The Kilikia School, set up especially for Syrian-Armenian children whose families have moved to Armenia to escape the war now raging in Syria, is housed in Yerevan’s Nar Dos School #14.

Currently, the school has an attendance of 307 hailing from various towns and cities in Syria.

When I recently visited the school, second grade pupils were taking a religious history exam. I wanted to take a look inside but the school Deputy Principal Nora Pilibosian was against the idea, arguing that the presence of an outsider might create undue pressure on the kids.

But the opposite happened. When they spotted my video camera, the pupils became enthusiastic and wanted to recite whatever Armenian poems or sing whatever Armenian songs they could remember. One wanted to write his name on the blackboard for me to shoot. Then they all wanted to do so.

I met Sona, Rosalia and Narot playing in the school yard. They are all from Aleppo. They had become friends in Yerevan since they attended different schools back home. The children said they didn’t have many local Armenian friends.

Principal Arousyak Barseghyan noted that at first the Syrian-Armenian kids communicated with each other in Arabic and that the local pupils thought they were doing so intentionally, in order not to be understood.

“Two days ago I saw the pupils in the hallway speaking to one another, and in Armenian. That’s very important. They all understand that we are all Armenians, whether from Syria or Yerevan. There is no we or you here,” Barseghyan said.

The principal also mentioned that the school is organizing sports and other activities to promote greater contact between the Syrian-Armenians and local pupils.

Barseghyan added that while the school is paying great attention to the needs of the Kilikia School, it is clear that most of its pupils long to return to Syria. Whether or not that will be possible any time soon is another matter.

All the classroom instruction is in Arabic, just like in Syria. Western Armenian is taught during the language class. One hears western Armenian spoken during playtime and in the hallways. I heard most of the older children speaking in Arabic.

The Yerevan Municipality has provided buses to ferry the kids to school and back.

Right now, the pupils are taking exams and the school day is over at 11am, earlier than usual.

The kids were exiting the building but were in no rush to go home.

There was some snow left in the yard. Just enough for a friendly snowball fight. They told me it doesn’t snow this much back in Syria.