Testimonials

Making the decision as to which high school Ashley would attend after graduation from East-West School of International Studies’ middle school was not difficult. She had already made up her mind that she will continue at East-West.  She had given me every reason to go along, notably the school’s commitment to excellence. I was comfortable with her choice, if only for the fact she would not have to change school.

I am very satisfied with Ashley’s academic accomplishments. To be sure, Ashley has always been a good learner, a student with a high level of achievement motivation, who tends to attribute her successes (or failures) to her own efforts or actions. But she herself makes the point that she has been fortunate to have “real good” teachers, the ones with consistent interest in their students’ learning and progress,  the ones who, as they say, teach from the heart, not only from the book. It’s a good feeling when a teacher shows appreciation of parents’ readiness to be actively involved in their children education. High expectations for student academic success are linked significantly to direct parents contact with schools. This is why I never missed school meetings.

Ashley’s educational journey will in not too distant a future take a new turn, as she transitions to college. This by all accounts is a stressful event, physically, mentally, and emotionally- a lengthy process that involves multiple tasks, requiring time management, resourcefulness, steadfast supportiveness of home and school.  Like most college applicants Ashley experienced spikes in anxiety and felt an intense pressure to comply with deadlines. She commented, however, that consistent support had been available throughout.  She very much enjoyed her trips to Yale and Columbia campuses, among others. These trips were relevant to the process as important steps of achieving perspective taking.

Parents frequently express hope that their children are happy and fulfilled at school, both in their learning and socialization. In this respect, it is satisfying that East-West offer a range of program activities for the students to develop their social skills, showcase their talents and interests, and achieve their strivings. Some activities are intercultural, while others are culture-specific, such as judo, Korean painting, dancing, and singing.

East-West also deserves praise for recognizing how beneficial it is to encourage a spirit of volunteerism, to develop citizenship skills in our young adolescents that in turn help to strengthen community functioning. The aim is that they will eventually translate knowledge and experiences acquired within the community to a wider world.

East-West’s student population is ethnically diverse. Cultural differences notwithstanding, there is no reported intergroup conflict, a testimony to the quality of East-West leadership.  American born of Haitian descent, Ashley has a long history of immersion in East Asian cultures, especially Korean, dating back to her pre-school years.    

Besides being a dedicated member of the dance team, Ashley is involved in a Korean tutoring program, tutoring younger children, as well as classmates. She is also an active member of “Model United Nations” club. Participation in Model United Nations has enlarged her world view, providing her with insight as to how some of the complex issues could be solved.  An issue of great concern to her is Human Rights, especially for children. Ashley’s communication and problem-solving skills have markedly improved as a result of her involvement in these programs.  

Looking back, Ashley’s enrollment at East-West was a right choice. Interactions with the school personnel could not have been better. I held high expectations for my daughter’s academic success, and East-West has been instrumental in making it come through. Perhaps more important, it has given her the sense of purpose and direction. As someone said quite appropriately, “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.”

As Ashley prepares to exit high school and take her place in adult society, this is the time, my time, to rejoice, and to say to you, “East-West educators, job well done. Thank you for your time.” 

East-West is a great school.  The teachers are dedicated and supportive in my child's academics and has helped her tremendously in achieving her goals.  She has learned a second language and is in the right direction to further develop her ability to continue to improve.  Thank you.

I was a member of the East-West School’s graduating Class of 2012.  Looking back, I realized how much East-West has meant to me.  My future is bright because of my decision to attend this school.

My parents felt that East-West was a good school due to its small size.  I agreed that the small school environment really helped because of how close students, teachers and faculty members were to one another.  I feel like I am part of a community here.  This is part of what made East-West special to me.

The uniqueness of East-West allowed me to have experiences very different from most students my age.  I intensively studied Korean as part of my regular schedule as a student of East-West.  I will continue to study Korean through college and plan to study abroad in Korea.

In addition to interesting classes, like the class that taught me how to play Korean drums, East-West has also helped me to develop my interests in its robust after school program.  I joined the Erhu Club where I learned to play the erhu (a two-stringed instrument sometimes called “the Chinese violin”).    I was part of many tutoring programs that my friends and I utilized to help prepare for the Regents exam.  The small atmosphere allowed us to get the one-on-one help we needed.  Other times, we were able to earn community service credit for helping the teachers as student-teacher assistants.  This is the kind of education I experienced and loved at East-West.

I remember during the stressful time of college applications senior year, I was able to get a lot of support from not only the guidance counselors but also my regular teachers.  The fact that the school was so small allowed the teachers and guidance counselors to really know students personally to help them and to write strong letters of recommendation.  The guidance counselors were able to give us ample time for meetings and discussions about college choices.  I remember our guidance counselor knew us well.  She knew which students would do better in a school far from home and which were better off in closer schools.  These kinds of relationships were crucial in insuring that I received the support that I needed most.

All in all, East-West made me a strong-minded, independent student with a lot of very specific interests that will take me far in life.  I feel very prepared for the next chapter of my life.

This school has high academic standards and encourages all students to reach their full potential.  We are very happy that our child is attending East-West.