TORONTO, Canada—The 2016-2017 Armenian Relief Society (ARS) Armenian Private School year opened Sept. 6, with a generous donation of one million dollars (CAD) by Mr. and Mrs. Varoujan and Silva Lapoyan. The announcement was made during the opening assembly held at Toronto’s St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church. Hagop Janbazian, President of the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto, was joined by Varoujan and Silva Lapoyan, in revealing the donation in front of the school’s student body, parents, teachers, administrators, and board members.
In honor of the benefactors, the ARS Armenian School’s High School will be named ARS Lapoyan High School. The name will be listed along with the names of the other levels of the school – ARS Roubina Nursery, Babayan Kindergarten, and Kololian Elementary.
The ARS Armenian Private School was founded in 1979 with 75 students and is the only Armenian-Canadian day school in Ontario. The school has experienced significant growth over the past five years with enrollment levels now exceeding 600 students. From nursery through to twelfth grade, Armenian language and cultural studies are weaved into the general curriculum in adherence with the provincial Ministry of Education guidelines. The ARS Lapoyan High School graduates continue to attend their preferred colleges and top Canadian and international universities.
To guide the future development of the school and to maintain a high caliber of graduates, the ARS Armenian Private School’s Board of Directors appointed a strategic planning committee earlier this year, to create a five-year strategic plan. Led by this plan, the school will continue expanding, enriching its academic and non-academic offerings, and enhancing the Armenian curriculum, all while continuing to strive for academic excellence and preparing students for post-secondary education.
For more information about the ARS Armenian Private School, visit www.arsarmenianschool.ca.
