In February, we held our first Spirit Week! Students, faculty, and staff across the U.S. participate in this American tradition by dressing to match a certain theme each day of the week to show school unity, spirit, creativity, and humor. Spirit Weeks usually lead up to a sports match or a special school event where students come together to celebrate. Throughout our Spirit Week (pictured above), EF Academy members wore their favorite colors, represented a musical artist or sports team, and dressed as Hollywood stars. For Friday—“Movie Character Day”—you can see that our faculty came in their impressive costumes, which perfectly set the tone for the Outdoor Movie & Pizza Night (pictured below). According to a report by The Connecticut Association of Schools, “Students with school spirit do more than show support for their school. They perform better academically, are more socially and civically engaged, and are happier in general.” Furthermore, the study shows student statistics where students who participate in school spirit events are 91% more confident, 90% more likely to be leaders in their community, 73% more fulfilled, 88% happier than the average student, and more active in their communities by 87%.

We are excited to host a long-standing American high school tradition: Prom! Short for “promenade”, Prom is a formal dance held near the end of a school year to celebrate students’ individual and collective achievements in a fun social setting with their school community. This year, our inaugural Prom will be held on Saturday, May 13 at a local Pasadena ballroom where we will enjoy a 3-course dinner and dancing to the theme of planet disco. We encourage our students to dress in their most dazzling gowns, suits, and formal wear on this special night.