SYDNEY: Tarkmanchats Saturday School has hit the ground running in 2010 with a new curriculum and brand new supporting educational books and resources brought in from New York.

The newly appointed principal, Ms. Gassia Gabonian has made it her number one priority to raise the educational standard at the school by personally researching and sourcing new text books from overseas.

The president of the school board, Ms. Marie Soghomonian stated: "The new initiative has been received well by parents and students and we are looking forward to a productive 2010.

"The new text books will provide our teachers and students with excellent up to date material that will provide a foundation for a higher quality Armenian language education."

Ms. Gabonian was appointed Principal of the school in December 2009. She has taken on the role comfortably and has initiated a number of new approaches that will develop and nurture the students within our community.

One of these new approaches is in response to the Armenian Community Performing Arts Awards. Tarkmanchats Saturday School has initiated a new program to prepare a select number of students to participate in the Performing Arts Awards.

While representing the school, students will be hand picked and trained in various disciplines during term one. In particular, they will endeavour to prepare a small number of students in the area of Armenian Poetry Recital.

Ms. Gassia Gabonian said: "This is the perfect opportunity to execute our objective as an Armenian School. We will be teaching and training a small number of students in Armenian Poetry recital. Armenian poetry is an integral part of our history and in this way we wish to embrace the opportunity and prepare our kids to perform. Poetry aids language development, vocabulary, reading and speech, in addition the performance aspect will develop confidence and stage presence."

In addition to this, Ms. Gabonian has indicated that they are looking forward to introducing the poetry recital element in preparation for the Awards competition.

She stated: "Our aim is not so compete to win but to participate, teach and build confidence in the students."

Tarkmanchats Saturday School will begin the program with the guidance of their existing staff of Armenian language teachers.