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“The school”

• “Skipping that failed” by Narineh Daneghyan
• “Story about a Cell Phone” by Maggie Hakobjanyan
• “It's cold in school” by Eleonora Harutyunyan
• “The Pig-Actor” by Arsham Manukyan
• “Need for Consolation” by Sofa Danielyan
• “True Confession” by Astghik Yeghiazaryan
• “The Sneakers” by Hovnan Baghdasaryan
• “The New Student” by Mariam Palandjyan
• “Talk” by Maggie Hakobjanyan
• “It is necessary; you must…” by Juliana Arakelyan
• “The smell of indifference” by Lusine Hakobyan
• “A bit from here, a bit from there…” by Naneh Sahakyan
• “'Mirror, mirror on the wall…'” by Garnik Kocharyan
• “Isn’t it possible without a lecturer?” by Anoush Mouradyan
• “The Stolen Saturday” by Gor Baghdasaryan

“Skipping that failed”

I have heard about skipping classes many, many times. All the people who have ever skipped say that they always exercise a kind of excitement either in the corridor or at the school exit. There is always a fear of being caught by the teacher; the heart always thumps, the conscience always tells you to turn back, to listen to the teacher.
At the same time there comes the childish self-persuasion not to listen to the conscience and run away, go home because everything is going to be fine.
I want to feel all these things myself and one day I had the opportunity to try.
“We are skipping today, guys,” said Ann.
“Which class?” Karen asked.
“Russian.”
“Are you sure everybody’s ready to do this? Last time we had problems with some student refusing to join the whole class.”
“This time is for sure.”
“What shall we do with the register?” I asked.
“I will take it to the teachers’ room.”
“And what will you say?”
“I will say something, don’t worry.”
“Like what?”
“Well…”
“We better leave the register here, in the classroom. We can hide it in the book case.”
“Then, who will come to take the register?”
“I will, I have some studies later.”
The bell rang. It was the history class. Although it was warm in the classroom, we had already put on our coats, hats and gloves, not to lose time on dressing during the break. I forgot to tell you that our rucksacks were ready too. We passed forty minutes dressed in warm clothes waiting for the bell. At last…It took us a second to leave. There were still some students who were getting ready. We were encouraging them to hurry. Finally everyone was ready. We were standing at the staircase- the most dangerous place from where the teacher could see us easily. We decided to leave in small groups.
At last we were out, in the schoolyard. We hurried not to leave place for hesitation, but…
“And if they get really angry with us?”
“I am leaving, you do what you want,” I said angrily.
Who could ever imagine that there would be those ready to decline at the very last moment. Everyone went back, and I had nothing left to do but follow the rest.
This happens every day. I decide to skip but always change my mind. I cannot explain this. But I will run away tomorrow for sure, even alone. I hope I would not change my
mind.

Narineh Daneghyan
13 years old

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“Story about a Cell Phone”

The actors’ names

Tamara, sixth grader

Karine, sixth grader, Tamara’s best friend

Ms. Baghdasaryan, teacher (form-master)

Mr. Nikoghosyan, inspector

Ani, Dina, Maggie, Tiko, Rubo: Tamara’s classmates

Tamara’s mother and father

Act I

(Inspector’s room )

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Sir, it is unpleasant for me to tell you that you have to come to our school… but the fact is there is a strong necessity and I am bidding you to come.

Mr. Nikoghosyan: Why?

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Theft.

Mr. Nikoghosyan: What? How? Who?

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Oh…

Mr. Nikoghosyan: Sorry to interrupt you, but I don’t understand in what grade that has happened.

Ms. Baghdasaryan: The theft was among sixth graders.

Mr. Nikoghosyan: Sixth graders? Tell me more, please.

Ms. Baghdasaryan: A cell phone was stolen. The thief left the easy-card in the bag, probably being afraid of being caught. But the phone is gone.

Mr. Nikoghosyan: I will be in the school tomorrow.

Act II

(Home)

Mother: Tamara, what has happened?

Tamara: Mom, my phone was stolen.

Mother : What? How?

Tamara: Mom, I don’t know how but my cell phone was stolen.

Father: What was stolen?

Tamara: Dad, my phone.

Father: What?

Tamara: Dad, it just happened, but I have the card.

Mother: Tamara, I believe you.

Tamara (to herself): Shall I tell them to get me a new phone now or shall I wait for a while? I’ll wait for a while so that they don’t suspect me.

Act III

(School corridor, break)

Dina: Tamara!

Tamara: Din, my name is Toma, try to remember it.

Dina: OK, Tom, did you find your cell phone?

Tamara: I am close to finding it.

Dina: Tom, do you have any idea about who stole the phone?

Tamara: I have some.

Ani: Tamara!

Tamara: I told you I am not Tamara, Ani.

Ani: OK, Tom, what about your cell phone?

Tamara: I hope it will be found soon.

Ani: I see.

Act IV

(Classroom; break)

Tiko: Maggie, do you know who stole Tom’s cell?

Maggie: I think she did it herself.

Tiko: The whole class thinks the same.

Maggie: No doubt.

Rubo (entering): Mag, An, hi. Is there any news about Tom’s cell?

Maggie: She says it will be found soon.

Rubo: I hate to hear the bell ringing, let’s go in.

Tiko: What class do we have now?

Maggie: Armenian, the form master’s class.

Act V

(Armenian grammar lesson)

Ms. Baghdasaryan: You made me sad again. I won’t go into details, but tomorrow an inspector will visit the school.

Ani: But Ms. Baghdasaryan…

Ms. Baghdasaryan: No more. What did you have for homework?

Maggie (at the end of the lesson): Oh, what a boring lesson. And when will the bell ring?

Act VI

(Classroom)

Seven days later.

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Hello Mr. Nikoghosyan. Children, this is the inspector who promised to come.

Mr. Nikoghosyan: First, I want to speak with Tamara.

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Tamara!

Mr. Nikoghosyan: Tamara, tell me what happened. Why did you blush?

Tamara: My phone was stolen, but…

Mr. Nikoghosyan: Dear girl, speak slowly…

Tamara: But the thief has left the easy-card in my bag.

Mr. Nikoghosyan: Why?

Tamara: So that we don’t find the phone.

Mr. Nikoghosyan: I don’t understand you.

Tamara: It is possible to track the person who stole the easy-card.

Mr. Nikoghosyan: I don’t think so.

Tamara (to herself): What a fool I am. I could have said that my card is sim, and then if they asked me to bring it, I would bring mom’s sim card.

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Do you mean you can’t find the thief with easy-card.

Mr. Nikoghosyan: No, Ms. Baghdasaryan, you cannot.

Ms. Baghdasaryan: OK, I better not interfere.

Mr. Nikoghosyan: Let’s continue, Tamara. Why did they put the easy-card in your bag?

Tamara: Where should have they put it?

Mr. Nikoghosyan: Calm down girl, there is no need to cry.

Tamara: Do you mean that I’m lying?

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Tamara, why are you crying? Calm down.

Mr. Nikoghosyan: It’s OK, Ms. Baghdasaryan. Tamara, you may go and try to calm down. Who is your best friend? Tell her to come in.

Tamara : My best friend is Kara.

Ms. Baghdasaryan : Karine, not Kara!

Tamara: But everybody calls her Kara.

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Karine!!!

Mr. Nikoghosyan: Please call your friend.

Act VII

(Corridor)

Tamara: Kar, come. The inspector wants to see you. Please, do something or both of us will be caught. My mom said she would buy me a new phone. Then I will give you my old one.

Karine: OK.

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Karine!

Act VIII

Mr. Nikoghosyan: Now tell me what happened.

Karine: Tom’s cell was stolen.

Mr. Nikoghosyan: How?

Karine: The cell and easy-card were stolen

“Oh, but Tom says that only the cell was stolen,” she thought.

Karine: OK, sorry, only the cell was stolen.

“Oh, but Toma didn’t tell me what she had told the inspector. What will become of me now?”

Mr. Nikoghosyan: Why are you crying, Karine?

Act IX

Tiko: Look Maggie, we are all under suspect because of Toma. I hate her and her cell phone.

Maggie: Oh, me too. Because of her we didn’t have a normal class these few days.

Act X

Karine: Tom, what shall we do?

Tamara: I don’t know.

Karine: Let’s skip the classes tomorrow.

Tamara: We’ll be caught easily that way.

Karine: Let’s tell them we have found the phone.

Tamara: No!!

Karine: Let’s tell them we have found the phone and our neighbor had stolen it.

Tamara: No!!!

Karine: Where is your phone?

Tamara: Here it is.

Act XI

( Noon, school)

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Boys!

Boys : Yes, Ms. Baghdasaryan.

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Can you stay after classes; I need to talk to you.

Boys: OK, but what about?

Tiko: Oh, she didn’t answer; it means it will be a serious talk.

Rubo: Tik, didn’t you understand what we are going to talk about?

Tiko: No, what?

Rubo: About Toma’s cell phone.

Tiko: Ahh..

Rubo: I’m sick and tired of these talks.

Tiko: Me too.

Rubo: We have nothing to be afraid of. We’ll just tell her what the whole class thinks.

Tiko: That the guilty one is..

Rubo: Yes.

Tiko: OK, it’s a good decision.

Act XII

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Boys, I think you know why we have gathered here.

Boys: Yes, so that we can talk, Ms. Baghdasaryan.

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Do you know anything about Toma’s phone? Or do you have any connection with the theft?

Boys: Please, don’t punish us for being honest.

Ms. Baghdasaryan: I’m listening.

Boys: Do you remember the day you told us Toma’s cell had been stolen?

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Yes.

Boys: But did you hear what the whole class said?

Ms. Baghdasaryan: No, I didn’t.

Boys: Everybody said that Toma and Kara did that.

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Boys…

Boys: Ms. Baghdasaryan, you may call an inspector, take our finger prints, all the same, the truth is-nobody stole the phone. Toma has hidden it somewhere, because she wants a new phone. In two-three days she will have a better phone, no doubt about it. We know her six years already, while you know her just a year. So, we must know it better.

Act XIII

(A week later, form-master’s class.)

Ms. Baghdasaryan: Who can explain me what “the verb” shows? Can you, Tamara?

Before Tamara could answer the teacher’s question, her new phone rang. She answered the call.

Tamara: “Mom, I have a class now, I will call you later.”

Everyone was silent….

Maggie Hakobjanyan
11 years old

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“It's cold in school”

"Ella wake up, you'll be late."
I opened my eyes reluctantly.
It would have been better not to open my eyes. It was very dark outside. If it is dark outside then in the school it will be dark and cold too, because sunshine never gets there.
I looked at the clock, it was 8:30 a.m. (take into consideration that I usually wake up at 1:00 p.m., and you will understand that it was too early).
"Mom, look what disgusting weather."
"Enough! Want it or not you must go to school. Your teacher called and asked you to come to school today because officials are coming."
"OK."
I quickly dressed and went outside. I hardly reached the school, because I was half- asleep. It turned out that our clock was slow and I arrived for the second class. When I came in, the headmaster got angry with me.
"Why are you late?"
I muttered something and went into the classroom. There were six students at class, all with red noses. Soon my nose was red too. I apologized to my teacher for being late and sat on my cold chair. My teacher came in with a thermometer in her hands and said:
"It's eight degrees in the school, children. If officials come, you tell them that, you tell the truth." I was cold before that but when I knew that it was eight degrees in the school I began to shiver more vigorously.
"It's cold," I said.
"Finally you noticed," said the student who was sitting on a soft pillow in order to be less cold.
When I saw her I remembered the pillow under my head. My duvet, my warm soft pillow. I was in heaven before my hand touched the cold table. My dreams about pillow and duvet disappeared at once. I took my pen and began to write the teacher's task, which I couldn't understand.
It seemed that cold had got to my gray cells too.

Eleonora Harutyunyan
15 years old

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“The Pig-Actor”

There was a lesson at school that turned into fun and games. The teacher would never guess that during lesson-time Armen, who didn’t learn his lessons, has hidden in one of the wardrobes.
As usual, Armen was in the wardrobe when the teacher heard a grunting from that part of the classroom. The teacher sent all the boys outside from that part of the room and me too. But the noise continued.
Suddenly, the teacher guessed that the grunting came from the wardrobe. She walked toward it and said that one of the shelves must be brought to the staff room. Then she took Armen by the ear, which was already red, and sent him out from the wardrobe. Armen confessed that he was the pig-actor, but since that day the shelf has remained empty.

Arsham Manukyan

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“Need for Consolation”

The chemistry teacher put Armine a bad mark and told her that she did not know the subject. When the bell rang we noticed that Armine was crying. I started consoling her but the teacher told me:
“It is very interesting Sofa, you don’t know chemistry either. I wonder who will be consoling you. ”
“Julia will.” I answered.
“And who would be Julia’s consoler?”
“Ester.”
“And who would…”
“WE will all console Ester,” cried the whole class.
Teacher looked at us seriously and left the room.
I think there would always be people willing and ready to console but will there ever be teachers who would not be putting bad marks?

Sofa Danielyan

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“True Confession”

My classmate Jirayr was not ready for the geography lesson and the teacher asked him that day.
“Miss Vardanyan, I am not ready.”
“What? Aren’t you ready?”
And saying this she came up to Jirayr, turned his head twice and he appeared on the last desk.
I wasn’t ready either, but I preferred to keep silence.

Astghik Yeghiazaryan
13 years old

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“The Sneakers”

It was late at night and everyone was going to bed. I had decided to take part in the Physical Training class the next day. I opened the box with my sneakers and remembered I had to take them with me. I told my mother:
“I will not go to the Physical Training tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“I will need to take my sneakers then.”
“Then take them.”
“They are heavy, besides I will need to take them from my classroom to the cloak-room. It will also take me a lot of time to dress.”
“You can move faster, what’s the problem?”
“I cannot.”
“You can.”
“I don’t want.”
“Moving faster will help you to get thinner.”
“But I do not want to get thinner.”
“When you get older, you would not be able to get thinner.”
“It’s final, I am not going to the physical training class tomorrow.”
“You are going, and this is out of discussion.”
I could not say anything back. I took my clothes the next day and went to school. I wish there were lock cabins for keeping sport clothes at schools.

Hovnan Baghdasaryan
9 years old

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“The New Student”

When I was in the sixth grade a new boy came to our class. He was an excellent student. There were just two students who studied well and the bad students teased them. A very shameful incident happened this fall. One of the boys took my scarf, wrapped it over the new student’s head and lipsticked him. They wouldn’t let him go. At that moment we saw some of our teachers. They blamed the bullies for ill behavior and the new student for cowardice. I hoped the new student would learn a lesson and would become strong and resolute. But he has started imitating others’ ways: he does not learn well any more, he comes to school unprepared- without books, copybooks, and pens.
He will come to classes and say:
“Mariam, do you have a spare pen, copybook or book?”
Besides, he has become a kind of a carrier for the bullies: he obediently takes their rucksacks and even suggests that I also take some. I refuse to help him.
“You cannot protect yourself, why do you want me to be this way too?”

Mariam Palandjyan
14 years old

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“Talk”

“Hi, what’s up, guys?”
“Things are fine.”
“ Look at this necklace, do you know what it is?”
“No.”
“Have a better look, don’t you know its brand?”
“We said we don’t know, we have just five minutes to revise the lesson. Don’t disturb us.”
“You backwards, you don’t even know about Coco Channel.”

Maggie Hakobjanyan
12 years old

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“It is necessary; you must…”

I am in the ninth grade and have always had excellent marks but now I feel like not going to school. I am tired. I spend some five to six hours, then hurry to my Armenian studies, return home, prepare the homework for the next day. Then I read the assigned book until my eyes close completely.
My parents constantly remind me of the necessity to study hard to be able to enter the university and I do my best.
I finish my home tasks at ten in the evening and open the door of my room.
Father meets me there and says:
“Do you want to watch TV?”
At that moment I stare at the TV with nostalgia and say:
“I am very tired, I better got bed to be able to go to school tomorrow.”

Juliana Arakelyan
15 years old

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“The smell of indifference”

“Children, Yeghishe Charents is one of the greatest Armenian poets. He… ”
“Did you see the episode yesterday? I bet you don’t know what happened.”
There is a dull murmuring in the classroom but it isn’t children’s voices.
“…if he only wrote the poem ‘Sweet flavored speech of Armenia…’”
“…yes I told him to leave that girl.”
The murmuring increases and the noise is getting louder.
“…and here are Saroyan’s words…”
“… pass this note, please…”
The murmuring goes on and the air starts to smell strange.
The teacher recites some more of Charents. I wonder who is listening.
The murmuring becomes more distinct, the smell heavier.
“Children, stop talking there.”
“What smell is this?”

It is the indifference that has penetrated in through windows and wall cracks with its murmuring and stink.

Lusine Hakobyan
15 years old

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“A bit from here, a bit from there…”

One, two and this is the fifth. These are books, real books. They are nice books and more than that- they are interesting. I have not read them yet but I know. Do not make fun of me, I know they are interesting because I have read their forewords in the library, but I didn’t have time to do more than that. I am a ninth grader and although this is not my last grade there are things to learn from every sphere. Bit from here, bit from there and nothing as a final result. Do you think I should deepen my knowledge in the sphere that I like? This is quite impossible. We are made to study a great amount of things and what we really would like to know and learn has to wait in a long queue for its turn to come. If there were mice in our house they would have long ago gnawed the tall piles of my books, those I keep to read when where is no more school. I wish someone gave me the chance to choose what to study at school. This would both make the process of learning easier and would leave free time for watching a good movie on TV. Oh, I wish they heard me now. You would then have no complains of mine and I would break free from this strain.

Naneh Sahakyan
15 years old

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“'Mirror, mirror on the wall…'”

We had a class. Suddenly I noticed that Anush was looking in the mirror and admiring herself. Armen, who was sitting behind her, started to sing in a deadly voice:
“Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who’s the fairest of them all?”
Anush turned around and tried to hit him. Armen managed to avoid getting hit. Elena’s nail-polish took the hit instead. It fell down and poured on the table. The smell was all over the classroom.
“Armen, Anush, what are you doing? I poured my nail polish because of you. I told you not to move the table thousand times.”
The smell of nail polish mixed with the smell of perfume and for a second I thought I was in a beauty salon.

Garnik Kocharyan
14 years old

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“Isn’t it possible without a lecturer?”

Only recently, I came to know that without studying with a lecturer it is impossible to enter a university. One of my acquaintances decided to enter a university by himself. I was told that he was a very smart boy and he would surely pass the examination. The “smart boy” studied all by himself for a long time, but he got an average score and failed.
I wonder why.

Anoush Mouradyan
15 years old

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“The Stolen Saturday”

Starting from last year we have been going to school on Saturdays as well. But I still can’t understand the meaning of this novelty. We were told that this was done to make us less loaded on other days of the week. So we have five classes instead of six every day. But I still keep wondering if a free Saturday was not better. Nothing has changed in sense of our loading: we go to school as usual but now we have an extra day and the school curriculum has undergone no changes at all. We have to get ready for the Monday classes on Sunday so we come not to have a single moment for rest. We cannot choose between school and anything else. No room is left for leisure and relaxation, which is so important. Our time is all staffed, it is impossible to do anything but classes. They stole our Saturday. Was this really necessary?

Gor Baghdasaryan
16 years old

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