My name is Trisha Tsundupalli and I am in 7th grade. Middle School is fun, interactive, and motivating. Middle School offers opportunities to participate in projects and clubs, learn different languages, play sports, serve others, and feel inspired to grow as a good citizen through the Chapel program. Above all, EA teaches you to learn, do well, and become a successful student.

There are many service opportunities in the Middle School. Mornings in the Middle gives us an opportunity to serve others before school each week. I actively participate in the Food Drive by donating canned goods to families in need. I like the Food Drive because knowing that I contributed to the community gives me great pleasure, while it is also a load of fun.

Chapel takes place every other day in the Middle School. In Chapel, students perform original plays that reflect morals or teach life lessons. Our chaplain, Reverend Zug, also teaches valuable lessons through his exciting, interactive presentations. Chapel teaches the three r’s: religion, respect, and righteousness. For kids who are not Christian, Chapel teaches us to respect one another and an honest way of living. Chapel is an important part of our school and our chaplains teach us lessons and morals that will keep us on the correct path in life.

I take core classes like English, Math, Science, History, and a World language class, which is French for me. Every student also takes mandatory elective courses such as Religion, Art, Perspectives, Theater, Creative Writing, Tech 2.0, Library and Study Skills, and a music option. I attend Orchestra and Choir. Teachers are friendly, helpful, flexible and available whenever I have questions. They also give personal attention and provide good suggestions.

Lunch is a time to relax with your friends and enjoy good food. The menu in the cafeteria is different every day, with some daily options like the salad bar and waffle maker. I like lunchtime because students can sit with their friends and take the stress of the first half of their day off their shoulders. Lunch runs from 11:50 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., and students can eat at any time and go to recess whenever they please.

The school gives us all Apple laptops. Every classroom is also equipped with a Smart Board and an Apple TV, which is usually in continuous use throughout all the classrooms. EA uses a lot of technology throughout campus, and S.T.E.M. courses teach us coding and robotics. Technology is important because it helps teachers to teach effectively, teaches kids to learn and use many new computer tools, and also teaches us the responsibility of keeping and using our laptops safely.

There are three languages offered in Middle School: Spanish, French, and Mandarin. In seventh and eighth grade, Latin is mandatory. In sixth grade I took Religion, Art, Perspectives, Theater, Creative Writing, Tech 2.0, Library and Study Skills, Orchestra, and Choir. In seventh grade, I take Improv, Crochet Club, and Jr. Honors Art, along with Orchestra as my electives. There are many more choices for electives that you can sign up for in seventh and eighth grade.

In Middle and Upper School, sports take place at the end of each academic day. I participate in field hockey, dance, and lacrosse. Athletics keep students active and relieve stress from the school day. We also keep active with recess, which occurs twice every day of the week, as well as during Lunch/Recess. We play games on the Campus Green, like four square, taps, red rover, sharks and minnows. Others might play with a frisbee, a football, or lacrosse sticks.

Middle School offers many art opportunities. For example, a student can sign up for the drama board to act in a play or help create the set design. One can also sign up for the constant new clubs run by our drama teacher. I play the violin. I also take theater classes, which is mandatory for every sixth grader. Arts take a lot of time, hard work, and dedication. The arts at EA are motivating and, above all, fun.