EF Academy New York

Monthly Family Newsletter: February 2025

Warm greetings from New York!

I find myself wondering if it would even be possible to fit more into one month than we did this February. It is now official—this has been the busiest month of the school year so far, and perhaps even beyond that! We are all exhausted but in the best way possible. Fortunately, spring break is just around the corner!

This month brought more university acceptances for our seniors, and so far, so good—fingers crossed! Our mock exam session has just concluded, and we are confident that our students are well-prepared to take on the rigorous IB and AP exams. Meanwhile, our Prep Program students have settled in beautifully, and their English skills are improving by the day.

As I mentioned previously, our school proudly took part in celebrating the 60th anniversary of our parent company, EF Education First. Please take a moment to check out this short video for an inspiring look at EF’s journey. We also shared our favorite EF memories at the Birthday Banquet.

Another major highlight of the month was our annual Film Festival—complete with a red carpet, interviews, photo shoots, and, of course, awards in various categories. My heartfelt congratulations to the winning film Walk Beside Me and to the talented filmmakers Alex, Colin, and Calvin who brought it to life. 

One of my personal favorites, our Culture Fair, also took place this month. What an incredible event! It truly showcases who we are as a community, and without fail, it fills me with great hope for the world. I see the Culture Fair as a reflection of what our world should be—where everyone gets along, celebrates their identity, and respects and learns from others. It was also wonderful to see some of our alumni return for the event. We all came together to celebrate our school’s remarkable diversity.

February also saw our second Model United Nations (MUN) conference, where our students demonstrated their skills in diplomacy—a skill more relevant than ever in today’s world. It was inspiring to witness their engagement in meaningful global discussions.

What better way to finish this part of the school year before our spring break than with our Academy Rocks concert! Talk about going on the break with a BANG! Congrats to all of the participants rockers and to their fearless leader Mr. Billy Roues!

As we head into spring break, I want to wish you all a wonderful and restful time with your children, whether at home or traveling. I will write again after the break as we prepare for the final stretch of the school year. As our students get ready to depart, I, too, am packing my bags. I look forward to seeing some of you as I visit the UAE (Abu Dhabi and Dubai), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi), and Thailand (Bangkok).

Until next time,

Dr. Vladimir D. Kuskovski

Head of School, EF Academy New York

Upcoming activities:

This month has been filled with fun activities and trips! After Spring Break, plan to see:

  • Prom

  • Prom shopping 

  • Spring Musical

  • Camping trips

  • Cooking classes and competitions

  • New York City excursions 

  • Shopping mall trips

  • Video game tournaments

  • Tennis matches

  • ..and so much more! 

Upcoming Dates

Spring Break 

  • Spring Break information is due February 3! Please email all travel information to [email protected].

  • Students may begin departing campus after 12:00pm on March 5 and must depart by no later than 3:00pm EST on March 6. Flights should be arranged to accommodate these campus departure times. 

  • Students should plan to return to campus on March 25. Flights should always be booked to arrive between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm EST. 

End of Year Departures 

  • Grade 12 students must depart after Graduation on May 24 after 2:00pm EST and should plan to leave campus by no later than 11:00pm EST on May 24.  

  • Grade 9, Grade 10 and Grade 11 students may start departing from campus at 12:00pm EST on May 23rd. There will be no departures leaving from 12:00am – 2:00pm on May 24 (flights cannot depart until 7:00pm) to accommodate for our graduation ceremony. Departures will then continue with the latest departure time of 3:00pm on May 25.

For your convenience, you can find this year's academic calendar here