Hi! My name is Paul Bruder and I am in third grade. Lower School is fun because everyone gets to try everything. Teachers show us that trying new things is not scary and that we might be really good at something we never thought we could be. It makes everyone feel special.

In school, I study Spanish, technology, library, PE, drama, science, math and English. The teachers here are special. They make it fun to learn! The Lower School is active in community service. In one class, we planted trees to help the environment. We learn that giving back is important. If you help someone, they will hopefully want to help someone else and then everyone will be helping each other.

We go to Chapel every few days. Chapel is important because we all come together and learn about each other. In Chapel, we pray, sing, or play instruments. We learn about different religions, and we also learn how to treat people and how people should treat you. All of the lessons in Chapel help us learn more about the Stripes. My parents also love to attend.

We visit the Library often. My favorite part is learning how to organize books by their call numbers. In Library, I like to read books that challenge my brain. I love anything about fish. I try to find books that will teach me new things about fish and where they live.

Lunch is really fun! We get to catch up with friends and talk about our day. Plus, the food is good!

We use computers and iPads in a lot of our classes. At EA, we learn how to code and use different types of technology, which is important because the world is changing very quickly. We also learn that it can be bad if kids use it too much for personal use.

At EA, we begin learning Spanish in Pre-K. I like learning Spanish because I think it is cool to learn how to communicate with other people who are different than you. Studying Spanish allows me to accept that my language is not the only language in the world and that we need to learn more languages to talk to each other.

We have Physical Education every other day. PE is great because it teaches us the importance of fitness. It also teaches us to work together and to win and lose together. I also like playing outside twice each day at recess. Recess is one of my favorite parts of the day because I get to see the entire grade at once. We have a great grade and we are all friends.

I like the arts because we make the coolest things by hand and your imagination leads the way. Drama is also fun because it helps everyone to feel comfortable around each other, and music is fun because we get to try new instruments. Art allows me to use my hand and body in a totally different way than I would if I was playing a game.