February 15, 2021

Dear Parents,

First of all, we hope this letter finds you and your loved ones healthy and strong.  We are contacting you on the occasion of the new, universal lockdown that went into effect on February 11, 2021, almost one year since the pandemic began. In these trying times, the pandemic has become deeply ingrained in our lives, as well as those of our children and students, and affects every aspect of every activity. It is, therefore, both logical and expected to feel overwhelmed by fatigue, insecurities, fear, and lack of patience, especially as it still remains nebulous as to when and how this pandemic will end.

At this point, we would like to share with you two needs that teens have, which cannot be met during this extended period of restrictions.

·     The need for movement.  Their daily life is characterized by increased inactivity. Life for many teenagers is carried out in a room with four walls and they have no motivation to leave this space. Many adolescents find this situation difficult, at times refusing to go out for a walk with a friend even though they know that this will make them feel better afterwards.

·     The need for new stimuli and experiences. Adolescents go through a developmental phase characterized by a deeper need to explore new experiences in order to discover and test different aspects of themselves.

Despite the challenges, we can strengthen the resilience of all (ours and that of adolescents) through some very simple steps:   

·     We express our emotions and, to the extent possible, refrain from the need to repeat “look at the positive side.”

·     We move as much as possible (walking, cycling, dancing to music at home, running) even if for only 10 minutes every day.  Inertia requires movement.

·     We do something differently, or we do something completely new.

Our own behavior can set an example and, thus, effectively help our children to see how they can try to do something.

With this opportunity, we would like to inform you that in order to continue to support our students, in addition to remote, individual counseling we will add the following:

·     An online questionnaire posted on MS Teams that students can complete anonymously and on a voluntary basis. The purpose of the questionnaire is for students to share how they are coping during the pandemic.  The questions will be multiple choice and cover a range of topics. The answers to the questionnaire will be processed by the School’s Counseling and Vocational Guidance Department.

·     Adolescent Encouragement Teams will be created, which students can voluntarily join.  All students will be informed of this action and if your child signs up you will be sent and update and consent form.
Lastly, we would like to remind you that we are at your disposal should you wish to contact us.

We wish all of you much strength.

Sincerely yours,

Maya Alivizatou, Ph.D. / Psychologist - [email protected]

Ifigeneia Kanoni, M.Sc. / Psychologist - [email protected] 

Lydia Papagiannopoulou, M.Sc. / Psychologist - [email protected]