Teacher Of Six Decades In Alexandria Schools Celebrates 90th Birthday

Published with permission by Alexandria City Public Schools

With over six decades of teaching experience at Alexandria Public City Public Schools, Louis Kokonis is familiar with milestones. Now the Alexandria City High School math teacher marked another one with his 90th birthday at the start of April.

Kokonis has worked for ACPS for 63 years, according to an ACPS Express feature. He started his ACPS career in 1959 at Francis Hammond High School, which is now Francis C. Hammond Middle School. He went on to teach at T.C. Williams High School, which is now named Alexandria City High School.

"Teaching students nowadays does not seem much different than it did when I first started teaching," Kokonis told ACPS. "I have had great students over the years."

Those 63 years of teaching meant he has instructed thousands of students in algebra, calculus and geometry, according to ACPS. The Virginia General Assembly recognized Kokonis with a House joint resolution, noting he "has imparted his passion for lifelong learning to his students, many of whom went on to become physicists, engineers, doctors, and professors."

ACPS honored Kokonis in 2018 for his 60-year teaching anniversary. The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria honored Kokonis with a scholarship named the Louis Kokonis Teaching Legend Scholarship.

To Kokonis, students are his family, since he does not have a spouse or children. He told ACPS he doesn't want to retire yet, as he would miss students and teachers. When he does retire, he plans to continue his service through community volunteering.

As a teacher who's been in the classroom for six decades, he has some words of wisdom for other teachers.

"Be enthusiastic about whatever you are teaching," Kokonis said via the ACPS blog. "Enjoy being a teacher and always do your best. Try to help every student to achieve the best that they can."

He has similar sentiments for his students.

"I hope as they grow older that they will always remain positive and enthusiastic about whatever they are doing and that they will not be discouraged when things get difficult," he said.

Check out a video ACPS shared for Kokonis's 60th teaching anniversary.