About St. Stephen's
School History & Milestones
School History
The commitment of St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School to providing an outstanding education dates back to 1984, when it opened its doors in Watertown, Massachusetts. From the beginning, the school has offered a positive learning environment where each child receives individual attention. That philosophy is the foundation on which St. Stephen’s has grown, prospered and achieved academic excellence.
With the gradual addition of kindergarten through fifth grade, the school has become know for the quality of the education it provides. In 2003, it became the first and only Armenian elementary school in New England accredited by the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE), and achievement that puts the school on a par with the region’s best private schools. In its report, the AISNE visiting team commended the school for “creating and environment where all students love to read and appear committed to academic excellence.” They also praised the school and its principal, Houry Boyamian, for recruiting a talented and dedicated staff.
The school’s educational accomplishments are further borne out of its students’ test scores. Each year, second-and fourth-graders take the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) in reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies. In 2005, St. Stephen’s fourth-graders scored in the top 16 percent in reading, language arts and math, and second-graders scored in the top 15 percent in reading and language arts, and in the top 18 percent in math.
The school’s uniqueness goes well beyond academic ranking. Faculty members help develop problem-solving, reasoning, self-reliance and responsibility within each child. Equally important, the school continues to welcome each student into a warm and friendly environment where learning is an enjoyable experience.
Read these St. Stephen's 20-year stories from Armenian Weekly newspaper: Taking a Leap of Faith and Teaching from the Heart - a profile of teacher Anahid Joubanian
Milestones
| 1984: | St.Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School opens as a private, bilingual preschool with eight students. |
| 1985: | Kindergarten is added |
| 1986: | First grade is added |
| 1987: | Second grade is added |
| 1988: | Third grade is added |
| 1989: | Fourth grade is added |
| 1990: | Fifth grade is added |
| 1991: | First class graduates with four students |
| 1998: | Preschool building is constructed |
| 2003: | The school becomes the first and only Armenian school to earn the accreditation by Association of Independent Schools in New England |
| 2004: |
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| 2005: |
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