God offered a beautiful day to commemorate a somber event at the Academy. The school’s annual genocide commemoration began with students solemnly walking outside singing “Hye Enk Menk”, their beautiful voices reaching our martyrs in heaven. As with many events at the Academy, individual pieces create a complete whole. In this case, each child carried an single flowering plant which, when put together, created an image of Mount Ararat.  Seventh and eighth grade boys took each plant, placing the white to represent the sky, purple the mountains of Ararat and yellow for a triangular border. Together, the entire school proudly sang “Hankchetsek Took Antor” and the “Hayr Mehr.” Clergy from each of the five area churches, parents and grandparents came to support the children in this remembrance, also partaking in the planting ceremony.

The requiem service continued indoors as Sister Emma welcomed the students and guests and reminded them the reason they were gathered - to commemorate the genocide that began on April 24, 1915. “Our children sing and recite in memory of their ancestors,” she commented. These young students are far removed from their great grandparents who suffered 96 years ago, yet they understand the significance of remembrance.

After the Montessori students nobly sang and recited, part of the eighth and fifth grade classes performed a play entitled An April 24th Morning. On that vacation day, a brother and sister want to go skiing, but their parents and grandmother insisted they go to church. At first the children resisted saying that these events happened long ago, but after accompanying their family, they recognized the importance of honoring their past.
When a half Armenian friend comes by after church, they educate him with books and photos about the significance of genocide remembrance. In the end, the children promised to always remember the importance of April 24th.

The Academy’s fourth through eighth grade students sang and eighth grade student Michael Knudson and seventh grade student Nareg Jarayan also recited poems.These powerful and moving presentations prove the Academy students are learning their lessons well, and not letting time erase the memory of their ancestors’ struggles.

All priests participated in the Requiem Service and this year’s closing remarks were made by Archpriest Father Nerses Manoogian of St. Gregory’s Armenian church. He summarized the play saying that by going to church, you learn the right way.

“As you put the flowers in the ground, it becomes one with the earth, just as you students are committed to being part of our Armenian nation. Your commitment to upholding the memory of the martyrs of 1915 must remain as fresh as the flowers,” he stated. “As Sister Emma said, April 24th and Easter coincide this year. We celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and commemorate our 1.5 million martyrs. Throughout our history, Armenians have withstood many calamities and hardships. We gave many martyrs, not only in 1915, but in the end, we still exist and you are proof of this. We live our resurrection every day as long as we speak our language and uphold the memory of the martyrs,” he continued.
Traditionally, at the end of the program, the children, with the help of the eighth grade students, pin green ribbons on a black cross as a symbol of new life . Sister Emma thanked Armenian teachers Mrs. Tamar Panosian and Miss Ovsanna Sadjonian for their efforts in making the day possible, as well as Mrs. Maroush Paneyan-Nigon for piano accompaniment.