SYDNEY:On Wednesday 27 August 2014, at 7pm, Galstaun College held its High School Open Evening in the college's very own Nalbandian Hall. The evening showcased the college, the student's school work and provided information to ensure that parents and students better understand what the College has to offer.

On display in the Nalbandian Hall was the Year 12 Design and Technology HSC major works which demonstrated the different techniques, materials, skills and disciplines students had employed to create these beautiful pieces. The works ranged from a beautiful dress inspired by and representing breast cancer research; a small fishing boat, which was tested in the school pond and it FLOATS!; to a cubby house with solar panels to power its own lighting.

Galstaun College Captain and current senior student Patil Sevagian was the MC for the night.  She opened by introducing the principal of the College, Mr Edward Dermirdjian, whose speech set the tone for the evening as it touched upon the College’s focus on academic excellence, future leadership and the establishment of a strong Armenian identity.



He said: “Galstaun College places a strong emphasis on academic achievement where our dedicated teachers ensure the delivery of quality education in a disciplined learning environment. Students are engaged and challenged to become critical and creative thinkers and are provided with every opportunity to thrive academically, socially and personally. Galstaun College is devoted to ensuring that each child is empowered with the confidence and skills to succeed and achieve their personal best.”

Deputy Principal, Guy Cassarchis followed and reinforced Demirdjian’s message.



Cassarchis opened by stating:  "Every school works very hard to belong and work with their community and we are very fortunate to have an established community.”

He clearly communicated that subject choice and the quality of students in a school or class do not impact HSC results, individual effort and results are the only factor. Deputy Cassarchis continued with the sports, pastoral care and extra and co-curricular programs available such as the Duke of Edinburgh, an internationally recognised and university favoured opportunity designed to teach students to give back to the community and to develop accountable and responsible leaders.

Cassarchis then demonstrated the online learning management tool Edumate, designed to provide parents with better visibility into their child’s education. Parents will be able to login via the Internet to view attendance records, subject and assessment results, academic reports and assessment tasks.

He said: “We believe in being transparent and working closely with parents. The teamwork created through visibility and communication will help our students receive the support they need to thrive.”

Sevagian then introduced the final staff member to speak, Gillian Forrester. Forrester is the Head of Curriculum and opened with her past experience, including with other well-regarded Colleges such as SCECGS Redlands. She provided a thorough explanation regarding the school subject availability, designed to deliver a breadth of subject matter to engage and motivate the students. She continued with explaining that students study 540 hours per year of English, Maths and Science, exceeding the 400 hour guideline set by the Board of Studies.

She then concluded with: “At SCECGS Redlands I was in charge of 160 staff. I was only professionally satisfied with about 50% of the staff. At Galstaun College, I can confidently say that 100% of our staff are completely committed to our students and work in harmony as a team. Because of our size, teachers know the students very well and can provide more attention and focus to develop well-rounded students.”

After a serene and poignant performance by members of the College choir, Shining Stars, the evening resumed with the second part. Patil introduced 2013 College Captain and friend, Sarin Karakozian, who shared her experience as a student at Galstaun College. She credited the College for helping her to develop into a well-rounded, mature and confident citizen. She expressed her pride in her classmates who are all continuing their education in their desired courses.



The second member of the Alumni, Aleena Jambazian, was introduced by Sevagian. Jambazian graduated in 2004 and is now a Registered Psychologist, and within 18 months at her current employer, IPAR Rehabilitation, was promoted to a Branch Manager role, managing the Sydney head office, the largest of the NSW branches. Aleena shared her experience after school, demonstrating her achievements, again, which she credited to Galstaun College.  She then passionately dispelled certain unfounded impressions or “myths” spread by some in the community about the College:



"Myth 1: There are less opportunities here and our children will be able to excel better in another school - I actually considered myself lucky, being able to take advantage of our relatively small-sized classes, where it was as good as private tuition and we were able to get the most out of our excellent teachers.“

"Myth 2: We are sheltered by only being exposed to Armenian friends, in a school of relatively small size - I had absolutely no disadvantage attending a small private Armenian school through my entire schooling life and saw no difference between myself and every other university student or colleagues.”

"Myth 3: By being in this school, we don’t get a taste of the real world - I felt comfortable, I felt safe, I had a good relationship with the teachers and I loved the school. But I also gave myself the opportunity to mix with people of various backgrounds by attending extra-curricular activities, for example being part of a non-Armenian soccer team. This is such a simple solution for parents."

The final speaker was Mr Viken Kortian, whose children graduated in 2013 and 2011. He was very grateful for the educational opportunities his children experienced, and most importantly the commitment he received from staff helping his son gain a 40 point improvement from HSC assessments to final results.



The Galstaun College Open Evening thoroughly delivered all that Galstaun College has to offer. For those who were unable to attend, Principal Demirdjian is currently meeting with parents to discuss the educational needs of their children for 2015 and 2016.  Those interested may contact the College on principal@galstaun.nsw.edu.au of Tel:  02 9998 3200.