Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Sabtchev.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Melanie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 1994, an 18 year-old, Lebanese-American girl, inspired by her own educational experience at Montrose School and supported by her priest, circulated flyers in local parishes trying to drum up interest in a starting an Orthodox Christian School. She showed up to the meeting, clip-board in-hand waiting for all of the others to arrive. Disappointed and on the verge of tears, she packed up getting ready to go home, when she saw someone hurry into the hall, the woman, asked, “Did I miss the meeting?” Sonia, the school’s founding visionary replied, “We are the meeting.” Sonia had by her side one the school’s first parent and teachers, Melissa. From there they gained the support of a handful of dedicated individuals like Nick and Jane Kourtis. The school opened its doors in 1997 as a preschool. The passion for the project, the dedication of its members, and a little luck (we say Providence), came together to build the beautiful- Theophany School.
Since then, the school has become a trusted educational destination for preschoolers and kindergartners in the Boston area. Our reputation is one of a school that readies young students for further education. We see our job as an important one: allowing students to explore, question, and engage the world, expanding their skills and knowledge through play, investigation, and discovery. We seek to educate all parts of the child: the physical, the emotional, and the spiritual. Each child is known and each child is loved at Theophany School. I speak from the perspective of a parent as well, both of my daughters have attended this special, little school.
My own involvement with Theophany began when I moved to the Boston area. After teaching for 9 years in the metro-west, I was offered a scholarship at Boston College for a graduate degree if I became a full-time student while working in their practicum office. My influential time there helped me to love curriculum development and also mentoring teachers. This important step readied me to take the helm of Theophany as Head of School; I look forward to my first full year there starting this fall.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Theophany School has been dreaming of expansion into an elementary school for the last 10 years. This is still very much the dream. The school was poised to moved and expand a few years back, and at the last minute, the deal fell through. We believe that we have the right team- amazing teachers, a seasoned director, and a supportive board- for growth now, and we look ahead with great hope and promise.
Please tell us about Theophany School.
As a Pan-Orthodox School, we educate students from Greek, Bulgarian, Chinese, Lebanese, Egyptian, Irish, Russian, Indian, Syrian, and Latin-American backgrounds; watching these children play, pray, and learn together is a beautiful reminder that we are all one in the Body of Christ. At Theophany, all are encouraged to celebrate and embrace different cultures and traditions, not in a forced, artificial manner, but in an organic way where respect for the other leads us to embrace where they come from, understand who they are, and nurture the best individual that they can be. Therefore, our curriculum is rich in cultural heritage and promotes unity and understanding. As one of board members and former parents eloquently expressed, “While our children are too young to learn academic theology, Theophany students are exposed to the truest theology-meeting God in prayer and through love of one another.”
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Reading a book while up hanging out in a tree, digging in sand boxes, and riding fearlessly with our neighborhood bike posse are all part and parcel of my childhood summers. As a straddler between Gen X and the Millennials, I was part of the last analog generation. I had a chance to grow up like Scout Finch without all the background noise created by technology and the loss of the concept of neighborhood. The joy I see at Theophany School is cultivated by this same youthful innocence and sense of community that I grew up in, so I get to re-live and witness the best parts of childhood!
Pricing:
- M/W/F Preschool- $5,880
- M-F Preschool- $9,120
- M-F Pre K or Kindergarten- $9,480
Contact Info:
- Address: 754 Greendale Ave
Needham, MA 02492 - Website: www.theophanyschool.org
- Phone: 7814443058
- Email: msmelanie@theophanyschool.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theophanyschool/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/theophany-school-needham
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