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Greetings from Wintery New York,
Happy New Year to everyone! I sincerely hope that this year, marking the first quarter of the century, will be a much better one for all of us than the previous year.
We have just begun our first full week of classes on campus and are delighted to welcome back our well-rested students, who are eager to dive into the excitement of learning. Additionally, we have welcomed a small cohort of new students, who are becoming a part of our EF Academy family, guided by our wonderful Student Ambassadors.
We kicked off this semester with a guest speaker, Terry Small, who shared insights on the uniqueness of our brain and the importance of treating it well and engaging it meaningfully. Mr. Small also conducted an in-depth workshop for our teachers, staff, and leadership team, ensuring we are all on the same page regarding brain health and activation.
Terry Small, B.Ed., M.A., is a master teacher and Canada’s leading learning skills specialist with over 33 years of experience. As Canada's foremost learning specialist, he has shared his insights on brain science with over 301,000 people across 23 countries. His work combines applied neuroscience with real-world applications, making him a valuable resource for both business and education. Terry's philosophy is: "Success is a skill anyone can learn," and he is dedicated to helping people master that skill.
These workshops have sparked discussions about phone usage in schools—not only during classes but throughout the school day—and its impact on our brain and social skills. For further insight, I recommend this interesting podcast, which is well worth 30 minutes of your time: BBC Sounds Podcast.
Our activities and sports programs resumed right away without missing a beat. Last Friday, we hosted basketball games for our boys' and girls' varsity teams. Much more is in store, including an upcoming ski trip and several ice-skating outings. We are committed to taking full advantage of the winter season here on the East Coast.
Meanwhile, on the opposite coast, things are more challenging. We have been closely following the developments of the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Thankfully, our sister school in Pasadena was able to resume classes on campus as of Monday, January 13, after a brief evacuation. It is truly miraculous that our Pasadena campus remains unharmed and free of major damage. Our thoughts are with the Los Angeles people suffering during this difficult time.
My wish for everyone is to stay safe, healthy, and meaningfully engaged.
Until next time,
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Dr. Vladimir D. Kuskovski
Head of School, EF Academy New York
Upcoming activities:
Last semester has been filled with fun activities and trips! This semester, plan to see:
Culture Fair
Movie Nights
Skiing and Snowboarding Trips
Cooking classes and competitions
New York City excursions
Shopping mall trips
Video game tournaments
Volleyball and Basketball games in the Gym
..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.
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