The Board of Regents of Prelacy Armenian Schools on January 21 hosted a conference with School Board members, Principals and Preschool Directors. The meeting was held at the Vahan and Anoush Chamlian Armenian School.
As has been customary, the Board of Regents holds this conference annually. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this meeting was postponed for the past two years. These annual meetings provide School Boards of the Prelacy Armenian Schools an opportunity to come together, to discuss the state of the Prelacy Armenian Schools, propose future programs, and adopt a course of action.
Board of Regents treasurer Armen Abrahamian, who moderated the meeting, opened the conference with welcoming remarks, introducing all presenters and providing an overview of the day’s agenda.
Sarkis Ourfalian, Board of Regents Chairperson also welcomed and thanked all the participants and extended a special thanks to the administration of Vahan and Anoush Chamlian Armenian School for graciously providing their facilities and resources for the day. He then shared the importance of this meeting, touched upon the student enrollment increase and highlighted the improvements that have taken place.
Following the Chairperson’s welcoming remarks, Tamar Tufenkjian, Executive Coordinator of the Board of Regents Armenian programs, made a comprehensive presentation on the Armenian language and instruction, which is a main area of emphasis and importance for the Board of Regents. Ms. Tufenkjian shared her ongoing visits to the Prelacy Armenian Schools, to ensure the smooth implementation of the Armenian program. She reported about the ongoing training that was taking place for Armenian subject teachers, including their participation in international trainings and conferences.
The second session addressed the Future of Armenian Schools. The session was presented by Dr. Hasmig Baran, Board of Regents member and professor at the CSUN Armenian Studies Program. Dr. Baran engaged the participants in this important topic. The participants valuable feedback was recorded to be incorporated into the Board of Regents strategic planning. The presentation included three areas of focus, the expansion of the Prelacy Armenian Schools, the contribution of the community at large in this regard, and the vision of the Prelacy Armenian Schools.
The third session of the day, Psychological Counseling and Mental Health, was presented by Shake Avakian, Board of Regents Secretary and a long-time psychologist in the public-school sector, and Armineh Papazian, Board of Regents member and a long-time educator and administrator at LAUSD and GUSD. The presentation focused on the results of a recent survey that was administered on Psychological Counseling and Mental Health at Prelacy Armenian Schools and Preschools. The presenters stressed the importance of mental health and shared that the Board of Regents will be looking into adopting a program which will serve to meet the needs of students, teachers and faculty alike.
The afternoon session resumed after a lunch break with co-presenters Arlene Zenian and Pattyl Kasparian, members of the Board of Regents. This session was geared to re-evaluate student trips to the homeland in hopes of making them more meaningful and rewarding. In addition, they welcomed suggestions to organize similar trips.
School Bylaws/Key Changes, the final session, was presented by Sarkis Ourfalian and Khajag Jamgotchian. Through a PowerPoint presentation key changes to the Prelacy Armenian School Bylaws were shared. These changes in the Bylaws will ensure the smooth operation of the schools as they further define the duties and responsibilities of School Boards, Principals and Directors.
At the conclusion of the meeting the participants were asked to complete a brief online questionnaire to evaluate the day and share topics for future meetings. All participants were pleased to be part of this productive day.
