Dear Parents and School Friends,

The monthly newsletter is our way of disseminating important information to our school community, so please take the time to

read the news, reminders, and dates to note for the month of November covered in this issue of the newsletter.

We are very pleased to inform you that the sports turf project is becoming a reality thanks to your generous contributions and

the determination of a task force composed of dedicated parents to materialize a safe and inviting soccer field for our students

in the school playground. Once installed in January, on-site parking will be restricted and there will be new drop-off and pick-

up procedures in place. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated when implementing those changes. Please be reminded that the safety of our

children must be our most important consideration when driving on or around the campus at all times.

Please make the time to arrive early on campus. It is very important that students are in class on time every morning. Students who are tardy to

class miss out on instruction and disrupt the education of other students as well.

Finally, it is November and Thanksgiving again, the traditional season of sharing. Please encourage your students to participate in the various

goodwill drives that will be under way, as well as the schoolwide effort to raise funds for Armenia Fund Telethon.

Hagop Hagopian

Principal

MRS. ANAHID NALBANDIAN

VICE PRINCIPAL, MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL

Consistency requires self-discipline and dedication. These are qualities that we strive to develop in our middle and high school

students throughout the school year, across all subject areas. Consistency is important for success day-to-day, on student tran-

scripts, and later on in life after senior graduation. That said, we just concluded a successful first quarter on October 19 and

entered the first week of the second quarter. Through the collaboration of our teachers, counselors, and administration, we can

make sure that our students continue to do their best as we approach midterm examinations before the Christmas break. Com-

pleting the midterm exam process before students go on vacation for a few weeks helps the continuity, retention, and relevance

of what's being learned during the first semester. Then, students can look forward to being fully rested and mentally/emotionally energized when

the second semester begins in January.

MRS. TAGOUSH KHODABAKHSHIAN

DIRECTOR, ARTEMIS NAZARIAN PRESCHOOL

Preschool parents had the opportunity to spend some time in their child’s classroom last week in the mornings. It gave them a

chance to see how their children act in a group setting, what the morning routines are, and get a glimpse of what and how they

learn! There will be other opportunities in the months to come for parents to closely witness their children at school. For more

information, please refer to preschool “Caterpillar Times” newsletter; the first issue of the year will be published on October 31!

A.G.B.U.

MANOOGIAN-DEMIRDJIAN SCHOOL 6844 Oakdale Avenue, Canoga Park, CA 91306

Phone: (818) 883-2428

AGBUMDS.ORG

NOVEMBER 2012

MS. MARIE STUART

VICE PRINCIPAL, ELEMENTARY It is hard to believe, but Fall is here and the first trimester is almost over. The start of Fall has proven to be a very busy time and I have been

impressed on a daily basis by the efforts of our staff and students. I know that this hard work will continue throughout the year.

October is Armenian Culture Month and our students celebrated by making a book about famous people, places and events in Armenian history

to kick off the 500th anniversary of the first printing of an Armenian book. The book was presented to our librarian at the October 19 Cultural assembly. At the assembly, students recited poetry, sang songs, and listened to the Glee club sing.

On Friday, October 26, students were presented with the first ever Hye Voke awards along with this month’s character awards at an assembly at 1:30 pm.

Of course, October could not conclude without our Halloween festivities! Students will have a Pumpkin Decorating Contest followed by our parade. Beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 31, we will have our “scary” parade of ghosts and goblins with classroom parties, organized by our fantastic room parents, end-

ing the afternoon. You are welcome to join us. We are sure that everyone will have a “spooktactular” time!

In November, we are looking forward to the Parent/Teacher conferences on November 16.

Please keep reading for more information about the aforementioned events!

Created by Mrs. Teni Halburian, Director of Communications

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

NOVEMBER 2012

Friday, November 2 Armenian Cultural Month Program, 7:00 pm in the Agajanian Auditorium

Click here to view the flyer.

Tuesday, November 6 -

Friday, November 9 Library Book Fair

Tuesday, November 6 Kindergarten Class Program (Mrs. Donsker’s Class), 8:30 AM, Elementary

Music Room, click here to view the flyer

Thursday, November 8 Kindergarten Class Program (Mrs. Roy’s Class), 8:30 AM, Elementary

Music Room, click here to view the flyer

Friday, November 9 Elementary 1st Trimester Ends

Friday, November 9 DHS 2nd Quarter Midterm Progress Report

Monday, November 12 School Closed - Veteran’s Day

Tuesday, November 13 DHS Pupil Free Day

Parent-Teacher Conferences for sixth - twelfth grade

Thursday, November 15 Absentee Picture Day, Senior Cap & Gown Pictures

Coffee with the DHS Vice Principal, 5th Grade Parents at 8:30 AM,

Nazarian Foyer

Friday, November 16 Elementary Pupil Free Day

Parent-Teacher Conferences for preschool - fifth grade

Senior Fashion Show, click here for additional details

Thursday, November 23 -

Friday, November 24 School Closed - Thanksgiving

Tuesday, November 27 Coffee with the DHS Vice Principal, 8th Grade Parents at 8:30 AM,

Nazarian Foyer

REMINDERS

For Café’ 08’s November cafeteria menu, click here.

To access the complete game schedule for the TITANS for the month of November, click here.

Volume 1, Issue 3 November 2012 Page 2

THE INSANITY OF MARY GIRARD

PRESENTED BY THE AGBU MDS

DRAMA CONSERVATORY

BEHIND-THE-SCENES PICTURES

Page 3 A.G.B.U. Manoogian-Demirdjian School

OUR FRESHMEN VISITED LOYOLA MARYMOUNT

On Wednesday, October 3rd, the freshman class visited the campus of Loyola Marymount University where they learned about Lion pride

and school traditions. Their eyes widened as they took in the panoramic views of Los Angeles from the bluffs, and their ears perked when

they heard about the 20 to 1 classroom ratio and available student resources, such as professional note takers. One of the most memorable

moments of the tour would have to be the display of decorative bras along the walkway in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

The students showed enthusiasm while participating in games to earn LMU "gear" and asked lots of questions about academics and student

life. During the admissions presentation they gained firsthand knowledge from AGBU MDS alums (Arek ’05, Aram ’09, Vanessa ’11, and

Chris ’12) on what they need to do in high school to gain acceptance to college. The alums also shared personal stories about their own

experiences as LMU students such as:

Ease of getting to know and having great relationships with their professors

LMU being a good transition from AGBU because of the campus and class size

The benefits of living on campus plus the short distance from home (for the days they need to do laundry)

Walking back to the bus, comments such as “wow…this is a cool school” and “I didn’t know about LMU, but now it’s at the top of my

list” were overheard. The students walked in hesitant and left inspired with a better sense of the medium suburban private college “just up

the road.” It’s never too early to start planning for college! For more information about LMU visit www.lmu.edu.

OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS NINTH GRADE MEDICAL FIELD EXPOSURE

On October 10, twenty of our 9th grade students, who are

interested in applying to the Health & Medicine focus

group at the end of this year, were given a tour of the

Northridge Hospital Medical Center and attended their

first in a series of 14 classes! These students will have the

continued opportunity to learn about different aspects in the

field of medicine first hand from nurses, doctors, and sur-

geons. The first topic discussed in this series was on infec-

tious diseases.

MS. CHAGLASSIAN’S ART ELECTIVE CLASS I

In the 9th grade art elective class, students drew a new menu for our own Café 08. The fun-filled project required students to include fun characters in the

menu and the students got really creative. One student, Cynthia Petrossian, envisioned a robot, while another, Taline Vartanian, imagined a mouse called

Mr. Jingles.

Page 4 A.G.B.U. Manoogian-Demirdjian School

OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED 2012 SAT 10 RESULTS

In May 2012, all students in 1st through 8th grades participated in the Stanford 10

Achievement Test (SAT 10). The SAT10 is a norm-referenced test that measures a stu-

dent’s results against a norming group which is representative of students in the same

grade level across the country. Students are assessed in Reading, Math, Language, and Spelling. While

these subtests vary according to grade level, they all include some form of reading comprehension,

mathematics problem-solving, and language skills.

We are proud that each of our classes has received a composite score of above average on the complete

battery. This year, 81% of all assessed students in grades 1 - 5 scored proficient or above in Reading,

85% scored proficient or above in Math, and 89% scored proficient or above in Language. Seventy-

four percent of the students in 6th – 8th grade scored proficient or above in Reading, 83% scored profi-

cient or above in Math, and 72% scored proficient or above in Language. Proficiency is defined as

earning a scaled score at or above the 5th stanine, or a national percentile rank above the 50th NPR.

(Stanine is a method of scaling test scores on a nine-point standard scale, and the 5th stanine is associ-

ated with the national average.)

While we are very proud of how well our students scored on the test, we do not stop there! Teachers

use the results to inform and target their instruction. At the October 8 staff development day, all teach-

ers analyzed the SAT 10 data, discussed strategies and ways to allow our students to improve, and

wrote performance goals on how they were going to implement the supports.

The SAT 10 is only one of the multiple measures used in the classroom to help teachers and adminis-

trators understand the academic progress of each individual student. The SAT 10 results will continue

to be used in combination with other measures, including local assessments, to inform continuous im-

provement efforts and ensure the success of every student.

Achievement test scores are important; however they are only one of several measures of your child’s

academic performance. Compare your child’s test scores to report card grades, classwork, homework,

and project grades. Remember that achievement tests do not measure talent or ability directly; they

measure how much your child has learned compared to the nationally normed group of students at their

same grade level. Please contact your teacher or administrator if you have questions regarding your

child’s SAT 10 results.

JOHNS HOPKINS TALENT SEARCH

Every year, the Johns Hopkins University Talent Search recognizes students who performed in the

95th percentile or higher on a state or nationally normed standardized test, such as, the SAT 10. Stu-

dents are offered opportunities to participate in challenging programs offered by the University. This

year we are very proud to announce that 68 students in grades 1 - 5 scored at or above the 95th percen-

tile. This represents 27% of the students tested. Congratulations to these high-scoring students!!

Volume 1, Issue 3 November 2012

ARTEMIS NAZARIAN PRESCHOOL

Page 5

ELEMENTARY

CHARACTER AWARDS

This year, we have implemented the Character Counts Program at AGBU MDS for students in grades K - 5. The program provides curriculum and activities to

teach students how to follow the six character pillars: RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, CARING, FAIRNESS, TRUSTWORTHINESS, and CITIZENSHIP. On

the last Friday of each month, certificates will be awarded to students from each class who best exemplify the character traits of that month’s pillar.

Today, the first Character Awards were presented to those students who best exemplified the Character Pillar for

RESPECT. Here are just a few of the ways they showed how RESPECTFUL they can be: “She greets her teachers

and adults and always says please and thank you!” “He allows follows the school rules and sets a good example for

others in class.” “He treats all his friends with respect because he is considerate to their needs.” “She listens to her

friends with care and treats all around her the way she wants to be treated.” “He shows respect by always greeting her

teachers with a warm smile.” “He acts as a positive role model for his peers by upholding the values of the school both

inside the classroom and out on the yard.

Congratulations to these very RESPECTFUL students:

KN: Armen Apoyan, Julian Forberg, Mia Kalfa, Jayden Khanlian, Shaunt Nizamian, Vanessa Tutuyan; 1st: Christian Akhoian, Elle Hazarian, Vahn Konyalian,

Sera Marganian, Sevannah Soukiasian, Marc Sinanian, Kayla Svadjian, Ari Wartan; 2nd: Yvette Amirian, Areg Gevorgian, Emma Mikailoglu, June Musurlian,

Arpineh Sahakian, Edmond Terpogosyan; 3rd: Charlie Aprahamian, Ashley Kaloustian, Andrew Keshishian, Osan Jarekian, Zaven Joukjian, Anahit Malumyan;

4th: Marc Arslanian, Anthony Assatourian, Virginia Khachatourians, Felicia Klijian, Lara Papasian, Andrew Shahinian; 5th: Raffi Ajemian, Greg Bedrossian,

Nicole Chalvardjian, Vasken Chalvardjian , Raffi Clark, Nicholas Philips, Sindi Sargsyan, Sevan Sekimoto, Matthew Torus.

HYE VOKE AWARDS

This Friday, we also awarded the first Hye Voke Award to students in grades K – 5 who best exemplified the Armenian spirit! Each month, students

will be selected by their teachers for proudly showing their voke! Here are some ways they showed how spirited they are: “He has shown great im-

provement and dedication in reading in Armenian.” “ She is always willing to provide her musical talents to showcase and highlight Armenian music.”

“He shows great enthusiasm when reciting poetry in Armenian.” “He is always ready to promote Armenian culture.” “She is very enthusiastic during

Armenian class, and participates to the discussions with excitement.”

Congratulations to the following students for showing their Armenian spirit:

KN: Alina Broutian, Isabella Celikian, Veronica Minassian, Shaunt Nizamian, Anthony Rostami, Alex Vakian; 1st: Lilia Antonyan, Annie Hakopyan,

Vahn Konyalian, Lori Sepetjian, Kevork Soghomonian, Ari Wartan; 2nd: Tamar Karakozian, Michael Martirossian, Ryan Martirossian, Hera Ohannes-

sian, Sarine Papasian, Stella Shagmirian; 3rd: Alek Cinar, Sofia Gevorgian, Alexandra Keshishian, Anahit Malumyan, Alec Sekimoto, Vana Soghomo-

nian; 4th: Grace Aksoy, Hovik Haitaian, Pateel Kamakian, Pierre Keusseyan, Elizabeth Nenedzhyan, Michael Papazian, Alexander Tavidian; 5th: Emi-

lie Besnilian, Ani Gabrelian, Jordan Hazarian, David Kafadarian, Hagop Khatcherian, Natalie Kochumian, Paulina Martirossian, Natasha Meyer,

Vachag Voskian.

Even at a very young age, our students become prepared to act appropriately to stay safe in situations where Mother Nature acts upon us. Our children joined the

elementary and high school students, participating in the first announced fire drill of the year on October 2nd. They practiced lining up and walking quietly to the

designated safe area in the school playground. On October 18th, as part of the California Shakeout Drill, they practiced “Drop, Cover and Hold” at 10:18 am and

did a fantastic job! Some classes were inside and went under their tables. Those who were in the playground, they simply dropped and covered their heads as

safety measures. There will be a number of announced fire drills in the months to come.

Page 6

DHS

PRESIDENT'S VOLUNTEER SERVICE

AWARD

We are pleased to inform you that AGBU Manoo-

gian-Demirdjian School is now a partner and an

official certifying organization with the Presi-

dent's Volunteer Service Award! Our students

will now be recognized by the President of the

United States for their dedication and commitment

to service. Depending on the amount of hours stu-

dents will be eligible to receive:

An official President's Volunteer Service

Award lapel pin A personalized certificate of achievement A congratulatory letter from the US President

Eligible recipients will be acknowledged at the

Awards Ceremony held on June 7th.

A.G.B.U. Manoogian-Demirdjian School

ALLIANCE FOR CLIMATE EDUCATION

Written By: Aneesa Yousefi, 12th Grade Student

On Tuesday, October 2, 2012, Jessica Mariglio, a speaker from A.C.E. who goes from school to school letting students know about

the pressing problems in our environment, visited AGBU MDS. “A.C.E.” stands for Alliance for Climate Education, and this organi-

zation was formed in order to educate the masses about what the growing population is doing to our planet, contributing to problems

such as global warming. Jessica demonstrated in a fun and creative hour-long presentation about what one individual can do in terms

of impacting our environment. She also explained what as a community we can do to change our world to make sure we continue

living our lives sustainably and environmentally friendly. The students learned a lot from the presentation on Tuesday.

On that same day, many students decided to form an A.C.E Action Team of their own at the school to make sure the school commu-

nity contributes to helping the environment. The students are excited to help make a difference to our planet’s growing climactic

problems and are already planning to begin multiple environmental projects for their Action Team.

PHYSICS BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURE

DHS students brought their lunches and met in the science lab to discuss and learn about black holes. The dis-

cussion was led by Dr. Raymond Ellyin, instructor of Physics at DHS and Engineer at JPL. The Science De-

partment will be hosting these Brown Bag Physics Events at least once every quarter!

AREN AKARAKIAN

SECOND PLACE WINNER OF ESSAY CONTEST

We are pleased to inform that Aren Akarakian, a sopho-

more, won second place in the Armenian Essay contest

organized by the Western Diocese of the Armenian

Church of North America for the occasion of the 500th

anniversary of the printing of the first Armenian book!

There were 39 participants from various Armenian high

schools who had the option to write the essay in English

or Armenian. We are pleased to mention that Aren was

one of the few students who chose to write his essay in

Armenian. Click here to read Aren’s award-winning es-

say!

DHS ASSEMBLIES

Every two weeks, during study hall period, assemblies are held for middle school students. Students benefit from these assemblies in

various ways: they get accustomed to walking quietly and in a single file, sitting in designated sections in the auditorium, and listen-

ing respectfully to presentations, speakers, and performances. It is an important part of the education process for students to know

what it means to be an audience member, and as a result of these middle school assemblies, students are having ample opportunity to

improve in this regard. Additionally, DHS administration selects topics and specific school expectations to highlight and discuss,

depending on the need.

Volume 1, Issue 3 November 2012

Can You Put Yourself in My Shoes?

Sometimes it really helps when the person in front of you understands your emotional state. In other words, when that person

can put himself/herself in your shoes. Teaching empathy is an important step in helping children grow into responsible adults.

Empathy involves recognizing another person’s feelings and then successfully imagining what that person is feeling. Empathy

is the capacity to feel compassion for another through effective perspective taking. Children that have developed the skill of

empathy are able to show concern for another person’s situation or feelings. They have learned to appreciate what they have

and often look to how they can help others. Children that have not developed empathy ,are not able to relate to what others are

feeling. These children will sometimes tease or bully because they lack the ability to understand how they are making another

child feel. Empathy is a skill that can be taught to our children as they grow. Even children that have not developed the ability

to empathize, can begin to learn how their actions affect others. The person with the greatest ability to help your child develop

empathy is you! As a parent, you have the most influence on your child’s development.

Here Are Some Ways Parents Can Try Teaching Empathy And Boost

Their Child's Emotional Intelligence The initial step in teaching empathy is teaching your child basic feeling words. To be able to recognize another person’s

feelings, a child must be able to label and understand feelings. If your child is upset use it as an opportunity to talk about

feelings. Something as basic as discussing feelings teaches your child the language that will be used to identify feelings

in the future. This is the most basic tool necessary in developing a child’s empathy skills.

Make sure your child's own emotional needs are met. In order for your child to be able to feel and express empathy for

someone else, his/her own emotional needs must first be met. When the child receives emotional support from parents, he/

she will be able to provide emotional support to someone else.

Teach your child how to cope with negative emotions. It's natural for kids and adults to experience negative emotions

such as anger and jealousy. But a child who is taught how to handle these feelings in a positive, problem-solving way by

sympathetic parents is more likely to have strong emotional intelligence and empathy.

Teach your child to put himself/herself in someone else’s shoes. Teaching your child to stop and imagine themselves in

another person’s shoes will help them use better judgment when interacting with others. It also gives your child the ability

to take on the perspective of another person. This is the most important aspect of learning empathy.

Talk about positive and negative behaviors around you. We are constantly exposed to examples of good and bad behavior

in real life and in books, TV, and movies. Talk with your child about the behavior you see, such as someone making an-

other person sad or acting like a bully or, conversely, someone helping others and making people feel better about them.

Set a good example. Your child learns about how to interact with people by watching you and other adults in his/her life.

Show your child what it means to be a charitable person or how to be kind and loving. By helping family members and

neighbors or supporting friends and others who are in need, you will be teaching your child how to be an empathetic per-

son.

Source: How to Teach Kids Empathy and Emotional Intelligence and Why it’s Important. By Katherine Lee.

About.com Guide

Can You Imagine What I’m Feeling? In guidance class, grades K - 2 were introduced to the concept of empathy and emotional intelligence. The students were given

the opportunity to share their personal experiences, explore commonly-shared emotions through discussions, and demonstrate

empathy by role-playing. Students learned to identify and label their own and others’ feelings and emotions. They also

learned how to use nonverbal cues to understand how a person might be feeling. Subsequently, the concept of empathy was

reinforced through Feelings Charades, which offered a fun way to practice the skill of displaying emotion and guessing an-

other's emotion without using words. Students were engaged in role-playing where they had to recognize feelings of others

and help them feel better by showing empathy. The Counselor Conversation Card was given to them as a homework exten-

sion activity to reinforce the concept of empathy.

Suggested Links:

http://storybird.com/books/how-to-become-an-empathetic-person/

http://classroom.kidshealth.org/3to5/personal/growing/empathy.pdf

Counselor’s Corner By Irina Stepanyan, School Counselor

Page 7

Volume 1, Issue 3 November 2012

49TH ANNUAL NANCY THORP POETRY CONTEST

Deadline: November 15, 2012

HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE AND JUNIOR GIRLS

Each year, Hollins University promotes this contest and it attracts between 800 and 1,000 entries from across the

country. It's a wonderful opportunity for students' work to be taken seriously by a panel of students and faculty

members at one of the nation's top-ranked schools in creative writing.

Contest Highlights:

Open to 10th and 11th grade females

Entries must be submitted online at www.hollins.edu/poetrycontest

Each entrant must have a faculty sponsor from her high school

1st prize consists of a $200 cash award, plus free registration, transportation to, and housing for the Lex Allen

Literary Festival at Hollins University on March 30, 2013

There are 6 second-prize winners, each of whom receives a $25 cash award

All the winning poems will be printed in Cargoes, the student literary magazine at Hollins.

If you have questions visit Ms. Leggins in the College Center.

DEADLINE: NOVEMEBER 15, 2012

Winners will be notified in mid-February

College Counselor’s Corner By Shanell Leggins, College Counselor

Page 8

College Visits: Juniors & Seniors 11/5: CSUN at 12:30pm (College Center)

11/6: UCLA at 12:30-1:00pm (AGBU College Center)

11/7: LMU at 12:30-1:00pm (AGBU College Center)

Personal Statement Workshops (Seniors) Click here for the flyer.

Important Deadlines for Seniors 11/1: Deadline to register for December SAT exam

11/2: Deadline to register for December ACT exam

11/30: Deadline to submit CSU & UC applications

Additional Dates:

12/4: Financial Aid Night at 6:30-8:00pm (AGBU Au-

ditorium)

Created by Mrs. Teni Halburian, Director of Communications