“Our joint commitment to apply the mutually agreed upon principles presupposes dedication to common rules of life, continuous communication, and the consolidation of a genuinely honest working relationship amongst ourselves.  In the classroom, a ‘common culture’ such as this transforms itself into shared creativeness.”

Markos Kynigos

Psychico College was founded in 1980 as an elementary school headed by Markos Kynigos.  From its inception, the School has followed its own unique approach towards education, all the while in keeping with the guiding principles, traditions and goals of the Hellenic-American Educational Foundation.

Markos Kynigos strongly encouraged the creative input of students in the learning process as well as their involvement in a variety of extra-curricular activities.  In so doing, he ensured them every opportunity to develop their own initiatives and to become cultured individuals.

In 1995, the Elementary School adopted the practice of descriptive evaluations, designed by the Pedagogical Institute, for students across all grade levels.  The consistent application of this evaluation process in the Elementary School (and later in the Middle and High Schools) constituted an innovation in the Greek educational system.  Beginning that same year, the Elementary School, by way of its participation in an experimental program titled “Computers as a tool for exploring the expression of ideas and for communication for everyone in school,” provided an entertaining and constructive environment in which it introduced the use of modern technology to its students while simultaneously strengthening their problem solving skills.  A few years later, this same program was implemented in the Middle School.

In 1999 when Psychico College’s Middle and High Schools opened their doors, Markos Kynigos attempted to apply his pedagogical concepts to the new upper levels.  He helped teachers realize the need for a common pedagogical approach; not implying that all teachers think and act in the same way, but rather the need for them to agree on the same pedagogical principles to be consistently espoused and practiced in everyday activities.  These very pedagogical principles were, and continue to be, formulated by the teachers themselves through constant dialogue and the frequent exchange of ideas.

Psychico College High School was enriched in 2000 by the introduction of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.  The I.B. Program was embraced by the School as a progressive private institution with open and boundless horizons, seizing the opportunity to profit from the IBO’s international educational concepts and approaches.  Students in the I.B. Program follow the spirit and the philosophy of Psychico College by regularly participating in all School activities, events and traditions along with their peers in the General High School (Greek Ministry program).

With the onset of the 2003-2004 academic year, Psychico College reached completion with the General High School now offering majors in all three concentrations (science, theoretic and technological tracks).

As a result of the new dynamics, teachers across the board - from elementary through high school - reevaluated and modified the pedagogical line of the School in order to adapt it to its new needs.  The goals on which the School steered itself until then were discussed at length and subsequently reformulated and supplemented.

It was agreed that the core objective of the School is the mastery of a diversity of intellectual skills and the upbringing of our students, the fostering of individual aptitudes/talents and the acquisition of high academic standards – with the ultimate aspiration being excellence.

Within the framework of the fundamental principles and the philosophy of Psychico College, special emphasis is given to the cultivation of creativeness, critical thinking skills and the students’ aptitudes and talents, as well as to the development of cultural awareness, a strong set of values and a solid academic foundation on which to build.  It is our obligation to the provide students not only with the subject matter required by the State, but to provide them with the skills that will allow them to shift and evolve with society’s ever-changing needs, with technological advances and with their own personal evolution.  Thus, they will be able to come into play even beyond the borders of our nation and become tomorrow’s citizens of the world.  Our programs are designed to cultivate research and self-motivation skills, collaborative learning, active participation by all students, and awareness of the inter-disciplinary nature of knowledge.

Our students’ academic education is supplemented by a variety of socio-political and athletic activities in which they can participate.  Noteworthy is the fact that the majority of our students have joined the School’s Clubs which convene on a weekly basis.  These Clubs reflect the students’ interests and talents and contribute to the development of their multi-faceted personalities.  Certain Clubs, such as the Model United Nations and Forensics, have teams that regularly represent Psychico College with great distinction in both national and international competitions.  Furthermore, field trips and excursions are also designed to complement the students’ academic studies by sensitizing them to historical, socio-political, and environmental issues.

In the realm of student assessment, in addition to the standard quarterly grading and the descriptive evaluations, students in all three School units are assessed through the system of portfolios (individual compilations of graded projects, tests and student assignments).

Particular efforts have been made to establish a continuum in the educational development of the students vis a vis the alignment of all three School units insofar as didactic methodology, disciplinary policies, and the organization of joint school events.  Our aim is the moulding of a “shared pedagogical philosophy.”  With the establishment of unified academic departments in the Middle and High Schools and counterparts in the Elementary (with coordinators in the three basics subjects:  Mathematics, Language Arts and Sciences), Psychico College strives for the most efficient collaboration between its School units and the assuredness of uniform academic and pedagogical policies that will, by extension, result in the students’ smooth transition from one grade level to the next and from one School unit to the other.

The School’s Administrators have formulated a thorough yearly evaluation tool for each educator.  Having first taken into account teachers’ suggestions which were voiced during Faculty and Department Meetings, the Directions of Psychico College and Athens College jointly composed a “Teacher Evaluation Form.”  Also, Psychico College is currently undertaking a School self-evaluation, assessing the programs in all its School units, for the purpose of reformulating and improving the teaching/learning process.

Great emphasis is given to the teaching of English through an enriched syllabus in all School units and across all levels.  Special courses in the Middle and High Schools (such as “Research Skills”, “Information Literacy” and “Academic Writing Skills Seminar”) help students develop research, thinking and writing skills.  Additionally, courses in other disciplines, such as Geography and Psychology, are also taught in the English language.  Having acquired the appropriate terminology and learned the general principles in English, students are better prepared to pursue future and more advanced studies in these subjects.

The Computer literacy program, too, is continuously being upgraded as a result of the increased use of new technologies in teaching.  Computers are utilized for research purposes in a wide range of subjects and are used as a teaching tool across many disciplines.  The Computer program syllabus was designed and is implemented in our School by a single, unified department of teachers that supports all three School units.  Its goal is for all students to achieve a high standard of computer literacy so that by the end of Middle School they will be in the position, if they so desire, to earn a certificate from Cambridge University with whom we are associated.

Our School places immense importance on the professional development of its faculty, particularly as it regards teaching methodology, professional updates, the use of new technology in the classroom, class management and leadership skills.  It, therefore, encourages on-going learning through participation in conferences and the organization of internal educational seminars for its faculty.  Within this framework, it promotes collaboration with other well-established institutions in Greece and abroad.  It is noteworthy to mention Psychico College’s collaboration with Cambridge University and the Education Department of the University of Patras as well as its on-going collaboration with Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.  With an eye on keeping abreast of all international developments in education, teachers at Psychico College departmentally studied the feasibility of applying the widely acclaimed Finnish model of education to our programs.  In fact, as a result of our High School students’ participation in the PISA Exams administered by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), our teachers enriched their teaching practices with new approaches aimed at empowering students with the knowledge and skills required for problem-solving in everyday situations.  Further evidence of the School’s commitment to professional development is the practice of exchange class visits between the faculty.  Teachers sit in on colleagues’ lessons (not necessarily from the same department) as a means of enriching their own experiences with new ideas, techniques and teaching methods.

It is our firm belief that life-long learning by all members of our School community gives rise to conditions that enable the School to transform itself into a learning community.