A scene from the Board of Regents of Prelacy Armenian Schools orientation conference held on Jan. 25
The Board of Regents of Prelacy Armenian Schools hosted an orientation conference on January 25 for School Board members, School Principals, and Preschool Directors at Vahan & Anoush Chamlian Armenian School. All Prelacy Armenian Schools and Preschools were represented and participated in the conference.
Armen Abrahamian, Treasurer of the Board of Regents and the moderator of the orientation conference, welcomed all the participants and acknowledged the presence of George Chorbajian, Secretary of the Western Prelacy Executive Council and Liaison to the Board of Regents. He thanked Vahan and Anoush Chamlian Armenian School for graciously hosting the orientation conference, and invited Rev. Fr. Karekin Bedourian, Pastor of Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church, and Board of Regents member, to lead the invocation.
Sarkis Ourfalian, Chairperson of the Board of Regents of Prelacy Armenian Schools, delivered the opening remarks and expressed his gratitude to Western Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan for his ongoing support of Prelacy Armenian Schools. Ourfalian emphasized that our network of schools and preschools operate under the auspices of the Western Prelacy and Prelate Bishop Donoyan.
Ourfalian highlighted the significant role of School Board members who volunteer their time to further advance the Prelacy Armenian Schools’ educational mission. He provided a concise overview of important projects and accomplishments of the Board of Regents, particularly highlighting the recent expansions of Prelacy Armenian Schools and the increase in student enrollment.
Acknowledging the necessity of expanding Prelacy schools to accommodate more students, Ourfalian shared that the Board of Regents, along with the Executive Council of the Western Prelacy, and the School Boards have been actively involved in expanding and adding to their network of schools and preschools.
“We are grateful for the growth of our schools and preschools and we encourage each school to consider ways to further expand their existing facilities, and if necessary, explore the possibility of establishing satellite campuses,” said Ourfalian.
Additionally, Ourfalian revealed that the Board of Regents will appoint a centralized expansion sub-committee, whose primary objective will be to collaborate closely with all Prelacy schools and preschools to either expand their current campuses or establish new schools.
The orientation conference included five separate sessions:
- Board of Regents Strategic Plan and Subcommittees
- Psychological Counseling and Mental Health
- Zarmanazan Camp 2024
- Centralized Database
- Prelacy Armenian School Surveys
- Process of Onboarding New Teachers & Support
Following Ourfalian’s welcoming remarks, Armen Abrahamian presented key principles of the Board of Regents Strategic Plan and core values: Academic Excellence, Armenian Heritage, Integrity, Growth, and Organizational Sustainability. He discussed the Board’s mission and vision, which includes for Prelacy Armenian Schools to be beacons of educational excellence, where Academic Excellence and Armenian Heritage serve as the foundational pillars of our schools. With a focus on financial stability, the Board aims to ensure the long-term stability of these institutions, by allocating resources and fostering growth. Abrahamian also presented the list of centralized sub-committees that will be appointed by the Board of Regents and explained the objective and task of each sub-committee.
The next session, titled “Psychological Counseling and Mental Health,” was presented by Shakeh Avakian, secretary of the Board of Regents. The presentation highlighted the significance of creating a psychologically safe environment, where individuals feel accepted, safe, respected, celebrated, and where their voices matter. Avakian discussed the importance of building a culture of “Psychological Safety” within school campuses. She emphasized the need for School Boards to provide adequate support and resources to their administrations, to enable effective mental health counseling and services to students.
Following a brief break, Tamar Tufenkjian, presented “Zarmanazan Camp 2024.” Tufenkjian shared that the Board of Regents has partnered with the Gulbenkian Foundation and for the first time Zarmanazan Camp will be held in the Western United States, at Camp Arev in Frazier Park, during the summer of 2024. She elaborated on the nature of Zarmanazan Camp, describing it as a unique language immersion program in Western Armenian, where campers can engage in creative and interactive activities that facilitate language acquisition. Zaramanazan Camp 2024 is open to all children ages 10 to 17.
A session on “Centralized Database,” which the Board is in the process of developing, was also presented by Tufenkjian. She introduced the system called “Little Green Light” which will serve as a data storage and organizational tool. The system will provide features for information retrieval and querying, integrity, security, as well as performing analysis. The system will offer a reliable and efficient platform for storing, organizing, and retrieving data, leading to improved decision-making and overall business success.
The next session, titled “Prelacy Armenian School Surveys” was presented by Khajag Jamgotchian. Jamgotchian shared that the Board of Regents conducted a district-wide survey at the end of the 2023 school year, with the objective of gathering feedback from various stakeholders including parents, teachers, staff, School Board members, and High School students. The comprehensive survey aimed to identify the strengths, weaknesses, and areas in need of improvement at Prelacy Armenian Schools and Preschools. Providing valuable insight, Jamgotchian presented district-wide results and data on issues and problems, overall rankings, and strengths that were mentioned by stakeholders. He also encouraged Principals, Directors, and School Board members to dedicate some time to thoroughly review their individual school survey results, as they contain significant information and feedback from the stakeholders.
The final session, titled “Process of Onboarding New Teachers & Support” was presented by Pattyl Aposhian Kasparian, Board of Regents member. Aposhian Kasparian emphasized the significance of new teacher orientations and its role in introducing and retaining new educators in the school environment. She provided a detailed list of areas that should be covered during the first days of a new teacher hire, such as school safety plans, communication, faculty and student handbook, resources, and evaluation procedures. Additionally, Aposhian Kasparian highlighted the importance of having a plan in place to connect new teachers with experienced colleagues, administrators, and support staff, emphasizing the need for both informal and formal support systems throughout their journey. She also discussed the crucial induction period, the first two or three years of teaching, which plays a vital role in developing teachers’ capabilities. Aposhian Kasparian concluded by presenting a list of recommended best practices, one of which was for new teachers to shadow experienced teachers.
In his closing remarks, Ourfalian expressed his gratitude to all the participants for taking the time to attend the orientation conference and announced that the Board will arrange similar gatherings and workshops regularly during the upcoming year, which will enable School Board members, Principals, and Directors to convene, engage in dialogue about the current state of Prelacy schools, and discuss future initiatives.