Assyrian Church News Official News Site of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East

There is a secret code at St Narsai Christian College – it its seven letters and starts with the letter ‘S’. Can you guess it? Yes, that’s right: success. Students Alana Sellanes, Georgis Ishak, Carmen Dawood, Lana Lazar and Melis Cherie excelled at the recent National Computer Science School (NCSS) Python Coding Competition. From the more than 20,000 students from Australia and New Zealand who participated in the NCSS Challenge Alana, Georgis and Carmen finished at the top of the leaderboard with perfect scores. Not to be outdone Lana and Melis finished with scores of 409/410 and six other students received a high distinction (scores of 380 plus) in the competition. The students competed for five weeks, learning to code by solving interesting and engaging problems.   Coding in action. “Eight questions were released for students to use the python programming language to solve. Python is considered as the base language for computer programming,” Technology and Applied Studies Faculty teacher Laura Stewart said. “This term students have been studying software development and programming and worked collaboratively to complete each question. “By completing each challenge from a project-based approach and with little prior knowledge to computer programming prior to entering this competition, all students have done not only themselves …

Voice of the East – Vol. 65 – July & August 2018 – No’s 07 & 08

The Assyrian Schools Council publishes new Assyrian Language Curriculum including 12 new textbooks   The Assyrian Schools Council of the Assyrian Church of the East in Australia under the leadership of his beatitude Mar Meelis Zaia has published the Assyrian Language Curriculum, which includes twelve textbooks from the kindergarten to tenth grade, as well as a book for beginners who are recently enrolled in the schools. The course is written by Assyrian Language Coordinator Anwar Atto and designed by Mr. Ashur Harmis. Each book is divided into four units of work. Each covers a topic that reflects students’ interests, suits their age and meets their language needs using the modern standard Assyrian language in a communicative and comprehensive method of teaching the language including listening, understanding, speaking, reading and writing skills as well as the Assyrian culture, heritage and history integrated in the teaching of the topics.

His Grace Mar Benyamin Elya attends launch of Sarah Lindenmayer’s new book, Debt of Honour On Saturday 8 September 2018, His Grace Mar Benyamin Elya, Bishop of Victoria and New Zealand attended the launch of Ms Sarah Lindenmayer’s new book, Debt of Honour, at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance. This important new book tells the remarkable and almost unknown history of how one of Australia’s great military heroes, Lieutenant General Sir Stanley George Savige became instrumental in saving tens of thousands of Assyrians in 1918 while a Captain in the Australian Imperial Force. His Grace was accompanied by The Rev’d Fr Antawan Mikhail and gave the closing benediction on the historic occasion, expressing the prayers of the Assyrian Church of the East for the success of the book and congratulating Ms Lindenmayer on many years of devoted research in bringing it to fruition. The launch was well attended by descendants of the late Lieutenant General Savige along with The Hon. Bruce Atkinson MP, President of the Victorian Legislative Council, members of Melbourne Legacy, clergy from the Anglican and Coptic churches, current and former members of Australia’s armed forces and Assyrian community members. The Diocese once again congratulates Ms Lindenmayer on this …

Voice of the East – Vol. 65 – May & June 2018 – No’s 05 & 06

The 31st Annual National Youth Conference was held in the Diocese of the Western United States under the patronage of St. Peter’s Cathedral and Mar Yosip Parish from 4th-9th of July.  The conference agenda included prayer services, lectures, and fellowship for over 350 youth members ranging from 14-30 years old from the various three dioceses in the United States of America. The theme of this conference was ‘Mission Possible: Our Christian Vocation’ according to Isaiah 6:8 which recalls the blessed prophet Isaiah hearing the voice of the Lord and responding, “Here I am. Send me!”  The lectures at the conference explored various aspects of our Christian vocation; Rev. Cor-Bishop Gewargis Bet-Rasho of Los Angeles, California expanded on the family context, Rev. Fr. Gewargis Sulaiman of Chicago, Illinois focused on the religious aspect of a vocation, Rev. Fr. Genard Lazar of Modesto, California taught about our personal encounter with our vocation, and Rev. Deacon Allen Youssefi of San Jose, California presented a lecture on a career oriented vocation. This conference was blessed by the presence of our father prelates: His Grace Mar Aprim Khamis; Bishop of the Western United States, His Grace Mar Awa Royel; Bishop of California and the Secretary …

Voice of the East – Vol. 65 – March & April 2018 – No’s 03 & 04  

The 2018 Australian Assyrian of the Year award was presented to His Beatitude Mar Meelis Zaia AM, Metropolitan of Australia, New Zealand, and Lebanon, in recognition of his selfless devotion and tireless efforts toward the conservation of the Assyrian faith, language, and cultural heritage; and for being a driving force behind the establishment of the first Assyrian Christian college in the Western world. History of His Eminence accomplishments: In 2002 the first stage of St Hurmizd Assyrian Primary School was officially opened. Starting off with only 80 students, today the school accommodates for +700 Kinder to Year 6 students. In 2006 St Narsai Assyrian Christian College was officially established as it welcomed the Year 6 students from St Hurmizd into the high school stage of education. It was with great pleasure that two out of the four stages of the College’s campus in Horsley Park was officially opened in January of 2018, which accommodates for approximately 700 students. Expected capacity once completion is 1200 students. In 2011 Grace Child Care and Early Learning Centre was officially opened. Due to high demand, another preschool was opening at SHAPS in 2012 which was named St Hurmizd Early Learning Centre. His Eminence not …