to a bigger campus and built an additional building on the new property.
The school day runs an hour longer than a traditional public school, but the students have no homework. Instead, they are given opportunities for extended learning and are encouraged to explore areas and subjects that interest them.
Students take language arts and mathematics in both English and Greek. Several teachers have come directly from Greece to teach at Socrates Academy. Most are on work visas that often allow them to stay at the school for three to five years.
Anna Athanasopoulou is one of the educators. This resident of Greece, who has a Ph.D., moved to Charlotte four years ago to teach and develop mathematics curriculum to be taught only in the Greek language.
“This is very new to me,” she said in a halted accent. “It’s a unique experience and I appreciate the moment I said ‘yes.’”
Athanasopoulou said a benefit of the students learning mathematics in a different language is they are more alert and on task.
“Their attention is very high because they are learning in a new language,” she said. “It’s a huge feat to get the concept in a new language.”
Besides being active learners, everyone on the campus takes a pledge to find ways to play, be serious about their work without being serious about themselves, stay focused, be present when others need them, and to find someone to help, encourage, or simply listen to.
Sixth grader Jack Mabon, 11, has relished his time at Socrates so much that he turned down the opportunity to go to another exclusive gifted and talented school in the area.
“It’s fantastic and I love everything about it,” he said. “The Socratic Method is great and it’s the reason I stayed. They ask questions to get our minds going. They make learning fun. It’s the teacher’s life goal to prove that.”
State Sen. Eddie Goodall, R-Union, president of the N.C. Alliance for Public Charter Schools, said he is impressed with both the physical and learning environment at the school. He said it is rare to find a school operating at such a high level.
“So many times kids are left out of the educational conversation,” he said. “That is not true here. They are actively engaged, thinking and learning at every level.”
A priority for Goodall is lifting the state’s cap of 100 charter schools when the General Assembly convenes in late January.
Mabon is discouraged there isn’t enough room for all his friends and relatives to attend Socrates Academy.
“I am excited to come to school every day and I feel sorry for the kids that can’t go here,” he said. “Even President Obama gave a speech saying how good it is to learn a different language when you are young because our brains are like sponges.”
Mabon said one of the highlights of his bilingual school career was the free trip he took to Greece upon completion of his fifth grade year.
He said the one-month excursion, which immersed him in the language and culture, changed his life.
“It was amazing,” he said. “It was the most fun I’ve had in my whole life. I got to go with friends and be in that cultural environment where they spoke very little English. I had to converse and comprehend in Greek.”
Parents and guardians are expected to work a minimum of 36 hours a year on the campus. Janna Tipton, mother of two at the school, said the commitment is worth it because both of her children are thriving at the school.
“They have a lot of good friends and great teachers here,” she said. “The curriculum really holds their attention. They aren’t learning from memorization or from rote. I like that they are learning a foreign language right from kindergarten. They are well-educated and having fun at the same time. I am grateful every day for this school. It is a gift to me and my family.”
Karen Welsh is a contributor to Carolina Journal.