Enrichment
Law Day
Each year, Plato Academy participates in the Hellenic Bar Association’s Law Day Program. Students research a current issue, take a position on the topic, and write an essay defending their stance. Attorneys review the essays, select winners, and provide feedback to all participants. Law Day winners then travel downtown to the Daley Center, where they present their essays in a courtroom, receive awards, and attend a dinner reception hosted by the Hellenic Bar Association.
Homerathon (National Hellenic Museum)
Plato Academy middle school students annually participate in the National Hellenic Museum’s “Homer-a-thon” (co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Classics Department) in Chicago. Our students read passages from Homer’s “The Odyssey” in both English and Greek alongside Classics scholars! Check out photos and videos in the albums below.
Student Leadership Day (Illinois Holocaust Museum)
Student Leadership Day is another exciting unique opportunity that each of our Plato students (5th-8th grade) get to experience throughout their years at Plato!
The Holocaust Museum describes the event as:
"Student Leadership Days is a mission-driven program, central to the Museum’s work of teaching the universal lessons of the Holocaust and integral to our ability to connect directly with students who are ready to take on a positive leadership role in their communities. Our intensive Student Leadership Day programming engages students in 5th – 11th grades in a variety of age-appropriate activities that inspire them to build their leadership skills, explore their roles as citizens, and develop a deeper awareness and understanding of the Holocaust, genocide, and other human rights issues.
Students leave with increased knowledge, and new tools and resources that emphasize the importance of standing up against injustice and bigotry. The program offers participants an opportunity to engage with diverse peers and participate in discussions about perspectives other than their own, increasing their self-efficacy, potential for learning, and ability to return to their communities to promote greater acceptance and understanding."
Battle of the Books
Plato Academy students love participating in our “Battle of the Books” each year! Students are responsible for reading designated books from a literature list. Teams were formed and the kids “battled” each other over questions regarding their comprehension of the stories.
After School Activities (ASA)
Throughout the school year, Plato Academy typically offers four sessions of After School Activities designed to enrich students’ interests and talents. These extracurricular offerings may include yoga, engineering with LEGOs, arts and crafts, cooking, acting and improvisation, ballet, creative drama, and music. Students may choose to participate in these classes for a nominal fee.
After School Activities run from 3:10–4:10 p.m. and take place at Plato Academy. Offerings are subject to change each session based on instructor availability and student interest.
After School Activities are offered based on instructor availability and the level of student interest. Sample activities are listed below.
Chess Club
Coding
Cooking
Fun Fitness
Instrument Lessons (Guitar, Piano, Ukulele)
LEGO Club
Let’s Build It – Robotics
Let’s Go to Greece… A Greek Enrichment Experience
Small Group Language Enrichment (Bulgarian, Greek, Spanish)
Sports and Games
Soccer
Yoga
Young Writer’s Club
