News and Announcements

Our Armenian Club Tigers, led by Dr. Kargodorian and Mrs. Arpa, spent some time today within our beloved Chamlian community! As caring citizens of our neighborhood, they invited our neighbors to join us this Sunday for our annual Armenian Cultural Day where we can share our beautiful Armenian heritage!

With the new season, our Kindergartners have new plants to nurture in their garden. With the generosity of parents from KA and KB, the kindergarten students planted new seeds and vegetables in the garden. They will tend to them regularly and learn about the vegetable growth process. This is truly hands on learning!

We are very grateful for the donated plants and very excited about forming our volunteer garden committee to help our students with maintaining their garden.

Mr. and Mrs. Vahan and Anoush Chamlian greeted our Armenian club students with open arms on Wednesday, October 16! The Armenian Club went on a field trip to Fresno to visit significant Armenian sites and as this year we celebrate the school's 45th anniversary, they added a very special stop on their itinerary to visit Mr. and Mrs. Chamlian. The students had prepared a special program for them which was received very warmly. We are very proud of our students' sincere participation. After the brief program, they presented a special painting composed from every Chamlian students' fingerprint. The students enjoyed lunch with the Chamlians and their guests.

Mr. Vahan Chamlian shared his words of wisdom with our students, telling them how glad he was that our students visited him and his wife. He went on to say: "I want to ensure that you (our students) know your worth. You are the gifts of our people. Work hard and hold our cultural beauty in high regard. Service to your people and your homeland is the greatest treasure one could possibly own. Hold proudly the torch of our great heritage and move forward, as you are the future." The students brought back a copy of Armenian Costumes book to be distributed to every Chamlian student as a special gift from the Chamlians and the Armenian Relief Society of Western USA Sophia Chapter in Fresno.

The next highlight of the trip was the afternoon spent at Mr. and Mrs. Raffi and Hilda Santikian's farm. The afternoon was truly a special treat for our students as the students enjoyed the amazing farm and the beautiful lake. The Santikians served a delicious dinner prepared in the old tradition of "poori khorovats". The Santikians heartfelt reception of our students at their special farm is now part of our students' Chamlian memory book.

Our students are privileged to have spent a day with two of our community's heroes.

The 2nd grade field trip to Tree People was a blast! Our Tigers had a Magical City Forest Eco-Tour where they learned to appreciate nature, learned ways to protect the environment, and learned all about various plants and animals along the way! They topped off the day by planting seeds which will grow into beautiful trees, further beautifying our planet Earth.

This morning, our students participated in the Great Shake Out Drill, the largest earthquake preparedness activity in the United States. Chamlian Armenian School was among the 9.5 million people in California, and more than 18 million people around the world, who reviewed safety procedures in case of an earthquake. Our teachers are prepared and have practiced with their students the procedures to drop, cover, and hold on until the pretended shaking has stopped; after which they were instructed to evacuate the classrooms and office buildings. Each student and staff person was accounted for prior to dismissal.
Great Shake Out earthquake drills are an important part of Chamlian's Emergency Preparedness procedures, serving as a good opportunity to review campus safety strategies with students and faculty. This morning our PSC members also participated in the drill since they were on campus.

The Anita Torosian Literacy & Resource Center’s Poetry in the Library workshop is well under way! Taught by poet, arts educator, and creative strategist Tina Demirdjian of Poetry Consults, we are enjoying poetry in the making by our creative students!
The most important question a student can ask is, "Is this a powerful poem or can it be more powerful?" which leads students to be more engaged, enriched, and empowered as learners.
Stay tuned for upcoming posts and join our poetry reading in November (date to be determined)!

Հինգշաբթի, Հոկտեմբեր 10ն մեր վարժարանին համար եղաւ պատմական օր, որովհետեւ Գանատայի, Հիւսիսային Ամերիկայի արեւելեան եւ արեւմտեան թեմերու առաջնորդներուն՝ Բաբգէն արքեպիսկոպոս Չարեանի, Անուշաւան արքեպիսկոպոս Դանիէլեանի եւ Մուշեղ արքեպիսկոպոս Մարտիրոսեանի գլխաւորութեամբ, կրօնական դասի հոգեւորականները այցելեցին մեր վարժարանը:
Մուտքին՝ հոգեւորականները «Աղ ու Հաց»ով դիմաւորուեցան տնօրէնութեան եւ 8րդ կարգի աշակերտութեան կողմէ, որմէ ետք այցելեցին առաջին կարգի դասարանները, գրադարանը, ապա ուղուեցան մարզասրահ, ուր 6րդ եւ 7րդ կարգերու աշակերտներուն կողմէ գործադրուեցաւ կոկիկ յայտագիր մը: Աւարտին խօսք առաւ վարժարանիս տնօրէնուհին՝ Դքթր. Թալին Քարկոտորեանը, ըսելով. «Շամլեան վարժարան ձեր այցելութիւնը առանձնաշնորհում մըն է, ինչպէս նաեւ մեծ պատիւ ու պարծանք, որովհետեւ արժանացանք ձեր հոգեւոր աղօթքներուն եւ օրհնութեան»: Յայտագիրի աւարտին, Թեմիս առաջնորդ Մուշեղ արքեպիսկոպոս Մարտիրոսեանը շնորհաւորեց աշակերտները իրենց տպաւորիչ ելոյթին համար, ապա հրաւիրեց Գանատայի առաջնորդ Փարէն արքեպիսկոպոս Չարեանը, որ իր պատգամով եզրափակէ յայտագիրը:
Սրբազան հայրը խորապէս տպաւորուած աշակերտներուն ելոյթով, անոնց ցուցաբերած հայկական ոգին գնահատելով, լաւատեսութեամբ արտայայտուեցաւ նոր սերունդին ունենալիք դերակատարութեան՝ հայ ժողովուրդի գոյատեւման մէջ: ✝️ #Clergy #Visit #ArmenianChurch #ChamlianPride #ChamlianFamily

Our 4th grade classes had the pleasure to welcome & meet Steinkellner, an illustrator, cartoonist, and writer. She presented the class with her new book titled The Okay Witch. She engaged the students by helping them create their own cartoon collaboratively as she drew it out. In closing, she had a personal meet and greet with individual students as she signed her new book! #ChamlianReads #AnitaTorosianLiteracyAndResourceCenter #FourthGrade #EmmaSteinkellner #ChamlianPride #ChamlianFamily

A special thank you to Wilson Middle School, Lincoln Elementary School, and Tufenkian Armenian School for hosting our teachers in what was a collaborative and informative day! Also a special thank you to Mrs. Nora Chitilian, LMFT for her workshop on successful approaches with today’s students! Our faculty and staff ended our day with a group-based discussion led by Dr. Kargodorian and Ms. Ana Sirabionian. All in all, we had a productive day and can’t wait to have our Tigers back with us tomorrow! #Collaboration #Teachers #ProfessionalDevelopment #ChamlianPride #ChamlianFamily

Our 4th graders enjoyed their field trip to Long Beach’s Aquarium of the Pacific where they experienced the wonders of the world’s largest ocean. Students were able to see and interact with different habitats and organisms that exist in the Pacific Ocean. Our little scientists also used microscopes to explore the world of zooplankton and phytoplankton. 🐙🐳🐬🦑🐠 #AquariumOfThePacific #FourthGrade #FieldTrip #Ocean #MarineLife #ChamlianPride #ChamlianFamily