Karen Smullen demonstrates how she illustrated the dragons in "Dragon Moon"

For sixteen years, East Woods Pre-Kindergarten teacher Karen Smullen has been developing a magical fairy tale. The tale is about a brave princess and her best friend, who use reason over fear, to protect their land’s frightening dragons, and ultimately restore the dragons’ benevolent magic. However, the story remained an idea, and Mrs. Smullen yearned to put the idea to paper, the result of which is a beautiful book entitled “Dragon Moon.” An artist by trade, Mrs. Smullen developed exquisite illustrations for “Dragon Moon” using a combined method of traditional pen and ink and Photoshop. With funding provided by the Donna and Gerald Mayer Fellowship, which was established to foster professional development at East Woods, Mrs. Smullen participated in an online writing workshop to have her writing reviewed in a professional forum.

Emma Conlon with her classmates at Thornill College in Northern Ireland

For many years, East Woods has welcomed students from abroad. When eighth grader, Emma Conlon, expressed the desire to experience studying in another country, the school strongly encouraged her to do so. At the beginning of January, 2009, Emma travelled to Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and joined the Eighth Grade class at Thornhill College, a day school for girls aged 11-18.

Emma spent two months in Northern Ireland, and commented that her experience at Thornhill College was very different from that at East Woods. Thornhill, a single sex, Catholic school with classes of more than twenty-five students contrasted to the co-educational, non-sectarian and intimate classroom setting of East Woods. Emma found it particularly interesting attending a Catholic school in Derry, which debated the political struggles of Northern Ireland.

Spanish language scholars with Senora Bever

Congratulations to several world language students from East Woods School who attained national recognition for excellent performance on the 2009 National Spanish, French and Latin Examinations.

The National Spanish and French Examinations are administered each year in grades 7 through 12, and are sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese and the American Association of Teachers of French respectively. “Attaining a medal or honorable mention for any student on the National Spanish Examinations is very prestigious,” said Kevin Cessna-Buscemi, National Director of the Exams, “because the exams are the largest of their kind in the United States with well over 115,000 students participating in 2009.” Scoring well on the National French Exam is equally impressive with over 1,600 participants in Nassau County alone.

The first graders donned animal hats, and sang a "Circle of Life" from The Lion King

The First Grade Animal Presentation on May 29 was a co-curricular event involving language arts, science, technology, music and art. The performance included the students reading poems about animals, singing a "Circle of Life" from The Lion King and "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas, and a Power Point presentation! Each student portrayed an animal, wearing a headpiece that he/she created in Art. The animals represented included a menagerie of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Everyone in the audience learned from watching the moving Power Point presentation depicting what each student had researched about a specific endangered animal.

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Luke Doyle, Andre Flammia, Zac Cangemi and Sam Towse performing "New York State of Mind"

The musical talent of East Woods students was highlighted at the Spring Concert on May 28, at which the Fourth Grade Band, the Upper School Band and Chorus, and the Beatles Band performed.

Under the direction of Mr. Paul Oechslin, the fourth graders performed "First Concert" by Pearson and gave a demonstration of how their instrument learning has progressed from the beginning of the year. The Upper School Band, comprised of fifth through eighth graders, performed "Marching Through America" by Balent, and "Rock and Roll Part II" by Leander and Glitter. One surprise of the evening was Mr. Alex Carter's solo and comedic triangle performance, in which he did everything but accompany the Band playing "Concerto for Triangle."

Third graders Dulaney Glen, Carter Prince and Peter Bivona enjoy the rides at the Spring Fair

Spring Fair Weekend was a splendid time for all. The festivities began May 15 with the 2009 Spring Fair Benefit Dance and Auction, held at The Nassau County Museum of Art. The Dance, themed "Starry Night," was skillfully co-chaired by EWS parents Maureen Brennan and Benedetta Kliger, and celebrated the "stars" of East Woods, the students, faculty and members of the community. The Live Auction, chaired by Fran Terwilliger, was very lively in part due to the highly entertaining celebrity auctioneer Lorna Kelly, and also the families and guests who graciously donated and bid. After the Live Auction, guests perused the Friday Night Specials, and enjoyed dancing to the popular music of the Tribeca band.

Click here to see photos of the Benefit Dance and Auction.
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Senora Mulrean with the Spanish students from Colegio Santa Cristina

Since 2005, when the European Union launched a program to encourage school partnerships among its members, schools across Europe have joined together, to the great benefit of its students. East Woods Lower School Spanish teacher, Señora Mulrean sought to have her students profit from a similar relationship with students in a foreign country. Most recently inspired by President Obama’s encouragement to reach out to other countries and cultures, Señora Mulrean decided to contact schools in Spain to assess their interest in maintaining a partnership with East Woods School.

On April 28, 2009, several Upper School students accompanied Community Service Director, Madame Martine Tawaji, to the Global Service-Learning in Action Conference at Molloy College in East Farmingdale. Jacqueline Murekatete and David Gewirtzman, survivors of genocide in Rwanda and Poland, were the featured speakers. The students learned of the survivors' attitudes and feelings towards what they experienced in their respective countries.

The students also had the opportunity to listen to additional invited speakers representing various charities including: Laura Rog from In Our Global Village, Irving Roth from Adopt a Survivor, Larry Hohler from Hope Children's Fund and Tom Lyon from Heifer International. 

Madame Tawaji and her French students who were awarded for their efforts in the French Poetry Competition

Congratulations to the East Woods French students in Seventh and Eighth Grade selected to participate in a French Poetry Competition, sponsored by the AATF (American Association of Teachers of French), and held on April 30 at John F. Kennedy High School in Plainview, New York. These students are: Samantha Antoine, Catherine Bechand, Margaret Brennan, Skyler Campbell, Tyler Douglas, Dylan Gelbard, Morgan Goldstein, Nathaniel Hogg, Parker Huseby, Madison Little, Grant Murphy, So A Ryu, Danyelle Ubertini and Dillon Wilensky.