Retiring Somerville school teacher Sophia Carafotes (center) was recently honored by her friends and family at a retirement party held on her behalf.

By Rebecca Danvers

Sophia Carafotes grew up in Somerville with her parents Charles and Mary, both now deceased, and her siblings, James, a Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owner; Paul, an actor, director and writer in California; Victoria, who teaches grade 6 at West Somerville Neighborhood School; Margo, who was also a business teacher at Somerville High School, though now deceased since 2011; and Stephanie, a yoga instructor. Both sets of grandparents and many aunts, uncles and cousins were only streets away.

Carafotes attended Somerville Public School beginning her education at the old Cutler School, then to Western Junior High School, ending up at Somerville High School. She was thoroughly involved with the music department where her mother, Mary Carafotes, conducted the many choruses and shows she performed in and and accompanied on the piano. She also played the clarinet in the marching band, oboe in concert orchestra and electric keyboard in stage band.

In 1976, Carafotes then went off to Boston University and while there entered a local contest and became Miss Somerville.

She graduated in 1980 and substitute taught in Somerville. A few years after that, she landed a teaching job at the Winter Hill Community School in September 1984, where she taught grade 7 English, and put on many Broadway musicals after school including West Side Story, Annie, Oliver, HMS Pinafore, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Give My Regards to Broadway, Little Red Riding Hood, Charlie Brown Christmas, and The Pilgrims Arrival, just to name a few. Her brother Paul was awarded the key to the city and her mom had a music room named after her. It’s no wonder that Carafotes comes from a very talented family where music was the driving force that she used in her teaching.

About 15 years into her career, Sophia went on to get her Masters Degree in Computers in Education, and soon after that she taught the Technology Class at the WHCS for seven years. After that job she took a grade 5 position where she then transferred over to West Somerville Neighborhood School in a grade 5 classroom and has finished her career in. Carafotes also taught English and a Computer Course up at the Somerville Adult Evening School, where she also served as the last principal of the program for seven years.

Carafotes has been an active member of any faculty she has served on, being involved with the PTA, School Councils, ILT, After School Tutoring Programs, Multi Cultural Events, after school drama, computer and newspaper clubs and DARTS (Days In The Arts with Boston Symphony Orchestra). She tried to make learning fun bringing her background in music to the foreground of her students education.

Carafotes was voted best teacher and principal in The Somerville Times newspaper and her students still visit her to reminisce about the memories made in the classroom, on the numerous field trips including a couple of week-long stays at Natures Classroom, the many plays and talent show performances, as well as the animated lessons in class.

Sophia has also mentored many student teachers from Lesley College who have also kept in touch with her. She also was asked to lecture a class up at Tufts University and speak about her work with the STOMP students.

In her spare time she sang with the Arlington Mystic Chorale for a few years, sang in three church choirs, including The Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, Saint’s Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, Taxiachae Greek Orthodox Church, was the Choir Director for the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church and belongs to the Metropolis of Boston Federation of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians. As if being busy on Sundays weren’t enough for this woman, she also works in the theater for two companies, AKA Interactive Entertainment, playing either Netta Gnocchi in Joey and Maria’s Italian Comedy Weddings and Kiki Kalamata as the maid of honor in Toby and Athena’s Olympic Sized Opa, and sings with the Big Smile Productions Victorian Carolers after Thanksgiving up until Christmas.

She will continue to enjoy her dozen nieces’ and nephews’ Charlie, Alexandra, Adam, Christina, Julia, Anastasia, James, Nico, Philip, Jonathan, Arianna, and Charlie’s successes. She now resides in Medford with her fiancé Demetrios Hatzipanagos, and has been with him for 26 years.

Now that Carafotes will be retiring at age 60 from the Somerville Public School System after 34 years, what will she do? She looks forward to visiting Greece and traveling to other far away destinations, something you can only do in the summer when you teach. One thing is for sure, Sophia Carafotes has touched many hearts and souls of students, parents and relatives alike through her love of music.