New Armenian Kevork Arabian school in the French commune of Alfortville has for the first time marked the beginning of academic year on September 1. The holiday was celebrated with pomp: the territory was decorated with blue, red and orange balloons, the colors of the Armenian and French flags, the French newspaper Le Parisien writes.

“We are 100% French, but it’s important to keep ties with Armenia. We want to preserve our historical and cultural heritage,” says Brice, son of an Armenian woman, who had come to the ceremony with his three children.

“I love studying Armenian,” his 12-year-old daughter Lisa says. Her younger brother Vincent “finds it more difficult to learn the language,” says their mother Céline, who has entirely accepted her husband’s culture. She praises “family values,” which that culture passes. “And this school is a big family,” she says.

Another parent, Karina arrived in France in 2007, and her daughter Armina was born in France. “Our family lives here and we want our daughter to receive education according to the French system, [at the same time] learning about the Armenian culture,” she said.

Armenian PM Hovik Abrahamyan and his French counterpart Manuel Valls opened the new Armenian school on 4 July 2015.