Spirit of Christmas Fills Sisters Academy in Radnor

RADNOR, Pa.—Amidst the flurry of activity that takes place at the end of each year, the Armenian Sisters Academy of Radnor was filled with the spirit of Christmas last month.

A scene from the event — A scene from the Christmas Pageant

The first week of December, students learned that there is not only joy in receiving but also in giving during the holidays. The 8^th grade sponsored a Christmas Shoppe where students could purchase small gifts to give to family members and friends. This spirit of giving continued throughout the month.

The greater Philadelphia-Armenian community filled the school’s Hovsepian Activity Center on Dec. 19 for the school-wide Christmas Pageant.

On Dec. 9, the Sisters celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the feast day of their order. It is a special day for the Sisters, who renewed their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The Sisters were presented with a collection of monetary donations and flowers from faculty and students offering their best wishes.

Later that week, on Dec. 11, the Academy’s Ladies Auxiliary hosted its Annual Christmas Luncheon. Nearly 100 guests enjoyed the delicious meal prepared by the ladies, while Montessori students reenacted the nativity story. The 2^nd grade class performed a play about the true meaning of Christmas and was joined by the 1^st grade in singing Christmas carols, as those in the audience sang along. The luncheon also featured a sampling of fragrances from French-Armenian perfumer Francis Kurkdjian’s “Maison Francis Kurkdjian” Paris collection.

The greater Philadelphia-Armenian community filled the school’s Hovsepian Activity Center on Dec. 19 for the school-wide Christmas Pageant. More than 250 people came to see the Montessori and primary-level students depict the story of Jesus’ birth. The choir of angelic voices, comprised of students in the 2^nd through 8^th grades, narrated the nativity story through word and song. The pageant was immediately followed by a musical celebration of caroling in Armenian, English, French, and Italian that featured students accompanying the choir playing various instruments such as hand drums, metallophones, recorders, tambourines, triangles, violins, and xylophones.

Each year in the spirit of giving, the Academy designates a charity to support through its Generosity Tree program. The students erect and decorate the Generosity Christmas tree in the lobby of the school’s Hovsepian Activity Center. The 2014 collection was conducted in support of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) of Eastern USA’s Holiday Clothing Drive for the children in the Republic of Artsakh (Karabagh). Large collection boxes were placed under the tree where throughout the month students donated new winter clothing, such as coats, hats, gloves, and scarves for children ages 3 months to 10 years old. The clothing will be distributed to students at the ARS “Medz Tagher” Soseh Kindergarten and to children living in the surrounding villages. The 8^th grade students prepared several boxes of winter clothing for shipment.

The Armenian Sisters Academy, an independent Christian Armenian Day School, educates students in pre-kindergarten through 8^th grade. The school offers a comprehensive and rigorous accredited academic program, which includes the study of Armenian language, history, and culture.