Dear Families,

It is a joy to write to you all as we head into the exciting month of May.  I recently shared with the staffulty community that Quarter 4 in a school feels quite like living in a highlight reel.  So many wonderful culminating events take place that celebrate, honor, and showcase the amazing talents of our students and the incredible care and closeness of this community.  In April we enjoyed Arts Night, our “EF’s Got Talent” show, our school-wide prom, our robotics team competition, and the exciting conclusion of our robust spring sports season.  In exciting news, two of our teams headed into post-season play!  Our Boys Volleyball team went to the league playoffs this week and one of our boys golfers earned a spot at the league prelims.  Watch on Instagram to see how they progress!  There is truly so much to celebrate in our community life and athletics arenas!  

We are also very much looking forward to the spring musical next week.  It is a thrill to watch our beloved athletic arena be transformed into a masterful set and stage and it is exciting to watch the culmination of so much hard work.  Our theater program has such tremendous student participation, with 52 students on the roster for putting this show together!  Students serve as actors, directors, make-up artists, set builders, costume designers, vocal coaches, choreographers, stage hands, and sound and lighting crews.  I appreciate that students can develop deep skills in teamwork and experience the joy of working together on a challenging common goal in both our athletic and arts departments!

There is much to celebrate in the academic realm as well.  Our Field Study program is on track to surpass last year’s record and exceed 200 course-embedded field studies this school year!  It is incredible that our faculty have conceived of so many locations in the Pasadena or greater Los Angeles area that enhance or deepen the learning outcomes of their courses.  Our commitment to experiential learning is an exciting part of an EF Academy education where Los Angeles truly has become an extension of our classrooms.

Coming up in May we will have multiple opportunities to celebrate with our senior class as they prepare to become EF Academy alumni!  From Grad Night at Disney to dinner at the heads home, the weeks leading up to graduation will be truly celebratory.  If you will be at graduation, the Activities Team will be at our upcoming Graduation Reception selling our new EF Strong Hall Sweaters and 2025 Yearbooks. If you would like to purchase a Yearbook or a Sweatshirt, please be sure to use our platform, TouchNet, which is accessible to all students. 

Our year also concludes with exciting culminating academic events in our Innovation and Impact Symposium and Showcase of Learning.  This month’s featured author is Dr. Kaela Clapp, our Dean of Academics.  In the section that follows she will share so much more about the exciting academic conclusion to the year!

Thank you, as always, for entrusting us to nurture, support, and empower your children.  It is a joy to work with them and watch them grow!

All the Best,

Co-author note:

Dear Families,

Thank you for engaging in thoughtful conversations with your student and their advisor during our Quarter 3 conferences in April. These meetings offered valuable opportunities for students, families, and teachers to set meaningful goals for the final stretch of the school year. As we near the finish line, we’re excited to share several events that celebrate student learning and community. 

On Friday, May 9th we will host our school-wide Innovation & Impact Symposium where students across all three phases of the program will showcase their year-long projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through a conference-style day of workshops, presentations, and keynote sessions, students will share their work and explore diverse approaches to community-based action! 

On Wednesday, May 14th we’ll gather for our final advisory event of the year. Organized by Student Council, this celebration will focus on building school spirit and community vibrancy through fun games and competition! After morning classes, students will gather for lunch before heading off to our last community meeting that will outline the rules of  “The Final Splash.” The day will conclude with a yearbook signing in the Cena Quad.

Finally, on Friday, May 23rd we will wrap up the academic year with our annual Showcase of Learning for 9th, 10th, and 11th graders. Students will present a project they are most proud of, reflecting on their growth alongside peers and staffulty. This is a great opportunity for families to engage in conversation with their student about the work they plan to share. You might ask:

• Why are you most proud of your chosen project?

• How did you create it? What was your process?

• What challenge did you grapple with to produce this work? How did you overcome those obstacles?

As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership. We look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of our students in the coming weeks!

All the best,