April 2025 News & Updates
Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen!
We hope this message finds you all well and enjoying the beauty and joy of this blessed Paschal season!
Holy week and Pascha were so beautiful here on campus. Friends from Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary held their monthly catechism class the week before Pascha and made beautiful palm crosses with the children for Palm Sunday, which was wonderful. Throughout all of Holy Week, Orthodox faithful from the surrounding community joined us in attending services at our beautiful chapel. And of course, Pascha was magnificent as it always is.
Earlier in April, we kicked off the month with a very special guest, Dr. Philip Mamalakis, who led a wonderful parenting workshop for Saint Basil residents as well as friends from afar who joined via Zoom. Dr. Mamalakis is a professor at Hellenic College Holy Cross, author of best-selling Orthodox parenting book, Parenting Toward the Kingdom, and Vice-Chair of the Assembly of Canonical Bishops of America’s Mental Health Task Force. It was a rich and instructive day and the first of what we hope will be many such talks to come.
The following week, our homeschool children took a Saint Basil Experience Fund sponsored field trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. They got to go to the top of the crown, ride a ferry, experience living history, and make lasting positive memories. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to the Experience Fund to make trips like these possible! They are so formative and important for our children. If you have never heard of the Saint Basil Experience Fund, check out the “Did You Know?” section at the bottom of this newsletter or reach out to Ms. Lauren at l.biniaris@sbagoa.org.
This past weekend was packed with great things here on campus. On Saturday we held a special kickoff event for National Water Safety Month that included our SBA families and children, clergy, M2O Swim, and the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting. We were honored to have special guest Senator Rob Rolison in attendance to highlight the importance of water safety and drowning prevention as a public health imperative, especially for the protection of children.
On Sunday, our dear friends from PanGregorian Enterprises of New Jersey hosted a fantastic panygiri-style Easter Picnic. The food was phenomenal, everyone had a blast, and the children especially loved getting their Easter baskets! Thank you, PanGregorian for always being so generous with us. It was a truly wonderful feast!
We hope to see you next month at our graduation on Saturday, June 7th from 11–1. It is a wonderful way to celebrate our children, and we hope to see you there. Please see the invitation below and feel free to share with your community. All are welcome!
With love and gratitude,
The Saint Basil Academy Family
Please Join Us!
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros;
Father Constantine L. Sitaras, Director;
The Board of Trustees;
Saint Basil Academy Children and Families
request the honor of your presence at
Saint Basil Academy Commencement
Saturday, June 7, 2025
11:00 AM
Luncheon to follow the ceremony
RSVP to L.Biniaris@sbagoa.org
or (845) 422-6141
Did You Know?
Saint Basil Academy recognizes that the needs of children extend far beyond material things alone. Children need positive, enriching, and beneficial experiences that help them engage with life in healthy, productive, and meaningful ways. That is where the Saint Basil Experience Fund comes in. Every dollar of the Experience Fund pays for things like summer camps, field trips, outdoor excursions, driving lessons, and programs like Ionian Village, Camp Saint Paul, and much more. A donation to the Experience Fund is a great option for those wanting to give an impactful experiential gift to our children. To learn more about the Experience Fund and how to support it, please reach out to Ms. Lauren at l.biniaris@sbagoa.org.
Save the Dates!
- Saint Basil Academy Graduation on Saturday, June 7th at 11 am (Please note the updated date!)
- District 6 Maids of Athena Sensory Room Unveiling on Saturday, June 14th
- 2025 Saint Basil Academy Walk-a-thon on Saturday, September 20
Support Our Work
As a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity, Saint Basil Academy depends upon the financial support of its beloved friends and donors. Our supporters contribute in many different ways, from monetary and material donations to naming Saint Basil as a beneficiary in life insurance and estate planning. Saint Basil Academy also has several earmarked funds in place for therapeutic art classes and outdoor excursions. Sponsoring a resident, becoming a host family, and/or referring a child to Saint Basil Academy are other vital ways of providing support as well. When you give to Saint Basil Academy, you are helping a child in need in a powerful way.
© Saint Basil Academy