The pandemic has not stopped these children from sharing and celebrating their rich Armenian heritage
Like schools around the world, the Academy had to abruptly transition to Zoom-based distance learning in March 2020 due to the threat of the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, many of its beloved community events such as its annual year-end Hantes performance had to be canceled for the first time in the school’s history of over fifty years. While students acclimated to distance learning through June, an ambitious project was set in motion to allow students to safely return to campus in time for the new school year. This was not easy, and would require major financial investment, at a time when quarantine restrictions prevented it from carrying out its typical fundraising events and activities. Yet as past generations sacrificed much in order to establish the Philadelphia community and the school itself, there was no question that it had to be done.
Students moved from the stage to the playground in order to continue their Armenian cultural performances
“This year has presented many challenges, not only for our school, but for the entire world,” commented school principal Sister Emma Moussayan. “The Armenian Sisters Academy responded wisely and prudently to the pandemic by creating a COVID-19 Response Advisory Committee to develop a safety plan for in-person instruction. By the end of August 2020, a written plan was in place and all CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines were either met or exceeded.”
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Academy students display some of the boxes of humanitarian relief they collected and sent to Artsakh during the war
Every aspect had to be considered and no expense could be spared, from replacing all classroom windows and the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning filtration systems, to allowing for increased ventilation, hiring a full-time cleaning staff to do continuous disinfection throughout the school and increasing the number of security cameras. In addition, a whole new approach to daily practices in school life would need to be taken. The school day starts with temperature checks and mandatory masks, students arrive based on staggered drop off times and plexiglass dividers are provided for each student’s desk. Students remain with their homeroom class all day and no parents or visitors are allowed inside. Outdoor spaces are utilized when weather permits, and windows are kept open at all times, even in winter with the building’s heat turned up to maintain proper airflow. A lot of new rules to be sure, but vital in regaining a degree of normalcy.
Technology has played an important role in the Academy’s ability to reopen safely for all its students
Classes were able to resume on time in September as planned and have continued relatively smoothly till now. It has been a lot of work but well worth it, due to the students’ joy to be back with their friends and no longer having to attend school by computer every day. An important factor in making it work was the initiative taken by the school’s faculty, as Sister Emma noted: “I commend our teachers for accepting the challenge to safely return to school, without hesitation, for the students. Their commitment and dedication are noticeable through their daily enthusiastic instruction. I also commend the teachers for their diligence in helping to maintain the cleanliness and sanitization of the building throughout the course of the school day.”
Plexiglass dividers, individual baskets for supplies at each desk, hand sanitizer, and proper spacing are all part of the classroom setup which has allowed the school to remain open through the pandemic
In fact, word got out about the Academy’s preparedness and it was inundated with applications from non-Armenian families eager to take advantage of it. The local elite public schools surrounding the Academy are still only conducting classes remotely and so the opportunity for in-person instruction has been highly sought after.
Students from first to eighth grade are flanked by Vice-Principal Daniel Commale and Sister Emma Moussayan
While an enrollment boost would have helped with preparedness expenses, there were other matters to consider. At present, class size is fairly small, with about ten students per class from first to eight grades. As Director of Admission Legna Santerian described: “We had a large number of new students interested in enrolling at the Academy, but due to all the necessary protocols we decided not to accommodate any additional students this year. The safety of our students is our number one priority, and we were not willing to do anything to jeopardize that.” As of March, thanks to these careful precautions the Academy has had no cases of COVID transmission and only a few students ever contracted COVID, in all cases outside the school environment and successfully quarantined.
While it is hoped the pandemic subsides soon, it’s impossible to say when that might happen. Until then though, the Armenian Sisters Academy has proven it is up to the task of weathering the storm while always providing an excellent education.
Main Photo Caption: A student has his temperature taken by Principal Sister Emma upon arrival to school, one of many safety measures in place that allows the school to operate in person
