WATERTOWN — In June, St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School (SSAES) completed its 28th academic year. The graduation ceremonies were held on June 14 for the kinder- garten students and June 15 for elementary graduates, in the presence of parents and friends of the school as well as Rev. Archpriest Antranig Baljian and the pastors of the sur- rounding Armenian churches.
On both days Principal Houry Boyamian focused on the school’s recent achievements, especially the 2012 Expansion Project.
The principal then thanked the faculty, the administrative staff, the PTO, the parent volunteers, the school board and committees, the St. Stephen’s Church board of trustees, Baljian, Rev. Karekine Bedourian, as well as all the organizations and individuals that contribute to the betterment of the school.
On June 14, Boyamian and Maral Orchanian, the preschool director, hon- ored Svetlana Vehapetian for her 10 years of service at the preschool.
Orchanian presented the theme for the preschool and kinder- garten graduation pro- gram, which was The Armenian Village. The preschoolers and the kindergarteners pre- sented through songs and poems the different aspects of Armenian village life.
On June 15, the elementary program was dedicated to the Armenian Book, as Catholicos of the See of Cilicia Aram I had proclaimed 2012 “The Year of the Armenian Book” and as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was mark- ing the 500th anniversary of the first printed Armenian book. The elementary students presented the theme with poems and songs, followed by a video presentation of the fifth grade class trip to Armenia, coordinated with great expertise by Ardemis Megerdichian, the school’s Armenian teacher for grades 1-5.
