Sunday School & Little Angels
Upcoming Sunday School Classes:
April 27– regular class
May 4– regular class
May 11– regular class
May 18– regular class, last day
Please contact Antonia Degliantoni antonia.rouches@gmail.com with any questions!
Little Angels
3 and younger (with parent participation):
This is a parent/child class, held directly after communion in room C-14 during Sunday school hours. During each class there is a faith-based story, short lesson, activity, and song! Little Angels is a great opportunity for fun and learning, as well as fellowship among the parents. This year Little Angels will be taught by Rachel Mattert, Eleni Booth, and Vasiliki Estes.
Please scan the QR code and don’t hesitate to contact Antonia Degliantoni antonia.rouches@gmail.com with any questions!
Sunday School
The goal of our Sunday School program is to mold the lives of our children in the Orthodox Christian ethos. We will utilize the teachings of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition to develop each student spiritually, and guide them towards living a Christ-centered life. Our hope is that by having our children actively participating in the liturgical, sacramental, and communal life of the Orthodox Church, they will develop a personal and lifelong relationship with our Lord and Savior.
Our director and teachers are fellow parishioners who love children and show a desire to serve our Lord through the stewardship of teaching.
The curriculum in use is from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Religious Education and is supplemented with other materials and activities obtained from other Orthodox Christian sources. Our program is closely moderated by our devoted youth priest, Father Christos Kalaitzis.
We are looking forward to a fun and fulfilling year ahead guiding the children as they use their heart, their art, and their songs to glorify Him and sing His praises! Don’t forget to register!
—Antonia Degliantoni, Director
Rachel Mattert — Little Angels
This is Rachel’s second year helping teach Little Angels. Over the years, she has taught a variety of grades, but her heart has always been with the Little Angels class! Rachel has a deep love for music, and enjoys chanting and singing in church. Before becoming a mother, she led choirs and chanted in several parishes.
Rachel lives on a small hobby farm in Yacolt, WA, with her husband and two young daughters. When she’s not supporting her family’s Air Force adventures, she enjoys homesteading, trail running, and practicing her German with friends.
Eleni Booth — Little Angels
This is Eleni’s second year teaching Little Angels. She enjoys reading stories and doing crafts with the little ones, and hearing their funny andinteresting responses. She loves watching the students and her daughter grow up in the Church, and the opportunity to teach and learn about our Orthodox faith alongside them. She moved to Portland in 2016 from Northern California and is now a stay at home mom. She enjoys cooking, gardening and family game night with her husband and daughter.
Vasiliki Estes — Little Angels
This is Vasiliki’s second year co-teaching Little Angels.
Katerina Koukoumanos — Pre-K / Kindergarten
is year marks Katerina’s 6th year teaching the pre-K/Kindergarten class, and she has loved every second of it! Katerina is very grateful to be a part of this wonderful Sunday school program. For this age group, they focus on learning all about what we see and do in church. The kids learn this foundation through songs, stories, and crafts. Between snack-time stories, glitter glue, and finger-painting, there is never a dull moment with these little ones!
Kathryne Psihogios — 1st / 2nd grade
Kathryne has always felt compelled to help the youth in the Orthodox Church. They’re the future of the community. Now that she has her own two daughters (Gigi, 9 and Kalli, 7), she is excited to watch them grow in their faith. Kathryne grew up attending St. John the Baptist GOC in Beaverton. She also participated in Holy Trinity’s youth programs over the years. She and her husband Peter, with their two daughters, love being involved with Holy Trinity and its ministries. Outside of her full time job, she enjoys trying new restaurants, outdoor activities like camping, skiing and hiking, and traveling with her family and friends.
Joana Maletis — 1st / 2nd grade
Joana was baptized and raised at Holy Trinity from a long line of Holy Trinity families dating back to 1907. She has been involved in many ministries including the dance program, Philoptochos, festival, GOYA and Sunday School. Joana attended the University of Oregon and graduated with a BS in 2010. She has been married to Andy Maletis since 2014 and is blessed with two children, Stella and George! Holy Trinity is like a second home for Joana, and she looks forward to teaching and learning right alongside the next generation of Holy Trinity children.
Kelly Lymberopoulos — 3rd / 4th grade
Kelly is a senior public relations specialist in the high-tech industry. She recently relocated to Portland from the Bay Area, CA, and before that, St. Nicholas in San Jose where she attended Sunday School and Greek School during her childhood years. This year, Kelly serves as a teacher for third and fourth grade, with hopes to support young students in their discovery of the faith.
JoeAnne (Joe) Gianopoulos — 3rd / 4th grade
JoeAnne (Joe) recently graduated from the University of Portland with a bachelors in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. She was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and has been a lifelong parishioner of Holy Trinity. She attended Greek School during elementary and has been part of the Greek Dance program and Sunday School since preschool. She is teaching third and fourth grade. This is her second year as a Sunday School teacher, and she is excited to learn the ropes and get involved with the community.
Sophia Bliablias-Grandy — 5th / 6th grade
Sophia was born and raised in Queens, NY. She is first-generation Greek American. As the daughter of a New York taxi driver, Sophia learned at a young age that nothing worth having was ever achieved without effort. Sophia taught Sunday School for 10 years at Holy Cross in Whitestone. Sophia earned her degree in Finance and Business Management from Stern School of Business at New York University. She moved to Portland in 2015 after marrying her husband Jeff, who is an Oregon native. Sophia and Jeff now live in Lake Oswego with their 2 daughters, Eleni, 7 and Arianna, 5. As a newcomer to Oregon, Sophia along with Jeff enjoy exploring Oregon and showing their little girls all that it has to offer. They are dedicated to raising their girls in the Greek culture and Greek Orthodox faith. Cooking a big meal and enjoying it with family and friends is one of Sophia’s greatest joys.
Dina George Khoury — 7th / 8th grade
Dina loves working with kids. She has taught Sunday School on and off for over 30 years. She has taught here at Holy Trinity, St. George, and also at Holy Trinity in NYC. Dina grew up 9 blocks away from Holy Trinity, moved away for 20 years and came back with her husband Nick, to raise their kids- Helena and Kam - near their families and in our community. This year she is excited to teach 7th and 8th grade. They will focus on what it means to be an Orthodox Christian and how to live our lives as an Orthodox every day.
Christina Lingas Geist — High School
Since her youth, Christina has been an active member of the parish here at Holy Trinity. She has served on the Parish Council, the Philoptochos Board, taught middle and high school Sunday school for many years and has been actively involved in Youth Ministries for over 25 years. Christina holds a BA, and MAT, and recently finished her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family therapy. Christina has three grown children who have also been active members of Holy Trinity.
Ted Nieuwsma— High School
Ted was born and raised in San Jose, California until moving to New York where he attended the City College of New York. During college he found his way into the world of software development and is now a VP of Product for a tech company based in New York City. Ted came to the Northwest back in 2018 where he met his wife, Kara, and started attending Holy Trinity. He has a passion for the faith and a strong desire to share this passion with others.
Sandra Karafotias — Sunday School Arts Director
I am Sandra Karafotias and I have been a member of our Holy Trinity community for nearly 28 years. I was born in Toronto, but married and raised my family here in Portland. I have been involved with Sunday School and other ministries, since 2013. I have helped teach Sunday School, have assisted with its beautification, assisted with various youth events and contributed to its curriculum by providing students with crafts to enhance their faith and learning. The opportunity to work alongside dedicated, faithful volunteers over the years is, indeed, a blessing. And, it is a gift to watch our children learn and
grow in our Faith.
Antonia Degliantoni — Sunday School Program Director (antonia.rouches@gmail.com)
Antonia grew up attending Holy Trinity and participating in their many youth ministries. Teaching Sunday School, and now directing the program, has brought her so much joy throughout the years. Antonia loves being a stay-at-home mom to her children, Adele and Andrew, hand embroidery, and working in her garden.
Questions or Concerns?
Contact Antonia Degliantoni: antonia.rouches@gmail.com