Student arrivals

Amid a flurry of suitcases, parents, siblings and friends, 128 new students arrived on the mountainside terrain of Woodstock's campus for the first time in early August.

While the school's students come from a variety of economic and national backgrounds, the school places a priority on its Christian heritage and working with families serving in south Asia. In seeking to attract and educate the children in these Christian families, Woodstock reported awarding to 21% of its student body financial aid for the present school year. The percentage illustrates the impressive number of medical personnel and service workers present within the community of Woodstock parents. The figure remains mere points away from the school's goal of offering aide to a full quarter of its students.

Woodstock is also proud to report that while nearly half of the new students are Christian, the remaining numbers represent every other major religion, a strength of the school, supporting its aim of diversity in the community.

Along with a variety of economic and religious backgrounds, new students represent nearly 15 different countries, with consistent large numbers again coming this year from Canada, Nepal, South Korea and the United States. Such an array of nationalities is exactly what admissions staff seek to recruit each year. It is well-known that this type of diverse community is an asset to education both inside the classroom and out.

Included in the number of students from the United States are those participating in the SAGE (Studies Abroad for Global Education) program, which offers American high school students the opportunity to attend Woodstock School, among others in south India.

Together with the arrival of new staff members, these new students represent another year of Woodstock's achieving its goal to maintain a dynamic community, changing each year, yet remaining true to its heritage, mission and values.