October 1960

Holy Martyrs Church property is purchased; $80,000 donation is made by Mrs. Satenig Arakelian.

July 17, 1964

Holy Martyrs Church Board decides to establish an Armenian day school on the church premises.

September 14, 1964

Holy Martyrs Armenian High School opens its doors with 12 students and Mr. Gabriel Injejikian Principal.

October 25,  1964

Official opening of the school. In attendance, Archbishop Hrant Khachatourian (Cilicia See).

January 1965

The first school periodical is published with 15,000 prints distributed throughout the USA.  The official annual school publication bears the name “Hagtanag” and thereafter the name of the school yearbook.

June 12, 1965

First Dinner-Dance is organized and held at Statler Hilton in Los Angeles.

August 1965

Mr. Gabriel Injejikian travels to sixteen Midwestern, Eastern, and Canadian cities to organize support committees for the school.

September 13, 1965

School opens for the second year with 43 students enrolled.

November 12, 1965

The Second Annual Founders Day.  Mr. Arshag Dickranian, the executor of Mateos Ferrahian’s will, presents a draft check for $235,000 to Archbishop Hrant Khachatourian, who in turn renames the school Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School. Subsequently, a fund is established the interest of which is allocated for the school needs. In 1969, two-thirds of the fund is allotted to Ferrahian School and one-third to Mesrobian School in Montebello.

February 1, 1966

Second semester starts with 61 enrolled students.

May 21, 1967

The Third Annual Founder’s Day. The school athletic field is dedicated to Dr. Suren Saroyan. 

1967-1968

The first issue of the student newspaper “Eagle” is published.

January 1968

The Board of Trustees of Holy Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church turn over the responsibility of governing Holy Martyrs Ferrahian Armenian High School to a newly-appointed Board of Governors with Dr. Suren Saroyan as President, Mr. Arshag Dickranian as the Honorary President, and Mrs. Lillie Merrigian as Secretary. From then on Dr. Saroyan served on the  school governing board as its president till 1980.

August 1968

The 1967-1968 school year ends with an income of $57,278.21 and $54,406.86 in expenses.  The projected budget for academic year 1968-1969 is set at $75,000.

1968-1969

“Armens” the first boys’ basketball and the first girls’ cheerleader teams are established.

April 22, 1969

Khoren Catholicos visits Ferrahian School.

June 1969

The first high school commencement.  Seven students graduate.

1969-1973

The school acquires adjacent properties through the Ferrahian fund as follows:
1969 - 1.5 acre of land to the north of the school for $58,000
1970 - A house for  $39,000
1973 - A property to the east of the school for $42,000.
Total estate: 3.5 acres.

August 26, 1974

Groundbreaking of the construction of two-floor first wing (eastern wing) of the building with four classrooms, a hall and a kitchen, with Vahram Jebejian as the architect, Mark Noorigian as the building supervisor.  The Chairman of the Building Finance and Construction Committees then was Armen Muger.

May 23, 1976

Dedication of the east wing and the “Mihrtad Dickranian Hall.” A $25,000 donation is made by Mr. Arshag Dickranian.

1977-1978

The construction of the southern wing of the new building is completed with the addition of classrooms and a library.

September 11, 1978

The new library is dedicated to John Garabedian

September 19, 1978

The school has 200 enrolled students with 10 full time and 20 part time faculty members.

1978-1979

The elementary and the kindergarten sections are established. The school is renamed: Holy Martyrs Armenian Elementary and Ferrahian High School.

1979-1980

The construction of the western and northern wings of the building is completed. A gymnasium/hall is erected in the center of the building. The hall is dedicated in memory of Arzouman Avedissian. A $100,000 donation is made by Kevork Arzoumanian in memory of his father.

1981

Holy Martyrs Church Board assumes the responsibility of governing the school, which was led earlier by the school Governing Body.

November 14, 1984

His Holiness Karekin II visits Ferrahian on the school’s 20^th Anniversary.  His Holiness had visited Ferrahian twice earlier on November 12, 1980 and on June 20, 1988.

December 5, 1987

Mortgage burning ceremony is held in Avedissian Hall.

1988

The school acquires an additional campus of approximately four acres in North Hills for $2,000,000.

Summer 1989

The new campus undergoes major renovations costing $500,000.

October 23, 1989

Grades 10, 11, and 12 relocate to the new campus.

Summer 1990

Principal Gabriel Injejikian resigns after 26 years of service.

1990

On the occasion of the 25^th Anniversary of the school, the school history, collated in 54-page volume is published in Armenian language, authored by Anahid Meymarian

September 1990

Mr. Vartkes Ghazarian is appointed Principal.  He serves for three years from 1990 through 1993 with Mr. Levon Kasparian as Vice Principal.

1990-1991

Grades K-4 are transferred to North Hills Campus and grades 10-12 relocate back to Encino Campus.

1990-1991

For the first time the school participates in Model UN and DWP Science Quiz Bowl -- extracurricular activities

February 14, 1991

The preschool classrooms are reorganized as a separate, but as an integral part of the school. 

April 19, 1991

A school emblem is adopted; designed by Mher Davitian and funded by Mr. and Mrs. Koko Deukmejian. 

April 28, 1991

The Preschool is officially named: “Holy Martyrs ARS Preschool and Kindergarten” with the ARS Regional Executive allocating $100,000 for the Preschool.

1991-1992

WASC accreditation process starts.

September 1993

Mr. Levon Kasparian is appointed Principal of the school. He serves for four years from 1993 to 1997 and Mr. Paul Mooradian being the Vice Principal.

1994-1995

Two-year olds’ classroom starts at the Preschool.

1994

For the first time the school participates in private schools’ Academic Decathlon.

June 1995

The school is WASC accredited for six years with a midterm review visit.

1998

Articles and press releases printed in the Armenian press about the school from 1964 to 1988 are compiled by Mr. Kourken Khanjian and are published in a 663-page volume. This publication had limited distribution.

September 1997

Dr. Marzbed Margossian is appointed Principal of the school. He serves for four years from 1997 to 2001 with the Vice Principal being Mr. Vartkes Nalbandian.

June 2000

The school is WASC accredited for six years with midterm report.

August 2001

Mr. John Kossakian is appointed as Principal with Mr. Vartkes Nalbandian continuing in his position as Vice Principal.

September 2001

The construction of the 5000 sq. ft. administrative building is completed. The new building houses the school administration, the Church Board offices, and the offices of cultural, youth, and relief groups.  Mr. & Mrs. Osko and Yeran Karaghossian donate $150,000 toward the construction of the building.

At an official opening the building is named “Osko and Yeran Karaghossian Building”.

May-June 2004

On the occasion of the school’s 40^th Anniversary a banquet and a public gathering is organized.  A revised and an updated history of Ferrahian School is published (Armenian language, 107 pages); authored by Anahid Meymarian.

June 12, 2004

40^th anniversary banquet in Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. School mortgage is lowered to $700,000.

Summer 2005

Major renovations took place at the North Hills Campus. The total cost of the renovations were over $500,000. As part of the improvements fourteen mobile classrooms for grades K through 5, the library and a computer lab were added.  Mrs. Ashkhen Pilavjian donated $250,000 toward this renovation project.

January 13, 2006

At the official opening of the renovated campus, the Preschool is renamed “Holy Martyrs A.R.S. Ashkhen Pilavjian Preschool”.