Sisters Academy Annual Family Night: A Fun Cure for Winter Blues

RADNOR, Pa.— The winter weather couldn’t keep nearly 250 people from attending the Armenian Sisters Academy’s (ASA) annual Family Night on Sat., Jan. 24. ASA’s Hovsepian Activity Center was packed with students, alumni, parents, faculty, and friends, as well as prospective students and their families. The evening provided a respite from the bitter cold and impending snowstorm the following day.

This year’s Family Night, hosted by the school’s Parent Teacher Council, featured a carnival theme complete with games and popcorn and cotton candy machines. The cafeteria was transformed into an arcade of carnival games created by each class in grades 1-8. Students entertained one another while attempting to eat mini doughnuts dangling from a string, balance a stack of cookies on their foreheads, toss ping pong balls into a cup, draw a simple picture blindfolded, and “fish” dried penne pasta onto a spaghetti noodle held in one’s mouth.

Parent Vahe Ashodian volunteered his artistic talents to paint faces resembling everything from butterflies to lions. The highlight of the evening was the 10’x10′ photo booth. Students, parents, and teachers alike lined up to get pictures taken with each other, some sporting feather boas and giant sunglasses, others cowboy hats and Iron Man masks.

Guests enjoyed a menu that featured gyros and chicken souvlaki catered by Ollo Fresh, a local restaurant specializing in Greek and Mediterranean foods. The menu also included some carnival-themed items such as giant pigs-in-blankets and dipping chicken nuggets. Parent volunteers provided an assortment of baked treats for dessert. Tables were decorated with mason jars lined with class photos and candid shots of students, and filled with colorful, handmade pinwheels. DJ Anto Vartanian provided a mix of Armenian and American music for the evening.

Each family present was entered into a drawing for raffle prizes ranging from an assortment of board games to a set of 25 Red Box movie rentals to a $40 gift card to Arnold’s Family Fun Center, an indoor amusement center, among other items. More than a dozen winners went home with prizes.

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