St. Stephen’s School Takes Literary Approach to Armenian Genocide

No CommentsFri, May 7 2010 Published in New England Email This Article
St. Stephen’s School Takes Literary Approach to Armenian Genocide
By: Weekly Staff
WATERTOWN, Mass.—Every April brings sadness to Armenians all over the world as commemorations of the Armenian Genocide ensue. This is no different for our youth, the next generation of survivors. Armenian communities across the globe have been entrusted with educating the next generation on what took place and to never forget. But the education for children is particularly a difficult dilemma. How do we teach something so dark and horrific? How do we impart the facts and history of the time without the scary details? How do we help them understand the harsh cruelty and emotional toll the many survivor stories have left without creating another generation of victims? This has been a struggle for those responsible for developing an Armenian Genocide Curriculum appropriate for elementary students at St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School.

A picture of St. Stephen’s Grade 4 students with author Marsh Skrypuch, principal Houry Boyamian, and teachers Julia Kramer and Kacie Carli
The search for finding age appropriate literature for just such a curriculum is over. Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, a Ukrainian-Canadian children’s author, has researched many books for children. Her award winning book Aram’s Choice is part of the New Beginnings series of historical chapter books. Every title is researched, illustrated in full color throughout, and accompanied by a bibliography, index, and glossary.
Aram’s Choice is used in the Grade 4 curriculum at St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School in Watertown and has been a wonderful addition to the school curriculum, particularly on presenting the sensitive subject matter of the Armenian Genocide, thoughtfully evoking a conversation about what happened to those who survived. Aram’s Choice has been recognized for the CLA Children’s Book of the Year Award, shortlist, 2007; Silver Birch Express Award shortlist, 2007; Golden Oak Award shortlist, 2008; and Resource Link Best Book, 2006. The sequel to Aram’s Choice is Call Me Aram. Both books are based on the story of Kevork Kevorkian, one of the original Georgetown Boys, a group of Armenian orphans brought to Georgetown, Ontario in 1923.
In Grade 5 the students use the Newbery Honor book The Road From Home: The Story of an Armenian Girl, by David Kherdian, told from his mother’s perspective about her childhood in an Armenian community in Turkey and her eventual arrival in America. The book also won the Jane Addams Peace Award, the Friends of American Writers Award, and the Banta Award from the Wisconsin Library Association, and was nominated for the American Book Award. Kherdian has visited St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School in the past.
On Mon., April 12, St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School was fortunate to have author Marsha Skrypuch visit with Grades 3, 4, and 5 to discuss her books and her research on the orphans of Georgetown Ontario, and read her writing aloud to the students. This was a very special day for the children; meaningful discussions and questions developed out of their conversations together.
To further enrich the genocide curriculum and students’ understanding of the Georgetown Boys story, Grades 4 and 5 took a field trip to Cranston, R.I. on Sun., April 11 to watch the performance of the “Georgetown Boys” directed by Dr. Markarian of the New Jersey Hamazkain Theatre group. This was an excellent performance for Armenians of all ages to understand the hardship the boys went through after their exile. It was an added dimension for the students to understand the story of the Georgetown Boys and the Armenian Genocide, prior to Marsha Skrpuch’s visit the following day.
For those who grapple with how to present this subject to students, children, or grandchildren, Aram’s Choice and Call Me Aram are age appropriate children’s literature on the difficult subject of the Armenian Genocide. The story allows one to open the door on a very dark chapter in history and look inside with a lens for young audiences everywhere. St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School is grateful for these two books, which are now a part of the literature component of the Armenian Genocide Curriculum, and most appreciative to Skrypuch and her diligent research and thirst for the truth regarding this tragedy in Armenian history. She is a diamond in the rough and St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary school is proud to have found her.
For more information on the St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School, call (617) 923-0501, email school@ssaes.org, or visit www.ssaes.org.