"Bringing together the community that we grew up in, thousands of miles apart."

Vassara School

The first school in Vassaras was founded during the period of 1860-1870 in the building which later was renamed “Metochi,” and which was next to the church of the Evaggelistria and was torn down around 1950-52. From there, the school, was moved to the place where the municipal building is today, after it had gone through moves into other buildings, like the Floreic building (owned by Andreas Floros), the building of Demetrakes Ronteres, etc. In its present location it was built first in 1903, known as the old school, with expenditures made by the memorable Syggrous and the then government, having as the first municipal teacher, as tradition tells us, Mr. Panagakos. Also, in our village, in the year 1899, began operating the school for girls, having as its first teacher Elene Theofanous. The second school, known as the new school, was built in the years 1938-39, since the number of students was increasing every year and the classrooms of the old school were not adequate to accommodate the needs of the students. Well-known Vassarian educators who have taught throughout the years are: Anastasios Theofiles, Aggelos Anastasopoulos, Georgios Psallidas, Chrestos Gkiouras, Pota Tzereme, Pitsa (wife of Anargyros Stavropoulos), Theodoros Mantes (husband of Elene Ioannou Karras), and today, Panagiotes (of Elias) Papantones. The number of the students, male and female, since 1935 and onward have been: In the year 1935=198 students, in 1938=229, in 1939=218, 1940=214, 1941=202, 1942=193, 1943=186, 1944=167, 1945=176, 1946=160, in 1947 the school remained close due to the civil war, in 1948=151, 1949=88, 1950=136, 1951=134, 1952=126, 1953=113, 1954=94, 1955=82, 1956=67, 1958=54, 1959=50, 1960=54, 1961=53, 1962=65, 1963=62, 1964=65, 1965=63, 1966=64, 1967=55, 1968=49, 1969=47, 1970=39, 1971=37, 1972=38, 1973=39, 1974=36, 1975=30, 1976=23, 1977=16, 1978=17, 1979=16, 1980=17, 1981=16, 1982=15, 1983=17, 1984=13, 1985=12, 1986=10, 1987=9, 1988=9, 1989=8, 1990=7, 1991=9, 1992=8, 1993=14, 1994=9, 1995=8, 1996=9, 1997=8, 1998=9, 1999=6, 2000=7, 2001=5, and in the year 2002=6 students.

May 1st at Verroia.
One of the last Greek Independence Day celebrations at the village’s square, before the school was shut down forever.