Hear what our students have to say about EWS.

East Woods has done many things for me. When I started in Nursery, I had already met my future best friends. Ten years later, I still am very good friends with them. Through the years, I have met so many more people throughout all of the grades. I now have friends in the whole Upper School. 

Another thing East Woods has offered me was sports. I really enjoy the sports program because I have learned new sports that I probably would have never played. There were also so many options and so many different opportunities. This past year, I played coed soccer in the fall. It was a unique opportunity to play with boys and girls. As great as it has been to play the actual sports, the coaches have been the best part. They have taught me so much more than just how to play the sport. They value sportsmanship, kindness, and team values. In addition to these valuable life lessons, they have led us through a few undefeated seasons. 

At East Woods, the Green and White Teams are a special tradition. I am a member of the white team, and I will be one of the next white team captains. I really enjoy the Green and White Team events. Throughout the year, we have competitions through sports and academics to earn points, and, at the end of the school year, the team with the most points wins. This is so much fun, and it brings out your team spirit. 

This past spring term was interesting.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to have online school. In the beginning, I thought it was awesome that we did not have to go to school, but by the end of it, I realized how much I love going to school. East Woods did a great job through this process. We were on the computer within one day of the closing. We learned no less than a normal school year, and in some classes, we even learned more. The teachers did a great job. 

The last experience that I find amazing is the Upper School Play. The Upper School Play is so much fun. In the previous two years, I have been a part of the pit band. Pit band was cool, and between the two years, I have learned so many new things on the saxophone. Two weeks before the play, we start our ‘play schedule.’ These two weeks are stressful, but a lot of fun. In these two weeks, we have about two hours of rehearsal a day. And when the first show comes, it is an awesome experience and a ton of fun. By the last show, we are usually sad about the ending.

East Woods has given me so many chances to let me shine, and I am very grateful for that.

~Kierstin Lore - Class of 2021

I just joined East Woods in Seventh Grade. So far, it has been a very good and enjoyable experience, even though COVID-19 interrupted this year. At East Woods, it's easy to fit in and make new friends. The small classes are an adjustment coming from a much larger school, but it's easier to learn, and you get to know everyone in your class and the entire Upper School. The workload and classes are fair and not overwhelming, as you have teachers and staff that support you when you need it. It takes a little to adjust, but for me, it only took about a month. Also, in classes, it was much easier to concentrate, participate, and learn new things.

East Woods has many fun physical activities. Sports is one of my favorite things at East Woods. Between three seasons of sports (Fall, Winter, and Spring), there are enough sports to go around even for people who enjoy sports more than school. The Green and White teams are also fun. As a new student, I got drafted to the Green Team. So far, I have loved the experience of the Green and White team competitions. You can earn points for your team during sports nights, by getting good grades, and during sports.

As most of you know, teaching and learning during the pandemic could have been difficult. But East Woods made it like you were basically still in school and learning regularly. Also, in school, there are many places for people to have their time to shine. From personal experience, I was never really interested in the theater until I auditioned for the school play, Frozen, Jr. Somehow, I got the role of Olaf, which nobody suspected, and I ended up really enjoying the experience of performing on stage. One more great thing about East Woods is the things they do for the community. Community Service is a great operation. You can do a variety of things like help out at soup kitchens, beach cleanups, etc. 

Overall, East Woods is a great school and has given me many different learning opportunities and a unique learning environment.

~ Henry Koelmel - Class of 2021

I am going to be an 8th Grade student at East Woods School. Having been here for almost nine years, I have learned so much about community, kindness, and giving. I have been involved in many community service projects throughout the years, including Christmas gift drives, Thanksgiving food drives, and volunteering at Project Hope to make food and serve it to the less fortunate. 

A great tradition at East Woods is the upper-school play. As a lower-schooler, I looked forward to being in it for years. I have been a part of the cast twice before. It has brought my classmates and me closer together and has helped many people come out of their shells. 

Green and white teams have been another highlight of my upper-school years. I am on the White Team. Each team encourages and motivates its members to be better citizens and give back to the community. It also motivates people to show up and be willing and ready participants in sports, academics, and volunteer activities. 

Overall, East Woods is the perfect environment to nurture young minds to be prepared for what comes ahead.

~Emma Sordi - Class of 2021

East Woods School has made a significant impact on my life in a marvelous way. One amazing part of East Woods is the academics. You can learn about so many things. Because we are a smaller school, the teachers know us individually and cater to our strengths and weaknesses. If you pay attention and listen, you will get ahead. COVID-19 caused us to stay at home, so everyone learned what they're strong at and where they still need work. We learned all the skills we would have in school. Online learning was hard, but everyone got through it. 

Student Council is a big part of the school. They plan many of the school events and take time out of their schedule to make all the events perfect. Green and white are East Woods School's colors.  We have special events where everyone in Fifth through Eighth Grade gets separated into a Green or White Team. The entire Upper School participates in Green and White Games, where the two teams compete to win points, whoever has the most points, at the end of the event, wins for the night. Whichever team has the most points at the end of the school year wins for the year!

Sports at East Woods are amazing. I personally love sports because of the coaches. The coaches put so much effort into making us happy. From day one, you get so close to the coaches.  

Community Service is significant to East Woods because we help our community. One important all-school event is going to a local soup kitchen. At the soup kitchen, we prepare and serve food to people that can not afford food. Anyone can go to these events, and they are not mandatory. 

There are many plays at East Woods such as the Kindergarten Play, The Upper School Play, the Fifth Grade Play, various Ovations plays, the First Grade Endangered Species Presentation, the Second Grade World Map Day, and the Third Grade State Presentation. One of the plays that was special to me and my class was the Fifth Grade Play. My Fifth Grade play Elf, Jr, was picked by the music teacher and band teacher. As a class, we made and painted the backgrounds. The play's whole process was so much fun.

There are so many great things about this school, especially the friendships that will last a lifetime. East Woods is an amazing place, and anyone who gets to learn here is lucky.

~Veronika Martinkova - Class of 2023

For the past seven years, I have been a student at East Woods School. I started at the school in Kindergarten when I was five years old. I am now going into Seventh Grade, and I love being part of the East Woods Community. Over the past years, East Woods has become not only a school but also a second home to me. Some of the things that make Eastwoods so great include small class sizes, great teachers with a strong emphasis on learning, athletics, community service, enhanced drama and science programs, and student council. All of those activities fall into the two main core values of the school, to achieve kindness and excellence.

One of the first things that I noticed when I entered the school was that the class sizes were not large. In my first year in Kindergarten, there were only twenty children. I quickly got to know everyone in my class and am still friends with those who are still in school. I also have the opportunity to branch out of being friends with not only my classmates but also children in the grades above and below me. In academics, small class sizes allow me to have individual attention and progress at my own pace. Another great thing about small class sizes is that you quickly get to know everybody in the school well, and teachers know students on a first-name basis. Small class sizes make learning and socializing much easier because you get to know your classmates well.

Next, the teachers at East Woods school are passionate about teaching and make learning fun through many different kinds of classroom experiences. The teachers are very caring and know how to make sure the material that taught reaches students in a way that makes learning interesting and fun. Teachers provide not only knowledge but also support and help when needed through extra help periods and email.

Students in Fifth through Eighth Grade are required to play three sports a year at East Woods School. First, in the fall, all students participate in soccer. In the winter, students have the opportunity to play either hockey or basketball. Finally, in the spring, there is the opportunity to play softball, track & field, or baseball. I have played soccer, hockey, and track & field, and learned not only how to play, but have also learned sportsmanship, and that school spirit is vital.

Every year, there are plays put on by various grade levels. These plays include the Kindergarten play, where children learn how to be on stage, usually for the first time. The Second Grade world map play, where children learn about the continents and share their learning with the rest of the school. The Fifth Grade play, where children can learn the more complex parts of being on stage. All of these plays lead to the Upper School play, where the Sixth through Eighth Grade students have the opportunity to be in either the pit band, stage crew, or the cast of the play. For about two months, the Sixth through Eighth Grade has time to practice for the big play every day. There are usually three performances of the play, and there is always a special appearance during the play by the Kindergarten. This year was my first year in the Upper School play, and I was in the cast. The play was frozen jr. and I was the butler. Every day, I would practice with the rest of the cast, and it was a truly great experience.

Community service is a big part of East Woods School, and events are coordinated so that students can help the communities where we live. These events include soup kitchens to help feed the homeless, setting up drives to help places all around the world, and community runs and walks for charity. Students are encouraged to attend these events, but it is not required.

The Student Council at East Woods School is a big part of the Upper School, which includes Grades Five through Eight. There are two representatives from grades six through eight, and there are two students from Fifth Grade that go to meetings and learn what the student council is all about. There is an elected president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and media officer from Eighth Grade. Student Council sets up a fundraiser to raise money for Student Council events that are held every year. The Student Council helps the Upper School students have a good of "student life."

The Upper School is divided into two teams, the Green Team and the White Team. During Student Council elections, there are two students in Eighth Grade chosen from each team as captains. They arrange Upper School Green and White Team events where students from each team play against each other for points. The team with the most points and the end of the year wins. There is not much that is won other than pride, but it is fun to try and have your team win that pride.

This past year, COVID-19 has caused East Woods School to go virtual. There was a seamless transition between being in person one day, having one day off, and then being virtual the next day. In virtual learning, we had interactive classes through Google Meet in which we could see our classmates and teacher while being in class. Virtual school felt almost identical to being in person except that instead of going to school every day, we were at home. By the end of the year, my class accomplished as much as was projected before school started in September. 

Finally, there are extracurricular activities that students can participate in throughout the school year. These programs include Ovations, which is a class where students participate in a play. They learn how to be on stage and how to perform in front of an audience. There is also ALPS, which is an extra science program. Students can take on their own projects and learn science that is not typically taught in the school curriculum. Next, there is Lego Robotics, where students work as a team to build a robot for the First Lego League. First Lego League or FLL is a league where students learn to code and build a robot using Lego EV3 to complete tasks on a course board. It is an international league that students from around the globe participate in. Every year, there is a new theme for the competition. Some themes have included space and city building. Students need to develop an idea to fix a problem that FLL chooses, which is connected to the theme of the year. Students need to work together to compete in the competition and are judged on their project ideas also. There are awards given to winners of certain categories. This past year, I participated in ALPS and Lego Robotics. They both taught me many things that I would not typically be taught if I did not participate.

Overall, East Woods School is a great learning environment that stresses two main core values, kindness, and excellence. East Woods School is an environment that encourages helping the community you live in and exposing students to as many subjects and things as possible. I am very proud to be a part of the East Woods family.

~ John Michael Allegra - Class of 2022

I'm an upcoming eighth grader at East Woods School. This will be my 10th year at this wonderful school since I have gone to this school since I was in nursery I can tell you somethings that I love about my school. Since each grade is smaller by design, it's easier for the teachers to help everyone. In this school, if you're new to East Woods, you'll find it easy to fit in and build friendships here. East Woods has taught me a lot of things like academics isn't the key thing you need to succeed, etiquette, responsibility, and much more. East Woods taught me that academics aren't the only key to success by hosting sports nights to earn points for your team (Green or White, which are also the school colors).

Sports Nights are nights where the Upper School comes together on a Friday night to play games to earn points for your team. When you think of a successful person in school, people usually think of a person who has straight A's or just a smart student rather than an athletic person. East Woods has taught me basic etiquette since Pre-Kindergarten, this etiquette consists of how to sit properly in a chair, how to be a good citizen, and more. Another skill that East Woods has taught me is responsibility and how to be independent. This school has taught me how to be a responsible and independent person through overnight trips. I remember that I was scared to go on my first overnight trip because it was the first time where I had to spend the night without my family, but now I know what it feels like and how fun the trips are. 

One of my favorite events at East Woods are spirit weeks. The reason why I like spirit weeks is that it brings out the creativity in the students. For spirit weeks, you actually have to think about what you should wear according to the day so that you can earn points for your team. Another one of my favorite events at East Woods is the Spring Fair, which is an event that happens on a weekend towards the end of May. The Spring Fair is basically where East Woods transforms from a school into a miniature carnival in a matter of days. The Spring Fair consists of rides, game stalls, food stands, games, booths, and many more things that bring everyone joy and happiness. 

Since it is my last year at East Woods, I would like to thank everyone for filling ten years with joy and happiness. It can be sad to think that if my parents decided not to enroll me in this school, I wouldn't have met the wonderful people here at East Woods.  I have made many friends and memories here at school, and East Woods will forever be known as a home of mine since I feel like I am part of a big family. I am very glad to be a part of the East Woods School Class of 2021.  This school is one of a kind. 

~ Willa Wang - Class of 2021