On Saturday, November 23, the (Greek Community of Melbourne) GCM Schools celebrate unity and Olympic spirit in historic Olympiad at the Box Hill Athletic Club Stadium for a remarkable celebration of unity and pride, honouring the Olympic spirit and the timeless ideals of the ancient Greek Olympics. The event, a unique Olympiad, brought together students, parents, and teachers in an atmosphere charged with enthusiasm and emotion, as they celebrated a day of sport, Greek culture, and community.
Despite the heat, students from all GCM campuses gathered to mark the end of the school year with a memorable celebration of Greek heritage and the enduring principles of Olympism—such as fair play, unity, peace, and respect for others. This year, the GCM Schools took a bold step by organising their first-ever Greek School Olympic Spirit Event, a milestone that united students from all campuses in an inspiring display of collaboration and community spirit.
The event featured traditional Olympic elements, including opening and closing ceremonies, Olympic oaths, hymns, dances, songs, and competitions. Highlights included the lighting of the Olympic flame and its symbolic journey, the grand entrance of students carrying flags designed by the students themselves, and the poignant moment when younger students extinguished the Olympic flame. Teachers encouraged the students to “blow with all your strength so that the message of unity and peace reaches the whole world.”
One of the most moving moments occurred during the Cypriot dance, where students from all campuses united in one large circle as a tribute to Cyprus. The event concluded with two unforgettable songs performed by all students. The first, A New Beginning, carried a message of unity and hope, while Dionysis Savvopoulos’ Ας κρατήσουν οι χοροί reminded everyone that “the communities of the Greeks create another galaxy.”
The event was honoured by the presence of several distinguished guests, including Lee Tarlamis, Government Whip in the Legislative Council; Maria Triantafyllou, Deputy Coordinator of the Education Office for Australia and New Zealand; Bill Papastergiadis, President of the Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria; and many members of the Community’s Board of Directors and Education Committee. Special thanks were extended to Aristos Panagakis, founder and President of the Australian Hellenic Organisation in Support of the Olympic Spirit and Ideal, for generously donating the Olympic flag for the event.
Maria Bakalidou, Principal of the Greek Community of Melbourne Schools, expressed her excitement: “We are thrilled with the result of this great team effort. It was a bold undertaking, and we overcame many challenges to bring this event to life. The joy and pride we felt from the messages of fair play, unity, and peace conveyed by our students were truly inspiring. This was a wonderful opportunity for us all to honour our rich cultural heritage and be inspired by the universal values of the Olympic spirit.”
She concluded, “I would like to congratulate our students for their excellent participation, as well as our organisers, teachers, and volunteers for their heartfelt support in making this vision a reality.”
This special event, which showcased the unity and spirit of the Greek community, has become a proud milestone for GCM Schools and a testament to the enduring legacy of the ancient Olympic ideals.
