HAMASDEGH SCHOOL ADJUSTS TO LIFE UNDER COVID

The Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions that came with it forced Hamasdegh Armenian School Principal Mrs. Janet Peltekian and the devoted teachers to introduce major changes to continue its activity. Faced with the biggest challenge in its 51 years of existence, the Washington, D.C., area school switched to distance learning. Virtual teaching entailed a number of adjustments and new solutions, including:

• An online library of Armenian textbooks was created, allowing teachers to work from home.
• Twice a month, the school offered audiobooks produced by graduate Mary Markarian.
• All classes for all levels from kindergarten to 8^th grade were switched to the remote modality, including Armenian Language, Religion, Armenian History and Dance.

In addition to it, Hamasdegh sent a donation of $4,000 to Artsakh after a fundraiser organized by the school in November. At the same time, Hamasdegh notes with satisfaction the positive feedback the school has been receiving in these trying times, more recently including comments by a parent that their child had begun to speak more in Armenian following the online classes.