Most recent news | Released Wednesday, March 17, 2010
A LETTER FROM JERUSALEM
Sts. Tarkmanchatz Armenian School is Stepping into the Future
By Ani Nalbandian
Ms. Nalbandian, a 22-year-old Armenian-American from Trumbull, Conn., and a recent graduate of Holy Cross College in Worcester, Mass., has spent the early months of this year in Jerusalem, working in the city’s historic Sts. Tarkmanchatz Armenian School. What follows is the first of a projected series of “Letters from Jerusalem,” offering her personal observations and insights into the life of the school.
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There is a spirit of rejoicing in Jerusalem. One might wonder about its cause, since Christmas has passed, and Easter is yet to come. But like the changing winds that signal summer’s end and usher in fall, Jerusalem, too, is witnessing the dawn of a new season.
At the heart of this metamorphosis is a school: a school on which rests the preservation and future of the Armenian Quarter and community of Jerusalem. Its name: Sts. Tarkmanchatz Armenian School, my subject in this commentary.
Some of my readers might be curious as to how I, a 22-year old Armenian-American, might know a single thing about this school or the Armenian community in Jerusalem. My response is simply this: I am learning. For several weeks now, I have been in Jerusalem, and I intend on remaining here several months longer. During this time, I aspire to become part of the Sts. Tarkmanchatz School community by joining the faculty as an assistant teacher. At this point, I claim no expertise or extensive familiarity with the school, how it is run, those in charge, its students, teachers, or its principal. I seek only to reflect on those points concerning the school which might be obvious to any visitor in my position.
With 101 students, 27 teachers, and 7 staff members, the school is doing a tremendous job in cultivating a new generation. Examining just the physical structure of this 81-year-old institution, advances into the future are noticeable everywhere. On the lower level, students are introduced to the processes of scientific discovery and experimentation in the setting of a new laboratory, which is continuously being stocked with the latest of lab equipment. Also on the lower level, students have access to a state-of-the-art computer lab, and a growing library containing books in several languages.
On the floor above will be a newly renovated hall, now the near completion, with a stage, lighting, and balcony. The hall will double as the auditorium for school concerts, productions, and other events. The elegance and splendor of the hall are examples of the reinvigorated spirit which has taken hold of the Sts. Tarkmanchatz community.
Sights and sounds of education
Meandering up the stairwell, one hears children reciting, reading aloud, answering questions, and in discussion with their teachers and classmates: the sounds of students are being students. During breaks, one hears children at play on the basketball courts, or chatting as they share a snack: the sounds of children are being children.
Add to these the sights of bulletin boards decorated with students’ works, alphabets and numbers along the perimeters of classrooms, posters, maps and teaching charts—and you perceive an environment that is nurturing students’ eagerness to learn and grow.
Some onlookers might say more could be done to improve the school and the education of its students; but this is a universal concern and challenge for all those in education. At Sts. Tarkmanchatz, a far-sighted administration is actively pursuing measures to resolve what educational issues are most pressing. With new textbooks, the hiring of new teachers trained to teach particular subjects, and the continual effort to stock the school with the necessary equipment of a 21st-century school—with all these changes, the obstacles will abate, as they have already begun to do.
Gradually enrollment will increase; the success stories of students passing the British General Certificate of Education exam will abound. All of this will add to the school’s 81-year history of similar success stories—otherwise known as Sts. Tarkmanchatz alumni, who have gone on to grace the world with their knowledge and expertise in a variety of professions. Building on such a past and present, and with the implementation of new programs and extracurricular activities, Sts. Tarkmanchatz Armenian School will become one of the premier schools of Jerusalem.
Leadership, patience, and support
For those curious about the school, I say come and experience for yourself the positively charged atmosphere of the school. Come see the fallen tiles which have been replaced, the chipped paint which has been restored. Come meet the former students whose dedication to their alma mater has brought them back as teachers, and who bring with them a radiant energy and commitment to the good of this school.
Most importantly, come and meet the new leader, and inspiring pioneer who ensures that the school keeps pace with the changing times: Fr. Norayr Kazazian, member of the St. James Brotherhood of Jerusalem, and principal of the school since 2007. There is no doubt that Fr. Norayr has been instrumental in harnessing the potential of the school, and in exercising it to fit the needs of the community today. He has a forward-looking vision for Sts. Tarkmanchatz, and his relentless efforts to realize it are to be commended.
From what I have witnessed thus far, Fr. Norayr exemplifies the adage that all things in life are dynamic, not static; and thus to succeed, one must be proactive and not indifferent.
To those who remain skeptical about the condition and progress of the school, I ask that you simply wait. The people for whom the school has been named, the Holy Translators—to whom our Armenian nation owes more than it can fathom—did not succeed in their task overnight, nor was the significance of their achievement instantly appreciated. Similarly, as the school strives to “translate” its method of imparting knowledge to its students in order to more effectively meet the needs and expectations of an evolving society, we too must have patience.
One last essential point: given the politically tense climate in Israel and the surrounding region, we must congratulate all those who have a hand in maintaining and operating Sts. Tarkmanchatz Armenian School. Though we may not be familiar with the daily hostilities of living and seeking an education in such an environment, we must be cognizant of the fact that these hostilities and obstacles exist. And so, to the Armenian Patriarchate, the principal, the teachers, and most importantly, to the parents and students of Sts. Tarkmanchatz Armenian School in Jerusalem, I wish to say, Thank you for persevering; you are directly responsible for enriching the history of our Armenian people, and for seeing to our continuation in the Holy Land.
I conclude, dear readers, by asking you to contemplate what I have written, and to communicate that you understand by extending your support to this school. That’s all for now; I promise to write again.
The students of Jerusalem’s Sts. Tarkmanchatz Armenian School kindergarten classes gather happily with their teachers.
Some faculty and staff of Jerusalem’s Sts. Tarkmanchatz Armenian School pose with His Holiness Catholicos Karekin II during his recent visit to Jerusalem, along with Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Fr. Norayr Kazazian, principal of Sts. Tarkmanchatz School.
Students are taught computer skills in the newly renovated, state-of-the-art computer lab at Sts. Tarkmanchatz Armenian School in Jerusalem.