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Spring greetings from EF Academy New York,
We have entered the last month of this academic year, so we are on the final stretch! The month of April was jam-packed with events that are worth noting.
We started off with a fantastic sight of nature – a solar eclipse. We were lucky to experience 98% of the sun covered right in the middle of our day. It was great to share this rare event right on the South Quad of our school. We all came together, donned special eclipse glasses, enjoyed the sight, and felt it as the temperature dropped. Maybe next time this happens, we will have a school reunion and will gather again to share the spectacle!
It was amazing to watch our student speakers in our own student-organized and run TEDx event. It was remarkable that all of our eloquent speakers conveyed strong messages which resonated with a very supportive audience.
Here are the topics of the speeches:
Anastasiia : “Who here wants money?”
Anshi : “The Death of Death: The overconsumption of AI-generated media.”
Alex : “Nostalgia”
Arisha 🇧🇩: “The Spectrum of Bias: Confronting Colorism in Society.”
Marei : “Think Like a Child”
Minseo : “Educational Opportunity Gap by Income”
Robert Barnett was our guest speaker and shared a great story of moving education forward. The key point was that our own EF Academy New York campus was the catalyst and the platform for that progressive movement back at the very start of the pandemic.
We hosted a group of Ukrainian students and educators who shared with us a documentary about how education continues despite the war. It was a very inspiring assembly. The best part were the informal conversations that our students had with the Ukrainian students around school after the showing had finished.
After a long break, our theater is back under the guidance of Ms. Yvonne Bill. The performance of “Almost, Maine” was nothing short of amazing. It took place in our new Black Box theater and received raving reviews from students and adults alike. Congrats to all of the cast and faculty who made this performance possible.
Our annual Athletics Banquet took place last month, where we celebrated our student athletes who took part in competitive sports this academic year. It was great to see a sizable group of students confirming that we are a truly well-rounded school.
On two consecutive days, we managed to accomplish two major events: Earth Day, followed by Prom. Two very different events; shifting from one to the other was not easy, but our students and staff did it well and had a lot of fun at both events.
As you see, we have been, and continue to be, very busy. This coincides with a lot of learning and end-of-year assessments that are taking place in every class. Our students are learning some very important time management skills, with the help of many caring adults, who help guide our young ones in classrooms, dorms, clubs, sports, and anywhere they come in contact with each other.
Onwards to May, we are now focusing on the major event of the year, the Class of 2024's Graduation Ceremony. But, not before they finish with their IB exams and other end of the school business.
Be well,
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Dr. Vladimir D. Kuskovski
Head of School, EF Academy New York
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