The Bethany Orthodox School for Girls finished the first semester of classes with traditional Christmas parties/yolkas.
This year there were three of them: one for the youngest in Kindergarten and Preschool, one for the elementary grades 1 to 4 and the last one – due to lockdowns – was held upon return to School in the New Year 2021, for the secondary and high school students.
The party/concerts were attended by the Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), the Abbess of the Gethsemane Convent of St. Mary Magdalene, Mother Elisabeth, along with sisters from the convent and the sisterhood of the Resurrection of Christ in Bethany.
The emcee of the concert was the vice-principal of the school, Fr. Khadar Baramki. The children sang Christmas carols, danced, recited poetry and the oldest students put on a play of their own authorship.
Afterwards the principal of the school, mother Maria (Wall), thanked the children and teachers for their hard work and those that came to the concert for their support.
All participants – performers and audience, students and teachers, children and adults – generously shared in the joy that has been lacking so much this last year.
