NEW YORK, NY – [Photos by HCCS]
On the first day of the 2025–2026 school year, Hellenic Classical Charter Schools proudly welcomed back students, families, faculty, and staff at both campuses.
At HCCS Park Slope, a National Blue Ribbon School, the community marked a historic milestone—20 years of excellence in education. The community kicked off it’s 20th year alongside founding and current School Board Chairperson, Charles Capetanakis; Superintendent of Schools, Christina Tettonis (Principal of Park Slope from 2007–2019); a founding leader and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Schools, Joy Petrakos; Natasha Caban, a founding teacher who has served as Park Slope’s Principal since 2019; and Dena Capetanakis, Director of Community and Family Engagement of both schools. Their presence and our founding and current Board members underscored the enduring leadership and commitment that has guided HCCS since its inception.
For two decades, the school has fostered learning, growth, and achievement while remaining deeply committed to its mission of providing a classical education rooted in Greek language and culture. The school extends its gratitude to its founding and all board members, leaders, and staff who paved the way for this enduring success.
At HCCS Staten Island, the school entered its seventh year with excitement and anticipation for continued academic achievement and community building. Families, students, and educators joined together to celebrate a strong foundation of excellence and classical values, looking ahead to another successful year.
Both schools are high performing schools and continue to outperform the district, New York City, and New York State each year on the New York State ELA, Math, and Science exams, a testament to the dedication of HCCS educators, leaders, and the hard work of its students. HCCS prepares its students for high school – our students graduate, many with great scholarships, having already earned three Regents credits in Algebra, Greek (foreign language) and Science. They go on to attend the best high schools in New York and proudly return to share their accomplishments with the HCCS community each year.
Together, both campuses stand as a testament to the strength of the HCCS mission, the dedication of its educators, and the support of its families. With pride in its history and confidence in the future, HCCS looks forward to another year of success and growth.
